The location of some specimens of Dendrocereus nudiflorus in Las Nuevas flora reserve, in the municipality of Jesús Menéndez, commits the workers of the Agroforestry Company of Las Tunas, guarantors of that site, to study, monitor, and preserve it.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- Commonly known as bighorn avocado, this is the largest arborescent cactus in Cuba and, unfortunately, it is critically endangered.
The chief specialist of the protected area, Alexailes Zaldívar, told Tiempo 21 that this giant cactus is endemic to the country and very few specimens have been located in the province's coastal forests.

"It is one of the plants that are under study and all the investigations are being carried out to define if its reproduction is by seeds or by fragments. For this, we are creating nurseries to increase its presence in the area.”

The conservation of the bighorn avocado is part of a national project aimed at preserving the specimens with the support of the local community and taking advantage of its attractiveness to promote nature tourism.

The expert emphasized that the work of the reserve's personnel is intended at preserving the vegetation, which is very rich, and strengthen the exchange with the inhabitants because there is a lack of knowledge about the fragility of the values that are preserved there; hence the importance of limiting the entry to the site and strengthening environmental education.

The bighorn avocado is one of the largest cacti in the world, capable of reaching 10 meters in height and living nearly 500 years.

This emblematic plant of the Cuban flora has also been located in the Malagueta Bay flora reserve, in the municipality of Puerto Padre.