Cococut Palm along the Malecon and the Pacific Ocean

We’re all still waiting for sunny skies and warm temperatures. In the meantime, my honey and I flew to Puerto Vallarta for a week. P.V. always has perfect weather – temps in the eighties during the day and high sixties at night. Sunsets are gorgeous. Although many people are afraid to go to Mexico, this town is perfectly safe while being full of local character. Actually, it’s probably safer than Cleveland. The restaurants are fabulous. What more can one ask?

Large flower clusters of Plumeria obtusa

Pozo do los Deseos

How about spectacular flora? There are several large flowering trees that I find entrancing. We had breakfast one morning at La Hacienda and sat in the courtyard. One of the trees had just started blooming. It was Plumeria obtusa, also known as Frangipani, a word I’ve seen in books but now I know what it looks like and I had no idea that it is one of those trees that blooms before it foliates. Another blooming tree was Pozo de los Deseos. The English translation is Wishing Well but I have no idea what the botanical name is.

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea trained on metal pole

Bougainvillea, in a myriad of colors, is everywhere. It is frequently trained up the trunk of tree and scrambles up into the canopy. On the Malecon, basically a long concrete walkway along the ocean, Bougainvillea is trained onto metal poles that have two arches at the top.

Flower of Musa ornata (Flowering Banana)

Each evening, we took the bus into town and walked up a steep staircase (P.V. is built into the side of a hill) to the bar/rooftop of Cuatro Vientos, a charming B and B. Alongside this staircase are many plants, one of which is a flowering banana (Musa ornata) that has an orange flower and several small bananas. The flower was a little bit different each day. One day, the left petal would lower; the next day, the left petal was vertical again but the right petal would lower. Strange!

Pyrostegia venusta

Sitting up on the rooftop, we could see a bright orange vining plant trailing along the terra cotta tiles. Pyrostegia venusta (Flame Vine) is somewhat similar to Campsis (Trumpet Creeper). I hope it’s not as invasive as Campsis.

 There were too many other lovely trees and shrubs to include them all but this should give you an inkling of the beauty that awaits.