Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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The magic number. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The magic number
🍑🍑🍑 The magic number

"Good things come in threes, for three is the magic number" - Tom Waits

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 9: Jackfruit Tree.
  • 🍐 Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a giant, eye-catching fruit tree and is the largest fruit grown on a tree, making it a showstopper in your fruit tree collection. Everybody wants to grow this giant Nature's Wonder - the biggest fruit in the world grown on a tree!
  • 🍐 Nutrient-Packed: Highly nutritious, Jackfruit is often used as a meat substitute in South Asian cuisine, as well as in curries and chutneys. Dehydrated jackfruit chips are a delicious snack.
  • 🍐 Fast-Growing and Ornamental: Jackfruit trees are fast-growing with large waxy leaves and ornamental value. They can be maintained at a compact height of 7-8 feet since the fruit grows at the base of the trunk. Keeping it short also makes it easier to protect the tree from cold if needed.
  • 🍐 Cold Tolerant: While cool temperatures can reduce fruit production, jackfruit trees are relatively hardy and can survive light frost. Established trees are more cold-hardy than young seedlings.
  • 🍐 Fast Fruiting: Jackfruit trees start producing fruit within 3-4 years from seed. Varieties come true to seed, so grafting is unnecessary, however, can be done when you need a particular variety.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Jackfruit varieties

#Food_Forest #Jackfruit

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What is the best gift plant for Valentines Day. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Hoya kerrii - Sweetheart Valentine, Wax Hearts, Sweetheart Hoya, Valentine Hoya, Heart leaf

💋 What is the best gift plant for Valentines Day
  • ❤️ Hoya kerrii - Sweetheart Valentine, Wax Hearts, Sweetheart Hoya, Valentine Hoya, Heart leaf - has large, thick, succulent type leaves that are indeed shaped like flat hearts!
  • ❤️The Sweetheart Plant is a perfect present for the one you love! It makes an ideal houseplant.
  • ❤️ Sweetheart Hoya has become increasingly popular in recent years. Unusual and quirky "heart" shape leaves appeal to anyone looking for that special novelty gift for their plant enthusiast friend.
  • ❤️ Don't forget to get one for Valentines Day! In fact, it should be three, as besides regular green leaf🚩 we we also have amazing variegated leaf varieties: Moonlight (gold on green) 💍and Sunshine (white-and green)💞


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If you can't beat them. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

🐈 If you can't beat them...

"If you can’t beat them, hypnotize them"

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Guava Tree (Psidium sp.)

Guava Tree (Psidium sp.)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 8: Guava Tree.
  • 🍉 Guava Tree (Psidium sp.) - Guava trees are beloved for their flavorful fruit, commonly used in juices, drinks, and desserts.
  • 🍉 Popular Varieties: include Psidium guajava (Tropical Guava), Psidium littorale (Cattley Guava), Psidium friedrichsthalianum (Cas guava), and Feijoa sellowiana (Pineapple Guava).
  • 🍉 Cold Hardy: Despite its "Tropical" name, the Tropical Guava is relatively cold-hardy, and other varieties are even hardier, suitable for cooler climates with occasional frost.
  • 🍉 Water Needs: Guava trees like water and can tolerate some flooding.
  • 🍉 Compact Growth: Guavas are medium size bushes or trees that can be easily maintained at any height and shape.
  • 🍉 Fast Fruiting: Guava trees are quick to fruit, often within a year of planting, and some start fruiting in containers as small as 1 gallon.
  • 🍉 Dwarf Variety: The Nana variety is perfect for container culture, producing full-sized fruit in a compact form.
  • 🍉 Pest Control: In humid areas with rainy seasons, check for mealybugs, which can be controlled with neem oil as needed.
  • 🍉 Endless Supply: Planting multiple guava trees ensures a constant supply of fresh, juicy fruit and flavorful guava juice loved by kids and adults.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Guava varieties

#Food_Forest #Guava

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Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?
  • 😇 The Legendary Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (also called Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) got its name from the flower's extraordinary ability to retain its spicy, sweet fragrance for centuries.
  • 😇 These flowers were used in ancient funeral ceremonies, placed in crypts to preserve their aroma for generations. Even today, dried Rosita de Cacao flowers can hold their scent for decades, a testament to their remarkable endurance.


    • History and Legends

    Aztec names: Poyomatli, Xochicacaohuatl, Flor Cacahuaxochitl, Cacaoxochitl.
  • 😇 The species was at one time widespread and growing wild throughout the Oaxaca region of Mexico known for plants used in Shamanism.
  • 😇 Cherished by the Aztecs, the Rosita de Cacao was deeply intertwined with their rituals and daily life.
  • 😇 The flowers, known as Cacaoxochitl or "cacao flower," were blended with chocolate drinks like Tejate, a sacred, energy-rich beverage reserved for royalty and religious ceremonies. This frothy drink combined Cacaoxochitl with other ingredients like cacao, vanilla, and chili peppers to create what the Aztecs called the "drink of the gods."
  • 😇 Legend has it that Emperor Montezuma consumed up to 50 cups of xocolatl daily, infused with Rosita de Cacao, to fuel his energy and passion.


    • Medicinal and Spiritual Uses
  • 😇 The flowers of this tree were not just for flavor - they were also prized for their calming and medicinal properties. Natives used them to treat anxiety, fevers, and coughs, often mixing them with cacao for enhanced effects.
  • 😇 Modern studies suggest the flowers contain lactone alkaloids like funebradiol, which are known for their relaxing properties and are now being investigated for potential medicinal applications.
  • 😇 Beyond its rich history, Rosita de Cacao is an evergreen beauty with creamy white, aromatic flowers and large, leathery leaves. It's a perfect addition to any garden for those who want a piece of history, an enduring fragrance, and a touch of ancient legend.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Fruit of Money and Love
Fun Facts: Cacao beans

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Cat Yoga. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

🙇‍♂️ Cat Yoga

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Papaya fruit (Carica papaya)

Papaya fruit (Carica papaya)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 7: Papaya Tree.
  • 🍊 Papaya Trees (Carica papaya) - are resilient, easy to grow, and deliver year-round fruit.
  • 🍊 Superfood Benefits: Rich in papain, a digestive enzyme that promotes gut health.
  • 🍊 Fast Fruiting: Papayas often start producing the same year they're planted, offering quick rewards for gardeners seeking quick rewards.
  • 🍊 Space-Efficient: Many varieties, especially dwarfs, reach only 6-8 feet tall yet produce large crops, ideal for small gardens.
  • 🍊 Cold and Wind Resistant: Papayas can withstand light freezes and strong winds, making them surprisingly hardy for a tropical plant.
  • 🍊 Self-Fertile, but Better with Multiple Trees: Planting 2-3 different cultivars ensures better pollination and higher yields.
  • 🍊 Solo Cultivars: Smaller, round or oval papayas are sweet and less susceptible to fruit flies.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Papaya Trees

#Food_Forest #Papaya

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