Cacti in habitat

I never thought much about the cacti growing in habitat in Jamaica, but sort of just took them for granted. You know, there are parts of the country where cacti and agaves, and other succulents, grow wild and you can see them along the road side, in the hills - some along major roads with heavy traffic and others more remote.

We used to choose to drive along unfamiliar roads in the hope of spotting some orchid or cactus that we hadn't seen before but really haven't done much of that in a while - that is, until I joined up with the British Cactus and Succulent Society Forum, and of course, they are very interested in seeing native plants in habitat.

So on my last trip home we went out for an easy drive to Hellshire in St. Catherine and Milk River in Clarendon and took some photos as we drove along. It was a really refreshing experience and I know I need to do it more often - get back out in the country and just look at stuff. There is so much to see if you just open your eyes and appreciate the beauty around you. In the Caribbean we take it so much for granted, and this year away from home has significantly raised my appreciation.

So here are a few of the habitat shots - I realise some of these plants are not really native but introduced species and I don't even know what they are yet. This is something else I need to get to know more about.

View out to sea from Hellshire Main Road


Agave and cereus on the hillside near Farquhars Beach


Columnar cacti by the roadside along the Milk River Road