Rice Fern (Asparagus aethiopicus)

Rice Fern (as we call it) is also commonly known as Asparagus Fern, and can be found growing all over Barbados, mainly in gardens. It spreads rapidly and can become a very large cluster of plants quite quickly.

Rice Fern is not actually a fern, and it has tiny little slender leaves about half an inch long that are attached to a long frond that gives the plant a slightly soft and frothy appearance. The plant does not have prickles, but as it ages and dries, the remaining stalks become quite hard, so trimming and thinning them can be a delicate process.

As can be seen in the first photo, Rice Fern produces very delicate little white flowers that transform into green berries that turn red as they ripen. When these berries drop off, they rapidly grow into new plants. If you dig down amongst the roots or are re-potting, you will see many of these berries still attached to the roots.

Rice Fern does well in pots, hanging baskets and in the ground. Due to the hanging nature of the fronds, they are popular in baskets and large pots as they can fill a space beautifully with their lush green foliage.

Aloes (Aloe vera)

Aloes (as we call it) grows all over Barbados almost like a weed. It is hardy so is perfect for salty or windswept environments, and will thrive in a pot. Due to the serrated edge of each “leaf”, Aloes needs to be handled with care.

If Aloes is in a location that it likes, it will spread quite quickly (and outgrow it’s pot). Each plant puts out tall flower stalks, some of which are shown here - the stalk with the still growing flower buds and a stalk with flowers that are fully open.

If you come across any Aloe plants on your travels, pull up a chair and get out your camera, as it won’t be long before you see the hummingbirds and banaquits coming to feed on the nectar. 

I am not aware of Aloe vera being grown commercially in Barbados, but you can find locally made products that contain it, and sometimes the raw product can be found selling on the beach as a treatment for sunburn.

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea glabra)

Everybody knows Bougainvillea, even if not by name but by sight. When a bush is covered in flowers, it is spectacular and can be seen from quite a distance. Some of the different colours are pictured here, including one that is white and pink all in one. 

It should be noted that the actual flower is that tiny white thing in the middle of the very large and colourful sepals. Generally there is no fragrance attached to Bougainvillea, at least not to humans, and the leaves are a very ordinary darkish green. However, what is memorable besides the vibrant colours are the long and very painful thorns, some of which are shown in the photos.

Due to it’s thorny nature, Bougainvillea makes a great hedge. If trimmed regularly it can get quite thick and live for a very long time. Most of the colours are very hardy, but some do take a bit more TLC to get a solid footing, and once established, will live for many years. Bougainvillea is also very easy to propagate using cuttings first placed in water until some roots appear, and then bagged or potted until a bit stronger before putting in the ground. 

Bougainvillea in every colour can be see growing around Barbados, neatly trimmed ones and wild spreading ones that become a mass of colour, as shown in one of the photographs. If you are inspecting one at close quarters, beware of the thorns. Bougainvillea stems get harder with age, and when trimmed pieces dry out, they get very hard indeed. Should you step on one of the thorns you will remember it for a very long time. Not only is it painful due to its size and length, but it tends to burn as it penetrates the skin and takes quite a long time to heal. So the moral of the story is, go with care, they are so worth it.

Christmas Candle (Senna alata)

It is that time of year when this wonderful shrub is covered in magnificent candle-like golden flowers, Christmas Candle (Senna alata). When these start to flower, you know that Christmas is just around the corner, the days are shorter and the nights are cooler.

Many people have this shrub in their gardens, but they can also be seen growing wild, particularly in the eastern and northern parts of the island. It seems to be quite a hardy plant as it survives irrespective of the weather in preceeding months - the flowers will always appear at the end of the year.

The leaves are quite thick and feel like they have a very fine covering of hairs. At other times of the year, Christmas Candle will just blend in with surrounding greenery. It really is when the flowers come out that it stands out in a class of it’s own, and to me it really does mean that the  Christmas season has arrived.

Column Cactus

I have no idea what kind of column cactus is shown here, but I found a piece growing wild, carefully removed it and put it in a pot on my deck, where it has been for the past three or so years.

When I first got the plant, it was about eighteen inches tall, but obviously loved it’s location. Within a matter of months, it was about five feet tall. It seems to have slowed down at it’s present height of about eight feet and puts out the most magnificent flowers.

There is usually just one flower at a time, but there may be two or three a few days apart. The bud grows over a period of a week or so and each flower opens in the late afternoon around dusk, and the actual opening is quite quick, maybe over an hour. It will stay open like this all night, close up a little the next day, re-open the next night and then close completely the following morning. The photos here were all taken in the early morning, and I had to get the ladder out to get some of them.

I know that the hummingbirds feed on the flowers as I have watched them come in for a feed after the sun has set but before it is pitch dark, and they will go and come several times during the course of the evening. I’m sure larger moths probably enjoy the nectar too, but I haven’t actually seen this. After the flower has closed, it will dry up and drop off after a few days.

Seaside Morning Glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae)

I love Seaside Morning Glory for many reasons. Aside from the fact that it grows (thrives) on little to no soil (rock is just fine), and it does shrink back and die off during the dry season, but the minute rain comes along, oh my, the ground is transformed with a magnificent green carpet (it grows really quickly) interspersed with these lovely purple flowers. What can be better than that?!

Seaside Morning Glory grows on the beach as well as along cliff edges on the coastline, so salt and wind are no problem for this hardy plant. Anywhere from the south-east coast of Barbados, along the east coast and right up to the north of the island, you will see this growing. It is even used on beaches that have suffered erosion to help “hold” the sand.

To top it off, butterflies of all sizes and colours love Seaside Morning Glory. What’s not to like!

Silver Dollar

This shrub grows very easily and can be seen in gardens all over Barbados. I don’t know the Latin name for Silver Dollar (that’s what we call it), but it has a lovely grey-green leaf, very similar to that of Texas Sage, but much bigger, and it bears bunches of tiny little spherical pods, some of which are clearly shown in the photo.

Silver Dollar makes a great hedge or a stand alone ornamental shrub. It handles dry conditions well, requiring just a bit of watering to get it through the dry season. It also thrives along the windswept south and east coasts of Barbados, and can be found growing steps from the beach.

If left to run wild, Silver Dollar will become a more tree-sized plant, providing good shelter from the sun and wind.