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.