How the Willows Came to be Called Pussy Willows?

Pussy Willows are the Symbol of Spring and Easter. But why are they called Pussy Willows?
According to an old Polish legend, many springtimes ago a mother cat was crying at the bank of the river in which her kittens were drowning. The willows at the river's edge longed to help her, so they swept their long graceful branches into the waters to rescue the tiny kittens who had fallen into the river while chasing butterflies. The kittens gripped on tightly to their branches and were safely brought to shore. Each springtime since, goes the legend, the willow branches sprout tiny fur-like buds at their tips where the tiny kittens once clung!
Ever since then, in Spring, the willow gentle velvet buds feel to the fingers like the silky coat of a small cat. These buds are known today as catkins and remarkably, in every country, these soft willow trees are named after cats. Read more about the legend.

Small flowering tree for community

Q: Hi, I live on the east coast near West Palm, but I see you ship your plants. My HOA allows for Yellow Tabebuia species and I'm looking for two or three smaller trees that can fit in my front yard in smaller spaces. Ideally looking for trees that would stay under 20' in height, but preferably even smaller. Can you tell me the average height and spread of the Dwarf Golden Tabebuia or Silver Trumpet trees?

A: The Yellow Tabebuia - Tabebuia caraiba is a very good choice for a small yard. It grows about 20 ft average size, 7-10 ft wide. Sometimes taller, but it is slow growing and it will take many-many years to grow to a bigger size. It is a spectacular tree when in bloom, however, keep in mind that it is not very wind resistant; although it is not difficult to secure it back being a small tree. Another Tabebuia which is even more compact tree, has stronger root system and is more wind resistant:
Tabebuia chrysotricha - Dwarf Golden Tabebuia
Also some other interesting choices:
Radermachera Kunming - Dwarf Tree Jasmine
Senna polyphylla - Bahamas Cassia, Desert Cassia
Cordia sebestena - Scarlet Geiger tree

See full list of compact small trees

The most rewarding hardy fruit trees

Q: Recently I started working remotely and I kinda like it, no need to commute, it saves me so much time so I can have life now! My friend got me involved into growing some small houseplants but I really want to take advantage of our Florida climate and sun. I want to plant some cool fruit trees since I have a decent size yard. But I live in Florida Panhandle and we do have some occasional freeze in winter, although not for too long. But it gets very hot in summer! Are there any tropical fruit trees that will be happy here? Or should I keep everything in pots? I am excited to have my own tropical plant collection!

A: There is a perfect plant for everyone, and a perfect tree for every climate. Many tropical and especially subtropical plants can be much hardier than they are believed to be, both flowering and fruiting trees among them. You may keep the most sensitive species in pots and bring them inside for winter, while there are so many trees that will be happy in your area. Start with these that are perfect for climates with hot summers and cool winters:

1. Peaches and Plums

Low-chill, Heat-tolerant Peaches, Nectarines, Plums are especially selected for Florida hot summers. They produce well and do not require many "chill" hours like temperate fruit trees. They only need 150 chill hours and grow well in even in Arizona, so you know they are taking the heat.

2. Figs

2) Fig trees - they are easy to grow, heat- and drought- resistant trees. They are prized for their delicious fruit, which can be one to three inches in length, violet, brown or black. There are even varieties with yellow fruit. Most fruits are borne from early summer to late fall on new growth, and the fruits generally mature very quickly. These trees are sensitive to frost only when actively growing, but can withstand 10F when dormant. Read more about Fig trees.

Container mango - Condo varieties

Q: What are the good varieties of mango trees available for container grow? Can you please share the details?

A: There are some great varieties of Mango selected specifically for container culture, they even have a nick-name - "condo mangoes". They have compact growth habit and respond well to pruning to keep them in small size. Here are a few of our favorites that we currently have in stock:
Glenn
Ice Cream
Cotton Candy
Mallika
Manilita
Pram Kai Mai
Mun Kun Si
Maha Chinook
You can see more condo mangoes on this page.

Related articles:

How to grow a Dwarf Mango tree
Choosing the right Mango for your garden
10 secrets of successful Container Mango growing on a balcony.
Condo Mango

Healthy Plants - Q&A from Mr Booster: Feeding Avocado Tree

Q:We bought one of your avocado grafts and it's doing great, lots of buds for fruit. It's still in a pot and fertilizing with the Sunshine Boosters. Should we continue with this product? We’ll plant it in the ground in March. Thought you'd enjoy pictures of our wonderful tree. No freezing temperatures in Riverview, but when it got down into the 30s, the plant came in. One good thing about growing in the pot. I'll be buying some more Sunshine Boosters. This stuff is working great on all our plants.

A: Congratulations with a good job on growing avocado over winter. Avocado trees are not easy, we are happy to hear that your plant is ready for production, this is amazing! We've noticed that Sunshine Boosters perform miracles. Here are some suggestions for you:

1. Continue fertilizing with Sunshine Boosters according to the feeding chart
2. When ready to plant, dig a large hole and fill it with good soil full of organic matter (compost mixed with existing sandy soil will be good). Make sure to plant the tree on 3-4" high elevation, like on a little hill. Avocados need perfect drainage and can't tolerate wet feet. See more info on planting and planting instructions (pdf).
3. Water daily with a hose, do not rely on sprinklers. Avocados like water (considering perfect drainage)
4. Continue applications of Sunshine Boosters at least until the tree is established and starts growing new branches with lots of leaves. After that, you can switch to slow-release fertilizers once a month if it makes it easier, but if you can, continue Sunshine Boosters at least on weekly basis - they really boost plant growth!

   

   

Red Stopper Cherry

Rare plant from Key West

by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc

Eugenia rhombea, commonly known in Florida as "Red Stopper", is one of four species of Eugenia native to North America. It is a beautiful small tree, bearing small shiny deep green leaves which are pinkish-orange-red when young, giving them the appearance of a flowering tree at a distance when flushing out new growth a number of times a year.
Its native range includes Florida, Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola and part of Eastern Central America. However, here in Florida, it is federally listed as an endangered species, only known from the lowermost Everglades and Keys, where even there it is rare.
These elegant little trees grow to perhaps 12 or so feet tall, developing an elegant, umbrella shaped canopy. At a distance, they rather resemble Ficus benjamina, yet with a more orderly and refined appearance. In addition, they develop fluffy white flowers with a delightful fragrance, followed by holly-like long lasting red berries which are relished by wonderful song birds.
Although appearing delicate, this tropical species is surprisingly hardy, and would likely even make striking, a one-of-a-kind houseplant in the North.
These very few plants were grown from seeds collected near Royal Palm Hammock in the Everglades, and and may not be available again for some time...

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

How to get Canistel tree to produce
without dropping flowers and fruit

Q: My Canistel tree is 3 1/2 years old and is growing very well, see the picture below. It gets hundreds of pea sized "berries" but then they fall off. No canistel fruit. What's wrong?

A: You have such a nice looking tree, it is a shame you can't get any fruit to ripen.
In our experience, Pouteria trees dropping fruit prematurely is a very common problem. There may be one of the following reasons, or a combination of them:
- Cold winters may affect production, and while Canistel is generally pretty hardy tropical plant that can easily withstand short periods of chill, the fruit may never form properly if it had a cold winter.
- Lack of water. Canistel tree is pretty drought tolerant, but for the proper production cycle it needs regular irrigation. Especially during hot summer.
- The tree may be not strong enough; young trees drop fruit very often when they don't have enough "fruiting energy" built up in their system.
Your tree looks well established and vigorous, however, flower/fruit drop is often a sign of insufficient nutrients of particular kind, usually Boron (B) and/or Molybdenum (Mo): either when a tree is too young and not strong enough, or because of poor soils and lack of necessary elements.

Here is what can be done, considering you live in a warm, frost-free climate.

1. Provide regular fertilizing program. We recommend liquid fertilizers Sunshine Boosters that are safe to use with every watering and year around. It is beneficial to switch plants from traditional "slow-release" fertilizer to the liquid one because it makes a huge difference in plant growth and flower/fruit quality and quantity. See also:
- Why liquid fertilizers are better than dry
- Article about benefits of liquid fertilizers.

Use this plant food for your Canistel tree:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster

2. Apply micro-element remedies that are very effective for improving fruit production, especially when flower or fruit drop occurs:

SUNSHINE Honey - promotes more efficient blossoming and pollination, makes flowers bigger and reduces bud drop.
SUNSHINE SuperFood - improves plant vigor and quality and size of flowers These are all natural, eco-friendly supplements that work great for fruit trees and other edibles.

Coastal Plants. List of plants that do well in coastal areas

Q: How can I get a list of plants that do well in coastal areas (i.e. next to sea)?

A: Many tropical plants live by the sea in natural habitat and don't mind ocean breeze. We have a large selection to pick from. The following groups of spectacular flowering trees will enjoy coastal environment:
Cordia trees
Plumerias
Orchid trees (Bauhinias)
Caesalpinias
Callistemons (Bottle brush trees)
Cassias
Many palm trees

See full list of salt-tolerant plants available at this time.

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

New Boosters for the New Year!
Sunshine Total Feed: Orchidasm and Citron

How to grow everblooming orchids?

Q: I ended up with a large collection of orchids that I was given as presents... They grow well but unfortunately after the showy blooms were gone, I don't see any more flowers, just green leaves. What do I need to do to make them bloom again? Should I fertilize them with Azalea bloom booster?

A: Orchids culture is different from garden ornamental plants. First big difference, they are epiphytes, growing in a loose bark medium rather than soil, and benefit from daily mist. Second difference is a type of fertilizer. You can not use a regular garden fertilizer on orchids, because they are very sensitive to salts. Orchids need special, acidic type of fertilizer, very mild in action.
Luckily, Sunshine Boosters formulas are exactly what orchids need! They are amino-acid based, have very mild formulas, and do not create nutrient lock up (building up salts is one of the biggest enemies of tender orchids).
A new Sunshine Boosters Orchidasm TotalFeed is scientifically balanced orchid food that contains all necessary nutrients, including micro-elements, for healthy, happy, vigorous orchids. It can be used as often as daily with every foliage spray. From our testing experience, after using Orchidasm Booster, orchids not only got happy and thriving - they also bloom more often - up to several times a year, shooting new flower spikes one after another! (while normal blooming cycle for most orchids is once a year). It gets even better - the flower display lasts twice longer!
To enjoy these beautiful flowers year around - treat them with Love, give them some Orchidasm!

See more information with pictures in Sunshine Boosters Orchid Blog

Secrets of a healthy Citrus tree

Q: We planted several citrus trees in our yard - Meyer Lemon, Grapefruit and Blood Orange. The trees came from the store full of flowers and even had a few fruit, but a year after planting - no more flowers! The old leaves are green, but new growth doesn't look healthy, leaves are yellowish and have spots, maybe eaten by bugs (?), and how do we get them to fruit?

A: Citrus plants are not the easiest trees to grow; they are susceptible to various diseases, pests, and deficiencies, especially in areas with high humidity/rainfall like Florida. Fungi, viruses, leaf minors, chlorosis - this is not a complete list of citrus common problems. In commercial groves, these conditions are kept under control by using harsh chemicals on solid schedule.
For home gardeners, growing citrus trees may become a challenge. Many people don't want to use harsh chemicals on their edibles; and those who do, may not always have time to apply treatments on a professional schedule. So as much as we all love a fresh juicy orange, growing your own may become quite a pain!
Sunshine Citron TotalFeed is your simple, eco-safe solution to a healthy looking, productive citrus tree with organic fruit! Amino-acid based formula provides all necessary elements to strengthen the tree and make it resistant to possible problems.
Did you know that treatment of leaf chlorosis (yellow leaves with dark green veins), commonly treated with iron supplements, in fact requires a complex combination of nutrients - both balanced NPK and micro-elements?
Use Sunshine Citron in combination with Sunshine GreenLeaf and Sunshine SuperFood and never see yellow chlorotic leaves again!
Apply Sunshine Epi on regular basis (every 2 weeks) and help your tree boost its immune system and stay virus-free.
Add Sunshine Honey, and you will have large, juicy fruit that are much sweeter and more flavorful than those from the store! All these boosters are compatible with each other, and perfectly natural. Eat your fruit safely and enjoy...

Read more about treating citrus tree defficiencies in Sunshine Boosters Citrus Blog.

Alstonia scolaris - Indian Devil Tree

A Scholar's Award with intoxicating fragrance

By Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...This fascinating rare plant with white, strongly perfumed flowers is valued as a fast growing, impressive ornamental shade tree and is used to serve as an alternative to quinine...
Popularly known as Devil Tree, as plant is believed to the devil's abode - probably due to the intoxicating fragrance emitted by flowering trees, especially at night.
The tree is of great cultural significance in the intellectual circle, as traditionally its leaves were awarded to scholars and teachers during convocation ceremonies by the Visva Bharati University (can't think of a better name than Alstonia scholaris!). This tradition was started by Rabindranath Tagore...

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