Agave

Various species of Agave can be found growing throughout Barbados, both wild on the north and east coasts of the island, as well as in various gardens. The ones in these photos were taken as young plants from wild flower stalks to put in the garden, where they have flourished over the years, and at this time of year they all burst into flower.

The Agave flower stalks grow very quickly over a period of about six weeks, and will grow to a height of easily twelve feet. When the flowering period has ended, the flower stalk eventually falls over and the dried flowers fall to the ground where they grow into new plants. There is a delightful fragrance to the flowers, but since it’s near impossible to get close to them for a sniff, standing a little downwind makes all the difference.

Hummingbirds, bananaquits, bees and butterflies love the nectar produced by the Agave flowers - it’s the perfect time to watch as there is a steady stream of visitors to the flowers. The flower stalk itself is easily twelve inches around and withstands the high winds on the exposed east and north coasts of Barbados…a very hardy plant.

We've Got Chicks!

Both eggs have now hatched from the Wood Dove (also called a Ground Dove) that is nesting on the windowsill of our bathroom window - photos are taken through the insect mesh, so not the best.

The dove had laid two eggs 24 hours apart, and I saw one hatchling five days ago and it was obviously very new. I did not see the second chick until yesterday, so not sure when it hatched. Momma bird is getting more comfortable with my occasional peeping, and I managed to get the photo of the two chicks yesterday when I noticed that she was out of the nest - ran for the camera to take advantage of the opportunity. So I hope to be able to get more progress photos over the coming weeks to share with you all.

Wild Geranium

We in Barbados know this plant as “Wild Geranium”. I don’t know the scientific name for it, and it probably goes by a lot of other names too, but for me, it’s “Wild Geranium”.

Wild Geranium is basically a weed - you won’t find it being sold in any plant nurseries anywhere on the island. And it literally grows on rocks - that is clearly visible in the photos. It does not seem to transplant well, as with most weeds and wild plants, however, it loves the more rugged conditions found on the north and east coasts of Barbados.

The leaf is what I would call “frilly”, and if you brush by it gently there is a slight aroma not unlike Wild Sage, a very herby smell but I don’t know if it’s actually edible. My photos were taken on a cliff on the east coast of Barbados where, literally, a few grains of soil collect in pockets on the rock, and it seems to be more than enough for Wild Geranium to grow and thrive.

Non descript pale green flowers die off and are replaced by a long stalk of “fruit”. These dry up and turn brown and the cycle continues. Wild Geranium is great ground cover in salty dry areas, which is a blessing for people who live on the more rugged east coast of the island as many things don’t grow well with all the salt and wind.

It’s Nesting Time

It’s that time of year when all the birds are nesting in this part of the world. Yet again, we have a dove sitting on two eggs on the bathroom windowsill. This is the first successful laying that will hopefully lead to a successful hatching.

These doves are notorious for having very untidy and scrappy nests, so this pair has tried for several years in the same spot, but the nest was never sufficient to hold the eggs and they just rolled off the sill and broke. 

So, keeping fingers crossed that we will have a good view when the eggs hatch. As you can see from the photo, she got up when I crept up to take the picture, so I won’t be taking too many and will have to be very careful when I do as I don’t want to disturb her. She’s got used to my opening the window in the morning and locking it at night, but other visits cause a bit of a stir, so I try to stay away.

The other nest is the complete opposite of the dove nest …except for the poor choice of location. This nest is being built by a pair of very busy sparrows (Barbados Bullfinch). They built in the same spot last year and laid two eggs, but being that the nest is only about two feet off the ground, something got at the nest and I found two smashed eggs on the deck floor. Could have been a cat or a monkey, but most likely a cat as nothing else would have access to the location. It’s a nice strong nest, so I’ll be keeping an eye on this one to see what happens.

Portalucca

Portalucca is a wonderful ground cover plant that grows like a weed. The one pictured here has white flowers, but pink is also very common. 

This very delicate looking and low growing plant is hardy, and can survive well in drier conditions. Being that it is so low to the ground, wind does not seem to be much of a problem either. It might seem to die off a bit in the dry season, but as soon as rain comes, it will move into top gear and grow and flower. The flowers only last a day, but there are usually a lot, so many days of flowering is not uncommon.

Portalucca is one of those plants that butterflies and moths adore and you can see it growing wild around the island, particularly on the east and south-eastern coasts of Barbados.

Petrea

When I was a child, everybody had at least one Petrea shrub in their garden, just like the magnificent specimen shown in the photos, and also white, but the purple were more common - maybe easier to grow. Nowadays, they are few and far between, no longer fashionable.

Petrea is ideally suited to the climate of Barbados, they withstand the dry season well and thrive when there’s lots of rain too. They really don’t require much care other than the occasional trim so’s they don’t take over the entire property.

The leaves of the Petrea shrub are like thick paper covered in short stubble, like someone who hasn’t shaved for a day or two. Each flower stalk is covered in multiple tiny little flowers that will brighten up any garden.

The specimen shown in the photos is a very old plant, probably a good thirty to forty years old, and still looks spectacular. Talk about improving with age!

Panda Ficus

Panda ficus is not native to Barbados, but it has become very popular because of it’s hardy nature. As a member of the “ficus” group, Panda ficus does not lose it’s leaves, so it looks good year round though the shrub does become more lush during the rainy season. And it is very much a shrub.

Panda ficus thrives in both windy and salty conditions in either a pot or in the ground. During the dry season it will appear to have stopped growing, and one or two leaves might fall off, but the vast majority will stay on the plant. 

Propagation of the plant is also easy - cuttings can go straight into soil with a bit of water to get them started for the first few weeks. The leaves are fleshy and the branches thick and stocky.

I’m about to get my first Panda ficus plant, let’s see if it can survive me!

Pusley (Portulaca oleracea)

Pusley (also known as Puslane or Purslane) grows like a weed all over Barbados, and most people treat it like a weed, ie pull it up. However, there are those who like it for it’s medicinal and health qualities, and will make it into a tea, use it as a herb in cooking or eat it raw in salads.

As can be seen in the photo, Pusley grows just about anywhere, including on rocks. The stem and leaves are quite fleshy, and the plant seems to survive even in the harshest environment. When there is a little rain, these delightful and very dainty little yellow flowers appear that are very appealing to equally dainty moths and butterflies, which will rise in clouds as you walk through the plants.

I’ve never eaten Pusley, I think I shall give it a try.

Crabs

Barbados is home to a variety of both land and sea crabs, some of which are shown here. Only one land crab that I am aware of is edible, Swampy, and they tend to be found close to streams and swamps. Swampies hide in holes during the day and come out to feed at night, so small hunting parties will go out to catch these by hand. They can be very large, with a man’s wrist being easily encircled by a claw. They are also very quick and agile. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of swampies though I did go on a couple hunting expeditions in my youth.

Soldier Crabs change their shell as they grow, and the one shown here has moved into an empty shell from a Giant African Snail. Again, these tend to come out at night and will forage for any scraps (such as dog food) that may not have been finished off. They are land crabs but tend to live within a few hundred yards of the sea. The Soldier Crab in the photo was hiding from the heat of the day under a plant in a flower pot.

Red Crabs live on the land, but always in close proximity to the sea. They will have holes all over your lawn if given the chance, and which they will vacate at night to hunt or in the event of rain - it’s quite spectacular to see a lovely green lawn littered with bright red crabs after a heavy downpour. These too are very shy and will disappear into their hole at the slightest sound or movement.

Ghost Crabs live on the beach. They seem to disappear into the sand, move very quickly and have more permanent holes above the high water mark. As you can see in the photo, Ghost Crabs are the colour of the sand - very well camoflagued. You can just sit quietly on the beach and they will go about their business ignorning you, but the minute you move or try to get too close, they will be gone.

Last but not least is the Shagga Crab, so well camoflagued that you can barely make it out in the photograph. These live on rocks that get washed constantly by the sea, and they will sit still until a human gets too close or a bigger wave crashes on them. You can see them on craggy rocks at the waterline anywhere around Barbados

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe is a rather delightful plant that grows easily just about anywhere. It puts out these wonderful bunches of lovely red flowers as shown in Photo 2. Being that it is a succulent, it’s easy to propagate by popping off a piece, putting it in some soil (ground or pot) and watering to get it started.

Kalanchoe will survive in a windy environment but definitely not thrive, so a little wind break will be helpful. Otherwise, sun, ideally some rain and it will become a healthy flowering plant in no time at all. Personally, I find Kalanchoe to be at it’s best in a pot, but the ground is fine too. 

In the bottom right hand corner of one photo, the flower buds and some newly opened flowers can be seen, and Photo 1 clearly shows the leaf shape and colour. As with succulents generally, the leaves are quite “meaty”, and the sap is clear and sticky.

This is a great plant for a rocky area too, and as a starter plant for someone trying their hand at gardening. I love them, so bright and lively.

Frangipani Hawkmoth Caterpillar (Pseudosphinx tetrio)

The Frangipani Hawkmoth Caterpillar (Pseudosphinx tetrio) is a very colourful and substantially sized caterpillar that is pretty difficult to miss with their vibrant orange stripes. They will easily grow to 3 or more inches in length before entering the pupal stage.

As the name suggests, these caterpillars feed on the milk of the Frangipani tree and its relatives. The milk of these trees is poisonous to humans and will actually blister one’s skin if not washed off properly, but it seems to provide these caterpillars with the nutrition they need, and protection from predators, as birds do not find them remotely interesting.

The Frangipani Hawkmoth Caterpillar has a voracious appetite, and a colony of them can clean a tree in 48 hours. They don’t seem to harm the tree, as the leaves all grow back and life continues, but the tree becomes quite unsightly with it’s ragged nakedness, a quite different nakedness from when the tree loses it’s leaves naturally prior to flowering.

The photographs give an indication of the number of caterpillars that may infest a tree all at the same time, and the level of damage done to each leaf, though the caterpillars in the photos are not full grown. The actual moth that later emerges is quite nondescript in appearance and blends beautifully with vegetation and tree bark. Unfortunately I do not have any photos of said moths.

The influx of the Frangipani Hawkmoth Caterpillar seems to be a more recent thing in Barbados. I do not remember seeing them as a child, and I would have said that they have made their appearance in a big way over the past 10 years or so, but then again, with so many varieties of the frangipani family of tree now in gardens around the island, there is a lot more for the caterpillars to eat.

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.