Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Durian (Durio zibethinus)

😷 What's the smelliest fruit on Earth? The King of Fruits: Durian!

😶�️ Durian (Durio zibethinus) is a tropical fruit tree known for its prickly, spiny fruit, which is famous for its distinctive, highly pervasive aroma - often described as unpleasant by many.
😶�️ Despite the powerful scent, which can deter some from trying it, durian is celebrated in Southeast Asia as the "king of fruits." To many, the strong odor is actually a welcome signal of the fruit's rich, creamy golden flesh, which has a sweet, custard-like flavor that's likened to almond and vanilla.
😶�️ Its creamy texture and unique taste make it a beloved delicacy, often commanding a high price in the market.
😶�️ As naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace noted after trying durian on Borneo in the 19th century, "The more you eat of it, the less you feel inclined to stop".
😶�️ Other varieties, like the red and yellow-fleshed Durio graveolans, are available in Southeast Asia and even in regions like South Florida, offering a peanut butter-like taste and greater tolerance to local conditions.

Garlic vine (Mansoa alliacea)

Lychee (Litchi sinensis) - fruit on a tree

Lychee (Litchi sinensis) - fruit

Lychee (Litchi sinensis) - tree

Musa coccinea - Scarlet Red Flowering Banana

💄 Does Red flowering banana produce fruit?

🌷 Musa coccinea - Scarlet Red Flowering Banana - is a rare, small size tropical banana tree native to China and Vietnam, known for its vibrant red flower bracts that surround delicate yellow blooms.
🌷 With glossy, dark green leaves resembling classic banana foliage, this plant makes a striking addition to a rare plant collection.
🌷 Although it doesn't produce edible bananas, it grows small orange fruits that enhance its ornamental appeal.
🌷 The plant's pseudostems die back after flowering, but new shoots (banana pups) emerge from the roots, ensuring its continued growth.
🌷 Compact and easy to grow, it's perfect for small gardens, pots, or as a colorful indoor arrangement.

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, tree

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower close-up

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, fruit

💐 This is why it's called Heaven Lotus Tree - fragrant and edible!

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus - is a stunning, small tropical tree from Brazil that looks like it stepped right out of a tropical paradise. The spectacular, perfumed flowers resembling Lotus are as beautiful as they are unique.
These large, striking blooms with white-and pink petals and a magic sweet fragrance are so eye-catching that the central crown almost looks good enough to eat!
Straight, often unbranched trunk, with a single cluster of leaves at the top, gives it a palm-like vibe. As it grows older, it may sprout a few large branches, each with its own leafy crown. The leaves are huge - no other tree around has leaves quite as big, except maybe a palm. They're long, narrow at the base, and broad at the top, making them a real showstopper.
The rounded, pear-shaped fruit grow directly on the trunk (a trait called cauliflory, see earlier post) and contains delicious yellowish-orange pulp that can be boiled and resemble meat in taste. The leaves, when boiled into a decoction, are said to cure intoxication.
Truly an exciting, one-of-a-kind tree, a gem for collectors! Can be grown in containers.