The best-known orchid that naturally occurs on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao is perhaps the Brassavola nodosa, also known as the ‘Lady of the Night’.
Along the entire northern coast of our island, in the saliñas and along inlets and inner bays, grows a small plant that we all walk over carelessly and hardly look at.
When it rains the mondi is full with these cream coloured flowers, growing in dense clusters on shrubs or small trees that have dark green leaves that feel rough to the touch.
The Varronia curassavica is called Basora preto on Aruba, Karishuri on Bonaire and Basora pretu on Curaçao. It is a plant that can easily be overlooked and often considered to be a weed…