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Date:

What orchid tree has stunning red and yellow flowers year around?

Bauhinia madagascariensis - Red Butterfly Orchid Tree

💋 What orchid tree has stunning red and yellow flowers year around? Madagascar Orchid Tree.

We showed you in earlier post one showy red Orchid tree - Bauhinia galpinii; but this one is even more spectacular!
  • 🔴 Bauhinia madagascariensis - Red Butterfly Orchid Tree is a very rare plant in cultivation and one of the most spectacular Bauhinia. Rare, collectible species.
  • 🔴 Flowers and extremely showy, look like scarlet butterflies with bright yellow stripes at the base of each petal.
  • 🔴 It grows into a small tree or tall bush. Fast growing. Attracts butterflies.
  • 🔴 Plant in in full sun to get the most of its flowering season - this one literally blooms year around!


📚 More posts about Bauhinias:

🛒 Order rare Bauhinia madagascariensis

#Trees #Butterfly_Plants

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Why we want to plant a tree today

Tulip Tree

Code red: Study reveals human degradation of tropical forests
is greater than previously estimated

This summer has been scorching hot across the globe, with every summer month breaking temperature records in recorded history.

Have you ever wondered what kind of natural world your children or grandchildren will inherit? Will they grow up surrounded by lush forests and greenery, or will they only know cities made of metal and concrete?

Tropical forests are super important for biodiversity and fighting climate change, but humans are messing them up more than we thought. Using fancy tech from the International Space Station, scientists found that human activities like logging and road-building are degrading these forests a lot. Even edges of forests are suffering, reducing canopy height and biomass significantly. This degradation is often overlooked, even though it has a huge impact on carbon emissions and biodiversity loss.

Planting trees in your yard, or even better, several trees, helps combat this problem by restoring some of the lost biodiversity and absorbing carbon dioxide. Plus, it's a fun way to make your space greener and contribute to a healthier planet!

Together, we've planted over 15,000 trees this year!

This year at TopTropicals, we have planted quite a few trees. Let's see...
- 44 mango trees planted at our BFarm...
- 49 tropical fruit trees
- 127 flowering trees and shrubs... (special thanks to Mick and Aurelio)
- 15,282 plants were ordered and, hopefully, planted by our customers this year so far...

Join us. Plant a tree today to make the difference!

"Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." - Warren Buffett

Get some plants!

Morning in the forest

Date:

How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip

How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip
🍹 How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip

  • ✔️ 1 ripe Carambola
  • ✔️ 3 ripe Bananas
  • ✔️ 1 tbsp Honey
  • ✔️ 1/2 tsp Cocoa (optional)


Blend ingredients until smooth. Scoop into frosted mugs. Garnish with Carambola and Banana slices.

🍷 Enjoy while cold ❄️

📚 From previous posts:

🛒 Order Carambola and Banana trees

#Recipes #Food_Forest

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip

Carambola Banana Whip

Carambola Banana Whip

How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip
🍹 How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip
  • ✔️ 1 ripe Carambola
  • ✔️ 3 ripe Bananas
  • ✔️ 1 tbsp Honey
  • ✔️ 1/2 tsp Cocoa (optional)


Blend ingredients until smooth. Scoop into frosted mugs. Garnish with Carambola and Banana slices.

🍷 Enjoy while cold ❄️

📚 From previous posts:

🛒 Order Carambola and Banana trees

#Recipes #Food_Forest

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Why Poinciana is super popular tropical flowering tree

Peltophorum - Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Poinciana

Peltophorum - Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Poinciana

Peltophorum - Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Poinciana

Peltophorum - Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Poinciana

Peltophorum - Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Poinciana

🌼 Why Poinciana is super popular tropical flowering tree
  • 🟡 Peltophorum - Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Poinciana, in one of the most popular flowering trees of Tropics, along with Delonix and Jacaranda.
  • 🟡 Golden Showers: It has bright yellow flowers bloom in clusters, creating a stunning, sunshiny display.
  • 🟡 Butterfly Magnet: Attracts butterflies and bees, bringing life and movement to your garden.
  • 🟡 Shade Provider: Its wide, spreading canopy offers a cool, shady spot to relax under.
  • 🟡 Easy Maintenance: Low-maintenance and hardy, making it perfect for those who want beauty without the hassle.
  • 🟡 Tropical Vibe: Adds a lush, tropical feel to any garden, making you feel like you're on a permanent vacation.
  • 🟡 Fast Grower: Quick to grow, so you don’t have to wait long to enjoy its full beauty.
  • 🟡 Elegant Foliage: Delicate, fern-like leaves add an elegant touch and sway gracefully in the breeze.
  • 🟡 Long Blooming Season: Enjoy its gorgeous flowers for an extended period, adding color and joy to your garden.


📚 Three top tropical trees - from the legends of Caribbean

🛒 Order online

#Trees #Butterfly_Plants

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Five most exotic avocado varieties

Avocado Bacon

Avocado Bacon

Avocado Black Prince

Avocado Black Prince

Avocado Mexicola

Avocado Mexicola

Avocado Reed

Avocado Reed

Avocado Russel (red)

Avocado Russel (red)

🥑 Five most exotic avocado varieties

👀 We introduced 10 most popular varieties in our earlier posts. Here are 5 more - interesting and unusual cultivars.
  1. Bacon - A large Mexican variety with dark-skinned medium sized fruits, and a rich creamy flavor. It is very cold hardy, late-producing variety of Avocado tree with exceptional fruit. It is a highly productive tree with a lovely upright and spreading habit. Its dark green, glossy leaves lend an attractive, tropical appeal to the 15-20 feet of heigh. The oval fruits ripen in late fall and into spring. The fruits are easy to peel and have a light, subtle flavor. The tree has angelic sweeping branches which helps keep the tree shorter and easier to pick its fruit.
  2. Black Prince - The fruit was large, oval, 16-36 oz, green and slightly pebbly. The fruit turns black couple days after it is picked, ripens and softens. Black Prince deserves its title! The fruit pulp is thick, and has a rich, nutty flavor. The trees grow vigorously. Superior variety for a backyard grower. Harvesting mid-August to mid-September.
  3. Mexicola - black fruit, rich butter content, one of the most cold hardy varieties. Mature trees may withstand temperatures in the low-mid 20s.
  4. Reed - The fruit is large, weighing over a pound and round in shape. It has a large seed, but plenty of edible flesh. The skin remains green even when ripe. It is described by some as the best tasting avocado, buttery, bold, rich and nutty with an oil content of about 20%. It is a type A avocado, but fruits consistently year after year without other avocado trees around. It can be kept to around 15 feet with pruning. The branches do tend to droop horizontally.
  5. Russel (green and red) - easily recognized by its gourd-like shape, large, 24-36 oz and up to 13 inches long! Flesh is yellow, sweet, excellent quality, the seed is small.


    6. 📚 Learn more: Avocado Variety Guide - check this out for interactive chart of Avocado varieties and sort them by flower type A or B, tree habit, fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, season and more!

    ❔ What is your favorite Avocado variety?
    Share in comments    👇

    🛒 Shop Avocado Trees

    #Food_Forest


    🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

What are the best small fruit trees that will produce right away?

Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree

Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree

Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree

Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree

Randia formosa - Blackberry Jam Fruit, Jasmin de Rosa

Randia formosa - Blackberry Jam Fruit, Jasmin de Rosa

Randia formosa - Blackberry Jam Fruit, Jasmin de Rosa

Randia formosa - Blackberry Jam Fruit, Jasmin de Rosa

❔ What are the best small fruit trees that will produce right away? Peanut Butter Tree and Blackberry Jam Tree!

⬆️ These two little trees are absolute winners and will produce fruit for your right away, whether you grow them in container or in your small garden:
  1. Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree, earns its name from its fleshy fruits that boast a delightful peanut butter flavor.
  2. Randia formosa - Blackberry Jam Fruit, Jasmin de Rosa - a curious small evergreen tree that combines features of a fragrant flower and delicious dessert fruit which tastes like fresh Blackberry jam. Fragrant white flowers are similar to Gardenia.


    3. 📚 Learn more from previous posts:
    Craving a Nutty Surprise? Peanut Butter Tree
    Truth about Blackberry Jam: it comes from Gardenia

    🛒 Get your own Peanut Butter Tree and Blackberry Jam Fruit Tree

    #Food_Forest #Container_Garden


    🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

What tree is the most prolific while its fruit tastes as good as Lychee?

Longan fruit, Euphoria longana

🍇 What tree is the most prolific while its fruit tastes as good as Lychee? Longan!
  • 🔴 Longan (Euphoria longana) is a medium sized tree from China, it can be pruned to maintain a small tree size for container culture.
  • 🔴 This Lychee relative has stiffer leaves, more wind resistance and fruits more prolifically and regularly than its famous cousin.
  • 🔴 The flesh is sweet, aromatic and juicy, very similar to Lychee. It is usually eaten fresh but can be canned or dried.
  • 🔴 The crisp skin is easy to remove and the white flesh has a texture and sweetness reminiscent of litchi.
  • 🔴 Longan tree is fast growing, vigorous, and very easy to grow.

    • It is not fussy about soil and water. Young trees are usually air layered and start fruiting right away.


🛒 Plant your own Longan Tree

#Food_Forest

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Date:

Why is it called Cry Baby Tree?

Erythrina flower - Cry Baby Tree

Erythrina flower - Cry Baby Tree

Erythrina seeds - Cry Baby Tree

Erythrina seeds - Cry Baby Tree

Erythrina - Cry Baby Tree

Erythrina - Cry Baby Tree

⚡️ #Fun_Facts: Why is it called Cry Baby Tree?

👶 Erythrina (Cry Baby Tree): When the wind blows through its leaves, it produces a rustling sound that resembles a baby crying, hence its name. The plant has spectacular red flowers and beautiful red seeds (see also earlier post).

🛒 Shop Erythrinas

#Trees

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Mango Rainbow tasting table: whats the taste of that Mango variety?

Mango Rainbow tasting table

🌈 Mango Rainbow tasting table: what's the taste of that Mango variety?

🥭 We just had a mango tasting table of a few early and mid-season varieties and here is our impression:
  • 🟠 Tommy Atkins (purple) - the earliest variety, sweet a juicy, but a bit fibrous. The fruit is super colorful! The tree is an excellent producer, vigorous and problem-free.
  • 🟠 Haden (red) - a full sweet flavor, less fibrous than Tommy. Very colorful, large fruit.
  • 🟠 Florigon (yellow-green, round) - completely fibreless, sweet and flavor is somewhat mild pineapple-like.
  • 🟠 Baptiste (bright yellow) - very sweet, firm flesh, good flavor.
  • 🟠 Val Carrie (green elongated) - reminds large Asian mangoes, with firm flesh, very sweet, fibreless and juicy. It is a cross between Valencia Pride (large fruit) and Carrie (excellent flavor). It took the best from its parents. Very aromatic flesh has no fiber at all.
  • 🟠 Kent (large green-and-red) - excellent flavor, large size, and very little fiber. Eat before fruit gets too ripe.


❔ What Mango varieties have you tried this year?
Share in comments 👇

📝 See also earlier posts:

🛒 Shop Mango Trees

#Food_Forest

🏵 TopTropicals
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