Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
The Magic of 3
top tropical trees
from the legends of Caribbean
Yellow Poinciana, Jacaranda, and Royal Poinciana:
Three happy colors of the Tropics
While traveling through the vibrant and diverse Caribbean, we acquired three exquisite local paintings. Two of these are masterfully rendered on jacaranda wood plates, and the third is beautifully crafted on a calabash. These stunning pieces of art celebrate the three most spectacular and revered flowering trees of the Tropics: Yellow Poinciana, Jacaranda, and Royal Poinciana.
These trees are not only visually stunning but also deeply embedded in Caribbean culture, legends, and folk remedies.
The Yellow
Poinciana, with its bright golden blossoms, is often associated with joy and
sunlight, symbolizing the warmth of the Caribbean spirit.
The Jacaranda,
known for its striking lavender-blue flowers, is a symbol of wisdom and
rebirth, often blooming in a breathtaking display that signals the change of
seasons.
The Royal
Poinciana, with its fiery red and orange flowers, is a symbol of passion and
energy, often referred to as the "Flamboyant" tree due to its bold and dramatic
appearance.
These trees hold a special place in the hearts of the Caribbean people. They are featured in numerous local stories and songs, and their flowers and leaves are used in traditional remedies and rituals. Owning these paintings feels like possessing a piece of the Caribbean's soul and its natural beauty.
Now, we are fortunate to have not only the paintings but also the actual trees. Watching them grow and bloom in our garden brings a piece of the Caribbean to our home, a constant reminder of our travels and the vibrant culture we experienced. These trees and their representations in art are a testament to the region's rich heritage and its enduring connection to nature.
Get them now while we have them. No need to go too far into Caribbean!
Peltophorum africanum - Golden Flamboyant, Yellow Poinciana. An excellent garden shade tree, beautiful in flower. This variety starts flowering at young age, in 3 gal pot.
Jacaranda mimosifolia - Hypnotizing bluish-purple, trumpet-like flowers create the magical image of the tree. Incredible, long-lasting purple blooms. When the trumpet-shaped blooms finally fall, they form a lilac carpet beneath the awe-inspiring Jacaranda for luxuriant curb appeal...
Royal poinciana, Flamboyant tree, Delonix regia - "One of the most spectacular flowering trees in the USA, and probably among the top 10 on this planet. In full bloom, it is like a regal elephant caparisoned in red and yellow brilliance." (Larry M. Schokman, The Kampong, National Tropical Botanic Garden)
What is the most useful tree in the world?
Moringa oleifera - Bridal veil, Horseradish tree, Drumstick Tree, Ben Oil Tree
Moringa oleifera - Bridal veil, Horseradish tree, Drumstick Tree, Ben Oil Tree
Moringa oleifera - Bridal veil, Horseradish tree, Drumstick Tree, Ben Oil Tree
- 💚 One of the most versatile and valuable trees known to humanity is Moringa oleifera, also called: Horseradish tree, Bridal veil, Horseradish tree, Drumstick Tree, Ben Oil Tree. It is indeed considered one of the most useful trees in the world. This reputation stems from its wide range of nutritional, medicinal, and practical applications.
- 💚 Moringa is a beautiful flowering tree with fragrant white flowers. It produces long green pods (looking like drumsticks!) and the seeds have been compared to a cross between peanuts and asparagus.
- 💚 Moringa leaves are rich in vitamins (A, B, C, E), minerals (calcium, potassium, iron), and amino acids, and have strong antioxidant properties. they are used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation. Moringa can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
- 💚 Almost every part of the tree is edible, including the leaves, pods, seeds, and flowers. Each part has its unique nutritional profile and culinary uses. Used in teas and cooking.
- 💚 The roots are used as a substitute for horseradish and the edible leaves make a highly nutritious vegetable. The roots have also been used in many folk remedies.
- 💚 Many Moringa products produced commercially: leaves, powder, oil. Moringa oil, extracted from the seeds, is used in cosmetics, skincare products. Seeds can be used to purify water, making it safer to drink.
- 💚 The plant can be used as a natural fertilizer and pesticide. Leaves are used as a nutritious feed for livestock.
📚 Learn more: How to grow a happy Moringa Tree
🛒 Plant your own Moringa Tree and save the Planet
#Food_Forest #Remedies
🏵 TopTropicals
Date:
What is the easiest, prettiest, and most practical plant?
A plastic one?
Believe it or not, there is a different answer:
Plant of the month: Callisia Variegated Golden Tendril
Callisia fragrans x soconuscensis Melnikoff - Variegated Golden Tendril
An ultimate plant:
- perfect low maintenance house plant
- easy to grow
- has multiple holistic medicinal properties
- can grow fast as grownd cover
- needs almost no water
- sun or shade
- no fuss, no kidding!
This is an extremely rare variety of the European Holistic Medicinal Plant - Golden Tendril. It has showy variegated leaves and makes a beautiful houseplant on top of its medicinal value. It tolerates wide range of conditions and requires very little water; takes both bright sun or shade and is very fast growing and easy. The plant has wide medicinal use in Europe, literally every household uses this plant as a home remedies... just like Aloe Vera! According to scientific research, active biological substances from steroid group contained in this plant can struggle with any types of infections, stimulates metabolic processes, strengthens immunity and circulatory system, has a positive influence on growths and much more... some people consider it a virtual panacea. Whether it works for everybody or not, it is definitely fun to own such a legendary plant!
These are pictures of actual plants for sale!
Date:
Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster
How to get Canistel tree to produce
without dropping flowers and fruit
Q: My Canistel tree is 3 1/2 years old and is growing very well, see the picture below. It gets hundreds of pea sized "berries" but then they fall off. No canistel fruit. What's wrong?
A: You have such a nice looking tree, it is a shame you can't get
any fruit to ripen.
In our experience, Pouteria trees dropping fruit prematurely is a very common problem.
There may be one of the following reasons, or a combination of them:
- Cold winters may affect production, and while Canistel is generally
pretty hardy tropical plant that can easily withstand short periods of chill, the
fruit may never form properly if it had a cold winter.
- Lack of water. Canistel tree is pretty drought tolerant, but for the
proper production cycle it needs regular irrigation. Especially during hot
summer.
- The tree may be not strong enough; young trees drop fruit very often when
they don't have enough "fruiting energy" built up in their system.
Your tree looks well established and vigorous, however, flower/fruit drop
is often a sign of insufficient nutrients of particular kind, usually Boron
(B) and/or Molybdenum (Mo): either when a tree is too young and not strong
enough, or because of poor soils and lack of necessary elements.
Here is what can be done, considering you live in a warm, frost-free climate.
1. Provide regular fertilizing program. We recommend liquid
fertilizers Sunshine Boosters that are safe to use with every watering and year
around. It is beneficial to switch plants from traditional "slow-release"
fertilizer to the liquid one because it makes a huge difference in plant growth
and flower/fruit quality and quantity. See also:
- Why liquid fertilizers are better than dry
- Article about benefits of liquid fertilizers.
Use this plant food for your Canistel tree:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
2. Apply micro-element remedies that are very effective for improving fruit production, especially when flower or fruit drop occurs:
SUNSHINE Honey - promotes more efficient blossoming and pollination, makes
flowers bigger and reduces bud drop.
SUNSHINE SuperFood - improves plant vigor and quality and size of
flowers
These are all natural, eco-friendly supplements that work great for fruit
trees and other edibles.
Cat of the Day - Mr B
Did you know that Lemon Grass freshens your pet's breath? Mr B knows. He is the fan. He doesn't brush his teeth before going to bed, but claims he has a lemon-fresh breath. Good night!🌜
📸 😺 👇 Share your cats in comments!
🛒 And get some Lemon Grass - a versatile performer in the kitchen where it can be used in teas, beverages, herbal medicines, Eastern inspired soups and other dishes.
🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden
#Remedies #Food_Forest
JOIN 👉 @TopTropicals
