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To get us into the mood of the Christmas season that can be felt everywhere in Guatemala now, here’s the first free poinsettia wallpaper of the season. You can browse the wallpaper category to get the other 45 Guatemalan wallpapers for your computer available from AntiguaDailyPhoto for free.

Did you know that poinsettias were native to Guatemala and Mesoamerica? We call them pascuas in Guatemala and I believe they are called noche buenas in Mexico.

There’s an interesting article in Prensa Libre entitled: Pascuas que cambian de colores (Poinsettias of different colors) in which I learned that, according to industry statistics, Guatemala is the top grower of poinsettias in the world. Guatemala produces 60 million poinsettias which represents 80% of the production in the world. How about that?

Other interesting readings about Poinsettias in Spanish/Google-translated.

• Pascuas y pinabetes, negocios de fin de año / Poinsettias and Pine trees, an end-of-the-year business
• Estrella de Nochebuena; pascua florece con la Navidad / Star of Christmas Eve, Poinsettias blossom with Christmas
• Pascuas que cambian de colores / Poinsettias of different colors

Half jokingly I stated that I wish I had some Google Goggles with me every time I go out to take photos so I know what I am photographing, especially when taking pictures of flora and fauna. Well, a few people in Facebook took over the task of determining the identity of the flower above and after 31 comments, one quarter were mine, Bernhard and Gail both identify this flower as Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, also known as clavel de cerco (hedgerow carnation), clavel doble rosa, schizopetalus, schizopetalus Padoga, Lanterne japonaise , Skeleton hibiscus, Japanese Lantern, Fringed Rosemallow, Hibiscus coral. The first comment made by Miguel pointed it out that he believed it was a clavel (carnation). From there my cousin Sandra said it was actually a clavel chino (dianthus chinensis, a Chinese carnation). At one point some people thought it was a climbing rose variation or peony, but at the end after providing a close-up, almost everyone agreed it was Hibiscus rosa-sinensis what we call clavel de cerco in Guatemala or Chapinis clavelis as jokingly Sofía called it.

I really enjoy the exercise of several people coming together to correctly identify a plant from a photograph, an a not very good photo at that. It’s amazing what people can achieve when working towards a common goal, don’t you agree?

These colorful and strange-looking flowers are the gift of a climber plant known locally as Tumbergias (tunbergia misurense is the scientific name). Tumbergias are quite popular in the gardens of La Antigua Guatemala. Tumbergias are also very popular with bees and bumblebees and the why is very obvious once you seen the amount of nectar these plant produces. If you visit the restaurant inside Vivero La Escalonia you can appreciate a ceiling made with tumbergias in one section of the restaurant.

Éstas coloridas y extrañas flores son el regalo de una planta trepadora conocida localmente como Tumbergias (“tunbergia misurense” es el nombre científico). Tumbergias son muy populares en los jardines de La Antigua Guatemala. Las tumbergias también son populares con las abejas y los colibríes y es obvio después las cantidades de néctar que la planta produce. El restaurante dentro del Vivero La Escalonia tiene como techo natural tumbergias por si les gustaría apreciar tan coloridas flores.

The Ceiba tree (Ceiba pentandra) is very important in Guatemala. For one, the Ceiba tree is Guatemala’s national tree. There are Ceiba trees all over Guatemala. The Maya believed that Ceiba trees were portals to Xibalbá (The Underworld). Xibalba is described in the Popol Vuh as a court below the surface of the Earth associated with death and with twelve gods or powerful rulers known as the Lords of Xibalba (source: Wikipedia).

According to a recent article in Revue Magazine, Ceibas have been sacred trees for over 2,000 years and the Ceiba tree spines show up often in Mayan art and pottery. The Ceiba tree also appears in the 5 centavos coins.

Do you know how many Ceiba tree are there in La Antigua Guatemala municipality?

The price of flowers goes up exponentially around certain dates like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, just to name a few.

A dozen roses is selling for Q60/$7.50 right now, while the normal price at the market goes from Q20/$2.50 to Q35/$4.50 for a dozen roses, depending on the quality and whether one is a regular costumer or not. For instance, a co-worker at the office buys two dozen roses every week for Q35/$4.50; he always gets this special price because he’s regular customer.

Of course, all flowers get a price hike, but certainly roses are the most affected since most people want to give roses for el Día del cariño.

In Guatemala Valentine’s Day has a much wider meaning since Día del cariño, Day of affection or caring, is about celebrating all the different manifestations of love and caring.

What better way to send my best wishes for Día del cariño and Valentine’s Day to all of you than to share a Corazón chino, Chinese heart, flower which are native of the wet tropical mountain forest of Central America and South America regardless of its popular name. The Anturios or Anthurium is the scientific name.

If you ever decide to hike the volcanoes around La Anttigua Guatemala, don’t ever forget to pay attention to the colors you find on your way up. The flora up there is unique and enchanting.

I don’t know the name of these purple flowers, can anybody help?

text and photo by Arturo Godoy.

Photographing green is an obsession for me. There is something about the way green looks when it’s captured by camera. I will always invariably shoot all things green. I captured this “palm umbrella” while I was at Panza Verde for Yoga class early Monday morning. I think the blurred white cupola and the rich, blue sky truly help set off the brilliant green hue of the palm.

Speaking of favorites: another “photo-fetish” I seem to have is hands. I love photographing hands. What are some of your favorites?

text and photo by Laura McNamara