Jaguar Nature Park & Botanical Gardens

20/04/2026

Cyrtopodium, a terrestrial native Belizean-Central American orchid, among those called a cowhorn orchid. Rescued by a licensed collector from the construction project through the Maya Mountains forest for the road to the Caracol ruins a few years ago, apparently happy since in that lowland concrete pot.

06/12/2025

The sandpaper vine is blooming.

09/11/2025

The entrance to our botanical garden got a makeover from BEL early this Sunday morning.

I'm also a retired electrical contractor, so I understand the need to keep tree limbs away from power lines. I discussed how two old trees could be trimmed with the supervisor a month ago and the crew this morning.

Instead, they went chain-saw crazy, not trimming but damaging like no arborist would, damaging and destroying other trees in the process, including out-of-the-way palms, several cacao trees, a Jamaican lime and a tamarind, and cutting down a pine and a half dozen palms we hadn't even discussed. Their slash pile is huge and all over the place, crushing many plants and partially obstructing the highway drainage ditch just cleaned before this week's coming rains.

And when I complained how they were doing this, they literally laughed in my face. The power company has the power -- and no respect for nature or personal property.

28/10/2025

Here's a bloom we don't often see -- or smell! -- probably because we don't have as many of these ginger lillies, or garland lillies (Hydechium), as we do the more common gingers (Alpinia purpurata) often called ginger lillies here in Belize.

We're calling this one "peach ginger," mostly because of the color but also because the intensely strong scent reminds us of very ripe peaches -- a good reason to string them into a garland. In its native Asia, Hydechium is used as a medicinal, but we'll be content to enjoy it as is. Each flower is short-lived, but each panacle should produce a hundred or more flowers over the several weeks of bloom time.

26/09/2025

Have had two pots of lipstick palms for several years, long enough for them to not only grow taller but also have more than one trunk and quite a number of sprouts. A friend wanted one for her office, so purpose overcame lethargy.

Separating out the main stem of the smaller pot was difficult but doable, and also left a couple of smaller stems and quite a number of babies for repotting separately. But the roots of the bigger pot were a tangled mass tying its stems in a knot. Should have tried to separate them years ago.

Fearing more harm would be done than good, I decided to just plant the whole clump in an empty spot under the big mahogany by the front door. Hope it likes its new spot. I do.

20/09/2025

Interesting that Belize forest preservation efforts -- unfortunately threatened by recent logging -- might be a helpful if not deciding factor for the ICJ.

GUATEMALAN ANALYST SAYS ICJ LIKELY TO RULE FOR BELIZE

September 20, 2025

A Guatemalan international relations expert believes the International Court of Justice will rule in Belize’s favor in the ongoing territorial dispute.

Speaking on Canal Antigua, Rodrigo Montúfar predicted a possible 9–6 vote against Guatemala. He argued that Belize’s record of environmental preservation could influence judges, contrasting Belize’s green forests with Guatemala’s widespread deforestation.

Montúfar suggested this visible difference might tip the balance, even for judges sympathetic to Guatemala.

28/08/2025

Sometimes foliage is as pretty as flowers.

24/08/2025

Heliconias

14/08/2025

The lotus doesn't bloom all that often (but another bud is getting ready!), maybe because its home here isn't as big as the Spice Farm pond in Golden Stream, where it came from 10 years ago and is well worth a visit if you haven't been.

12/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1M34jw2FVj/

05/07/2025

White seems to be the color of the day here today.