I wonder how many people know that the Pineapple (Ananas comosus) was actually the very first New World
tropical fruit to have been sampled fresh by European royalty? It happened 527
years ago, when one made it to Spain, being personally delivered to King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella by Christopher Columbus... He had obtained a huge number
of them, however only one actually survived intact and edible! That
pineapple was instantly declared to be the most luscious wonderful fruit ever!..
...During the 1700s before the Revolutionary War, the overly monetarily
intoxicated super-rich were actually paying a modern equivalent of - get this
- 8000 dollars for a single fruit!..
...In conclusion, I will add the simple recipe for my personally favorite
go-to comfort food...
Meet PeopleCats of TopTropicals. Cat of the Day: Weasley the Immigrant
Weasley came from the neighborhood cat community (our neighbor takes
care of at least a dozen of cats). Whether TopTropicals dry food tastes better
than neighbor's, or simply he is such an enthusiast of tropical gardening, he
hangs out with us all the time.
When you see him in our Garden
Center drinking milk or chilling right on the walkway with other
PeopleCats, don't get him confused with other two ginger cats we have: Barcy and Snitch... as well as the Russian Blue cat with a similar name Wesley...
Although Weasley currently has a status of a legal immigrant, he feels
pretty confident around our greenhouses and will be happy to give you a tour. He
is still a volunteer here but has already applied for a permanent residence
and a full time position, so his food needs are being added to our cat
payroll.
When visiting TopTropicals nursery, feel free to add your donation to a Cat
Jar located in our office by customer's computer. We appreciate everybody's
help - every penny goes to PeopleCat's needs.
Datura: a fragrant treat for tropical or indoor
garden
Q: A few years ago I purchased Datura from you and it was doing well. As a matter of fact I took
cuttings and propagated new plants. Now they have markings on the leaves and I do
not know what it is. Any remedy?
A: Generally, Datura is a bi-annual plant, unlike its close
relative perennial Brugmansia that grows for many years. Which means, Datura is
short-lived (2-3 years maximum for the same plant) although it seeds easily and
is a very fast grower, reaching from seedling to 4-5 ft size in a matter of
couple months.
At this time of the year, markings on the leaves may be a result of normal
aging (the plant may already exhausted its natural cycle) in combination with
a cool weather that affects the leaves and overall look.
Here at Top Tropicals we especially love this plant and keep up with
propagating new plants every few months. Propagation may be by means of seeds or
cuttings, but seeds are always better for stronger, longer-lasting Datura
specimens. A lot of times you will notice little baby seedlings around the Mother
plant, even if you think all seeds has been harvested.
Just continue growing younger plants from seeds, and Datura will always be
with you in your garden to bring you joy of showy scented flowers. It makes a
great houseplant too!
...This is an extremely showy tropical plant with bunches of bright pink
blooms that will flower for months on end. What a stunning and colorful
plant! Showy should be its middle name. It is one of those plants that truly
evokes feelings of elegance and drama...
Medinilla apoensis - Philippine Pink is particularly rare and hard to find
in the trade. The flowers on this particular Medinilla is not hidden
underneath so it is not necessary to grow it in a hanging basket like so many other
species. It is a tall upright grower that will flower throughout the summer.
For all you obsessed collectors out there, do not hesitate. This Medinilla is
not in many US collections. The plants we have right now are at least 1-1.5
feet tall and are blooming size. Wink wink ;)
Meet People of TopTropicals. Dog of the Day: Tilda, the Assistant Editor
On January 31, 2020 TopTropicals will celebrate its official 17th
birthday. While it is recognized as the World's Leading Authority on Tropical Plants, very few people know who actually stands behind the scene of our famous hand-crafted Plant Catalog with nearly 5,000 plants and 50,000 original plant photos...
Today's column is about Assistant Editor of Top Tropicals Plant Encyclopedia - Tilda. Tilda is the right hand (the right paw!) of our around-the-clock photographer, botanist, and the plant ID world known expert - Marina Rybka.
Everyone knows that there is no such plant in the world that TopTropicals
can not identify... we get plant ID requests from around the globe, and we
always have answers for you. Do you know who is responsible for that priceless
knowledge? Whose mouse touched every one of those 50,000 images and put proper
names to them? Ask Tilda. She witnessed every shot!
Now that we finally decided to reveal the secrets of TopTropicals
creation and history, we should continue this blog by introducing to you the rest
of TopTropicals mysterious brains... Stay with us and you will find out soon!
Improve your intellect with Ashoka,
the tree of Happiness
(Saraca indica, the Sorrowless Tree)
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I have recently visited India and saw the most beautiful
Ashoka trees at the entrance to a temple. The flowers were simply show stopping, growing
directly on the trunk and branches. I would love to grow one. I have been told it has significant medicinal properties. I am
delighted to see you have them in your inventory. And they are on sale too! Are they easy to grow?
A: Ashoka or Saraca indica is one of the most exotic flowering
trees of the Indian subcontinent. Without a doubt it is one of the most
stunning Indian flowering trees. Buddhists, Jains and Hindus all hold this tree in extremely high esteem and it is considered a
sacred tree. Ashoka is extremely highly valued for nutritional value as well as its beautiful appearance. No surprise then that
they are often found in royal palace grounds and gardens as well as around temples throughout India. Young leaves are a
stunning deep pink color and emerge at the end of branches like hanging tassels. This tree will typically grow to around 20 feet and
is a brilliant bloomer. It will wow you with large, round clusters of fragrant flowers throughout the year. Almost all parts
of this tree are widely used for different medicinal purpose. It reportedly even helps to improve intellect!
Simply amazing...
Q: I have been hunting for a rare and exotic edible to grow on my
property here in South Florida for some time now. I found an interesting
tree called Kwai Muk while browsing your website. I do not have a lot of space
left to plant but this tree seems to be smaller in size and also somewhat cold
and wind tolerant which is a bonus as far as I am concerned. It also sounds
like the fruit is exceptional. I would love to grow one. It is similar to
Jackfruit?
A: ...The piece de resistance of Kwai Muk is the excellent fruit it produces. Some people seem to think
it is some of the weirdest looking fruit out there! This may be true, but
what it lacks in appearance, it certainly makes up for in taste. It is called
sometimes "the ugliest and yet the best tasting fruit". The creamy pulp is
absolutely delicious and mostly eaten fresh. I have heard people say the flavor
reminds them of mango, apricot, jackfruit, fig, quava and strawberry. Sweet
and tangy loveliness with a hint of sherbet. The fruit looks like mini
jackfruit on the inside but is about the size of a fig. The flesh inside also closely
resembles jackfruit....
Q: I live in the New England area where the winters are very long
and dreary. I plant both a veggie and flower garden during the warmer
seasons and am especially fond of growing chili-peppers. On account of most chili's
longer growing seasons, I need to get already established plants in the
ground as soon as the weather is warm enough. My problem is that despite my best
attempts to germinate and grow seedlings ahead of time - even in my sunniest window - I just can't seem to keep the
soil evenly warm enough to get them to germinate, no matter how warm the room
is kept. And on the occasion they do come up, the seedlings always seem to
remain weak and stunted, likely owing to the especially low humidity of
winter. I also tried using an electric seed-starting heating pad, and the results
were only a little better. Are there any tips you could give me?
A: Yes, I understand your issues and can sympathize! While it
might be surprising to some, even here in sunny S.W. Florida, there are long
stretches of winter weather where the ambient temperatures are simply too cold
for germinating many of the more tropical seeds, such as the notoriously
warm-weather chili-peppers. Also, I am likewise a fan of chilis, and always have
at least a few different kinds growing at any given time. I have two great
suggestions...
Q: We have a purple-flowering plumeria which resides on our sunny
deck during the warm months and then Winter vacations on our back porch
where we can close the plastic film windows and where it stays above 50 degrees
(overnite) until it can get moved outside again. We live in zone 8+ in South
Carolina and I would love to plant it outside. Do you think if we
ghost-covered it when alerted that we would have an overnite freeze, that it would
survive being planted in the ground and recover to flower when warm? I don't
believe the soil in our yard has ever frozen below the top 1/2 inch or so, and
never for more than a few hours at a time. What do you think?
A:Plumerias are tropical plants, which means, they need frost-free
environment. Even if the ground is frozen only on "the top ½" or so" - this may be
enough to kill the plant. From our experience, plumerias can withstand a few
hours of windchill frost (not frozen soil), but even if they survive, they
may get some branches damage, and recovery may take so long that the plant may
not even bloom the next year.
So I wouldn't take that risk even with a ghost-cover cold protection.
We have customers who grow tropical plants in the ground in colder areas,
but they have greenhouse protection: this means, the soil is warm and the air
temperature is maintained above 45-50F. For example, this Greenhouse in Virginia.
We recommend to continue growing your rare plumeria in container and
move it inside when temperatures drop below 50F (recommended) and for sure when
they drop below freezing. Plumeria can take a cold night (a few hours of
upper 30's) as long as it is followed by a nice warm sunny afternoon with at
least upper 50s. Otherwise, keep it indoors. The good news is, since plumerias
are deciduous and have no leaves in winter, low light level won't affect the
plant.
Just make sure to minimize watering and keep the plant on a dry side
until it starts growing new leaves in Spring. You may continue fertilizing once
a week with half-doze of Sunshine boosters - Sunshine TotalFeed. This will maintain the plant healthy and prepare
for the blooming season in Spring.
Q: I simply adore Jade vines. I think they are the Queens of all
the vines! I have been very been successful growing the green Strongylodon macrobotrys and purple Jade Mucuna pruriens vines here in Clewiston Florida but I am struggling to
make the Red Jade vine (Mucuna benettii) thrive. It keeps dying on me during
cold snaps. Any suggestions?
A: ...Here is our solution for you. Consider growing a Dwarf Red
Jade Vine or Camptosema grandiflora. It is closely related to the regular and ultra
tropical Red Jade Vine Mucuna benettii but much tougher and hardier. It is
considered to be one of the more cold hardy of the Jade Vines...
This gorgeous, rare and unusual vine is a sheer showstopper. It is easy
to grow and it will reward you with long fiery chains of dangling orange-red
flowers that bloom from late fall to early spring. Even though it is listed
as a dwarf do not be fooled. This vine will get quite large and will need a
strong support over time. The flowers are long and heavy and will show best
when planted on an arbor or pergola where they are able to hang down and wow
you and your visitors. It puts on a wonderful display. Butterflies, bees and
hummingbirds will all thank you for growing this stunner!...
