What are 5 most useful edibles for tropical garden?

• 📍 1. Hibiscus sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel - Flowers are used to make a tea "Agua de Flor de Jamaica". Medical studies show that it lowers blood pressure and has diuretic effects. The pleasant flavor is on the tart side similar to a cranberry juice. We make this cold tea every day - perfect for hot summer. Full sun ☀️
• 📍 2. Gynura procubens - Longevity Spinach, Cholesterol spinach - one of the Superfoods, and there are many claims that it lowers cholesterol. We use it in our cooking all the time and so far we are all alive! Full sun☀️
• 📍 3. Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus. Delicious young shoots, one of the most popular leaf vegetables in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, people cook it in stews and soups. It is among only a few flora containing vitamin K. Full sun or semi-shade☀️🌓
• 📍 4. Cymbopogon citratus - Lemon grass: Versatile performer in the kitchen where it can be used in teas, beverages, herbal medicines, Eastern inspired soups and other dishes. Full sun or semi-shade☀️🌓
• 📍 5. Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf: Mexican herb with incredibly sweet leaves that can be eaten from the plant like candy or tossed into fruit salads for an unusual addition. It has been used since the time of the Aztecs for coughs and colds. Tastes great, can be used by diabetic patients. We add this herb to Karkade or Mint tea as a sweetener. Shade or semi-shade ☁️ 🌓

Lean more:

📚 Katuk
Longevity spinach post
Longevity Spinach Recipes
Aztec Sweet Herb

🎥 Karkade Tea
Longevity Spinach

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🍊 The truth about Papaya:
1) it is grass, and
2) it can go transgender!
The secret facts of Papaya's private life.

• 📌 Did you know that Papaya technically is not a tree? It is a large herbaceous plant, usually with a single, straight trunk that can reach 30 feet!
• 📌 Many dwarf varieties available in selection, reaching only 6-8 ft tall, but producing large crops of full size fruit - they are easy to harvest.
• 📌 Papaya trees have very complex gender mechanism, but the bottom line is - the tree can chance its sex based on conditions! Many varieties are self-fertile, but it always recommended to plant a few trees for cross-pollination and better yield.
• 📌 The sweetest Papaya is from so called "Solo" cultivars: the fruit is usually round or oval, on a smaller side, but super sweet.
• 📌 Fruit from Solo cultivars are not susceptible to fruit flies.
• 📌 Being officially a tropical plant, Papaya is pretty cold resistant and can withstand light freeze without significant damage.
• 📌 Surprisingly, Papayas are also hurricane-resistant plants and can take strong winds without damage. They still stand when other trees are down!
• 📌 Papaya is one of the Super-Foods thanks to papain - a natural enzyme containing in this fruit. Papaya fruit offers the best digestive aid! Eat some papaya after each meal to maintain healthy digestion.
• 📌 Try papaya leaf wraps for cooking meats - you won't need a meat tenderizer!
• 📌 Easy to grow trees, Papayas don't take any space in the garden, but bring so much goodness into your life!

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How to grow Noni tree for fruit?

💊 The medicinal Noni tree (see our earlier post) is one of the most suitable fruit trees for potting culture. A 1-3 gallon size plant will flower and fruit for you within a year.

Noni's special features:

• ✅ flowers and fruits at young age, nearly year around.
• ✅ tolerates shade and grows large ornamental leaves in filtered light.
• ✅ suitable for indoor culture
- easy in cultivation, drought and water tolerant, not susceptible to insects.
• ✅ medicinal properties are endless and cannot be under-appreciated.
• ✅ This plant can be grown in any climate indoors, and will produce fruit for you under minimal care. Just provide warm frost-free conditions, as this tropical tree is very cold sensitive.

📚 Learn more: Morinda citrifolia - Noni. Life Sustaining Plant

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🥭 Top 10 Dwarf "Condo" Mango - great for container culture.

• 🟠 1. Cogshall - an ultra compact grower up to just eight feet tall, will still produce a good size crop. Very colorful and has a mild, sweet flavor. Fungus resistant.
• 🟠 2. Ice Cream - far and away the most popular of the "condo mangoes." Flavored like the name. Maintained at a height of just six feet (!) making it ideal for container growing.
• 🟠 3. Julie - the most popular variety in Jamaica and many other Caribbean islands because of its rich, sweet, coconut/pineapple-like flavor. Great for containers, but keep in mind it's very cold sensitive, don't plant it in the ground if you get freeze in winter.
• 🟠 4. Okrung - Thai compact cultivar, served in Thailand in combination with sticky rice. One of the most popular varieties in Thailand. The fruit is very sweet, with the highest sugar content.
• 🟠 5. Pickering - great for pot culture. It has a bushy, compact growth habit, maintained in a container at just six feet (!). The fruit has a firm flesh with a fantastic coconut/mango flavor.
• 🟠 6. Nam Doc Mai - The most popular variety for pot culture. Everyone loves it. Eaten green or ripe, a Thailand favorite.
• 🟠 7. Mallika - condo mango native to India. Among the best of the new generation of Indian dessert mangos. Intensely sweet, rich and highly aromatic flavor with hints of citrus and melon.
• 🟠 8. Carrie - the flavor is by far the most outstanding. It has absolutely no fiber and extremely rich in flavor, sweet, aromatic and a pure pleasure to eat. You will savor every mouthful! Its compact size makes it an excellent dooryard tree.
• 🟠 9. Diamond - It has a great taste very similar to Nam Doc Mai. Very compact, of a dwarf habit, great condo mango.
• 🟠 10. Keitt - the best all-around late mango. Very productive, good-flavored, and disease resistant. Has a very long and late season. The compact tree is semi dwarf that bears 4-5 pound goliath fruit!

📝 See also earlier post: 5 most Favorite Mango Varieties

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🍹 Craving a Mojito? Beat the Summer heat with Mojito Elephant Ears!

Colocasia sculenta Mojito, a spectacular variety of Elephant Ears, is a must for a rare plant collection:

• 🐘 Striking variegation: bold, mottled leaves in shades of green and dark purple, reminiscent of a refreshing mojito!
• 🐘 Large, impressive leaves: massive, heart-shaped leaves that create a dramatic and tropical look.
• 🐘Versatile: thrives in both sun and partial shade, making it adaptable to various garden locations.
• 🐘 Water-loving: ideal for bog gardens, ponds, or as a stunning addition to water features.
• 🐘 Container friendly: perfect for pots and containers, allowing you to bring its tropical charm to patios and balconies.
• 🐘 Fast growing: quickly establishes, providing lush foliage and rapid visual impact.
• 🐘 Low maintenance: minimal care once planted, making it a great choice for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
• 🐘 Heat and cold tolerant: performs well in warm climates. During cool winters, leaves may die back and regrow in Spring.
• 🐘 Edible tubers: produces edible corms (roots) that are a staple in many cuisines, adding a functional aspect to its beauty.
• 🐘 Unique garden accent: an eye-catching focal point or accent plant.

🛒 Get some Mojito for your garden

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