🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 8: Guava Tree.

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  🍉 Guava Tree (Psidium sp.) - Guava trees are beloved for their flavorful fruit, commonly used in juices, drinks, and desserts.
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  🍉 Popular Varieties: include Psidium guajava (Tropical Guava), Psidium littorale (Cattley Guava), Psidium friedrichsthalianum (Cas guava), and Feijoa sellowiana (Pineapple Guava).
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  🍉 Cold Hardy: Despite its "Tropical" name, the Tropical Guava is relatively cold-hardy, and other varieties are even hardier, suitable for cooler climates with occasional frost.
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  🍉 Water Needs: Guava trees like water and can tolerate some flooding.
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  🍉 Compact Growth: Guavas are medium size bushes or trees that can be easily maintained at any height and shape.
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  🍉 Fast Fruiting: Guava trees are quick to fruit, often within a year of planting, and some start fruiting in containers as small as 1 gallon.
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  🍉 Dwarf Variety: The Nana variety is perfect for container culture, producing full-sized fruit in a compact form.
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  🍉 Pest Control: In humid areas with rainy seasons, check for mealybugs, which can be controlled with neem oil as needed.
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  🍉 Endless Supply: Planting multiple guava trees ensures a constant supply of fresh, juicy fruit and flavorful guava juice loved by kids and adults.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 🟡about #Guava
• 🟡10 best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

🛒 Shop Guava varieties

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🧛 Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?

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  😇 The Legendary Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (also called Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) got its name from the flower's extraordinary ability to retain its spicy, sweet fragrance for centuries.
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  😇 These flowers were used in ancient funeral ceremonies, placed in crypts to preserve their aroma for generations. Even today, dried Rosita de Cacao flowers can hold their scent for decades, a testament to their remarkable endurance.


History and Legends

Aztec names: Poyomatli, Xochicacaohuatl, Flor Cacahuaxochitl, Cacaoxochitl.
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  😇 The species was at one time widespread and growing wild throughout the Oaxaca region of Mexico known for plants used in Shamanism.
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  😇 Cherished by the Aztecs, the Rosita de Cacao was deeply intertwined with their rituals and daily life.
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  😇 The flowers, known as Cacaoxochitl or "cacao flower," were blended with chocolate drinks like Tejate, a sacred, energy-rich beverage reserved for royalty and religious ceremonies. This frothy drink combined Cacaoxochitl with other ingredients like cacao, vanilla, and chili peppers to create what the Aztecs called the "drink of the gods."
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  😇 Legend has it that Emperor Montezuma consumed up to 50 cups of xocolatl daily, infused with Rosita de Cacao, to fuel his energy and passion.


Medicinal and Spiritual Uses
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  😇 The flowers of this tree were not just for flavor - they were also prized for their calming and medicinal properties. Natives used them to treat anxiety, fevers, and coughs, often mixing them with cacao for enhanced effects.
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  😇 Modern studies suggest the flowers contain lactone alkaloids like funebradiol, which are known for their relaxing properties and are now being investigated for potential medicinal applications.
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  😇 Beyond its rich history, Rosita de Cacao is an evergreen beauty with creamy white, aromatic flowers and large, leathery leaves. It's a perfect addition to any garden for those who want a piece of history, an enduring fragrance, and a touch of ancient legend.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Fruit of Money and Love
Fun Facts: Cacao beans

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🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 7: Papaya Tree.

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  🍊 Papaya Trees (Carica papaya) - are resilient, easy to grow, and deliver year-round fruit.
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  🍊 Superfood Benefits: Rich in papain, a digestive enzyme that promotes gut health.
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  🍊 Fast Fruiting: Papayas often start producing the same year they're planted, offering quick rewards for gardeners seeking quick rewards.
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  🍊 Space-Efficient: Many varieties, especially dwarfs, reach only 6-8 feet tall yet produce large crops, ideal for small gardens.
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  🍊 Cold and Wind Resistant: Papayas can withstand light freezes and strong winds, making them surprisingly hardy for a tropical plant.
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  🍊 Self-Fertile, but Better with Multiple Trees: Planting 2-3 different cultivars ensures better pollination and higher yields.
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  🍊 Solo Cultivars: Smaller, round or oval papayas are sweet and less susceptible to fruit flies.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 🟡about #Papaya
• 🟡Carefree Garden: practical Guide to Growing Papaya.
• 🟡10 best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

🛒 Shop Papaya Trees

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🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 6: Macadamia Nut Tree.

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  🌰 Macadamia Nuts (Macadamia integrifolia) are known for their delicious flavor and high price tag, but you can grow these popular, sweet nuts right in your own garden!
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  🌰 Cold-Hardy and Productive. Macadamia trees are fairly cold-hardy, grow quickly, and thrive in all Florida soils. They are very productive and can tolerate both flooding and drought once established. Older trees can survive cold winters with minimal dieback, while young trees need protection from temperatures below 25-26F.
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  🌰 Water and Soil Tolerance. Macadamia trees need plenty of water and can handle some flooding, but they are also drought-tolerant once mature. They adapt well to all Florida soil types.
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  🌰 Fertilizer Needs. Macadamia trees require a special fertilizer program for healthy root development and optimal production. Use only liquid fertilizer such as Sunshine C-Cibus and apply microelements regularly, such as Sunshine SuperFood, to prevent nutrient deficiencies that can stunt growth.
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  🌰 #Fun_Facts:

⏺Did you know the Macadamia nut is the hardest-shelled nut in the world - and also one of the most nutrient-rich? The shell material is five times harder than hazelnut shells, with mechanical properties similar to aluminum!

• ⏺Despite being rich in calories, macadamia nuts may help you lose weight. This may be partly explained by their amounts of protein and fiber, two nutrients known to reduce hunger and promote feelings of fullness.
• ⏺Macadamia nuts are rich in healthy fats, vitamins, and mineral. They're linked to numerous health benefits, including improved digestion, heart health, weight management, and blood sugar control. High in monounsaturated fats, they may help lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease risk. These nuts are also a good source of antioxidants, including tocotrienols, which may protect against cancer and brain diseases.

📚 Learn more:

• 🟡How to grow your own Sweet Macadamia Nuts
• 🟡Grow Your Own Food. Macadamia: Hard Sweet Nut and Hardy Tree
• 🟡10 best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

🛒 Plant your own Macadamia Nut Tree

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🥸 What plants do you recognize in this display ❓

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💳 Persistence wins it all

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent." - Calvin Coolidge

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🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 5: Noni.

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  🥝 A Superfood for Your Garden. Noni Tree (Morinda citrifolia) - is one of the top superfood plants, making it a fantastic addition to any Southern garden.
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  🥝 Endless Medicinal Benefits. Noni fruit boasts numerous medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory effects, relief from arthritis, support for diabetes, metabolism, immune system, and weight loss. It's even thought to help fight cancer. Commercial Noni juice is very expensive, but growing your own tree provides easy access to this powerful natural remedy.
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  🥝 Fast-Growing and Productive. The Noni tree grows quickly and begins producing within 2 years from seed.
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  🥝 Tough and Resilient. Noni is a tough plant, thriving in poor soil, enduring summer heat, and withstanding drought conditions.
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  🥝 Cold Hardy. Despite its large tropical leaves and a reputation of a tropical species, Noni trees are surprisingly cold-hardy. While they may experience some leaf damage during cooler weather, they typically recover well when warmer temperatures return.
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  🥝 Ornamental and Practical. In addition to its fruit, the Noni tree has great ornamental value. The large, waxy leaves are over a foot long and give a tropical feel, while the fruit itself is unique and ornamental: its flower appears to grow directly on the fruit!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 🟡Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #3 Noni
• 🟡Three tropical plants that help you to stay young
• 🟡10 best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

🛒 Plant a Noni Tree

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🍑 On a diet

• 🐟 "I'm on a seafood diet. I see food and I eat it." 🐟

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