Strelitzia reginae

The botanical name for the common Bird of Paradise is Strelitzia reginae, while other popular types include Strelitzia nicolai (Giant White Bird of Paradise) and Strelitzia alba (White Bird of Paradise), all belonging to the genus Strelitzia, known for their exotic, crane-like flowers and banana-like leaves, native to South Africa.

Perennials and other plants like roses, like humans need sleep and rest. Here in Vancouver my perennials, including my hostas and roses are resting until spring. In Florida, people who grow hostas keep them in fridges during the warm Florida winters.

The exception to the above are plants that live in places that we would define as having an eternal spring. This is the case of the town of Cuernavaca in the State of Morelos in Mexico. I was there from the second to the fourth of December.

I marvelled at the plants in the garden of my cousin Luisito Miranda and his daughter Mariteli. All their bougainvilleas were in bloom plus some exotic plants like the Bird of Paradise. Unfortunately I had no scanner so I could not do my usual scanographs and had to rely on my digital Fuji X-E3.

I was hit with some sadness as I know that had Rosemary been alive she would have been smiling at these blooms. I do keep her bougainvillea safe in my bedroom. It blooms all the time. Something of her is that bougainvillea. She and the plant are with me.

Maguey,Calle Amberes  4 December 2025

The botanical name for the common Century Plant is Agave americana, a succulent in the Asparagaceae family, known for its large rosettes, sharp spines, and once-in-a-lifetime bloom that leads to its death, though many other species like Agave tequilana (Blue Agave) and Agave angustifolia exist.

I adore agaves which in Mexico are called magueys (plural). Years ago I took some especially lovely portraits of my two granddaughters in the covered pavilion of the Queen Elizabeth Park. The photographs look like they were taken in Mexico.

Rebecca Stewart

 Agave Atenuata and my granddaughters

In October 2023 when I was invited to talk in the Zócalo Book Fair of the Zócalo in Mexico I snapped pictures of the very large magueyes that were on one side of the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Mexican Blue 

Agaves and Magueyes 

On December 5, nor far from my Hotel Geneve on Calle Amberes I spotted a maguey. I knew I had to photograph it. I did.

 

Cuernavaca, Morelos , 3 December 2025

Often I cite that for me street photography only happens when I am somewhere else. I rarely take street photographs in Vancouver. I have the opinion that bright city colours that Fred Herzog took with his Kodachrome equipped camera have disappeared and now we have many of those tall (but boring) condos with green or blue glass windows.

The moment I arrived in Mexico on December 1, 2025 I was inspired to take street photographs. Particularly in the warm and sunny small city of Cuernavaca in the State of Morelos I found inspiration. That city is one of many small shops. Many are specialized like the one with the elegant woman who only sold sandals.

Because my both my Fuji X-E1 and X-E2 do not look like big lensed professional cameras (Canons and Nikons) nobody seemed to notice me when I took photographs.