Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 16 May 2026

Jaboticaba skillet jam

Jaboticaba skillet jam

Jaboticaba skillet jam

Myrciaria cauliflora - Jaboticaba

Myrciaria cauliflora - Jaboticaba

🍴 Jaboticaba skillet jam: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

🔵Add whole jaboticabas and a spoonful of sugar to a skillet over medium heat.
🔵Cook until the skins burst and the fruit releases its deep purple juice.
🔵Stir gently as the mixture thickens into a glossy jam.
🔵Spread warm over toast, biscuits, or even pancakes while still slightly syrupy.

🌿 About the plant:


Jaboticaba, Plinia cauliflora, is famous for its cauliflorous habit - fruit forming directly on the trunk and older branches. During heavy fruiting, the bark can look almost studded with dark purple beads.

🏡 In the garden:


It prefers slightly acidic soil and steady moisture. Mulching helps maintain humidity around the roots. Though slow growing, it can fruit while still relatively small.

🛒 Plant Jaboticaba tree - while we have large size plants

📚 Learn more:


Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) in Plant Encyclopedia

Jaboticaba Plant Facts

Botanical name: Myrciaria cauliflora, Plinia cauliflora, Eugenia cauliflora
Also known as: Jaboticaba, Duhat
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Plant used for bonsaiSmall tree 10-20 ftFull sunKeep soil moistEdible plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short timeFlood tolerant plant
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#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Date: 26 May 2026

Tamarind mango chutney:

Tamarind mango chutney

Tamarind mango chutney

Tamarind

Tamarind

🍴 Tamarind mango chutney: quick-n-fun exotic recipes



🟡Simmer chopped mango with tamarind and sugar until thick.
🟡Add chili flakes and cook 5 more minutes.
🟡Sweet, spicy, and deeply tropical.

🌿 About the plant:


Tamarind pairs beautifully with tropical fruits. Its sour edge balances sweetness, especially mango, pineapple, or dates.

🏡 In the garden:


Tamarindus indica young trees need protection from frost. Mature trees tolerate dry seasons well and can live for decades, becoming a true landscape anchor.

🛒 Add Tamarind and Mango to your food forest

📚 Learn more:

Tamarind Plant Facts

Botanical name: Tamarindus indica
Also known as: Tamarind, Sampalok
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Large tree taller than 20 ftFull sunWatering: Moderate. Water when top soil feels dryEdible plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short timeFlood tolerant plantSeaside, salt tolerant plant
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Tamarindus indica in Plant Encyclopedia

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Date: 22 Jun 2026

Carambola Starfruit FAQ: how dwarf is a seedling?

Carambola Starfruit FAQ: how dwarf is a seedling?

🌟 Carambola Starfruit FAQ: how dwarf is a seedling?



I recently ordered a dwarf Hawaiian star fruit seedling from your glorious stock of tropical trees, however upon doing further research it seems like grafted trees guarantee fruit results while seedlings may vary from what the parent plant was. I was planning on putting it in a planter since it’s a dwarf but I’m worried about the quality of fruit since it’s a seedling. Could you elaborate on that a bit?

✅ You are correct that grafted trees provide the greatest certainty because they are clones of a known variety. Seedling trees can show some variation from their parents.

In this case, however, your seedling is not from an unknown or mixed genetic background. The seeds were collected from a true Dwarf Hawaiian cultivar that was growing among other selected dwarf carambola cultivars, primarily Dwarf Hawaiian and a few Fwang Tong trees. Because both the seed parent and the surrounding pollen parents were dwarf, we expect the offspring to retain many of the desirable dwarf characteristics.

While we cannot guarantee that every seedling will be identical to the parent tree, the chances of obtaining a compact, productive tree with good fruit quality are quite favorable. In fact, seedlings sometimes combine the best qualities of both parents and may even produce fruit that is equal to or better than either parent.
The main difference between a grafted tree and a seedling is predictability. A grafted tree gives you a known result. A seedling introduces some genetic variation, but in this case the variation comes from a pool of carefully selected dwarf varieties rather than from unknown parents.

For container growing, we would still expect your tree to be well suited to pot culture, especially with periodic pruning to maintain size and shape. Many growers actually enjoy growing seedlings because there is always the possibility of discovering an exceptional individual. Carambola is a quick fruit tree: 3-4 years from seed to fruit.

We believe your Dwarf Hawaiian seedling has excellent potential and should make a rewarding container-grown fruit tree.

🛒 Plant Star Fruit Carambola Tree

📚 Learn more:

Carambola Plant Facts

Botanical name: Averrhoa carambola
Also known as: Carambola, Starfruit, Five-finger, Balimbing
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Small tree 10-20 ftSemi-shadeFull sunWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyEdible plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
Get personalized tips for your region

Averrhoa carambola in Plant Encyclopedia
Star fruit chili relish: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
Grilled star fruit slices: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
How to gets lots of Star Fruit Carambola
Star Fruit from our garden
Grow your own Carambola
Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #8. Carambola - Starfruit
Carambola Banana Whip
Carambola Jam recipe
When young Carambola trees are covered with fruit
Carambola tree is the Star of the orchard

#Food_Forest #Discover #How_to

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Date: 25 Jun 2021

Kristi's Loquat Tropical BBQ sauce

Loquat trees are famous for their abundant fruit production. Many customers who purchased this tree from us, soon end up with some serious crops and start asking if we have any special recipes for loquat fruit - because you can only eat so much out of hand! Here is our manager Kristi's favorite Loquat recipe - not only delicious and tropically-aromatic, but also good for you. Happy Tropical Meal!

Ingredients

2 lbs loquat fruit
1 cup soft brown sugar
3 cups malt vinegar
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cloves whole or 1/2 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

Wash the fruit, cut them in half and remove stones. The loquats will lose about a third of their weight once stoned (3 lbs of whole fruit = 2 lbs of fruit, stones removed). Add loquats and all remaining ingredients to a large saucepan. Bring to a low boil, then simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The liquid will have reduced quite a bit and the fruit will be collapsed and very soft. Allow to cool slightly, then liquidize the sauce in a blender or a food processor. Be careful, hot sauce really burns!
This delicious tropical sauce is great for any BBQ - with meats or fish. Enjoy!

Date: 27 Apr 2024

Top Tropicals is now in Telegram!

Top Tropicals is now in Telegram!
🌴 Top Tropicals is now in Telegram!

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