The weather goddess was with us on Jan. 31st, 2024 when a small group of gardeners and friends ventured into the Barranca de Hunetitan, on the northern outskirts of Guadalajara.
Waiting for the rest of our group to gather.
Our friends from Senderos de Mexico (https://www.senderosdemexico-jalisco.org/) invited us to tour a little known garden in the Canyon of Huentitan. Along with our hosts, the Comisión Estatal del Agua CEA, we were granted access to a botanical garden with more than 300 different species of trees and plants.
While waiting for our group to gather, we spotted this colorful morning glory with fuschia colored tips, growing in an empty lot amongst construction rubble, a testament to the resilience of nature.
The Barranca de Hunetitan is a 1,137 hectare, roughly 600m deep canyon that was carved by the Río Grande de Santiago. Due to its structure, it’s often said to be a smaller version of the Grand Canyon and the Copper Canyon in the north of Mexico.
23 hectares of the land has been set aside as a botanical garden, shepherded by the State Water Commision of Jalisco (CEA).
Natural runoff runs through the property, albeit not treated before it enters the botanical garden.
The 8 staff members have created a natural filtration system of caverns and sand. The water is then used to irrigate the botanical garden.
Achiote (Bixa orellana)
As we strolled the gardens we saw areas dedicated to warmer, costal plants as well as higher elevation plant specimens. One of the beautiful trees in bloom that caught our eye was the Achiote. The tree is best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment (also called achiote or bijol) obtained from the waxy arils that cover its seeds.
Our guide, Alberto "Beto" Nunoz, demonstrated the potency of the plant dye.
The view from the botanical garden of the canyon.
Another beautiful specimen was the Amate tree, the Ficus petiolaris, Texcalame.
El Mexicano
Across from the botanical garden sits El Mexicano, a high peak owned by friends
who are developing a nature center at the base of the mountain along the Rio Santiago, as well as an eco-ranch at its summit.
Starting the trek down to the botanical garden.
Our day trip hiking group.
Lezlie with a Bombax ceiba tree.
Steve with seeding Achiote.
The beauty of the Barranca and the vast botanical garden created there were a wonderful find.
Along with one of our vehicles needing to be pulled by Steve Noll's powerful truck on the journey out, our missing a few meeting points and times, and the terrain being challenging for a few our our guests, it was well worth the effort.
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