Words by Fátima Garza
Edited by Abigail Vela
Yucca, also known as Chocha or Flor de Pita can make a delicious meal when cooked “a la mexicana” with tomato, onion, and chili peppers or in a quesadilla. Yucca is the only host plant for the Yucca moth and they depend on each other to survive as the Yucca moth is its only pollinator.
Mexican Oregano is an herb that flavors many dishes like caldos, salsas, pozole, and menudo. It is also used in tea, paired with honey and lemon to help with gripa or colds. Mexican Oregano can be found in Starr County and surrounding areas, and can be a great addition to your pollinator garden.
Verdolaga, also known as Purslane can make a bold guisado with carnitas or tasty eggs with verdolagas en salsa verde. It makes a good ground cover and is very popular with native sweat bees, longhorn bees, and other pollinators.
Nopales or Prickly Pear pads can be eaten in many different ways, fresh with salt and lemon, in a pico de gallo, in salsa colorada or with egg. This cactus is also a preferred nesting spot for Bobwhites, and food for Javelinas, and Texas Tortoises.
Chile Piquin is a perfect example of “chiquito pero picoso” – small but spicy. This pepper can be used to make a variety of salsas or eaten whole with your preferred meal. Birds love this pepper and are largely responsible for spreading it throughout the RGV. Add this shrub to your native garden and you will not be disappointed.
Recipe: Piquin Salsa ft. Mexican Oregano
By: Mely Martínez
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Piquin pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
4 black peppercorns
1/3 of a small white onion sliced
1 garlic clove sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
½ tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons water
Salt to taste
STEP’s annual LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship is live! RGV-based LGBTQ+ folx and allies who are pursuing post-secondary education are welcome to apply, as long as they will advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in some way.
With “Piñatabstract,” Josué Ramírez showcases the piñata across ceramic vessels, performative costumes, and composite forms. “Piñatabstract” ultimately positions piñatas as icons of ongoing interpretation, where meaning is never fixed but continually produced through ritual, projection, and play. Currently on display at IMAS until July 26, 2026!
Valley native Diego Andres Rodriguez may be performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, but no matter where he is be it Broadway or the West End he is carrying the Rio Grande Valley with him.
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June 4, 2026
With “Piñatabstract,” Josué Ramírez showcases the piñata across ceramic vessels, performative costumes, and composite forms. “Piñatabstract” ultimately positions piñatas as…
June 3, 2026
Valley native Diego Andres Rodriguez may be performing on some of the world’s biggest stages, but no matter where he…
May 28, 2026
The RGV Queer Run Club is sprinting the way toward a new historic milestone this Pride Month by hosting the…
