Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

What tropical fruit is better than a watermelon?

Syzygium samarangense, Java Apple, Macopa

🍉 What tropical fruit is better than a watermelon? Wax Jamboo!

🍐 Syzygium samarangense, commonly known as Wax Jamboo, Java Apple, or Macopa, is an attractive tree native to tropical regions, with striking, glossy leaves and beautiful, fragrant flowers.
🍐 It produces pear-shaped fruits with smooth, waxy skin in varying colors, including white, green, pink, and crimson.
🍐 In tropical climates, it can yield abundant crops with up to 700 fruits per tree, harvested in two fruiting seasons annually!
🍐 Wax Jamboo is known for its crisp, crunchy texture and refreshing, mildly sweet flavor, making it a popular choice for both eating fresh and using in various culinary dishes. They're widely used in Indian-Ocean-Island cuisine for fresh salads or lightly sautéed dishes.
🍐 This tree is not just decorative; it's also quite low-maintenance. It thrives in fertile, well-drained soil with adequate rainfall and some humidity, and it is hardy down to just above freezing temperatures. It's also perfect for container gardening, requiring minimal care apart from regular watering and occasional feeding
🍐 Wax Jamboo fruits are often compared to watermelons because of their juicy, thirst-quenching properties, making them a fantastic treat on hot days.

Vitis labrusca x vinifera - Blanc du Bois Grape

Vitis x rotundifolia - Southern Home Seedless Grape

🍾 How to start your own vineyard

🍷 Can grapes grow in the tropics?

🍇 Yes! With the right varieties, like muscadines and low-chill, heat-tolerant hybrids, grapes can thrive in tropical climates. For example:
🍇 Vitis labrusca x vinifera - Blanc du Bois Grape: A hybrid prized for winemaking, combining European and native Florida grapes. It's heat-tolerant, disease-resistant, and thrives in the southern U.S., even in alkaline or salty soils.
🍇 Vitis x rotundifolia - Southern Home Seedless Grape: A gorgeous vine with delicate leaves and clusters of deep purple, sweet-tart grapes. It was developed at the University of Florida to handle heat and humidity. Self-pollinating and perfect for fresh eating.

Pimenta racemosa, Bay Rum Tree

The mystery of a Bay Rum Tree - the aromatic gem with a rich history

🍷 The Pimenta racemosa, or Bay Rum Tree, is a charming small tree closely related to Allspice that we mentioned earlier.
🍷 Known for its aromatic leaves, this tree produces a natural essential oil that has a warm, clove-like fragrance.
🍷 Historically, this oil was distilled with rum and water to create a popular cologne known as "Bay Rum", lending the plant its common name.
🍷 The scent of Bay Rum is captivating and present year-round, with no need to wait for flowers or fruit to enjoy its fragrance!
🍷 The Bay Rum Tree is not just aromatic; its leaves can be used in cooking and tea, adding a unique, spicy note to culinary creations. It’s also valued in folk medicine, making it a multipurpose addition to any herb or indoor plant collection.
🍷 An especially rare and intriguing variety, the rare variety "Citrifolia" - Lemon Bay Rum Tree, also known as Citrus Bay, has all plant parts infused with a refreshing, lemony scent that's both calming and energizing. Cuttings of this variety are challenging to root, making it a unique and sought-after plant for collectors and aromatherapy enthusiasts alike.

📸 Guanabana - Soursop fruiting in apartment!

This Guanabana (Annona muricata) was grown from a seed and fruited in apartment up North!

To read this fascinating story, check out article in Tropical Treasures Magazine:
Growing and fruiting Soursop in apartment (PDF download)

🛒 Plant your own Guanabana

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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