Pretty in Pink... and Purple Prince for her!

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

Q: I have a bare spot in my front garden, behind a low wall, in part-sun. I'm hoping to find an evergreen, flowering ground cover that will cover it quickly. Any ideas on finding something with the ability to eventually also cascade over that wall? I live on Marco Island, Florida.

A: Barleria Repens - Small Bush Violet, is a tough, fast-growing evergreen that blooms from late spring to autumn. Of the many Barleria we see in the tropics, Pretty in Pink is one of the most striking! The name tells the whole story: pretty and pink. A lot of gardeners enjoy using them as a ground cover. They will quickly cover a large area - their stems root readily as the plant crawls along. They are easily propagated by lifting the rooted runners or using cuttings. They also reseed easily. Flowers are followed by seed pots that explode open when dry, dispersing 4 seeds at a time! But perhaps best liked by many gardeners, is their habit to cascade. It will be well suited for covering the bare area in your garden and spilling over that wall beautifully.
When used as a ground cover, remember to pinch out young shoots to encourage bushiness and prune the plant back hard after flowering to keep it neat.
Barleria repens will also adapt to different situations in a garden if you need them to. Although they usually form a rounded to spreading bushy shrub, 2 ft high by 3 ft wide, they will climb when you give them support. They are often allowed to lean into nearby trees and shrubs.
Hardy to 28F, Barleria repens is pest-free and fairly frost-tolerant. They love sun and part shade, as well as well-drained soil and plenty of organic material. Avoid planting it in deep shade as it will get leggy and reluctant to flower.
They will thrive when fed with a slow release fertilizer at intervals of 6-8 weeks, throughout the growing season.

There is another cultivar of this exact variety that has blue-purple flowers, it is called Purple Prince! It couples perfectly with Pretty in Pink! :)

See all Barlerias from our store

Plants for South Texas and other hot states

Q: Pretty much adore last newsletter. Haven't been buying because our weather here in deep south Texas is so bad it is stunting and killing even the Tamaulipan Scrub! Do you have a cure for that? :) I have every expectation the new grafted Plumeria I purchased from you last year will bloom soon. One of my favorite plants. Thanks again and keep up the good works.

A: Yes, there is a "cure" - using biostimulants that improve drought- and heat- resistance (SUNSHINE boosters), plus the right plant selection. In fact, there is a large number of tropical rare plants that can be successfully grown in hot climates like yours. One of our partners lives in hot and dry Arizona area and has an amazing tropical garden that includes many fruit trees (Mango, Persimmons, Pomegranates, Loquats, etc). Here you can see a few pics from his garden.
Your choice is absolutely right about plumerias. Other easy plants would be Desert roses - Adeniums, and Fancy Euphorbia millii - all these come in so many varieties of colors and bloom throughout most of the year. Our special recommendations for you would be also:

Bougainvillea Dwarf Pixie
Jasmine sambac
Calliandra selloi Pink Lilian
Dracaena marginata Tricolor - Colorama, Money Tree
Hamelia patens Lime Sizzler - Variegated Fire Bush
Jatropha berlandieri - Buddah Belly
Pedilanthus tithymaloides - Devils Backbone
Trachelospermum asiaticum Mandaianum - Dwarf Confederate Jasmine

See full list of more plants that are suitable for hot and dry landscapes.

Apply fertilizers, miscroelements, and plant stimulants for improving heat tolerance

Triple Sec Mango

By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist

Q: I live in Mesa, Arizona. I am considering purchasing two of you Triple Sec Mango trees. Can you please give me some information on this variety and how to grow it successfully here in hot and arid Arizona, if at all?

A: Triple Sec Mango is a new name for the superior variety Seacrest. The aroma of this fruit resembles Triple Sec - an orange liqueur. It's a juicy, mid-season variety that has good disease resistance.
Mango has pretty good heat and drought tolerance. It loves sun, but there are a lot of factors to consider when growing Mango in your area.
Check your soil. Soil quality is always first and foremost: when you live in an area of Arizona with hardpan (extremely compacted desert soil) or caliche (layers of soil cemented by calcium carbonate) you will have to learn how to deal with such soil types. Amend the soil as needed.
The best time to plant is spring or fall to give your Mango a chance to get established before the really intense Summer heat starts. Alternatively, protect the tree with a shade cloth. Tender, new growth will not stand a chance unprotected, especially newly planted and/or young trees.
Mangoes are tropical and sensitive to frost and freeze damage. Young trees especially will also need winter protection when temperatures go near or below freezing. Always plant trees in a location where they will be protected from cold wind. Consider staking your newly planted Mango trees for the first year. It's never a bad idea to even stake during periods of high winds.
Make sure your planting site has very good drainage. Always use a good quality mulch around your tree as it helps to trap moisture, keeping the ground and the roots beneath it cool. Keep mulch a couple of inches from the trunk of the tree. Avoid a location that gets full day sun. Morning sun, afternoon shade is ideal. Give regular watering until the tree is established. Once established, water only when the soil feels dry.
Fertilizer with a Mango-Food. A foliar spray of micronutrient solution is always recommended during the active growing period. Use plant stimulants and microelements to improve cold hardiness and vigor.

See more info on growing mango in hot climate and container grown mangoes in Arizona.

Perfecting a Mango Tree

Q: I recently purchased a Mangifera indica - Coconut Cream Mango from you and would like to know if it is possible to keep this in a large pot rather than putting it in the ground. If so, I have a few questions:

1. How large would you expect this variety to get?
2. What are the ideal growing conditions? Full sun, partial sun, etc...?
3. What is the ideal soil?
4. Any specific watering directions for ideal growth?

   A: Coconut Cream mango tree has a moderate growth. We've planted one in our garden 4 years ago and it is still under 10 ft tall. This variety should be well suitable for container culture.
   1. Keep the branches trimmed after fruiting is over. Mango trees can be grown in 15 to 25 gal containers and can be trimmed under 7-8 ft high.

5. All mango trees need full sun, the more sun the better.
6. Mango needs very well draining soil, ideally with lots of bark and perlite. We recommend our professional soilless mix or a similar formula.
7. Mango trees hate wet feet, and prefer to stay on a dry side: make sure soil in a pot doesn't stay wet; allow it to dry a little between the waterings.

Persimmons - seedlings or grafted?

Q: Do all persimmons take roughly 6 years to fruit if grown from seed?

A: Persimmons, like most of the cultivated fruit trees, are recommended to be grafted to ensure a certain variety, although they may also come true to seed. And unfortunately, you are right - it will take a few years (depending on growing conditions) until the seedling will start fruiting. So your best bet to get a quality fruit right away is to obtain a grafted plant. You may check out persimmons (tropical and subtropical) that we carry in stock. If you are interested in any of the varieties that are currently sold out, just add your email to wishlist by clicking on link Notify me when available and you will be notified as soon as we have it back in stock.

7000 stones for 7000 trees...

In 1982, a German artist Joseph Beuys proposed a plan to plant 7000 oaks throughout the city of Kassel, each paired with a basalt stone. The 7000 stones were piled up on the lawn in front of the Museum Fridericianum with the idea that the pile would shrink every time a tree was planted. The project, seen locally as a gesture towards green urban renewal, took five years to complete and has spread to other cities around the world!

We can plant a tree without moving a stone... Just plant and enjoy the beauty!

The most desired iconic Chanel flower...

By Onika Amell, tropical flower specialist

Q: I live in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. I'm looking for something fragrant to grow on my porch. I don't have a lot of space and am interested to find something unusual that won't grow too large. Any suggestions? I've heard about Chanel #5 tree and I wonder I can keep it in a pot?

A: The Ylang-Ylang tree, Cananga odorata, emits a fragrance so soft and beautiful it became an essential ingredient of Coco Chanel's iconic and much-loved perfume Chanel No 5. Trouble is, it will grow into a giant. How do you get this kind of magic onto your lanai or porch? Opt for its smaller relative: Dwarf Ylang Ylang, Cananga fruticosa (pronounced ee-lang ee-lang, meaning: flowers of flowers).

The fragrance is a little less intense than its larger cousin, but still wonderful to have around. Let the fragrance drift slowly through the air into your home at night. The scent is strongest from dusk to dawn and it will need warm and humid conditions for a fuller aroma.
Dwarf Ylang-Ylang is ideal for folks with limited space as it can be grown in a container or as a house plant. It's a very unusual and interesting plant to add to your porch, lanai or garden. It's pretty easy to grow and disease resistant too. It will stay compact and in nice tree-like shape. Dwarf Ylang Ylang starts blooming quite young and will continue to bloom year-round with profuse blooming during the spring and summer months.
The tree prefers a high-humidity environment, evenly moist soil, warm temperatures and will grow best in plant hardiness zones 10-11 but can take short periods of cold.
Read more about Chanel No5 Flower...

Dwarf Ylang Ylang is certainly one of the most desired and sought after rare, fragrant plants. Get yours today!

Growing Noni tree for fruit

Q: I would like to buy a noni tree, something that would produce much fruit as soon as possible. I live in NJ, would you ship here?

A: Noni is one of the most suitable fruit trees for potting culture. A 1-3 gallon size plant will flower and fruit for you within a year. These are Noni's special features:

- flowers and fruits at young age, nearly year around
- tolerates shade and grows large ornamental leaves in filtered light
- suitable for indoor culture
- easy in cultivation, drought and water tolerant, not susceptible to insects
- medicinal properties are endless and cannot be under-appreciated

This plant can be shipped to any state, and will produce fruit for you under minimal care. Just provide warm frost-free conditions, as this tropical tree is very cold sensitive.

Read more about Noni...

Quick shade for your driveway

Q: Please help! We just moved into a new house in Florida and don't have any mature trees yet, but the sun is already brutal! Can you suggest any super-fast growing shade tree that can make shade over my driveway as soon as possible?

A: Check out Giant Potato Tree - it is very fast growing, has very large leaves plus very pretty purple flowers as a bonus year round! The pictured tree was planted from 3 gal only 6 months ago, and already covers with shade the whole car. It is small to a medium size tree, but one of the fastest growing. If you are looking for a larger tree and willing to be more patient, here is the full list of tropical and subtropical fast growing shade trees. Most of them may take a few years until they reach a mature size, however, in order to enjoy your shade tomorrow, you must plant the tree today!

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.