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10 plants worth knowing

Bolivia

Bolivia stretches from the high, cold Altiplano with Lake Titicaca and the Uyuni salt flat, through the cloud-forested valleys of the Yungas, to the hot lowlands of the east: the savannas of Beni, the Amazonian forests of Pando, the dry forests of the Chiquitanía and the thorny Gran Chaco. The country’s constitution recognises no fewer than two flowers as national symbols – the kantuta and the patujú.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Cantuta 1

    shrub · National flower of Bolivia, listed in the constitution among the symbols of the state

    Cantuta

    Cantua buxifolia

    A flower in the colours of the Bolivian flag – red, yellow and green kantutas have been a national symbol since 1924.
  2. Hanging lobster claw 2

    perennial · National flower of Bolivia (since 1990), listed in the constitution

    Hanging lobster claw

    Heliconia rostrata

    Hanging red-and-yellow flower spikes edged in green look like lobster claws – the patujú is Bolivia’s second national flower.
  3. Quinoa 3

    crop

    Quinoa

    Chenopodium quinoa

    The gold of the Andes – the largest and most famous quinoa grains, known as Quinua Real, grow around the edges of the Uyuni salt flat.
  4. Coca 4

    shrub · Protected by the constitution as part of Bolivia’s cultural heritage

    Coca

    Erythroxylum coca

    The sacred leaf of the Andes – chewing coca helps people cope with altitude and fatigue, and Bolivia’s constitution protects it as cultural heritage.
  5. Polylepis tarapacana 5

    tree

    Polylepis tarapacana

    Polylepis tarapacana

    The world’s highest-growing tree – on the slopes of Sajama volcano the keñua forms groves at up to 5,200 m.
  6. Potato 6

    crop

    Potato

    Solanum tuberosum

    The Bolivian Altiplano lies in the cradle of the potato – hundreds of varieties and frost-dried chuño are the basis of Andean cuisine.
  7. Brazil nut 7

    tree

    Brazil nut

    Bertholletia excelsa

    Bolivia is the largest exporter of Brazil nuts – they are gathered in the pristine forests of Pando and northern Beni.
  8. Floss silk tree 8

    tree

    Floss silk tree

    Ceiba speciosa

    The pot-bellied toborochi is the legendary tree of Santa Cruz – according to folklore, Princess Araverá hid inside its trunk.
  9. Yareta 9

    perennial

    Yareta

    Azorella compacta

    Hard green yareta cushions on the rocks of the Altiplano grow about 1.5 cm a year, and the oldest may be thousands of years old.
  10. Pink lapacho 10

    tree

    Pink lapacho

    Handroanthus impetiginosus

    At the end of the dry season the pink crowns of the tajibo light up the streets of Santa Cruz and the forests of the Bolivian lowlands.