The Chagual, known scientifically as Puya, is a unique and fascinating native plant of the arid regions of Chile. It stands out for its striking flowers and rosette of spiny leaves, resembling a medieval mace. Its stem can reach up to 3 meters in height and offers a spectacle when in bloom.
In Chile, there are six species of Puya, which bloom in different colors: Puya chilensis has a distribution closer to the coast and has yellow flowers, while Puya alpestris is the one we can find in our Primavento vineyards, with intensely turquoise flowers.
It grows slowly, taking up to twenty years or more to bloom. Its spines are so well arranged, pointing in all directions, that it is ussual for birds and other small animals to become trapped in them, die of hunger, and fall to its roots, providing additional nutrients to the Chagual.
This native shrub is found in the arid areas of the mountain range, as well as in the coastal zones with rocky soil, between the regions of Coquimbo and Biobío. It is very usual on north-facing slopes, at altitudes ranging from 300 to 1,000 meters above sea level.
The Chagual is considered a true “island of biodiversity” and of ecological interactions. A large Chagual, within its foliage, creates a microsystem in which a great number of living beings coexist. When it blooms, it provides a huge amount of flowers, pollen, and nectar, being able to sustain butterflies, lizards, and small mammals.
The most emblematic creature to which it provides shelter and food is Castnia eudesmia, commonly called the “chagual butterfly.” It maintains a close relationship with the puyas or chaguales, since it depends entirely on them to survive. Experts point out that this lepidopteran completes its entire life cycle within the plant. The larva feeds on its stems, and from that larva emerges the butterfly, which also feeds on the nectar of the plant (although in general, the main pollinators of the chaguales are birds). This butterfly is the largest in Chile and is in danger of extinction—an additional reason to protect the chaguales.
Several native birds are attracted to these succulents, such as the giant hummingbird, the blackbird, and the mockingbird, among many others that end up “powdered” after feasting on the abundant pollen.
Native people used the dried trunks of the chaguales to make boats. In the Mapudungun language, Puya refers to the spiny-edged leaves of these plants, while “chagual” or “chaguar” comes from the Quechua ch’ahuar or ch’auwar, which means “tow,” explained by the ancient extraction of fiber from the leaves to make cords and yarns.
The puyas or chaguales were used for various purposes since pre-Hispanic times: rafts and floats for fishing nets were made with them; they were used as food in salads or chagual empanadas; their flowers were used as decorations in fondas, ramadas, and parade floats during Independence celebrations. Even the gum obtained from the chagual—produced by the plant in response to the action of the butterfly larva—was used in folk medicine as an emollient and astringent.
In Chile, the extraction of chaguales from their natural habitat is not allowed (they are protected under the Native Forest Law and Decree N° 68 of the Ministry of Agriculture).
The flowering of the chaguales generally occurs between September and December. However, global warming is “offsetting” this flowering: having winters with higher than normal temperatures and solar radiation sometimes confuses the plants into believing that spring has arrived.
We have already mentioned that the Chagual can take two decades to bloom. That is why, if someone is fortunate enough to witness such a beautiful expression of nature, they should feel very lucky—it is likely they will not see the same specimen in bloom again for a long time.
