The beautiful springtime is upon us bringing with it a variety of beautiful flowers and delicious fruits to delight the sight, taste, smell and feel of all those who live or visit the Dominican Republic.
Spring is when the flowers known as Coralillo, Isabel Segunda, Trinitaria, Duranta, Saman and the Bayahíbe Rose – the Dominican Republic’s national flower bloom. But sweet treats are not far behind! Over the next few months we can expect to enjoy mango, starfruit, guayaba, cherry and loquat (nispero) fruits.
It’s a beautiful time of year! Let us introduce you to all the magnificent fruits and flowers you can expect to see – in Casa de Campo and all across the Dominican Republic!
Coralillo
It is very difficult to explore the Dominican Republic and not see a cluster of coralillos. This is because this type of flower, native to India, is very common in the Dominican Republic, because its cultivation has spread to the tropics. Their colors range from reddish orange to white. It belongs to the genus Ixora and is part of the Rubiaceae family. Here in Casa de Campo we have spotted coralillos all over the resort – in the gardens of Altos de Chavón, on the golf courses and lining the roads.
Isabel Segunda
The majestic blue color of the Isabel Segunda is why it bears the name of a distinguished royal lady, also known as the Jazmin Azul or Celestina. This flower is often used as a climbing vine.
From Uruguay and South America Durantas arrived. These beautiful predominantly purple flowers brighten the Dominican spring because of their impressive size and color. The posy can be used alone or accompanying other flowers.
Saman
As rain falls from the sky, Saman flower glistens majestically in its tree. In the Dominican Republic this tree is not only appreciated for its flower, but also for its sweet fruit, known as the Tamarindo. The flowers – pink and showy gather at the end of the twigs of the tree.
The Bayahibe Rose
Named scientifically as Pereskia Quisqueyana, the Bayahíbe Rose, endemic to the area of Bayahibe in the Altagracia province of the Dominican Republic, belongs to the cacti family and is one of only a few cactus in the world which has leaves. The plant grows up to six meters high and the flowers bloom a beauty baby pink color. Sadly the Bayahíbe Rose, also the Dominican Republic’s national flower is endangered and is can only be found in Bayahibe town on “La Punta” the peninsula in the middle of Bayahibe town.
Seasonal fruits
A juice drink away! In the coming days mango, cherry and guayaba fruits will become so abundant that you can find them in the courtyard of every Dominican home – and in the case of Casa de Campo on the golf courses and lining the roads – and if you’re lucky in you’re own garden! These fruits contain a high level of vitamins A and C, essential for our body.
Mango
Mango is a tropical, with a slightly acidic and fleshy pulp. The fruit is usually green at first, and yellow or orange when ripe. Mangos originate from Asia, mainly India, and there are numerous varieties – many of them created by grafting (a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together.)
Cherry
Wonderfully delicious, cherry fruit is packed full healthy nutrients and antioxidants. Cherries are native to Eastern Europe and Asia. Botanically, the fruit is a “drupe” (stone fruit), belonging to the broad Rosaceae family of small tree fruits in the genus, Prunus. Several species of cherries exist, two popular cultivars are wild or sweet-cherry, and sour or tart-cherry. While sweet cherries belong to the species of Prunus avium, tart variety belongs to that of Prunus cerasus. In Dominican Republic the only species is the tart-cherry.
Guayaba
Guava fruit, usually 4 to 12 centimetres long, are round or oval depending on the species. The outer skin may be rough, often with a bitter taste, or soft and sweet. Varying between species, the skin can be any thickness, is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon, or green when ripe. Guava fruit generally have a pronounced and typical fragrance, similar to lemon rind but less sharp.
Loquat (níspero)
Loquat, known in the Dominican Republic as nispero, is small – about the size of an apple – and is soft and very sweet with a distinctive flavor. The skin of the nispero is brown, while its flesh has a unique texture and is white/brown/orange in color. It is not very popular for juicing – but can be pealed and eaten. This tropical fruit contains 14 percent sugar.
Starfruit
The starfruit has important nutrients that benefit the body and supply proteins and vitamins essential for human health. This fruit, is considered exotic and as such is in high demand in international markets, plus it is one of the two varieties produced by plants belonging to the family of Oxalidacease. The skin is thin, smooth, and waxy and turns a light to dark yellow when ripe. The flesh is translucent and light yellow to yellow in color.
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