What's Blooming Now?
By Richard Cretcher

St. Francis’s walking stick treats inflammation 

The nectar of the beautiful palo dulce bloom is particularly attractive to honeybees, as can be seen in this photo. A member of the pea family, this plant is a semi-evergreen tree/shrub with fragrant white flowers. Although still seen fairly frequently in the State of Guanajuato, this plant’s numbers are drastically diminishing due to clearing and cutting, especially for use as fence posts.

Thousands of young plants are growing, however, in the protected areas of El Charco. This photograph was taken on the trail near the rescued plants in the northwest section of El Charco. The English common name (Mexican kidneywood) comes from the use of derivatives of the plant for treating ills of the kidney.

A unique bloom with the Spanish/Mexican common name baston de San Francisco (St. Francis's walking stick) is officially called Christmas candlestick in English. This plant, a member of the mint family, is also often referred to as Lion's Ear.

 Not indigenous to Mexico (it probably originated in Africa or India), the plant has adapted well to this location. It is particularly abundant along the highway to Guanajuato. This plant has prompted considerable scientific research for its potential medicinal uses for treatment of inflammation.


Other wildflowers blooming now include jarritos, cinco llagas, cabezona and limpiatunas.

Richard Cretcher published the wildflower pocket guide Flores Silvestres and will conduct another wildflower walk for the benefit of El Charco September 19. For more information or to reserve a space, contact nzerriffi@yahoo.com