Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 5 Dec 2024

This is why its called Heaven Lotus Tree - fragrant and edible!

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, tree

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, tree

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower close-up

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, flower close-up

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, fruit

Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus, fruit

💐 This is why it's called Heaven Lotus Tree - fragrant and edible!

  • Gustavia augusta - Heaven Lotus - is a stunning, small tropical tree from Brazil that looks like it stepped right out of a tropical paradise. The spectacular, perfumed flowers resembling Lotus are as beautiful as they are unique.
  • These large, striking blooms with white-and pink petals and a magic sweet fragrance are so eye-catching that the central crown almost looks good enough to eat!
  • Straight, often unbranched trunk, with a single cluster of leaves at the top, gives it a palm-like vibe. As it grows older, it may sprout a few large branches, each with its own leafy crown. The leaves are huge - no other tree around has leaves quite as big, except maybe a palm. They're long, narrow at the base, and broad at the top, making them a real showstopper.
  • The rounded, pear-shaped fruit grow directly on the trunk (a trait called cauliflory, see earlier post) and contains delicious yellowish-orange pulp that can be boiled and resemble meat in taste. The leaves, when boiled into a decoction, are said to cure intoxication.
  • Truly an exciting, one-of-a-kind tree, a gem for collectors! Can be grown in containers.


🛒 Enjoy your own Heaven Lotus Tree

#Container_Garden #Trees #Nature_Wonders #Perfume_Plants

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Date: 22 May 2024

Did you know that you can eat and drink Hibiscus plants?

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica

🌺 Did you know that you can eat and drink Hibiscus plants?



Who doesn't adore hibiscus flowers? But guess what? Some hibiscus species are not only gorgeous but also surprisingly practical. They can jazz up your garden and your dinner plate!

Hibiscus cannabinus - Salad Hibiscus - flowers and leaves used in tasty healthy salads and teas.

Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel, Roselle - flowers and used for famous beverage "Agua de Flor de Jamaica" and Karkade Tea.

Hibiscus acetosella - Cranberry hibiscus - cranberry-colored flowers and leaves are also tasty and healthy in salads and teas.

Grow your edible flower landscape in no time!

📚 Learn more, with recipes: Most useful Hibiscus plants
🎥 YouTube video:

🛒
Shop Edible Hibiscus

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Recipes

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 18 Feb 2025

What cactus vine produces gooseberries

Perescia  aculeata,  Barbados  Gooseberry  fruit

Q: I've heard about a tropical gooseberry suitable for making jams but don't know its exact name. Do you have it? Gooseberry jam is my husband's favorite, but I can't find gooseberries here in Florida - too hot, maybe?

A: Yes, we do have the plant you're looking for! We've just made some delicious jam from this tropical gooseberry, and it tastes just like the northern varieties but even more flavorful! Florida's winter is the perfect season for this wonderful fruit. Right now, our plant is growing quickly and vigorously over our fence, and it's covered with fruit. Just a couple of months earlier it was full of fragrant, beautiful white flowers!

The plant in question is Perescia aculeata, commonly known as Barbados Gooseberry. It's a unique cactus with both edible leaves and fruit, making it a tropical treasure that offers beauty as well as culinary delights.

The fruit is yellow with a juicy, subacid pulp that tastes remarkably similar to traditional gooseberries. You can enjoy the fruits fresh, stewed, or transformed into jams and jellies.

The young leaves are also edible, adding a nutritious boost to your meals.

This fast-growing vining cactus prefers well-drained soil that remains moist during the summer and drier in winter, and it can be effectively grown in containers on a trellis.

Watch a short video of Barbados Gooseberry fruiting.

Perescia  aculeata,  Barbados  Gooseberry  jam

Perescia  aculeata,  Barbados  Gooseberry  flowers

Date: 29 Mar 2025

What are the best varieties of Pineapples?

White Jade Pineapple (Eleuthera)

White Jade Pineapple (Eleuthera)

Florida Special Pineapple

Florida Special Pineapple

Sugarloaf Pineapple

Sugarloaf Pineapple

SUNSHINE Ananas - Pineapple and Bromeliad Booster

SUNSHINE Ananas - Pineapple and Bromeliad Booster

🍍 What are the best varieties of Pineapples?

  • 🍍 All the Pineapples (Ananas comosus) are easy to grow, virtually carefree plants. You you plant a few - you will always have the benefit of fresh delicious fruit on the table.
  • 🍍 Our top 3 pineapple plants - beauty, flavor and backyard bragging rights!



    1. White Jade Pineapple (Eleuthera) - Hawaiian luxury in your yard! Ultra-sweet white flesh, edible core, and spineless leaves for easy handling. Doesn’t ship well - because it's meant to be grown and enjoyed fresh by you!

    2. Florida Special Pineapple - A golden-fleshed classic! Bred for Florida by the Libby fruit company, this variety once covered 240 acres in Immokalee. Sweet, flavorful, and tough - ripens even after chilly nights in the 30s!

    3. Sugarloaf Pineapple - Sweet, Juicy, and Totally Unique! Also known as Kona Sugarloaf , it is a low-acid, super sweet variety originally from West Africa. It's famous for its creamy white flesh, mild flavor, and edible core - yep, even the core is tender and tasty! Grows tall, slim, and heavy, with dark green skin that stays green even when ripe. It can reach an impressive 10 pounds! The plant itself is just as striking, with a large pointed crown and smooth leaves edged with fine serrations.
  • 🍍 Make sure to feed your pineapples what they crave - sunshine and nutrients! Boost their growth with - SUNSHINE Ananas - Pineapple and Bromeliad Booster. This special formula gives your plants the energy they need to thrive and produce tons of sweet, juicy fruit just for you!


📚 Pineapples from previous posts:


How we ate all pineapples from that ugly corner
The most luscious Hospitality Fruit: Pineapple
Three must-have fruit for every tropical garden

🛍 Enjoy the benefits of Pineapples - make your yard useful!

#Food_Forest

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Date: 17 May 2025

Why Hummingbird Tree?

Sesbania grandiflora (Hummingbird Tree)

Why Hummingbird Tree?

  • 🍥 Why is Sesbania grandiflora (Hummingbird Tree) so popular? Because it's as useful as it is beautiful. This small, fast-growing tree stands out with its striking, bird-shaped flowers and incredible versatility:
  • 🍥 Ornamental beauty: The large flowers (ivory-white or red) resemble little birds and bloom in abundance, creating a floral canopy from fall through summer.
  • 🍥 Edible flowers and leaves: Used in curries, salads, and even fried in batter. Tender leaves and green fruits are also eaten in Southeast Asian cuisine.
  • 🍥 Fast-growing, flood-tolerant: Great for reforestation, shade, or as a quick ornamental tree for wet or challenging areas.
  • 🍥 Medicinal: Every part of the plant is used: bark for fiber and medicine, flowers for food, wood for light construction, gum for fishing lines, and even as natural pest control.
  • 🍥 It's a food plant, a medicine cabinet, a garden centerpiece, and a support system for other plants - all in one tree. That's why gardeners, farmers, and chefs all love the Hummingbird Tree.


🛒 Get an edible Hummingbird Tree

📚 Learn more about Sesbanias:


Black flowered Sesbania
Hummingbird trss: you can eat the whole tree!

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Butterfly_Plants #Container_Garden #Fun_Facts

🏵 TopTropicals