🌸 What is the sweetest Passionfruit?

• 🍋 Passiflora nitida, also called Bell Apple or Water Lemon, is a rare gem among passion fruits, native to the lush Amazon jungle. Its orange-yellow fruits are much sweeter than typical passion fruits, with succulent, non-acidic pulp that’s irresistibly flavorful.
• 🍋 This tropical vine thrives in lowland regions from Costa Rica to Brazil, growing rapidly in warm climates.
• 🍋 Fruits: Small (up to 2 inches), orange-yellow, and incredibly sweet, best enjoyed fresh.
• 🍋 Flowers: Striking blue and red blooms, resembling those of P. laurifolia and P. quadrangularis.
• 🍋 Growth: A vigorous, fast-growing vine suited for tropical conditions; frost protection is essential.
• 🍋 Uses: Often eaten fresh but also a key ingredient in the refreshing drink "Purple Passion."
• 🍋 #Fun_Facts: Despite its sweet, crowd-pleasing taste, this fruit remains a relatively unknown delight, making it a treasure for tropical fruit enthusiasts.

🛒 Plant Water Lemon Passion Fruit

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🌰 Is it Cashew nut or Cashew Apple? 🍏

• 🥨 Cashew Tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a small, fast-growing marvel that gives us both the crunchy cashew nut and the juicy, quirky "cashew apple"
• 🥨 It's a tropical multitasker, thriving in poor soils, drought, and salty winds, and can even fruit in a pot within two years!
• 🥨 Cashew #Fun_Facts:

• ♦️The Fruit Switcheroo: The true fruit is the nut, while the brightly colored "apple" is actually a swollen stem. Talk about a fruit with an identity twist!
• ♦️The cashew apple has a sweet-astringent flavor and can be eaten fresh, stewed, or turned into delicious fragrant juice. A tangy treat!
• ♦️Nut Know-How: Raw cashews are caustic and must be roasted outdoors because their fumes are anything but friendly.
• ♦️Whether in sandy soils or salty winds, this tree keeps thriving, proving it's as tough as it is tasty.
• ♦️The cashew tree is not just a food source; it's a conversation starter! Perfect for gardeners who love both practicality and personality.

🛒 Get your own Cashew Tree

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😶 Did you know this about Hoyas?

*Wax Plants: Hoyas are often called wax plants because of their thick, glossy leaves and waxy flowers.

*Sweet Scented Blooms: Their star-shaped flowers not only look like candy but also emit sweet, often vanilla-like or chocolatey scents, especially in the evening.

*Epiphytic Nature: Many Hoyas grow as epiphytes in their natural habitats, meaning they live on other plants or trees, getting nutrients from the air and rain.

*Longevity: Hoyas can live for decades and may even be passed down as heirlooms. Some specimens are over 100 years old!

*Nectar Drops: Their blooms produce tiny drops of nectar, a treat for pollinators (and sometimes houseplant owners).

*Hundreds of Species: There are over 500 species of Hoyas, ranging from tiny-leafed varieties to ones with massive leaves or even fuzzy foliage.

*Sun-Loving Flowers: While the plants tolerate lower light, Hoyas flower best with bright, indirect light or even some direct sun.

*Low-Maintenance: They’re perfect for forgetful gardeners since they prefer to dry out between waterings.

*Climbing or Trailing: Hoyas can either climb with the help of trellises or cascade beautifully as trailing plants.

*Flowering Age: Hoyas are patient! Some won’t bloom until they’re a few years old, but the wait is worth it.

*Resilient Peduncles: Never cut off the “flower stems” (peduncles) - Hoyas rebloom from the same spot year after year.

*Exotic Origins: Native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, they thrive in tropical and subtropical climates.

*Lucky Charm: In some cultures, Hoyas are considered symbols of love and are gifted as housewarming or wedding presents.

🎥 Hoya calycina - Papua Sweet Scent was discovered in Papua New Guinea in 1913. The flower is very fragrant and can infuse your entire house in a beautiful lilac scent.

😍 Do you have a favorite Hoya species in mind? Share in comments!

📚 More from previous post:
Our favorite houseplants - hoyas

🛒Shop hoya plants

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🔤 When Bamboo blooms with orchid flowers 👀

• ⭐️ The Bamboo Orchid (Arundina graminifolia), or Bird Ground Orchid, is a showstopper with its elegant, pinkish-purple flowers perched on tall, cane-like stems that look strikingly like bamboo.
• ⭐️ These towering plants can grow to hip height or even taller, bringing a bold, exotic vibe to your garden. Their resemblance to bamboo isn't just in the stems – the long, alternating leaves add to the illusion.
• ⭐️ At the top of the canes, delicate flowers bloom one at a time, keeping the show going for weeks. Each flower, about 2-3 inches wide, features soft white petals and a vibrant purple-pink lip, reminiscent of the beautiful Cattleya orchids.
• ⭐️ These blooms can appear almost year-round, with a peak in summer, adding a touch of tropical elegance to your landscape.
• ⭐️ This stunning plant is perfect for those who want a unique and low-maintenance addition to their shade garden that always reaches for the sky!

📱 Ground orchids: all-summer colors for shady gardens

📚Learn more from previous posts:

• 🟡 The prettiest flower for shade
• 🟡 Ground orchids: all-summer colors
• 🟡 Why do we love Ground Orchids
• 🟡 Epidendrum radicans - Orange Reed Ground Orchid, Sunrise
• 🟡 Terrestrial orchids
• 🟡 What orchids can be grown in the ground

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🟢 What dos Sugar Apple look like and how does it taste?

😋 Annona squamosa - Sugar apple, is considered by many to be the most delicious tropical fruit. The fruit is a true treat, with pulp that resembles creamy custard, offering a flavor experience that’s hard to beat.

🕺 This very small, compact tree is perfect for containers or small yards, making it an excellent choice for home gardeners. It starts fruiting within just three years from seed and is remarkably easy to grow and undemanding.

📚 More about Anonnas in previous posts:
Guanabana - the most delicious Annona fruit
Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #1. Annona
Why everyone wants the Sugar Apple?
The best tropical fruit tree for container growing, and the fastest to fruit: Annona
Spiny Hedgehog fruit: what does it taste like?

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🐵 Monkey Orange or Monkey Ear? 🙉

• 🍊 Besides bizarre Monkey Ear Tree that we mentioned earlier, there is another interesting Monkey Tree -
• 🍊 The Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa) is a captivating fruit tree from tropical Africa and Madagascar, known for its vibrant yellow fruits and wide range of uses.
• 🍊This small to medium-sized tree, has glossy leaves and thorny branches that make it visually striking.
• 🍊What does the Monkey Orange taste like?

The fruits, size of an orange, have a hard shell that protects their sweet-tart pulp with interesting pleasant taste somewhat similar to mangosteen. Some people say it tastes like a mix of citrus and pineapple with a hint of fermentation.
• 🍊Rich in vitamin C and B vitamins, the fruit can be enjoyed fresh or transformed into jams, juices, and even wine.
• 🍊Its durable wood is prized for carvings, and its leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine and as natural insecticides.
• 🍊Slow-growing yet resilient, this hardy tree thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, offering beauty, nourishment, and practicality - an excellent choice for tropical or subtropical landscapes.

🐒 Why is it called Monkey Orange?
The "monkey orange" likely gets its name from its appeal to monkeys that eat the fruit and distribute the seeds in their habitat in Africa.

🛒 Plant Monkey Orange

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🍉 What tropical fruit is better than a watermelon? Wax Jamboo!

• 🍐 Syzygium samarangense, commonly known as Wax Jamboo, Java Apple, or Macopa, is an attractive tree native to tropical regions, with striking, glossy leaves and beautiful, fragrant flowers.
• 🍐 It produces pear-shaped fruits with smooth, waxy skin in varying colors, including white, green, pink, and crimson.
• 🍐 In tropical climates, it can yield abundant crops with up to 700 fruits per tree, harvested in two fruiting seasons annually!
• 🍐 Wax Jamboo is known for its crisp, crunchy texture and refreshing, mildly sweet flavor, making it a popular choice for both eating fresh and using in various culinary dishes. They're widely used in Indian-Ocean-Island cuisine for fresh salads or lightly sautéed dishes.
• 🍐 This tree is not just decorative; it's also quite low-maintenance. It thrives in fertile, well-drained soil with adequate rainfall and some humidity, and it is hardy down to just above freezing temperatures. It's also perfect for container gardening, requiring minimal care apart from regular watering and occasional feeding
• 🍐 Wax Jamboo fruits are often compared to watermelons because of their juicy, thirst-quenching properties, making them a fantastic treat on hot days.

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🍾 How to start your own vineyard

🍷 Can grapes grow in the tropics?

• 🍇 Yes! With the right varieties, like muscadines and low-chill, heat-tolerant hybrids, grapes can thrive in tropical climates. For example:
• 🍇 Vitis labrusca x vinifera - Blanc du Bois Grape: A hybrid prized for winemaking, combining European and native Florida grapes. It's heat-tolerant, disease-resistant, and thrives in the southern U.S., even in alkaline or salty soils.
• 🍇 Vitis x rotundifolia - Southern Home Seedless Grape: A gorgeous vine with delicate leaves and clusters of deep purple, sweet-tart grapes. It was developed at the University of Florida to handle heat and humidity. Self-pollinating and perfect for fresh eating.

🛒 Start your own vineyard

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🌴 How cold hardy are palm trees and how to protect them in winter

• 🌴 Most palms are tropical plants and require a frost-free climate to grow outdoors. However, there are a few exceptions. Adjust care depending on your zone and palm species. 
• 🌴 Some cold-hardy species can handle harsher conditions, with proper protection, making them great options for gardeners in zones that experience occasional freezes.
• 🌴 Mulch generously: Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base to insulate roots. Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunk to prevent rot.
• 🌴 Water before frost: Water deeply before a freeze to stabilize soil temperature and prevent dehydration.
• 🌴 Cover young palms: Wrap smaller or sensitive species in burlap, frost cloth, or blankets. Avoid plastic, as it can trap moisture and cause damage.
• 🌴 Protect the crown: For cold-sensitive palms, bundle fronds upwards and wrap the crown with cloth or burlap to shield the growing point.
• 🌴 Use heat sources: Place Christmas lights (non-LED) or a heat lamp near the tree, ensuring they’re safe and don't touch the foliage.
• 🌴 Avoid pruning: Keep fronds intact during winter—they provide natural insulation.
• 🌴 Species-specific care: Cold-hardy palms need less protection. Delicate types require more attention, including covering and relocating potted ones indoors.

📷 In the photos:

🌞 Cold sensitive palms:
Coconut palm: Cocos nucifera
Fan palm: Licuala sp.
Areca palm: Areca (Dypsis) lutescens

❄️ Cold hardy palms:
Windmill palm: Trachycarpus fortunei
Cabbage palm: Sabal palmetto
Queen Palm: Syagrus romanzoffiana
Majestic palm: Ravenea rivularis
European fan palm: Chamaerops humilis
Date Palm: Phoenix canariensis

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📸 Guanabana - Soursop fruiting in apartment!

This Guanabana (Annona muricata) was grown from a seed and fruited in apartment up North!

To read this fascinating story, check out article in Tropical Treasures Magazine:
Growing and fruiting Soursop in apartment (PDF download)

🛒 Plant your own Guanabana

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