Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 13 May 2022

New Video:
Golden Sugar Apple - Pineapple Annona

In this video we talk about a rare hybrid of Annona - Golden Sugar Apple. This rare Annona is a species originally brought to us from Costa Rica. We believe it to be a natural hybrid between A. muricata and A. glabra...
Fast growing, it forms a nice bushy specimen. It has a large, up to 1 lb fruit, green when unripe, turning dark yellow to orange on ripening. The pulp is golden to orange when ripe, with a strong Pineapple scent, and resembling Jackfruit in texture. Flavor is like the custard apple but with pineapple, papaya, apricot and melon overtones. Note that some people dislike the taste, others find it good... The tree tolerates flooding. It is also cold hardy! The plant would be very interesting for rare fruit collectors as it offers a large, exotic fruit of unusual color and taste, and appears to be much more hardy and water tolerant than similar looking but sensitive A. muricata, A. montana and Rollinia.

Annona  -  Golden  Sugar  Apple  youtube  video

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Date: 7 Oct 2018

Featured Plant. Jasminum sambac Belle of India



Lovely Jasmine Belle of India makes you feel pretty and loved!

This one is the most wanted variety with elongated petals that are sweetly scented. Compact and slow growing shrub, it makes a great houseplant and flowers freely throughout the year. The most profuse flowering is from Spring to Summer.
Called pikake in Hawaii, Jasmine sambac is the plant used to flavor the jasmine tea and making perfumes. Perfect houseplant takes both sun or shade, it is a beautiful fragrant everbloomer for your home and garden.
Belle of India is a slow grower, with pale green pointed leaves and double flowers with elongated narrow petals. Prefers filtered light for a better look of the leaves, but will tolerate full sun. In fact the more sun the more flowers you get.

Secrets of successful culture:

1) use only well-drained potting soil
2) keep the plant a little bit on a dry side so roots don't get too wet. Water again when the soil gets slightly dry.
3) Use micro-element mix - SUNSHINE Superfood works the best. It will keep leaves nice and green and induce more profuse flowering.

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Check out this plant...

Date: 12 Oct 2025

Sweetleaf tea: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Sweetleaf tea with Mexican Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis)

Sweetleaf tea with Mexican Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis)

🍴 Sweetleaf tea: quick-n-fun exotic recipes



🟢Delicious Sweetleaf tea can be made with Mexican Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis).
🟢Steep Aztec sweet herb leaves in hot water with lime peel.
🟢Naturally sweet, no sugar needed!

Sweetleaf tea: quick-n-fun

Ingredients

  • Fresh or dried Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis) leaves
  • Hot water
  • Lime peel or a slice of lime

Instructions

  1. Bring water to a boil and pour over Lippia dulcis leaves.
  2. Add lime peel or a slice of lime.
  3. Let steep for 5–10 minutes.
  4. Enjoy this naturally sweet tea—no sugar needed!


🛒 Add sugar-free Mexican Sweetleaf (Lippia dulcis) to your herb garden

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Date: 22 Oct 2025

Chaya stir-fry: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius - Maya Spinach Tree, Chaya

Cnidoscolus aconitifolius - Maya Spinach Tree, Chaya

Chaya stir-fry

Chaya stir-fry

🍴 Chaya stir-fry: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

🟢Boil chaya leaves first (to remove toxins), then stir-fry with onions and eggs.
🟢Nutritious and earthy with a spinach-like taste.

Chaya Stir-Fry (Maya Spinach)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Chaya leaves, boiled first to remove toxins
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil or butter
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil Chaya leaves for 15-20 minutes before eating. This is essential to destroy natural toxins. Never eat raw Chaya leaves.
  2. Drain and chop the boiled leaves.
  3. Heat oil in a pan and saut onions until soft.
  4. Add the boiled Chaya leaves and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Push leaves to one side, pour in the eggs, and scramble.
  6. Mix everything together and season with salt. Serve warm.


🛒 Add nutritious Chaya to your garden and kitchen

📚 Learn more:


Variegated Chaya - beauty meets nutrition
Chaya's health benefits: a must-have tropical leafy vegetable for sustainable gardening

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Date: 24 Jun 2024

How to grow your own Carambola

How to grow your own Carambola How to grow your own Carambola
⭐️ How to grow your own Carambola

Star Fruit
- Carambola Tree (Averrhoa carambola). Growing this tree is a fun and rewarding way to enjoy this unique and delicious fruit right at home.
  • 🌟 Star power: slice it, and you get perfect star-shaped pieces for impressing guests or adding some sparkle to your fruit salad. Bright yellow and shiny, the fruit adds a pop of color to any dish. Great in salads, smoothies, desserts, or even as a garnish. Endless possibilities!
  • 🌟 Nature's candy and low-calorie treat: a delightful mix of sweet and tangy flavors packed with juicy goodness, a refreshing way to stay hydrated. Guilt-free snacking with hardly any calories. Snack away!
  • 🌟 Health benefits: Star fruit is loaded with Vitamin C. Good source of dietary fiber, keeps things moving smoothly. Packed with antioxidants to help fight off those pesky free radicals.
  • 🌟 Cultivation of the tree is easy:


▪️ Loves full sun. Plant it in a sunny spot for the best fruit.
▪️Keep warm and protect from winds. Thrives in warm, tropical climates, but can take some light frost winters as long as protected from winds, wind-free is the key!
▪️Prefers well-drained soil. Keep it happy with good drainage.
▪️Regular watering but doesn't like soggy feet.
▪️Space saver: compact tree that doesn't take up much space. Perfect for smaller gardens. Dwarf varieties available, good for containers.
▪️Fast grower: grows quickly. You'll be harvesting star fruit in no time!
▪️Pretty blooms: produces lovely pink flowers. Adds beauty to your garden even before the fruit comes.
▪️Home harvest: enjoy fresh, home-grown star fruit. Pick them right off the tree!
▪️Fast-fruiting: seedlings start fruiting within 3 years from seed. Grafted or air-layered trees fruit right away.

📚 Learn more: Carambola tree is the Star of the orchard

🛒 Shop Start Fruit varieties

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🏵 TopTropicals