The next time you find yourself in a tropical or subtropical zone, take a closer look at some of the large and lovely foliage. One of the most delightful surprises of any tropical vacation is recogniz... read more

Spiny, tough and menacing, the cacti seem peculiar choices as culinary delights. Cacti are well known novelties among potted plant collectors and gardeners, and some cacti, such as nopales (the ... read more

Blue can be compelling as the neon flash of a bird's wing, or quiet as a cloud, but it is never unnerving, always drawing the viewer to relax and witness its timeless grace. In music, blues are associ... read more

The Maya produced fibre from the henequen plant since the time of Christ. read more

CONTENTS: STOCK MARKET RECORDS NEW HIGH SLIM PICKINGS? TRIBASA-ENRON JOINT VENTURE ... read more

Ancient Chinese proverb say ox in ditch bad news. Really bad if your ox. Lirio (water hyacinths) on Lake Chapala, in the colorful state of Jalisco, in this magical country called Mexico, is bad news. ... read more

Mexican forests cover more than 140 million hectares or about 72% of the national territory. That said, the trees are falling quickly. A recent government study of satellite images, the country is losi... read more

Did you know that the word "cigar" originates from the Mayan word xigar? The word was used to describe the action of aspirating or sucking which later came to signify the act of smoking tobacco. T... read more

Did you know that the vanilla bean is from an aromatic orchid that originally came from Mexico? The Academy of Sciences and Gastronomic Arts in Paris were so taken with the fruit of this orchid, that ... read more

Did you know that the first people known to have used the peanut were the Mayans of Mexico? International explorers first recorded the peanut in Haiti, but were told it had originally been taken from ... read more

Nochebuena, the Mexican name of the flower English-speakers call poinsettia, was discovered in Taxco and the valleys surrounding Cuernavaca. Known by the Aztecs in their native Nahuatl language as cuet... read more

Did you know that peanuts, vanilla, guavas, tomatoes, some forty different chiles, avocados, and papayas originally came from Mexico? Pineapple also grew wild in Mexico, as well as Peru and along the ... read more

From the late 17th century and throughout the 18th, Castille soap was the reigning soap of Europe. It surpassed even the French soaps that, at their peak, were considered supremely prized elements of t... read more

One of the greatest gifts the Indigenous peoples of Mexico shared with the world was their discovery and cultivation of natural fibers. One of these, henequén, continues to be used throughout the... read more

Sitting in bathtub-warm water in the middle of the desert looking at the surrounding mountains under a deep blue sky is a delightful experience. We are in the Cuatro Ciénegas Nature Preserve just outs... read more

Agaves can be thought of as another chain of "7-Elevens". The numerous members of the Agave family are all native to the New World. "Agave" is derived from the Greek word "agauos" (admirable). Ag... read more