There are hundreds of species of cactus plants in Guatemala. A few arboreal (climbing) cactus vines are in Peten. Selenicerus testudo is found in front of pyramid Temple 216 at Yaxha. But most cacti in Guatemala are in the rain shadow of the Sierra de las Minas (to the south, in El Progreso, Zacapa, Chiquimula). Plus there are cacti in other seasonally dry forests of Guatemala.
Several species of cacti are as high as a one-story building. Many even have a trunk and “branches”. But there is one species that is high as a two-story building and has a trunk, smooth bark, limbs, branches, twigs and leaves all over the place. This cactus tree is in most databases and web pages as Pereskia lychnidiflora DC, but other cactus botanists prefer the newer accepted name of Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora (DC.) Lodé. Its common name in Zacapa area of Guatemala is manzanote—obviously has other names in other parts of Mesoamerica.
We now have two FLAAR Reports on the common orange-flowering manzanote tree cactus, which we show below. Plus we have five FLAAR Reports on the two unique white-flowering mutants that the FLAAR team found on June 21, 2023. On the present page we make available downloads of all seven photo albums.
Yellow-Orange instead of Deep Orange Flowers of Manzanote Cactus Tree Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora, synonym Pereskia lychnidiflora
Why are these flowers such a different tone? Is this a variant?
Orange-Flowered Manzanote Cactus Trees of Zacapa Bosque Seco area of Guatemala, Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora, also named Pereskia lychnidiflora, local name Manzanote
Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora, white flowering mutant of Manzanote Cactus Tree
Aldea Agua Caliente, Rio Tambor, Zacapa, Guatemala
June 21, June 27 and June 28, 2023
Published June 2025
The Largest and Rarest White-Flowering Manzanote Cactus Tree
of Zacapa, Guatemala
Is blown over in a Wind Storm, May 2025
Only two of these white–flower Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora cactus trees
have been found so far in all of Mesoamerica
If you are interested in seeing and experiencing giant cactus trees--tree trunk, bark, limbs, branches, twigs, leaves—we would appreciate a tax deductible donation for obtaining the Mavic 4 Pro drone camera here in Guatemala, with Fly More Combo 512GB, $4,000 (to also have additional batteries). Contact biologist Vivian Hurtado, manager of FLAAR field trips. FLAAR (USA) can send a signed tax deduction donation receipt to you. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora, white flowering mutant of Manzanote Cactus Tree Aldea Agua Caliente, Rio Tambor, Zacapa, Guatemala
June 21, June 27 and June 28, 2023
Published June 2025
Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora, Pereskia lychnidiflora, Manzanote Cactus Tree
Flowers, June 29, 2023, Pink at 9:30am, turning more White by 9:38am
White-Flowering Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora, Manzanote Cactus Tree
Rarest Mutant Cactus Tree of all Guatemala,
Aldea Agua Caliente, Rio Tambor, Zacapa, Guatemala
If you want to join the FLAAR team (consisting of Dr Nicholas Hellmuth, drone pilot and photographer and two assistants) if you can both cover the cost of the field trip (two vehicles and their diesel fuel, one for you (and your friends or family) plus basic hotels, and also donate to cover the cost of the Mavic 4 Pro combo aerial photography system, you might enjoy the memorable experience to be with us on a future field trip. We also will have a field trip to find wild frangipani flower-trees, Plumeria, in the karst mountains of Alta Verapaz in May 2026. For that your donation can also help us obtain the Sony 400-800mm telephoto zoom lens, with a circular polarizing filter. We need that lens in addition to the drone. A driver will be assigned so you can relax during the field trip and look out all the windows to see the amazing Neotropical world that we drive into. And we have a November 2025 field trip to study morning glory plants in both the Maya Highlands and also the desert-like cactus forests of central Guatemala. We have found two species of morning glory “vines” that are actually complete trees. You will see and experience biodiverse ecosystems you have never seen before.
Plus in early January 2026 we will explore Yaxha, in Parque Nacional Yaxha, Nakum and Naranjo, as part of our long-range Palm Paradise Peten Project.
Most field trips are about one week. The morning glory field trip may be a few days longer.
If you would like to donate and participate in your home via ZOOM, we can send you photos and videos every day (that we have Internet in remote areas).
The Maya ruins of Yaxha, Topoxte Island, Nakum and Naranjo-Sa’al are very popular for bird-watchers and eco-tourists. We (FLAAR from USA and FLAAR Mesoamerica, Guatemala) have been accomplishing flora, fauna and ecological field work in this national park since 2018 (in addition to Hellmuth and his team mapping the pyramids, palaces, ballcourts, causeways and house mounds of Yaxha, Topoxte Island and Nakum in the 1970’s).
In late April 2025 we did field work with our registered Mavic 3 drone aerial camera and photography from the ground in several locations of impressive bio-diverse ecosystems in the Naranjo-Sa’al part of PNYNN. Here are two FLAAR Reports.
Savanna West of Maya Ruins of Naranjo-Sa’al
This Savanna is the final Kilometer of the North transition Zone from Bajo La Pita
Corozera at South Entrance to Naranjo-Sa’al Area of PNYNN
Corozo (Cohune), Guano, Botan, Escobo and Bayal Palms
Available for you to share with everyone on social media and send as an attachment is a monumental 207-page photo album of high-resolution photos of waterlilies of Maya rivers and lagoons of Guatemala.
The waterlily is the flower most often pictured in Classic Maya art—it is debated to what extent it is potentially hallucinogenic and to what degree it was used to imbibe by the Classic Maya. A publication in Mexico about 4 years ago features the water lily as a popular drug for the Classic Maya, but what is needed is more lab tests to determine what part of the plant was used and how it was prepared. I say this because in past decades some Peteneros said the plant had edible parts with no hallucinogenic effect.
The most popular revered flower
of the Classic Maya Civilization, Sacred Waterlily Eco-Systems of Guatemala
This photo album of the Maya water lily is an example of decades of FLAAR research on flora, fauna and ecosystems, especially wetlands.
The front cover is normal single-page size but the PDF is horizontal page format so can be used by professors to project for their classroom lectures.
Water Lilies of Mayan Areas of Guatemala
Gorgeous full-color photos at full-page size.
Mayan Water Lilies of Monterrico (Pacific Coast)and Arroyo Pucte (Peten), Guatemala.
Biodiversidad en el Rio Tres Arrollos, El Naranjo, Peten: Guatemala, Ciclo de Vida de Nymphaea Sp.
Waterlily Paradise, Lakeside, Riverside,
Creeks, Swamps, Nymphaea ampla, El Golfete
Municipio de Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala
Floating Heart, Water Snowflake, Nymphoides Indica, El Golfete. Livingston, Izabal
The research team at FLAAR (USA) and FLAAR Mesoamerica (Guatemala) have been studying water lily flowers in remote parts of Guatemala for many decades.
On Wednesday, February 19, at 8 pm ET, there will be a literally amazing PowerPoint presentation that shows rain forest ecosystems with amazing wild tropical plants that are edible.
We will show over 200 full-color photos of edible flowers and plants with other edible parts, including the largest native seed pod (as long as a long watermelon). The seeds could also make cacao (but the tree is not a Theobroma cacao tree). The flower of this Pachira aquatica, zapoton, tree is an inspiration for the “fleur de lis” painted on Late Classic Maya vases, bowls and plates.
There are over 600 wild plants in Guatemala that are edible and well over 200 of these are in the Reserva de la Biosfera Maya (RBM) of the north half of Peten (from Lake Peten Itza north to the Campeche border). The PowerPoint presentation via ZOOM will show you plants not in most documentary TV programs because no TV team wants to hike as deep into remote areas of the rain forests as the FLAAR team enjoys to explore.
IMS, Institute for Maya Studies, lecture organized by Jim Reed of IMS to be presented by Nicholas Hellmuth based on research on ecology and biology and biodiverse ecosystems of Peten during the recent six years by the entire team of biologists and ecologists of FLAAR Mesoamerica.
Posted February 21, 2025 Written by Nicholas Hellmuth
Here is the complete 220 pages of large-format full-color photos from recent six-years of research by FLAAR and FLAAR Mesoamerica in project of coordination and cooperation with CONAP for the Reserva de la Biosfera Maya.
Since there are many hundreds of edible plants of each biodiverse ecosystem we have focused on savannas and swamps that have not been previously visited or studied by any botanist, ecologist, geologist or archaeologist.
With high-resolution aerial photos and panorama photos from iPhone Pro and Google Pixel pano-mode you can see in this publication incredible scenes of the Neotropical area around the Maya sites of Naranjo-Sa’al, Yaxha, Nakum, Topoxte Island and El Peru-Waka’. You can now see what the Classic Maya had available to eat without slash-and-burn milpa agriculture.
Posted September 27, 2024 Written by Nicholas Hellmuth
We did field work one week each month for 18 months in the Municipio de Livingston, Izabal, a one year research project for flora and fauna in Parque Nacional Yaxha, Nakum and Naranjo (PNYNN) and had a three-year project with CONAP in the Reserva de Biosfera Maya (RBM) in Peten. The result was more than 30 TERAbytes of digital photos of flora and fauna.
On September 24, 2024, we were asked to give a lecture at INTECAP on edible plants of Izabal but since most of the other lectures at this conference were on Peten, we added photos and comments on edible plants of Peten.
