Breathtaking Queen's Wreath

By Onika Amell, tropical flower specialist

Q: I've just moved from Virginia to Sarasota, Florida. I'm looking for a vine similar to Wisteria to grow in my new garden. I've so enjoyed my Wisteria vine and I'm hoping to find something equally spectacular for my FL garden. Truth is, I'm getting older and won't be able to keep up with the hard-core maintenance Wisteria needs to keep it in under control. Is there a similar vine you can recommend that is just as showstopping as Wisteria?

A: The vine that immediately comes to mind is Petrea Volubilis or Queens wreath. It looks similar to Wisteria, and though a fast and strong climber, it's not invasive or destructive at all. An occasional pruning is all it will need to maintain it. Much like Wisteria it gives a glorious show of flowers when spring arrives. Masses of long, mauve flowers will continue to appear on and off in summer with another burst of flowers in the fall. Flowers are up to a foot in length!
Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies will all be impressed with you for growing this charmer.
Snip off the gorgeous flowers, put them in shallow bowls of water around your home and be the envy of all your friends and house guests!
This vine prefers the warmth of Zone 10 to thrive, but it will survive in areas of Zone 9B when it borders zone 10A, especially if it's placed in a protected area. It grows best in full sun but will tolerate part shade. It's great for coastal gardens and once established, it has good drought tolerance, medium salt tolerance, and good wind tolerance. It has no major pest problems, which is always a bonus.
Grow and shape it as you like: a large bush, a small tree or a breathtaking espalier. Some people plant Petrea vine by a tree to create that much sought-after ethereal wisteria effect. This is no doubt a very charming vine and a must-have for those who are in love with Wisteria but scared of its vigorous growth and ongoing maintenance.
For Wisteria lovers we also recommend its spectacular tropical relative Millettia reticulata - Evergreen Wisteria.

Fruit tree size and production

Q: I am interested in a Strawberry Tree... does this tree produce fruit while still small or do I have to wait until it is large before it produces? Should I fertilize it so it produces sooner? I ask because my garden is not large and I prefer to keep my fruit growing trees in a smaller size. Also, how big is the fruit and does it have a seed?

A: Strawberry Tree, Muntingia Calabura, is one of those fascinating fruit trees that starts flowering and fruiting in small size. We have plants growing in 1 gal containers that already have flowers. This tree is nearly year-round producer providing warm conditions. It is a fast grower, although a compact tree when mature, and can be trimmed to desirable size without affecting production.
Muntingia fruit is one of our favorites. It is super sweet and juicy, and the seeds are tiny small, not bigger than the strawberry seeds, so you don't have to spit them out. The fruit size normally about 1/2 inch, but we have a tree in our garden that produces almost cherry-size fruit! See picture above. The secret is, good watering and using fruit booster - SUNSHINE honey micro-element supplement. We also fertilize our fruit trees using Fruit Festival and Mango-Food fertilizers.

Secrets of Happy Bougainvilleas

Q: When I visited Hawaii I saw their everblooming bougainvilles, flowering non-stop! How come our bougainvilles in Florida are not flowering as much? Is there any special secret to make them bloom?

A: Bougainvilleas prefer drier climate and especially drier summers. Florida summers are rainy and humid. The steaming greenhouse conditions are favorable for most tropical plants (except desert plants like most cacti). Bougainvilleas also grow vigorously in Florida heat and frequent rains, but most cultivars prefer dryer conditions for profuse flowering. These are a few tips that can help you grow happy Bougainvilleas and enjoy their showy flowers even in humid climates:

- In Florida, Bougainvilleas bloom mostly in Winter. If you are a snowbird, this plant is definitely for you!
- Choose sunny, dry, and elevated location for Bougainvilleas, never a low spot and never a shade spot. Give it as many hours of sun as possible.
- Use only well-draining soil. Usually, sandy soils work well when mixed with some compost. If your soil is too heavy, add soil conditioners like perlite, bark, sand.
- Take advantage of cultivars that are well adapted to humid climates: Dwarf Everblooming Pixie, Thornless B. arborea.
- Remember Bougainvilleas are the easiest and the most rewarding potted plants.
- Use bloom boosters along with well-balanced slow release plant food. We recommend these: Pink-N-Good flower booster and smart-release granulated Tropical Allure.
- Do not overwater and keep the plant on a dry side.

Mulberries - biggest, sweetest, and compact...

Q: What is the difference between Pakistani and Australian Mulberry plants? Would one be better suited for South Florida backyard? Can one be maintained/pruned to be a tall shrub vs a large tree? Which one has the sweetest fruit? Thank you for the previous plants we've purchased from you. They're all doing great.!

A: These two varieties are very similar indeed. Both fruit are very large. Var. Pakistani fruit is a little longer than var. Australia and the tree is a more vigorous grower, but they both are very sweet, even before the fruit fully ripen. Both trees are a good choice and start fruiting at a young age.
We've had Australia in the ground in our garden for 4 years by now and for some reason, it has been very slow growing which is normally not the case with Mulberries. Maybe it is not fully happy with FL humid conditions.
There are two Mulberry varieties that can be maintained as bushes: Issai and Dwarf Everbearing. However, even vigorous Mulberry trees respond well to pruning and can be kept compact for easy harvesting. Just make sure to prune before the flowering season starts; here in S Florida Mulberries start flowering in March, and fruit start ripening during April-May.

Check out our Mulberry trees.

Growing sapodilla in container and indoors

Q: I live in northwestern Washington state. I was wondering if I can grow a Sapodilla tree indoors in a container? Are they self-fertile, and which variety do you think would do best in a large container?

A: A: All Sapodillas are self-fertile. They can be successfully grown in pots due to their slow growth rate and compact nature. The most important requirement for successful growing and fruiting is a bright light, other than that it is a very undemanding plant and is not fussy about watering. The best variety for potting culture is Silas Woods which is a dwarf kind. This variety is the most profuse producer, flowering and fruiting nearly year round providing bright light and warmth. Although the fruit are smaller than other varieties and average 3-4" size.
Sapodillas require regular fertilizer applications for good production. We recommend Fruit Festival slow release fertilizer for the best results.

Clay or plastic?

Q: I purchased an Avocado tree and planted it in a nice clay pot that I bought in a special pottery place. My tree looked very healthy when arrived but after a week leaves become droopy and started yellowing. I was advised this was a sign of over-watering. I watered the tree only once since I got it 2 weeks ago. What is wrong with my plant?

A: Unfortunately, the fancy pot may be the reason. Although clay pots (plain clay, without glaze) are considered to be good for root health, however, the root system is hard to control and difficult to check without disturbing. Clay pots with fancy glaze and painting may have a drainage problem. We have noticed that cone-shaped pots are usually problematic for drainage, and a plant always has "wet feet". Avocados like watering, but cannot tolerate sitting in water. If you want to avoid root problems and still like to keep a beautiful look of your treasure plant, you may use a fancy planter, where you can put your plant growing in a plain plastic black nursery pot of much smaller size than a planter: its vertical walls are perfect for drainage, and the pot is easy to remove for re-potting or inspecting. Make sure to put a layer of drainage rock on the bottom of the planter so your efforts won't be in vain.

Featured plant. Mango Hoaloc, Cat Hoa Loc

Cat Hoa Loc Mango

Grafted Mango (Mangifera indica) - Hoaloc, Cat Hoa Loc... It is very rare, Exotic mango variety from Vietnam. The fruit is fiberless, oval yellow, with very thin seed. It is a rare, collectible variety.
Among Vietnamese mango cultivars, Cat Hoa Loc is the most popular cultivar because of good appearance, texture, taste, and flavor. Its production ranks the first among commercial mango cultivars in Vietnam.
It is known as one kind of the most famous mango in the Mekong Delta and one of the favorite fruit by appealing color, taste and high nutritional value. Hoa Loc mango became the reputation brand not only in Vietnam but also in the world. With elongated shape, bright yellow skin when ripe, bright yellow flesh, flesh architecture firm, smooth and low in fiber, are very tasty and fragrant.
The Vietnamese Government supports the expanding of the production area for Cat Hoa Loc mango. At the mature green stage, Cat Hoa Loc mango fruits usually turn to full ripening within 4-5 days thereby limiting distribution and marketing options. So the best way to taste this delicious rare variety is to grow your own!

Check out this plant...