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Building in Baja - Conservation of Indigenous Plants
Building in Baja isn’t just a matter of scraping away the desert and starting construction. Under the watchful eye of the Mexican government, there are more than 20 species of indigenous plants that require protection during the construction process. When it comes to a large resort development like Costa Baja Resort and Marina in La Paz, environmental conservation becomes a project within the project.
Five years ago, when construction began on the first phase of development at CostaBaja, the construction of the marina required the moving of a reef at the entrance to the Ensenada de La Paz. Underwater crews carefully disassembled the reef and moved it to a new location outside the Bay of La Paz. The expensive and time consuming task was part of CostaBaja’s commitment to responsible 
development of this magnificent community also located on the Bay of La Paz, gateway to the Sea of Cortez. The removal of the reef was required to construct the sea wall which now protects the outer basin of the large powerboat and yacht marina. Today, the company that moved the reef is happy to report that more than 90% of the reef is still alive and is beginning to take hold in its new environment.
The same company that moved the reef is now responsible for the licensing and moving of the indigenous plants during the second phase of construction. There are a number of regulations that must be observed and great care taken to ensure that the survival rate is better than 70%. Grounds crews must carefully excavate each plant, move it to a new location. CostaBaja has established a nursery for some of the plants, while others become temporary and even permanent landscaping additions to the property. None of a series of protected plants is allowed to leave the property and none are allowed to be sold. If these beautiful icons of the Baja desert were not protected there would probably be one in the front yard of every Southern California home and not one left in the desert.
With the beginning of construction of the VistaMar Residences, near the entrance to the CostaBaja Resort and Marina, the grounds crews were tasked with moving the plants in the construction zone. Each plant is cataloged and photographed. In the case of the Cardon cactus for example, a permit to move each plant must be issued and a deposit against the survival of the plant is required.
The Cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) is one of the more delicate plants to move and certainly the largest plant protected under this program on the CostaBaja property. The Cardon is the largest of the cactus family and native to the Baja California peninsula. It is often confused with the Saguaro Cactus which is more common in SW Arizona. There are a large number of them here on the CostaBaja property and each plant is valued as it is transplanted to a new location. The Cardon is the largest of all cacti, with the largest recorded (actually here in Baja) at 62’+. The plant and rhizome (root ball) can weigh as much as 15 tons. Now, there are no record holders on the CostaBaja Resort, but these plants obviously take a bit of engineering and care to move each one. Only a handful needed to be moved for the VistaMar community, but when the construction begins shortly on the Las Colinas community and the Gary Player Design Golf Course, literally hundreds will need to be moved and cared for.
These plants are difficult and expensive to remove and conserve. Some development projects find it simpler to bulldoze in the night or pay the fines for their destruction. But with CostaBaja’s commitment to responsible development, these plants get to live ‘la vida loca’ during their period of transition. Pruned and watered almost daily during the first few weeks of transplanting, these cacti get plump and green enjoying more water and care that they would receive in a lifetime in the desert.
Another species of cactus to be protected and transplanted during construction is the cactus that bears the pitaya (or pitahaya) of the Hylocereus genus. Sweet Pitaya is a favored fruit of the cactus, available in Baja from roadside vendors and in the grocery. They are also very popular in the orient. There are two varieties of this cactus, both found here on the property at CostaBaja. The sweet pitaya is a slim, multi stalked, columnar cacti growing to 6 to 15’ tall. The fruit, also known as Dragonfruit or Dragon’s Apple, is considered a delicacy, about the size of a small apple with a creamy pulp and a sweet taste.
Its close cousin is the Stenocereus, or sour pitaya cactus. Now for a quick and easy lesson in botany, the two are easily discernable, even before you bite into the fruit. The sweet pitaya has straight stalks, rising symmetrically from the base. The sour pitaya looks like a sweet pitaya having a bad hair day. Twisted and gnarled, these plants sometimes look like they are growing back toward the ground. The Pitaya only blooms at night, with large white flowers that usually wilt in the early morning light, hence they are sometimes referred to as Moonflowers.
There are more than a dozen other species of plants that also require care and transplantation during the construction process, including the deciduous Elephant tree. The exciting aspect for those seeking to invest in this residential resort community is the wealth of landscaping plants that will be returned to ‘as near to their original location’ as possible. Imagine looking out the window of your luxurious Baja home as the sunrises through this majestic desert fauna. This is just part of the environmental effort put forth by the CostaBaja Resort and Marina to create this spectacular desert seaside community.
The folks at the sales office of CostaBaja Resort and Marina would love to help you transplant too, to this beautiful beach front community located on the Bay of La Paz in Baja California Sur. Click here to request more information about putting your roots down in this unique and beautiful environment called CostaBaja.
Tomas
Click here to request more information by email reply form
Click here to visit the CostaBaja Resort & Marina website.