The Magazine for Tropical Nature, Ornamental Horticulture & Photography

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The Business of Bird Feeders in the Tropics: Attracting Birds to Attract Money
The Business of Bird Feeders in the Tropics: Attracting Birds to Attract Money

Is the promotion of birding for people with mobility limitations a primary goal or a collateral benefit?

Fer-de-lance
Fer-de-lance

So, you think your boss has a bad temper? Stand back, my friend…

Cattleya aclandiae - The Leopard Print Boss o' Bossa Nova
Cattleya aclandiae - The Leopard Print Boss o' Bossa Nova

There are flamboyant orchids and then there are FLAMBOYANT ORCHIDS.

And along Came A Spider...With Some Friends and Relatives

Some of my experiences with what many might consider the creepiest of the crawlies.

Featured
A Hoot of a Spectacle
A Hoot of a Spectacle

Captive breeding and reintroduction of Spectacled Owls (Pulsatrix perspicillata) in Guatemala

And Along Came a Spider...With Some Friends and Relatives
And Along Came a Spider...With Some Friends and Relatives

Some of my experiences with what many might consider the creepiest of the crawlies.

El Manchón
El Manchón

Vignettes from a threatened Guatemalan wetland.

Really Exotic Plants

Featured
Taming Titans
Taming Titans

Giant Anthuriums at Home and Abroad.

(Preview)

Ultraviolet Induced Visual Fluorescence in the Araceae: A Primer 
Ultraviolet Induced Visual Fluorescence in the Araceae: A Primer 

Viewing tropical aroids in a different light.

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Access to deeper dives and behind the scenes looks into advanced tropical horticultural practices as well as observations on fieldwork, plant collection management, and Neotropical wildlife.

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Meet Los Esotéricos
Meet Los Esotéricos

The faces behind the names on the site.

Magazine
Notice of Copyrighted Image and Other Intellectual Property Theft
Notice of Copyrighted Image and Other Intellectual Property Theft

Companies and individuals caught making unauthorized use of our images or other intellectual property will find themselves named & shamed here.

Cacti & Other Succulents

Featured
Aloe Again!
Aloe Again!

A close look at Tabletop Aloes.

Pint-size Porcupines
Pint-size Porcupines

Spider-nest haworthias as pets.

 Recent Posts

Featured
Tastes like Mexican?
Tastes like Mexican?

A look at culinary complexity in LatAm.

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Revisiting Antimony & Co. - The Scramble for Rare Earth Elements & Other Strategic Minerals
Revisiting Antimony & Co. - The Scramble for Rare Earth Elements & Other Strategic Minerals

Depleted Strategic Reserves in Times of Conflict

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Just Ducky!
Just Ducky!

Winter Waterfowl Watching in the SF Bay Area

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Laua’e: Scented Hawaiian Ferns
Laua’e: Scented Hawaiian Ferns

Microsorum spectrum - Triangular Functions

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The Serpents of Eden: A Seduction in Three Acts
The Serpents of Eden: A Seduction in Three Acts

Eyelash Vipers & Dancing Ladies.

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Quiriguá Interlude
Quiriguá Interlude

Lightning, Rain & Hurricane.

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Paphinias - Neotropical Starfish Orchids
Paphinias - Neotropical Starfish Orchids

The Call of the Weird.

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Squamellarias: The Natural History & Cultivation of Fijian Tree Testicles
Squamellarias: The Natural History & Cultivation of Fijian Tree Testicles

Hairy Plant Oddities Around the House.

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A Harlequin Romance
A Harlequin Romance

Notes on New World Venomous Coralsnakes.

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Ozempic® Nation
Ozempic® Nation

Northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo.

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A Blue-Ribbon Snake
A Blue-Ribbon Snake

The Return of a Native.

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Aloe Again!
Aloe Again!

A close look at Tabletop Aloes.

Read More →
Taming Titans
Taming Titans

Giant Anthuriums at Home and Abroad.

(Preview)

Read More →
Swamp Lion
Swamp Lion

Cottonmouths and Canebrakes signal: Don’t Tread on Me.

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Tropical Filmy Ferns in Nature & Cultivation
Tropical Filmy Ferns in Nature & Cultivation

So you fancy yourself a skilled grower? Please check your ego at the door.

(Preview)

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Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu

The Condor’s Lair.

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Ultraviolet Induced Visual Fluorescence in the Araceae: A Primer 
Ultraviolet Induced Visual Fluorescence in the Araceae: A Primer 

Viewing tropical aroids in a different light.

Read More →
Copperhead
Copperhead

With a southern crawl, y’all.

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Depth of Field
Depth of Field

Understanding focal options in nature photography.

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Ultraviolet Fluorescence in Plants - Light in the Fast Lane
Ultraviolet Fluorescence in Plants - Light in the Fast Lane

Sexy plants after dark.

(Preview)

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Taking a Stab at Stibnite
Taking a Stab at Stibnite

An alchemist’s guide to transforming crystal antimony into antimoney crystals.

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The Business of Bird Feeders in the Tropics: Attracting Birds to Attract Money
The Business of Bird Feeders in the Tropics: Attracting Birds to Attract Money

Is the promotion of birding for people with mobility limitations a primary goal or a collateral benefit?

Read More →
There’s a Frog in my Throat!
There’s a Frog in my Throat!

Not your usual cases of Frog Bites Man.

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Whiskers, warts, pimples, and scales
Whiskers, warts, pimples, and scales

Rainforest Treegoblins in captivity.

(Preview)

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A Hoot of a Spectacle
A Hoot of a Spectacle

Captive breeding and reintroduction of Spectacled Owls (Pulsatrix perspicillata) in Guatemala

Read More →
Orinoco Loco
Orinoco Loco

Bill Lamar drops by his office in Colombia for a morning coffee and finds a ten-foot crocodile had the same idea.

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Anthurium diabloense: What’s in a Name?
Anthurium diabloense: What’s in a Name?

A beautiful new aroid species and the nitty-gritty of tropical plant discovery and naming.

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Digital Solutions - A Picture with a Story
Digital Solutions - A Picture with a Story

Missing Monkey Frogs and digital forensics.

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Poison Frog Porn, Part III: Perú
Poison Frog Porn, Part III: Perú

Frogs Gone Wild. A gallery of Perú’s spectacular poison frog fauna.

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The Native Lingo
The Native Lingo

Ornamental Plant Taxonomy & Breeding – An Illustrated Guide to the Terminology

(Preview)

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