And we continue planting jíjiras: a hope with thornes

By Duniel Barrios

In the past, the jíjira (Leptocereus wrightii) was common in Cojímar and El Vedado in Havana. Then it was thought Extinct, displaced by livestock and urbanization. Today is the only Cuban cactus that could truly claim the name “El Habanero”.

Date: 19/07/2019

Project: Conservation of threatened species from arid zones of Cuba.

The most threatened species of Cuban cacti. Feared by the farmers of yesteryear because their thorns were hurting the cattle… When we started this project in 2016, it seemed that there were only 2 jíjiras (Leptocereus wrightii) left in Cuba. But they lived here before those animals and those farmers; and its thorny presence did not claim any primacy when urbanization and industries arrived.

At the beginning of the 20th century the jíjira or pitahaya could be found between Havana and Marianao beach, even in the neighborhood of El Vedado. In 1940, it was only reported in the coastal vegetation of Cojímar (toward the east of the capital), and in the mid-1980s it was considered Extinct.

Leptocereus wrightii multiplies to return to his real home.

However, eight years ago our team found one individual in Santa Cruz del Norte (province of Mayabeque). Thanks to a collaborator we located another one in Boca de Jaruco, and more recently we located 16 more individuals. Today, from seeds of all of them, Leptocereus wrightii multiplies in our own backyards, where hundreds of seedlings await the day of returning to their real home. This is the chronicle of two “going home” trips.

From my backyard to Cojímar

After almost two years, the departure day came for 113 postures of jíjira that I saw grow millimeter by millimeter. The day prior to the expedition was very rainy, and we thought that the best thing to do was to cancel the trip. However, we continued with all the arrangements for the trip and it was a relief to find that the next day was sunny and beautiful. Actually, the rain helped to moist the soil before planting which made our job much easier.

Duniel and Jose Angel at the nursery of Jíjiras

The cove of Cojímar’s river, which gives its name to a town frequented by Ernest Hemingway during his years in Cuba, is a place of great beauty a few kilometers from the capital. On the slopes, exotic invasive species and native plants coexist. Human activities such as logging and littering decrease the quality of this habitat that demands a prompt recovery.

While planting we came across some native species that Ramiro Chaves, our guide in Cojímar, introduced in the area 4 years ago, including six Leptocereus wrightii . I donated these individuals, which were propagated from branches of adult jíjiras from Mayabeque. However, these are clones, genetically they come from only 2 individuals. The ones that we introduced during this trip were produced by seeds, which means that they are all different individuals.

The biggest inconvenience during planting was the presence of a native vine known as hortiguilla. It was well grown and disturbed us with its urticating hairs on our arms, face, neck and ears. Nevertheless, we managed to plant all the seedlings, some in risky places up the slope.

The rain helped to moist the soil before planting which made our job much easier.

Like children returning to their father

Two patches of “miraculously” well-preserved native vegetation were the area selected for the other sowing. Surrounded by invasive species that sadly have become more familiar, these relicts are visible on the north side of the busy highway connecting the cities of Havana and Matanzas.

«After many efforts to save the most threatened cactus in Cuba, the reintroduction of these small seedlings brings back hope for a better future for this exclusive species of Cuba. Despite the harsh conditions and the long way traveled, a sensation of triumph invades us.».

Duniel Barrios

Head of the arid zones project – Planta!

Researcher, National Botanical Garden, University of Havana

Under our boots was the sharp “dog tooth”, filled with cavities that saved this piece of land from farming. In such a degraded landscape, a site like this, with a high diversity of native and endemic species (like the hicaquillo and the aguacate cimarrón), can take us back in time to what the north western coast originally looked like.

One of the adult specimens of Leptocereus wrightii that initiated a recovery story for this unique species in 2017 survives here. This time, 145 small plants are coming to join him. Because a jíjira growing by itself is like an island without faith.