Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 31 Dec 2023

What to do with a Dragon fruit?

Cat with dragon fruit

Q: What can you do with Dragon Fruit? I bought some from the grocery store, but they don't have much flavor.

A: Dragon fruit, or Pitaya, comes in many varieties that differ in flavor, sweetness, and texture. In the store they usually carry simple varieties that are easy to ship and store but have very little flavor. This is why we prefer grow our own Dragon Fruit, same way like we grow many varieties of Mango - to enjoy their excellent flavors that you can't find in a store. Our favorite is the Yellow Dragon Fruit that is not only the sweetest of all but also have the best flavor, with pineapple-mango hint. It is best enjoyed fresh out of hand.

Pitaya Yellow Dragon Fruit, Selenicereus megalanthus Equador Golden

Yellow Dragon Fruit - Selenicereus megalanthus Equador Golden

Dragon Fruit Smoothie: simple and tasty recipe

Dragon fruit, regardless of variety, makes excellent smoothies. A perfect Dragon Fruit Smoothie can be made with a creamy blend of dragon fruit, mango, and banana. The tropical flavor is played up with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Dragon fruit pink smoothie with lime, mint, mango and banana

Ingredients

Mix in a blender:
2 dragon fruit, peeled
1/2 cup of mango pulp

  1. banana
    1 cup of milk of your preference
  2. tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp Lime juce
Some Ice
-
Mint for decoration

Dragon fruit smoothie ingredients: lime, mint, mango and banana

Dragon fruit contains lots of of nutrients, most notably high vitamin C and iron. Its low calorie content helps give it superfood status because of high nutrient density. Try it today, even from the grocery store! Although these fruit can be quite costly. So, plant your own Dragon Fruit variety collection and enjoy an endless palette of deliciousness!

Date: 15 May 2024

What does a dragon taste like? Does Dragon Fruit come from a monster cactus? Learn why you need to grow your own

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya trees on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya trees on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya red fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya red fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya purple fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya purple fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya Yellow Parlora

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya Yellow Parlora

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya flower

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya flower

🐲 What does a dragon taste like? Does Dragon Fruit come from a monster cactus? Learn why you need to grow your own. 🌵
  • 🔴 You may have tried a Dragon fruit from the store l, but do you know how it grows? On a cactus tree!
  • 🔴 Names: varieties of Hylocereus and Selenicereus - these fruit bearing cactus plants are also called Dragon Fruit or Pitaya.
  • 🔴 Commercially grown fruit sold in a grocery store may be tasteless. You need to grow your own good variety to have tasty, sweet, flavorful fruit!
  • 🔴 Dragon fruit comes in many varieties. Colors of flesh differ: white, pink, dark red and even purple. The outside of the fruit can be red/pink or yellow.
  • 🔴 In commercial groves, Pitayas grow like cactus trees, over a strong support - big "umbrella frames" ☂️
  • 🔴 It is an easy plant, with low water needs, takes both sun and semi-shade.
  • 🔴 Our favorite variety is Yellow Dragon Fruit Palora, (Selenicereus megalanthus). It is the sweetest and has the most flavor of all. We shared some recipes earlier.
  • 🔴 Can be grown in container with a wooden trellis. And the flower is beautiful, too!


📚 Learn more about Dragon Fruit
🍹 Recipe: What to do with a Dragon fruit?

🛒Grow your own Tasty Dragon Fruits

#Food_Forest #Recipes #Nature_Wonders

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 14 Feb 2024

Year of the Dragon: Chinese or Vietnamese?

Green Wooden Baby Dragon

Q: Is Chinese New Year the same as Vietnamese Tat? I want to buy a Vietnamese Micky Mouse plant and I am wondering if this would be also a lucky plant for the Year of the Dragon?

A: Vietnam, as well as other parts of Asia, is celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Dragon, which falls on February 10. Vietnam and neighboring China share 10 of the zodiac calendar's 12 signs: the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The Vietnamese traditional Tet market in Hanoi is covered in hues of red and gold, colors that represent good luck and fortune. One of the most significant plants is the golden-flowered Ochna. But there are several other plants associated with the Lunar New year, as well as Dragon Year.

Green Wooden Dragon has specific favorite plants, including all species of Dragon fruits, Lychee or First Dragon's Eye (Litchi sinensis), Longan or Second Dragon's Eye (Euphoria longana), Creeping Philodendrons, and the Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata).

Learn more:

Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria 
paniculata)

Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata). According to ancient Chinese manuscripts, the Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) is crucial for Dragons, as it is believed to be connected to their existence, guarding and complementing each other. Growing these plants is considered auspicious and is believed to safeguard the Dragon family.

Green Wooden Baby Dragon

The most celebrated flower in Vietnam, Ochna integerrima, called in Vietnam Hoa Mai or Mai Vang, blooms profusely on the occasion of Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.

Date: 7 Apr 2025

Grow Your Own Exotic Dragon Fruit Garden - Part 1

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Sunshine C-Cibus fertilizer for Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

Sunshine C-Cibus fertilizer for Dragon Fruit - Pitaya

🐲 Grow Your Own Exotic Dragon Fruit Garden - Part 1

🐉 WHY GROW YOUR OWN DRAGON FRUIT?

Dragon fruit isn't just a stunning addition to your garden - it's a nutritional powerhouse. Rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, this low-calorie fruit supports digestion, boosts immunity, and promotes overall wellness. While store-bought dragon fruit can be bland, homegrown varieties offer a spectrum of sweet, vibrant flavors you won't find on supermarket shelves.​
  • 🍓 Unparalleled Flavor: Experience the true taste of dragon fruit with homegrown varieties known for their sweetness and rich flavors - far superior to the often bland, commercially grown ones.​
  • 🍓 Stunning Variety: Choose from a range of types featuring white, pink, red, or purple flesh, each with unique flavors and appearances.​
  • 🍓 Easy and Rewarding: Dragon fruit cacti are low-maintenance, thriving in containers or in the ground, with minimal water needs. They're perfect for both novice and experienced gardeners.​


HEALTH BENEFITS:
  • 🍓 Digestive Health: High fiber content aids digestion and promotes gut health.​
  • 🍓 Weight Management: Low in calories yet nutrient-dense, making it an excellent choice for a healthy diet. More health benefits in next post ⤵️


🌵 EASY GROWING TIPS:
  • 🍓 Adaptable: This cactus plant thrives in both sun and partial shade and enjoys humid rainy summers unlike most cacti.​
  • 🍓 Container-Friendly: Ideal for pots with a sturdy trellis, making it suitable for small spaces.​
  • 🍓 Low Maintenance: Drought-tolerant and forgiving, perfect for those who occasionally forget to water.​


‼️ Want more fruit? Enhance growth and fruit production with Sunshine Boosters C-Cibus fertilizer, ensuring a bountiful harvest of this exotic fruit.

Continued in next post ⤵️

🛒 Start your dragon fruit journey today and savor the unmatched flavors of homegrown, exotic fruits!

#Food_Forest #Discover #Dragon_Fruit

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 8 Feb 2024

2/10/2024: Chinese Year of the Dragon

2024 Year of the Dragon

Q: What is the lucky plant for Chinese New Year 2024?

A: 2024 is the year of the Green Wooden Dragon according to the Chinese calendar. It will be celebrated this year on Saturday, February 10.
Dragon symbol is considered the most powerful in Chinese astrology, representing energy, strength, and power.

The lucky plant of the year 2024, the Dragon fruit, steals the show with its striking red skin and juicy white flesh. Plates overflow with succulent slices of dragon fruit, its fiery red skin contrasting beautifully with the snowy white flesh speckled with tiny black seeds, symbolizing prosperity and abundance.

2024 the year of the Green Wooden Dragon with Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit comes in many varieties that differ in flavor, sweetness, and texture.