Oaxaca - The Ethnobotanical Garden

The Ethnobotanical Garden in the historic center of Oaxaca is available for viewing only via guided tour. Most of those are in Spanish, of course, but luckily for us tours in English are given three times a week. Our tour guide was one of the best we've had, keeping us informed and entertained for over two hours. The focus is on not just the plants but how they are used, thus the “ethno” part of the name. We left with an appreciation of the incredible biodiversity of Mexico, and of Oaxaca in particular.

The Ethnobotanical Garden as seen from the second floor of the adjacent Museum of Oaxacan Cultures.

Spiny bark of the Pochote tree.


Exfoliating bark.

No shortage of cacti here.

Some things flower in the dry season.

The Agave or Maguey plant shoots up its towering flower cone just before it dies. This is the plant used to make Tequilla and Mezcal.

Organ Cactus makes a living fence.

This form of cacti hosts a valuable parasitic insect know as the Cochineal. Squish one of these insects and you'll see the bright crimson colored dye that was an extremely valuable commodity during the colonial period and until the advent of artificial dyes in the 19th century. One reason for Oaxaca's large indigenous population is that the conquering Spaniards, rather than forcing the native population to work to their deaths in the dangerous mines, instead allowed many of them to stay on their land to harvest these valuable bugs.