Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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What Guava variety is the best for Guava Wine. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What Guava variety is the best for Guava Wine

Araca Pera, Brazilian Guava Wine

Araca Pera, Brazilian Guava Wine

Araca Pera, Brazilian Guava tree (Psidium x angulatum)

Araca Pera, Brazilian Guava tree (Psidium x angulatum)

🍷 What Guava variety is the best for Guava Vine
  • 🍷 Araca Pera, or Brazilian Guava tree (Psidium x angulatum), is a unique Guava hybrid of a flavorful wild guava from the Brazilian Amazon which is rare in cultivation.
  • 🍷 These fruit are 1.5-2", with an acidic, sour guava-like flavor. Its juice is concentrated and must be diluted and sweetened to produce a delicious drink.
  • 🍷 It is the major source of a special Guava Wine production. Our favorite Guava Wine is from Schnebly Redland's Winery - this is where we obtained the seeds from their mother plants. This refreshing and vibrant rose wine is full of flavor and has a bouquet that never stops.
  • 🍷 The fruit is processed into ice cream sorbet, gelatins and candies.
  • 🍷 A great container specimen or a bushy tree for frost-free gardens.


📚 More about Guavas from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Guava trees

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Discovering the Amazing Guava Fruit Tree

Guava fruit collage

A Gardener's Delight:
How to grow Guava Tree, delicious recipes and more...

Imagine stepping into your garden, plucking a fresh, juicy guava off a tree, and savoring its sweet, tropical flavor. Sounds delightful, doesn't it? Guava trees are not only a wonderful addition to any garden but also offer an array of delicious and nutritious fruits. Let's explore the fascinating world of guava fruit trees, dive into the different species, and share some tasty ways to enjoy this remarkable fruit.

If you're blessed with a warm climate, find a sunny spot with well-drained soil for your tree. Water it regularly, especially during dry spells, and keep it well-fed with a balanced fertilizer. Pruning is essential for maintaining a bushy, healthy tree that'll reward you with an abundance of fruits...

Guava tree fruiting in a pot

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Grow Your Own Food:
Costa Rican Guava - Guava for Drinking!

Cas Guava - Psidium friedrichsthalianum, Fruit

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Looking for a handsome, unusual fruit tree for container culture with healthy and flavorful fruit? Or simply want an easy fruit tree that is hardy and undemanding? Psidium friedrichsthalianum (family Myrtaceae), the Costa Rican Guava or Cas Guava, is a perfect small guava tree that can be very rewarding. In Nicaragua it is called "Guava for Drinking" or "Fresco de Guava". Despite the tartness, the flavor is excellent with passionfruit and pineapple tones and is much more pronounced than the subtle flavor of the common Guava. These fruits are very much a part of the culture and cuisine of Costa Rica. Also it has been successfully grown in California now and can be grown in many subtropical regions or as a container plant - "condo" fruit tree...

Cas Guava - Psidium friedrichsthalianum, Tree

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What fruit can you drink? Costa Rican Cas is the Guava for Drinking, yet with a bonus of health benefits! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What fruit can you drink? Costa Rican Cas is the Guava for Drinking, yet with a bonus of health benefits!

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

What fruit can you drink? Costa Rican Cas is the Guava for Drinking, yet with a bonus of health benefits!
  • The fruit of Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum) has unusual tart flavor with passionfruit and pineapple tones, more pronounced than common Guava🍍
  • Cas Guava used in pies, salads, fresh juices, ice-cream, jams, and as a base for the refreshing drink Fresco de Cas!🍹
  • High pectin content makes firm jellies.
  • Hydrating and low glycemic index, suitable for those mindful of sugar consumption.
  • Rich source of fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, phosphorus, potassium, copper, vitamin A, and folic acid.
  • This small tree or bush is very fast growing and undemanding, usually pest free (unlike most Guavas that can be very bugsy).
  • Tolerates hot summers and short frosts, appreciates well-drained soils.
  • Easy to grow, drought-tolerant once established, suitable for container cultivation.
  • Seedlings start flowering and fruiting at a young age, typically 2-3 years old from seed.


📚 Learn more about Cas Guava

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How to always have lots of Guava Juice. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to always have lots of Guava Juice

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

Psidium littorale, Cattley Guava

🍈 How to always have lots of Guava Juice.
  • Psidium littorale, also known as Cattley Guava, is a charming small tropical fruit tree.
  • Round fruits offer a unique culinary experience with a sweet and tangy flavor, perfect for various dishes and drinks.
  • Surprisingly cold-hardy, it adds both beauty and flavor to any landscape.
  • Ideal for containers
  • A must-have for fruit lovers seeking a tropical treat.
  • One tree can bring enough fruit for making a delicious, aromatic, refreshing Guava juice for the whole family during Summer months. Just put the fruit in a blender, add some water, ice and sugar and enjoy!


🛒Order Cattley Guava and never run out of juice

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Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Top 10 fast-fruiting trees:

Guava (Psidium sp.) - Cattley and Tropical guava

Guava (Psidium sp.) - Cattley and Tropical guava

🍉 Top 10 fast-fruiting trees:
#2. Guava (Psidium sp.): Cattley and Tropical guava


❤️ Guava is a reliable producer, starts fruiting in a pot at small size. Some varieties, especially Cattley guavas - Psidium littorale - are relatively cold hardy and can take some frost without damage. Guavas are fast growing small trees or large bushes.

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Guava trees

#Food_Forest #Guava

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Guava, the easiest container fruit tree

Guava fruit on a branch

Grow Your Own Food

Guava is one of the most popular and well-known tropical fruit because it is so tasty, sweet, juicy and flavorful! Many people are familiar with it because of the large number of products made from this aromatic fruit. But very few people know that Guava tree culture is very easy and this plant can fruit in a pot right away. Guava tree start blooming and producing fruit as small as 1 gal pot size. It can be kept in compact shape, responds well to pruning, stays bushy and grows very fast. It is a perfect container fruit tree or a specimen for a tropical garden of any size.
Upon ripening, the fruit becomes soft and juicy. It may be eaten fresh, made into a juice or nectar contain fruit pulp, or made into preserves, jam, jelly, or paste. A distinctive, savory-fresh aroma of fruit is thermo-stable, thus survives processing. The guava is an excellent source of vitamins C and A.
The plant is relatively cold hardy. Our young trees, 3 months after being planted in the ground were exposed to a short period of freeze last winter (mid-20's) but they grew back without significant damage. Try to keep Guava cold-protected for the first winter, then it will be much hardier once established.
Guavas are fast growers and heavy feeders, and benefit from regular applications of fertilizer. Make sure to get some Sunshine Boosters fertilizer: Sunshine C-Cibus - Crop Booster, and feed them your round.

Guava tree fruiting in container

Guava fruit

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Privacy Hedges with Benefits

Flowering hedge

What's the numero uno question we get bombarded with at Top Tropicals Nursery? Well, it's a real head-scratcher:

Q: "...Can you recommend me a flowering privacy hedge to spice up my yard's life? My current hedge is just a green wall and I'm tired of the monthly trim routine. I need something lively, fast-growing, and unusual if possible. No plain old ixora, please!.."

A: After over two decades of being the go-to advice-givers, we thought, "Why not spill the floral beans and share our tropical wisdom?" But where to begin? The jungle of flowering ornamentals is vast, and picking the perfect shrub is like finding the missing piece of a gardening puzzle. So, in our new column "Hedges with Benefits" we're dishing on those not-so-average shrubs that'll not only prettify your patch but also bring some serious practicality. Today's lineup is -

Top Ten Winners:
Fast growing flowering shrubs

Below is the top selection of spectacular flowering shrubs that can create a nice hedge or a natural screen within just a couple of seasons.

Flowering hedge Tithonia diversifolia - Sunflower tree

Tithonia diversifolia - Sunflower tree.
Grows super fast to a very tall dense hedge, and starts flowering right away. Full sun, very easy, not fussy about soil or water. Winter bloomer.

Flowering hedge Calliandra surinamensis - Powderpuff

Calliandra surinamensis - Powderpuff.
Pretty pink powderpuffs almost year around! Easy to prune.

Flowering hedge Dombeya x wallichii - Tropical Hydrangea

Dombeya x wallichii - Tropical Hydrangea.
You can see this beautiful bush right at Top Tropicals gate. Winter bloomer, large lush leaves and huge, pink hydrangea-like blooms. Very large and fast growing, likes water, tolerates shade.

Flowering hedge Acalypha hispida - Cat tail, Chenille plant

Acalypha hispida - Cat tail, Chenille plant.
All time favorite, everblooming with red cat tails! Full sun. Easy to control.

Flowering hedge Hibiscus variegated Snow Queen

Hibiscus variegated Snow Queen.
Popular landscape bush with unusual look, red flowers over snow white variegation, very showy! Responds well to pruning. Full sun.

Flowering hedge Leonotis leonurus - Lions Ears

Leonotis leonurus - Lions Ears.
Winter bloomer, great for low hedges. Covered with bright orange curious flowers, medium sized, easy to control at 3-4 ft. Full sun.

Flowering hedge Plumbago auriculata Imperial Blue

Plumbago auriculata Imperial Blue
One of the most popular Southern hedge plants, everblooming with bright blue flowers, tolerant to drought, heat, and poor soils. Can be maintained short or tall (2-6 ft).

Flowering hedge Eranthemum pulchellum - Blue Sage, Lead Flower

Eranthemum pulchellum - Blue Sage, Lead Flower.
Great for shady spots, winter bloomer with dark green leaves and unusual sky-blue flowers. Can be trimmed if needed. Nice and dense.

Flowering hedge Clerodendrum paniculatum - Pagoda Flower

Clerodendrum paniculatum - Pagoda Flower. Happy in the sun or shade, easy plant. Loves water.

Flowering hedge Tibouchina lepidota - Ecuador Princess, Jules 
Dwarf

Tibouchina lepidota - Ecuador Princess, Jules Dwarf.
Sun or shade, blooms on and off throughout the year. Beautiful Purple Princess!

Date:

What fruit is more sour and has more vitamin C than a lemon. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What fruit is more sour and has more vitamin C than a lemon

Costa Rican Guava, Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum)

🍋 What fruit is more sour and has more vitamin C than a lemon
  • 🍸Costa Rican Guava, Cas Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum) is native to Central America and known for its intensely sour taste, which makes it perfect for flavorful juices and beverages rather than eating fresh.
  • 🍸Cas Guava fruit is used in traditional Costa Rican drink "Agua de Cas," a refreshing blend of cas juice, water, and sugar.
  • 🍸Cas Guava fruit is packed with vitamin C: about four times more vitamin C than a lemon, making it an excellent immune booster. It's also rich in antioxidants, which help combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.
  • 🍸Cas guava tree is pretty hardy, thriving in poor soils and resisting pests and diseases.


📚 Learn more:

🛒 Order online

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Ten top fruiting plants you'll ever need
for your health benefits

Top Tropicals Fruit

Q: I planted Mango and Avocado trees, and I still have room for more trees but want to use the space wisely. What other trees should I plant to get the most benefits out of the fruit?

A: Everyone loves planting Mango or Avocado trees for their well-known benefits. But did you know that adding a variety of other fruit trees to your garden can expand those benefits even more? If you plant just one of each of these 10 trees, you'll have a complete spectrum of nutrients and health-boosting ingredients you ever need. With a diverse range of healthy fruits, you'll boost your diet, improve your health, and elevate your lifestyle. Let's check out the TOP TEN most rewarding and useful fruit...

1. Guava

Guava fruit

Guava is rich in vitamin C, which boosts the immune system and helps protect against colds and infections.
Guava helps regulate blood sugar levels, making it a good option for people with diabetes.
Its potassium content helps maintain healthy blood pressure.
Guava's antioxidants, like lycopene and vitamin C, contribute to glowing skin and may reduce the risk of cancer.
Guava is eaten fresh, made into juices, jams, and jellies, or added to desserts and smoothies.

2. Coffee

Coffee fruit

Coffee is widely enjoyed as a beverage and is used in various desserts and drinks.
It is rich in antioxidants, which may reduce inflammation and lower the risk of chronic diseases.
It improves focus and mental alertness due to its caffeine content.
Coffee boosts metabolism and aid in fat burning, supporting weight management.

3. Noni

Noni fruit

Noni is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce joint pain and arthritis symptoms.
Fresh noni fruit and juice are popular in traditional herbal medicine and drinks.
It boosts the immune system due to its rich vitamin C content.
Noni juice is used traditionally to improve digestion and fight infections.

4. Papaya

Papaya fruit

Papaya is a popular ingredient in salads, smoothies, and tropical desserts.
It contains enzymes like papain that aid digestion and reduce bloating.
It is high in vitamin C and vitamin A, the antioxidants in papaya may protect against heart disease and reduce cancer risk.

5. Banana

Persimmon fruit

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.
East them fresh, add to smoothies, bake into breads and desserts, or use in various savory dishes.

6. Dragon fruit

Dragon fruit

Dragon fruit is often used in smoothies, fruit salads, and refreshing drinks.
It is high in fiber, aiding digestion and promoting gut health. Low in calories and packed with nutrients, it's great for weight management.

7. Tamarind

Tamarind fruit

Tamarind is a common ingredient in sauces, chutneys, and beverages.
Rich in antioxidants, it protects the liver and reduces inflammation.
It contains natural compounds that help lower cholesterol and improve heart health. Tamarind has a mild laxative effect, aiding digestion and relieving constipation.

8. Loilita (Surinam) Cherry

Surinam cherry fruit

Surinam cherry is rich in vitamin C, boosting the immune system and skin health.
Its antioxidants reduce inflammation and protect against free radical damage. It contains fiber, which supports healthy digestion.
Surinam cherries are used in jams, sauces, and desserts or eaten fresh.

9. Nescafe

Nescafe

Nescafe - Mucuna pruriens - is used in herbal supplements or ground into powder for teas and health drinks.
It is known for its potential to boost dopamine levels, improving mood and reducing stress.
It supports cognitive function, muscle growth and increases energy levels.

10. Loquat

Loquat fruit

Loquat are very popular and are eaten fresh or used in making jams, jellies, pies, and fruit salads.
Loquat is rich in vitamin A, supporting eye health. It contains antioxidants that help fight inflammation and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The fiber in loquats aids digestion and helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

By planting these 10 diverse fruit trees, you'll not only enjoy a delicious and abundant harvest but also ensure your garden provides all the nutrients needed for a healthier, more vibrant life.