Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
How to French Kiss the Red Button Ginger
Costus spicatus x woodsonii - Red Button Ginger, French Kiss
Costus spicatus x woodsonii - Red Button Ginger, French Kiss
💋 Costus spicatus x woodsonii (Red Button Ginger, French Kiss): this ginger's inflorescence resembles a cluster of bright red buttons, making it a standout in tropical gardens.
🛒 Order French Kiss
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What Tree Calliandra brings into your garden?
🎉 Calliandra houstoniana - Tree Calliandra - is the only tree form of Powderpuff. It quickly grows into a bushy beautiful tree in just one season, and fluffy pink flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies year around
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What vine to plant over a big fence
Chonemorpha fragrans - Frangipani vine
- 🔹 Chonemorpha fragrans, or Frangipani vine, that we mentioned before, is a large woody tropical liana with clusters of large, perfume-fragrant flowers and lush green foliage. It is close related to perfumed Plumeria - Frangipani.
- 🔹 The fragrance is very fresh and pleasant, similar to Plumeria, fills the air around.
- 🔹 Leaves reaching up to 12 (!) inches - very tropical, majestic look!
- 🔹 Requires sturdy support - it can grow pretty big and heavy!
- 🔹 Takes both sun or shade. Full sun and regular fertilizer is essential for profuse blooming.
🛒 Buy Frangipani Vine
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What is lipstick made of?
Bixa orellana - Lipstick Tree, Annatto, Achiote
Bixa orellana - Lipstick Tree, Annatto, Achiote
Bixa orellana - Lipstick Tree, Annatto, Achiote
Bixa orellana - Lipstick Tree, Annatto, Achiote
Bixa orellana - Lipstick Tree, Annatto, Achiote
- 💄Bixa orellana - Lipstick Tree, Annatto or Achiote - is a bushy shrub or a small tree South America with large, impressive leaves, charming pink flowers and amazing... seeds! It is used in various industries, including cosmetics and culinary arts.
- 💄Natural Pigment: The seeds of the Bixa plant contain a natural pigment called annatto, which ranges in color from yellow to deep orange-red.
- 💄Cosmetic Use: Annatto is commonly used in cosmetics, including lipstick, due to its vibrant coloration. It adds shades of red and orange to cosmetic products. Extract derived from the Bixa seeds is mixed with other ingredients to achieve desired shades. It provides a natural alternative to synthetic dyes.
- 💄Famous spice Annatto is widely used as a spice in cooking, particularly in Latin American, Caribbean, and Filipino cuisines.
- 💄Flavor and color: It imparts a mild, slightly peppery flavor and is prized for its ability to add a rich, yellow-orange color to dishes such as rice, stews, and sauces.
- 💄Health benefits: Beyond its culinary use, annatto seeds have medicinal properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
- 💄Flower arrangements: The dried seed pods add a unique touch to flower arrangements, enhancing their visual appeal.
- 💄Hedge or screen: Ideal for use as a hedge or screen, Bixa requires frequent pruning to encourage bushy growth at the base.
🛒 Grow your own Annatto
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Why is it called Passion flower and Passion fruit?
- Passion vines, passion flowers, and passion fruits - these are all Passiflora - fascinating plants with a rich history. These vines come from tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.
- Medicinal: Various parts of the passion vine have been used in traditional medicine to treat ailments such as anxiety, insomnia, and hypertension.
- Host for Butterflies: Passion vines serve as host plants for several butterfly species.
- Passion of Christ: the passion flower's complex structure with five sepals, five petals often used to symbolize the Passion of Christ in Christian tradition. Spanish Christian missionaries in South America saw the flower's structure as a representation of Christ's crucifixion, which led to the name Passion Flower.
- Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) - Maracuya - is highly nutritious, rich in vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Delicious pulp: the fruit is popular in many cuisines around the world, used in beverages, desserts.
- Two main types of passion fruit: the purple sweeter variety (Passiflora edulis) and the yellow variety larger and more acidic (Passiflora x flavicarpa).
- Fast growing vine in no time: known for their rapid growth, Passifloras need strong support as they can quickly cover large areas.
📚 Learn more: The Passion Fruit – Juicy Maracuya
🛒 Shop Passiflora plants
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