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GLOBE Dominican Republic: The Story Behind the National Flower and FIFA’s First Flower Mascot

Nov 01, 2024

Earlier this year, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) selected the Bayahibe rose, Dominican Republic’s national flower, as the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 official mascot (which is the first time a plant is selected for this honor). This development is particularly exciting for GLOBE Dominican Republic’s (GLOBE DR) community because they had a direct influence in naming the Bayahibe rose as the flower to represent this Caribbean nation.

In 2011, the opportunity arose for residents of the Dominican Republic to help in the selection of a new national flower and national tree. For years, the national flower had been the flower of the mahogany tree (Swietenia mahagoni). A single flower of this tree inflorescence is so small that it cannot easily be worn on one's head or reproduced in images for promoting tourism. Many people felt it didn't represent the culture in the DR and was not exclusive to the island of Santo Domingo. When it was time to select a new flower, there was a lot of debate. GLOBE Dominican Republic (DR) members discussed the flower recommendations at the first GLOBE educator training at the Botanical Garden. GLOBE DR representatives disagreed with some of the options put forth by botanists like Ricardo García, M.S. and others, but they had a better idea after meeting Dr. Henry Alain Liogier. Dr. Liogier had recently discovered a species of cactus with a gorgeous fuchsia flower that grows only at Bayahibe Beach.

GLOBE DR worked to promote the species, known as the Rosa de Bayahibe, or Bayahibe rose (Leuenbergeria quisqueyana), as a potential national flower. It had all the right qualities: indigenous to the land (archaeologists discovered seeds in the settlement of a Hispaniola Indigenous peoples, dating back to the Jurassic period); representative of the culture of the Dominican Republic with a perfect happy fuchsia color, and so rare it only grows in one place—Bayahibe Beach.

The Dominican Republic's National Flower: Leuenbergeria quisqueyana
Source: Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dr Liogier's passion for botany inspired our students to conduct investigations and projects on the environment. He told his stories of all the perils of finding the plant and how the landowners, where the plant he discovered grew, eliminated the first Bayahibe rose tree, afraid that the government would appropriate their property. This represented a botanical catastrophe. Luckily, he found another plant to report the new specimen. —María Lorraine de Ruiz-Alma

GLOBE DR visited botanists to explain the benefits of the GLOBE Program protocols and promote GLOBE research projects featuring their reasons for selecting the Bayahibe rose as the national flower. (They also proposed the mahogany tree [Swietenia mahogoni] as the national tree because it holds significant historical value. The Tainos, the Native People of the island, danced around this tree. Its precious wood played a crucial role in the colonial economy, and many patriots financed their expenses during the independence war with it).

The Dominican Republic's National Tree: Swietenia mahogoni

GLOBE DR organized a lecture with Dr. Henry Alain Liogier; visited environmental expos with the Soka Gakai organization in Santo Domingo and Santiago to promote the research projects and the GLOBE Program; participated in the CEMEX Dominicana art contest in 2005 (GLOBE DR students’ drawings of the Bayahibe rose first and third place), and other activities. They also worked with Mr. Fernando Martinez and the Hotel Association to promote the protection of the exotic flower. These activities raised the awareness of the Dominican people about protecting the Dominican Republic’s own natural resources. In 2011, when the country’s environmental leadership opened up suggestions on a new national flower and tree, GLOBE DR’s proposed species were the most popular and scientifically founded.

On July 12th, 2011, Law Number 146 (G.O. No. 10626 of July 15th, 2011) proclaimed the Bayahibe rose as the national flower and the mahogany tree as the national tree of the Dominican Republic.

On July 24th of this year, FIFA celebrated its selection of the Dominican Republic’s national flower as the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2024 official mascot. At the event, GLOBE DR Country Coordinator Mrs. Maria Lorraine de Ruiz-Alma was presented as the “mother of the Bayahibe rose.” This is the first time a flower has been the inspiration for a FIFA mascot. This designation is a great opportunity to highlight GLOBE DR’s work to educate new generations of students and teachers using the GLOBE protocols to contribute to the scientific understanding of Earth and enhance environmental awareness.

Capturing the youth audience worldwide with the football World Cup, besides highlighting the importance of preserving and protecting nature, is necessary for all countries to promote a better future for all. —Women’s World Cup Local Organizing Committee Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Mena