C. canariensis is one of a group of unrelated Canarian plants that appear to be adapted for bird pollination, including the members of the genera Isoplexis and Lotus. It was once thought that the original pollinators of these plants were sunbirds which had become extinct on the Canary Islands, explaining why some of these species are rare and considered endangered (Vogel 1954; Vogel et al.
C. canariensis is a Canarian plant adapted for bird pollination, along with other related plants like Isoplexis and Lotus. It was previously thought that sunbirds, now extinct on the Canary Islands, were responsible for its pollination, leading to the rarity of some species and their endangered status.