🍌 Why everyone wants Banana Lakatan?

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  🌟 Banana Lakatan (also spelled Lacatan) is one of the most sought-after banana varieties for several great reasons:
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  🌟 Incredible Flavor: Lakatan is famous for its rich, sweet, and creamy taste. It has a fuller banana flavor than most commercial types, making it a favorite for eating fresh.
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  🌟 Deep Yellow to Orange Flesh: The vibrant color of the fruit is a sign of its high beta-carotene (Vitamin A) content - great for eye health and immunity.
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  🌟 Soft, Dessert-Like Texture: Unlike fibrous store-bought bananas, Lakatan bananas are smooth and velvety, almost like banana pudding in a peel.
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  🌟 Fast Fruiting: It's a vigorous grower that can produce fruit in as little as 9-12 months under warm conditions.
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  🌟 Highly Nutritious: Rich in potassium, vitamins A, C, and B6 - Lakatan is both a treat and a health boost.
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  🌟 Premium Status: In the Philippines and much of Southeast Asia, Lakatan is considered the top-quality banana, often more expensive and prized over all others.
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  🌟 Why Grow It? Because you can't buy this flavor in stores. Lakatan fruit doesn’t ship well - it's too soft and sweet for commercial export. That's why growing your own is the only way to enjoy its true taste.

🛒 Grow your own Lakatan and experience the banana everyone’s talking about!

📚 Learn more about #Bananas

#Food_Forest #Discover

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🫐 Here is how Blackberry Jam comes from Gardenia

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  🦢 Did you know that Blackberry Jam Fruit Tree blooms like Gardenia?
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  🦢 Randia formosa, or Jasmin de Rosa is a unique small evergreen tree or bush that offers both beautiful, fragrant flowers and delicious fruit.
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  🦢 The fruit, with its rich, sweet flavor, tastes just like fresh blackberry jam, making it a delightful treat right off the tree.
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  🦢 Its white flowers, which resemble those of gardenias, fill the air with a pleasant fragrance.
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  🦢 Native to tropical regions, this plant is the perfect choice if you're looking for something unique and useful in your garden. Its fruit can be enjoyed fresh or used to create delicious jams and desserts, making it a great addition to both ornamental and edible landscapes.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

• 💋Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: Blackberry Jam Fruit (Randia formosa)
• 💋The best small fruit trees that will produce right away
• 💋Truth about Blackberry Jam: it comes from Gardenia
• 💋Top 10 fast-fruiting trees

🛒 Elevate your garden with fragrance and flavor of Blackberry Jam Fruit

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts #Perfume_Plants

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📱 How to get your own Dragon Fruit plantation:


#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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🌵🌵🌵 Why we planted a whole field of this Dragon Fruit: how to get your own Dragon Fruit plantation

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  💛 Do you like Dragon Fruit? Our favorite variety is Parlora.
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  💛 It's a yellow Pitaya cactus from Ecuador, and hands down the most flavorful dragon fruit out there. While most varieties are pretty but kind of bland, this one is sweet, juicy, and packed with flavor.
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  💛 We love it so much at Top Tropicals, we planted a whole plantation! All it takes is a simple trellis – just a few posts and some chicken wire - and you can grow your own and enjoy this delicious fruit year-round.

📚 Learn more:

• · Do-It-Yourself Support Structure for Dragon Fruit
• · Grow Your Own Exotic Dragon Fruit Garden
• · Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: Dragon fruit
• · What does Dragon Fruit Flower look like?
• · What does a dragon taste like? Learn why you need to grow your own.
• · Do red, white and yellow Dragon fruit taste differently?
• · What to do with a lot of Dragon Fruit

🛒Grow your own Tasty Dragon Fruits

#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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🌵🌵🌵 Why we planted a whole field of this Dragon Fruit: how to get your own Dragon Fruit plantation

• 
  💛 Do you like Dragon Fruit? Our favorite variety is Parlora.
• 
  💛 It's a yellow Pitaya cactus from Ecuador, and hands down the most flavorful dragon fruit out there. While most varieties are pretty but kind of bland, this one is sweet, juicy, and packed with flavor.
• 
  💛 We love it so much at Top Tropicals, we planted a whole plantation! All it takes is a simple trellis – just a few posts and some chicken wire - and you can grow your own and enjoy this delicious fruit year-round.

📚 Learn more:

• · Grow Your Own Exotic Dragon Fruit Garden
• · Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: Dragon fruit
• · What does Dragon Fruit Flower look like?
• · What does a dragon taste like? Learn why you need to grow your own.
• · Do red, white and yellow Dragon fruit taste differently?
• · What to do with a lot of Dragon Fruit

🛒Grow your own Tasty Dragon Fruits

#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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🍌 Is Blue Java Banana really blue? Great question!

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  🔵 The Blue Java Banana, also known as the Ice Cream Banana, really does have a blueish tint when the fruit is unripe.
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  🔵 It's not bright neon blue, but more of a silvery blue-green or frosty blue tone.
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  🔵 This cool color is especially noticeable under sunlight and is one of the reasons the variety is so eye-catching.
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  🔵 Once ripe, the fruit turns pale yellow and has a creamy texture with a vanilla-like flavor, hence the nickname "ice cream banana."

🍌 Ice Cream (Blue Java) is a cold-tolerant hybrid of Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata, vigorous banana growing 10-15 feet tall and producing 40-60 lb bunches of stout, bluish-skinned fruit with sweet, vanilla-flavored, cream-like flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked.

🆒 Banana #Fun_Facts

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  🟡Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart health.
• 🟡They provide a quick source of energy and are great for post-workout recovery.
• 🟡The fiber in bananas aids digestion and promotes gut health.
• 🟡Eat them fresh, add to smoothies, bake into breads and desserts, or use in various savory dishes.
• 🟡Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.

🛒 Blue bananas exist - and you can grow them!

📚 Learn more:
About #Bananas
What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?

#Food_Forest #Bananas

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😊 Why we love Jocote: the Hog Plum health benefits.
Sound on! 🎤

🍊 The Hog Plum tree (Spondias purpurea), that you saw blooming in March in this post, set the fruit by May in ABUNDANCE and we can't wait to see them ripe and harvest them! Hog Plum is one of our favorite fruits at Top Tropicals. It is also known as Purple Mombin, Jocote, or Spanish Plum. It’s popular in Central America and the Caribbean, and it's not just tasty and super productive - it's packed with health benefits!

❤️ HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE HOG PLUM FRUIT:

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  ✅ Rich in Vitamin C. Helps boost your immune system, supports skin health, and acts as a powerful antioxidant.
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  ✅ Good Source of Fiber. Aids digestion, helps prevent constipation, and supports gut health.
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  ✅ Anti-inflammatory Properties. Traditionally used to relieve swelling, inflammation, and minor skin infections.
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  ✅ Supports Heart Health. Contains antioxidants and nutrients that may help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
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  ✅ Hydrating and Refreshing. The fruit has high water content and is often eaten fresh during hot weather for hydration.
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  ✅ May Help Regulate Blood Sugar. Some studies suggest that Spondias species may have a mild effect on blood sugar levels.

🛒 Sweet, tangy, and good for you - grow Hog Plum!

📚 Learn more:
This is how the flowers of a Hog Plum look like
The Hog Plum tree fruit
What fruit tree is full of fruit year around

#Food_Forest #Discover

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🍒 Why you should grow a Pitanga tree. Health benefits of Surinam Cherry

Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora), also known as Surinam cherry or Brazilian cherry, is a tropical fruit that's as tasty as it is healthy. This small tree or bush brings beauty to your yard and benefits to your body. With shiny leaves, fragrant white flowers, and bright red or dark maroon fruit, it's an easy-to-grow plant that also happens to be a nutritional powerhouse.

❓ So, why plant Pitanga?

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  🍒 Pitanga is packed with vitamins. Pitanga is loaded with vitamin C for glowing skin and a strong immune system, and vitamin A for healthy eyes.
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  🍒 Pitanga is full of antioxidants. Especially the dark fruits, which are rich in plant compounds like lycopene and beta-carotene that may protect your cells and reduce inflammation.
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  🍒 Pitanga has healing power. Traditional medicine has used it for heartburn, stomach issues, and even respiratory conditions. Lab studies show it may help fight bacteria and fungi too.
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  🍒 Pitanga might fight cancer. Early research suggests pitanga extracts may slow cancer cell growth.
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  🍒 Pitanga tastes like summer. When fully ripe, the juicy fruit has a sweet-tart flavor - great in salads, desserts, jams, and even cocktails. Pitanga var. Black Star, or Lolita has exceptional flavor, larger sweeter fruit than regular red-fruit variety.

⚠️ Bonus: It grows fast, stays evergreen, and makes a great natural privacy screen or edible hedge.

If you're looking for a tropical fruit tree that’s both beautiful and beneficial, Pitanga is a smart choice. Just make sure to pick the fruit when fully ripe - and prepare to fall in love with this cherry that's not quite a cherry!

🛒 Start growing Health today - add Pitanga to your Food Forest

📚 More about Lolita Cherry from previous posts:

• 💋What makes Lolita different from regular Surinam Cherry?
• 💋Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #8 Lolita Cherry
• 💋 Who is that Sweet Black Lolita from Surinam?
• 💋Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #3. Eugenias - Tropical Cherries
• 💋How to make a jam with Surinam Cherry

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Hedges_with_benefits #Discover

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🥑 How to grow your own avocado tree?
Watch Top Tropicals on TV 📺

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  💚 Growing your own avocado tree has many benefits. You can enjoy fresh, delicious avocados right from your garden.
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  💚 Avocado trees are attractive, provide shade, and enhance your landscape.
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  💚 There are many avocado varieties to choose from, offering unique flavors, sizes, and ripening times.
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  💚 Visit our garden center in Ft. Myers or BFarm in Sebring, FL, and let our fruit tree expert Kristi help you choose the perfect Avocado trees for your garden!

📱 Watch ABC7 Fort Myers News: Avocado Varieties with Kristi at Top Tropicals👇



📚 Learn more about #Avocado
#Food_Forest

🛒 Shop the Top Quality Avocado Varieties Online

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☀️ Why all Floridians want Coffee Senna in their landscape and what it has to do with Coffee

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  🌼 Beauty without the hassle! Cassia occidentalis, commonly known as Coffee Senna, Fedegoso, or Privet Cassia, offers striking beauty and practical benefits, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance landscapes and herbal medicinal garden.
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  🌼 From spring to fall, this medium-sized shrub showcases clusters of orange-yellow flowers that look like little yellow hummingbirds from the distance and attract butterflies and bees.​ The large, red-veined leaves add ornamental value even when not in bloom.​
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  🌼 Coffee Senna thrives in full sun to partial shade and is drought- and cold-tolerant once established. ​Requires minimal care, making it ideal for gardeners seeking beauty without the hassle.​ Its spreading habit can provide a natural hedge or privacy screen.​
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  🌼 Coffee Senna gets its common name from the resemblance of its seeds to coffee beans. The seeds are dark and oval-shaped, much like coffee beans. Despite the name, the seeds are not related to the actual coffee plant (Coffea arabica). The "Senna" part of its name refers to its botanical Senna genus, which includes various species traditionally used for medicinal purposes.
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  🌼 Health Benefits of Coffee Senna

Beyond its ornamental appeal, Coffee Senna has a history in traditional medicine:​

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  ✔️Digestive Aid: The seeds have mild laxative properties, aiding in constipation relief.​
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  ✔️Respiratory Support: Infusions of the root and dried flowers are used to treat gastrointestinal issues, colds, and flu .​
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  ✔️Skin Health: Poultices made from the roots and flowers are applied to treat skin disorders such as eczema .​
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  ✔️Nutritional Value: The seeds are rich in iron and other minerals, contributing to overall health .

🛒 Plant your own Coffee Senna

#Food_Forest #Butterfly_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits #Remedies #Discover

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