This unusual shrub or small tree is the Bayahíbe Rose, Leuenbergeria quisqueyana. It was formerly known as Pereskia quisqueyana, and you may still see that older name in books and plant collections. It belongs to the cactus family, Cactaceae, although at first glance it looks very different from the cacti most of us recognize. Kew now accepts Leuenbergeria quisqueyana as the current scientific name.

Unlike most familiar cacti, the Bayahíbe Rose has ordinary-looking green leaves. However, if you look closely at the stems and trunk, you will see clusters of sharp spines growing from areoles—the specialized structures that identify it as a true cactus.

The plant may grow into a woody shrub or small tree several metres tall. Its leaves are thick, glossy and slightly succulent, helping it conserve water in the hot, seasonally dry coastal habitat where it evolved.

The flowers appear near the ends of the branches and are exceptionally beautiful. They are usually soft pink to rose-colored, with numerous yellow stamens clustered in the center. The flowers can be several inches across and resemble a wild rose, which explains the common name.

Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. This means that a female plant must receive pollen from a nearby male plant before it can produce fruit. After successful pollination, the female plant develops rounded yellow-green fruits containing numerous dark seeds.

The Bayahíbe Rose is found naturally only in a small coastal area of the southeastern Dominican Republic, particularly around the community of Bayahíbe. It grows in dry coastal thickets on coral limestone and sandy soils, making it one of the region’s most geographically restricted plants.

Because of its rarity and cultural importance, it was officially designated the national flower of the Dominican Republic in 2011. Conservation programs now work to protect the remaining wild plants and to cultivate new specimens in gardens.

This plant is therefore remarkable for several reasons: it is a cactus with leaves, a woody tree armed with formidable spines, a producer of delicate rose-pink flowers, and a national symbol representing the unique plant life of the Dominican Republic.