Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 11 Nov 2024

Why is it called Chinese Hat Flower? Winter bloomer is here!

Holmskioldia sanguinea, or Chinese Hat Flower

💍 Why is it called Chinese Hat Flower? Winter bloomer is here!

  • 👒 The Holmskioldia sanguinea, or Chinese Hat Flower, gets its charming nickname from the shape of its blooms. Each flower resembles a tiny, colorful hat or parasol, with a narrow tubular structure backed by a broad, circular calyx, giving it a "hat-like" appearance!
  • 👒 This unique form has also inspired other playful names like Cup and Saucer, Parasol Flower, and Mandarin's Hat.
  • 👒 One of the most amazing features of the Chinese Hat Flower is that it's a vibrant winter bloomer. Just when many plants are dormant, it bursts into color, brightening up gardens with its eye-catching hues.
  • 👒 The classic variety produces red blooms, but there are also rare types, including Holmskioldia citrina, which has bright yellow flowers, and a bronze variety with orange-bronze blooms. These vibrant colors make it a fantastic choice for adding a splash of color to any garden during the cooler months.
  • 👒 This scrambling shrub is not only beautiful but also hardy and fast-growing, perfect for training along trellises, fences, or arbors, where its cascading blooms can shine.
  • 👒 Besides being visually striking, the Chinese Hat Flower is a magnet for pollinators, drawing in butterflies and hummingbirds.
  • 👒 For gardeners seeking a low-maintenance, colorful plant with a tropical vibe, the Chinese Hat Flower is an ideal choice!


📸 More photos of varieties in the next post ⬇️⬇️⬇️

🛒 Shop Chinese Hat Plants

#Butterfly_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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Date: 9 Nov 2024

What is the most unusual Plumeria?

Plumeria pudica variegata - Snow Bridal Bouquet, White Arrow Leaf

Plumeria pudica variegata - Snow Bridal Bouquet, White Arrow Leaf

👽 What is the most unusual Plumeria?

  • 🍀 We have in our collection very interesting variety of Plumeria pudica from Thailand. It has variegated leaves!
  • 🍀 Plumeria pudica variegata - Snow Bridal Bouquet, or White Arrow Leaf - has variegated leaf margins.
  • 🍀 Like regular Plumeria pudica, it is evergreen, never drops leaves, and grows into a beautiful, dense multi-stem bush. Great for container culture.


🛒 Order Plumeria pudica variegata - limited quantities

#Container_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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Date: 14 Nov 2024

Indoor Garden hooligans looking for trouble

👣 Indoor Garden hooligans looking for trouble



"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness." - John Muir

Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

🔠 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden 

#Quotes

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Date: 23 Nov 2024

Monkey Orange or Monkey Ear?

Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa)

Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa)

Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa)

Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa)

🐵 Monkey Orange or Monkey Ear? 🙉
  • 🍊 Besides bizarre Monkey Ear Tree that we mentioned earlier, there is another interesting Monkey Tree -
  • 🍊 The Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa) is a captivating fruit tree from tropical Africa and Madagascar, known for its vibrant yellow fruits and wide range of uses.
  • 🍊This small to medium-sized tree, has glossy leaves and thorny branches that make it visually striking.
  • 🍊 What does the Monkey Orange taste like?


    The fruits, size of an orange, have a hard shell that protects their sweet-tart pulp with interesting pleasant taste somewhat similar to mangosteen. Some people say it tastes like a mix of citrus and pineapple with a hint of fermentation.
  • 🍊Rich in vitamin C and B vitamins, the fruit can be enjoyed fresh or transformed into jams, juices, and even wine.
  • 🍊Its durable wood is prized for carvings, and its leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine and as natural insecticides.
  • 🍊Slow-growing yet resilient, this hardy tree thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, offering beauty, nourishment, and practicality - an excellent choice for tropical or subtropical landscapes.


🐒 Why is it called Monkey Orange?


The "monkey orange" likely gets its name from its appeal to monkeys that eat the fruit and distribute the seeds in their habitat in Africa.

🛒 Plant Monkey Orange

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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Date: 28 Nov 2024

How soon will Persimmon tree fruit?

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

🍑 How soon will Persimmon tree fruit?

  • 🍑 Persimmons (Diospyros sp.) are fast-fruiting trees, perfect for gardeners seeking quick results.
  • 🍑 Grafted varieties begin producing fruit immediately, even on young, container-grown trees as small as 2-3 feet tall, often flowering in their first year.
  • 🍑 When planted in the ground, persimmons grow into compact, space-efficient trees that reliably produce a bountiful harvest every year.


📚 Learn more from previous post:


Native American Persimmon
Persimmons: best varieties for container culture
How to grow Persimmon tree

🛒 Shop Persimmon Trees

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden

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