South American Plants

Nalca is an unusual perennial plant native to southern Chile, often referred to as Chilean rhubarb. It has long prickly stems and large green leaves which can grow to two meters in size. This ancient plant is a common ingredient ... READ MORE

Growing in the forests in the southeastern part of Brazil, Juçara tree is characterized by a straight and thin trunk which grows up to 15 meters in height. It requires little sunlight and no fertilizers at all. Before the palm heart is extr... READ MORE

THIS PLANT IS RARE AND UNDER THE THREAT OF LOSS OF HABITAT. Guabiroba is a rare tree of the Atlantic Forest. It grows from Paraná to Bahia (but also, more rarely, in southern states such as Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul), be... READ MORE

Native to South America, maitén (Maytenus boaria) is an evergreen tree that belongs to the Celastraceae family, and its name is of Mapuche origin. The tree is widely distributed throughout the region of Patagonia, and it h... READ MORE

Native to north-central Argentina, mistol (Ziziphus mistol) is a spiny, fruit-bearing tree that has small flowers and reddish-brown, drupe-like fruits. Distinguished by a sweet, pasty flesh, the fruit is often consumed fresh, alt... READ MORE

A deciduous tree characterized by a large top and a thick, short trunk, ñandubay (Prosopis affinis), meaning a fruit that the ñandu bird (Rhea americana) cuts to eat in the Guarani languag... READ MORE

An evergreen plant that grows wild and it’s also cultivated for household use, bola verde (Capparis speciosa) is characterized by a smooth dark green bark with an extremely spicy and bitter flavor and thin branches with lar... READ MORE

The extremely humid areas of the Paranaense forest, where the indigenous Guarani people have lived since ancient times, are the home for a semi-climbing plant called guaimbé (Philodendron bipinnatifidium). Belonging to the... READ MORE

A leafy perennial bush from the Gautheria genus, chaura or murtillo is distinguished by long lance-shaped leaves and bell-shaped flowers that typically bloom between September and December. Coming in white, pink, or purple color,... READ MORE

A member of the cactus family, chupasangre cactus is distributed across the Patagonian plateau including La Pampa, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz, and southern Mendoza, and the mountainous areas of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Typicall... READ MORE

Guaranà (or waranà in the indigenous language) means the beginning of all knowledge. For hundreds of years, this fruit has been grown in Brazilian Amazonia, around the sources of the Marau and Andira rivers... READ MORE