Gaylussacia buxifolia
Native to Colombia and Venezuela, this plant is a shrub of mountain forests, subpáramo and páramo vegetation, including the Colombian Andes and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It grows about one to five feet tall, sometimes on steep rocky ground. Its pink to red flowers have densely hairy corollas, and the stems are also hairy. The fleshy fruits turn reddish and purple as they ripen and have a sweet-tart taste. It has local food and ornamental uses. Photographed at the Páramo de BerlĂn, Colombia.
