For the Love of Plants:
We are still standing!

(ok, maybe leaning over a bit for support)

We've been here before, storms are not new to us, and each time, as we survey the damage, start the clean-up process, and prepare to move forward, we are asked the same question by our friends and neighbors, "You must really love what you do to deal with the drought, floods, freezes and storms and pick yourself up and do it all over again?!"

Well, the answer is yes; yes we do love this way of life. Bringing the beauty and vitality of tropical plants to thousands of customers, many of which have been with us since the beginning 20 years ago, is our purpose. It is a labor of love and our reward is seeing so many people discover their joy in and with our plants!

So we will put it all back together, we will continue to do what we love and we hope to continue to have your support along the way.

Next Saturday, October 8 is our October Fall Festival. We have spent weeks planning this special event and the show will go on! For you, that means continued specials all week, a chance to attend in person or participate virtually in our event on Saturday, and the ability to help us as we get set to do it all over again!

Please watch for our newsletters as we approach our October Fall Festival!

Ceiba pentandra, Kapok Tree:
Maya's Sacred Tree at the Center of the Earth

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Everybody who sees this tree for the first time, always says "What's THAT???" And everybody wants to have one! Kapok Tree is a large, magestic, gorgeous shade tree that just requires a little bit of space in your garden! It is definitely a conversation piece and is a must for every botanical garden or a large private tropical tree collection. Kapok is a fast growing tree, however, it may take many years to reach its mature size. It is worth the wait though!..

The fruit of Heaven:
Phyllanthus acidus - Amlak, Otaheite Gooseberry

Grow Your Own Food

This is a fun rare fruit tree to have if you like lemonade and believe in Vitamin C benefits! The tree is super easy to grow, relatively cold hardy and doesn't require any special care. It is a fast growing plant, however the mature tree is only about 20 ft so it will be well suited for any size garden, even container garden. As you can see, it happily fruits in a pot. Bright yellow fruit are beautiful and curious, they always make a conversation piece!

About Otaheite Gooseberry

Otaheite Gooseberry, or Amlak, is a rare tropical fruit tree from SE Asia and India, very close related to Phyllanthus emblica (Amla, Amlaki), however it is much cold hardy than Amla. Known as Amritphala in Sanskrit, which literally means "the fruit of heaven" or "nectar fruit". It is so called because it has many helth benefits. Amlak is one of the favorite fruit of Indian people who definitely know what is good for you! Fruit paste is a major ingredient of Chavyanprash, a popular Ayurvedic tonic. It is the richest source of vitamin C.
Fruits are borne in loose clusters, which hang from the tree trunk and main branches. Fruits are esteemed for jellies, preserves and pastries, and are great for making a delicious lemonade rich in vitamin C. There are no commercial plantings; trees grow only in home gardens.

You need to have one! Or two. We have only limited quantities.

Napoleana - Napoleon's Hat

Endangered species from the outgone era of the Napoleon's War

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Napoleana was described in 1804, the same year its namesake (Napoleone di Buonaparte) crowned himself Emperor of the French. Today the tree is almost extinct. Esteemed for the exquisite, vividly colored, exotic hat-shaped flowers, Napoleana is a must of a rare tropical tree collection. Napoleana seeds constitute a false kola, which has a taste closely resembling that of true kola. The flowers are fragrant and smell like Butterscotch...
CONTINUE READING >>

New video: the sweetest Night Blooming Jasmine

Night blooming jasmine is a tropical garden favorite: the sweetest fragrance at night is intoxicating! It is one of the most famous and desirable fragrant plants. Flowers are pale yellow to white, open at night and stay extremely fragrant until sunrise. Aroma is sweet, pleasant and intoxicating. These flowers are widely used in India and other countries of South Asia for perfumery, medicinal applications and in religious ceremonies. Best location will be near driveway, window or entrance, where the magic fragrance can be appreciated.

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