Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 7 Jun 2024

The biggest flower in the world - Amorphophallus

Amorphophallus bulbifer

🗿 The biggest flower in the world - Amorphophallus. The name speaks for itself.



After meeting Sausage Tree and Clitoria, are you ready for the Amorphophallus? Now you have seen everything!

💀 Common names of this exceptional plant: Voodoo lily, Devils tongue, Snake Palm, Elephant Foot Yam, Corpse flower.

💀 Why Corpse flower? Because of the smell that the flower omits, which is only present for a few hours after the flower opens - to attract pollinator flies!

💀 Amorphophallus is the largest flower in the world and one of the most exotic bizarre flowers. Amorphophallus titanum is known for its massive size, its flower can reach heights of over 10 feet and blooms only once every few years.

💀 This perennial exotic Asian plant grows a single, elongated center called a corm (that is actually edible) and a single large leaf that wraps around it.

💀 The seed stalk is very pretty with the seeds changing colors from green to red. During this time the tuber will not produce a leaf. After the flower and seed stalk dies away, a giant single leaf grows from the tuber.

💀 The single leaf dormant in winter, then in spring the plant shoots out this fantastic flower again.

💀 It is relatively cold hardy tropical and can survive cooler winters during dormancy.

💀 Can be easily grown in a pot as a houseplant.

🎥 Amorphophallus bulbifer and other specials in next post.

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Date: 16 Aug 2024

How big is Giant Granadilla fruit and does it come from a Passion Vine?

Passiflora quadrangularis - Giant Granadilla Fruit

🍆 How big is Giant Granadilla fruit and does it come from a Passion Vine?



Passiflora quadrangularis - Giant Granadilla Fruit is one of the species of a Passion Vine. Known for its impressive fruits and exotic flowers, it offers numerous benefits to gardeners.

☸️ Edible Fruit is impressive in size: 6-12 inches in length; it can weigh between 2 to 4 pounds! Though some may grow even larger under optimal conditions.👀
Granadilla fruits that are not only delicious but also rich in vitamins and nutrients.

☸️ Showy Flowers: Produces large, fragrant flowers with intricate designs

☸️ Attracts Pollinators: The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, promoting a healthy garden ecosystem.

☸️ Vigorous Grower: This vine grows rapidly and can cover trellises, fences, and pergolas, providing lush greenery and shade within just one season.

☸️ The fruits can be eaten fresh, juiced, or used in desserts and culinary dishes

☸️ Medicinal Properties: Traditionally used in some cultures for its potential health benefits, including digestive aid and anti-inflammatory properties.

☸️ Heat Tolerant: Thrives in warm climates and is relatively drought-tolerant once established.

📚 Learn more about Passion fruit and vine from previous posts:


· The truth about Passion flower and Passion fruit
· The Passion Fruit – Juicy Maracuya

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#Food_Forest #Hedges_with_benefits

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Date: 21 Aug 2024

What hibiscus has the most health benefits

Hibiscus sabdariffa (Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel, Roselle)

🌺 What hibiscus has the most health benefits



Hibiscus sabdariffa (Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel, Roselle) flowers have deep red calyces that are used worldwide to make a refreshing teas "Agua de Flor de Jamaica" and Karkade Tea, known for its tart flavor and health benefits. This is one of the most fast growing plants, bringing from seed to big bush a big flower crop within just one season.

📚 Learn more:
· 5 most useful edibles for tropical garden
· How to eat and drink Hibiscus plants
· Most useful Hibiscus plants

🎥 YouTube video:

🛒
Shop Edible Hibiscus

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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Date: 11 Sep 2024

What plant you need if your kid is afraid of chickens

Neea psychotrioides - Pigeon Plum, Hoja de Salat, Saltwood

🐓 What plant you need if your kid is afraid of chickens



🐣 Neea psychotrioides - Pigeon Plum, Hoja de Salat, Saltwood - from Central America is rare in cultivation. This small tree or bush should get more attention from tropical plant collectors.

🐣 Neea is very nice, easy growing and make those "jelly beans" like berries. The flowers are almost unnoticeable. The berries are very showy and come right after. It fruits for several months non stop.

🐣 Mature fruit is edible. In its native countries, this plant is widely used medicinally.

🐣 From the book "Messages from the Gods. A Guide to the useful plants of Belize": "It is used to treat babies who can not sleep, often accompanied with crying, especially when they have been frightened by chickens..." So the plant is very useful especially for those who are afraid of chickens!

🛒 Order Neea Pigeon Plum

#Hedges_with_benefits #Remedies

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Date: 15 Sep 2024

How to add flowering vines to the landscape

Urechites lutea (Pentalinon luteum) - Yellow Mandevilla

🔍 How to add flowering vines to the landscape



🍀 Vines, by their nature, are almost always climbers. There are also some that make good hanging flower vines for your baskets hanging under trees or on the front porch.

🍀 Some vines are also in the fruit category. The Passiflora is a beautiful perennial climbing vine that has very showy flowers and then a fruit that can be eaten off the vine or made into a wonderful juice. It would make a nice fast growing vine for a fence or trellis. The Barbados Gooseberry also falls into this category.

🍀 One of the most popular fast growing flowering vines is the trumpet vine - Allamanda. It is an evergreen vine and will take some cold without damage, although it is still considered a tropical flowering vine. It can be grown as a large shrub or small tree and makes a beautiful focal point in the landscape.

🍀 If you have some large trees in your yard, a great climbing vine for shade that also produces a usable product is the Pepper family. Yes, they flower and yes some of them produce pepper that you can use in your kitchen. If you like to know what is in your food, grow your own!

🍀 Another perennial, fast growing and evergreen climbing vine is the Monstera. Monsteras will climb the side of a large tree and can produce an edible fruit after a few years. It is very tropical looking, but will take some cool nights as it is protected under the canopy of the tree.

🎥 Urechites lutea (Pentalinon luteum) - Yellow Mandevilla

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#Hedges_with_benefits #How_to

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