😘 Holding the world together

"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together." - Woodrow Wilson

🐈📸 Pearl and her cat buddy Ricki at TopTropicals

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🌟 Starry fruit and rusty leaves: the tropical tree full of surprises

❓ Is it Star Apple, Star Fruit, Cainito or Caimito? Are you lost? Don't be - and here is the truth:

⭐️ Don't confuse Chrysophyllum cainito (Caimito) with Pouteria caimito (Abiu), or Averrhoa carambola (Star Fruit) - which are all different fruit entirely!

⭐️ The Star Apple tree - Chrysophyllum cainito, also known as Caimito, is a tropical treasure admired for both its fruit and foliage. It is related to Sapote and Sapodilla and produces round, glossy fruit that comes in stunning purple and green varieties.

⭐️ When sliced open, the juicy flesh reveals a star-shaped pattern - hence the name "Star Apple"!

⭐️ The flavor is mildly sweet, often described as a mix of grape, lychee, and apple with a hint of caramel.

⭐️ The tree also features lush green leaves with a striking rusty-red underside, making it as beautiful as it is bountiful.

⭐️ Caimito thrives in warm climates and is popular in the Caribbean, Central America, and Southeast Asia.

🛒 Plant your own exotic Star Apple tree

📚 Learn more:

Where can I try a rare Abiu fruit and what does it taste like?
Why is it called Star Apple?
Star fruit: the Star of the orchard

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🌸 Napoleons Plume - Orchid Tree that blooms in a pot

🦋 Bauhinia monandra - Napoleons Plume Orchid Tree - is a breathtaking tropical tree with flowers that truly resemble delicate orchids, and leaves folding like butterfly wings. It is one of he most impressive varieties of orchid trees.

🦋 Each blossom starts off pale yellow and transforms to soft pink by the next day, with the center petal beautifully streaked in magenta - a unique color shift that makes the tree look like it's blooming in multiple shades at once. When in bloom, it's covered in these showy flowers, creating a dazzling display.

🦋 Despite its exotic look, this tree is surprisingly well-suited for containers. It can be easily kept trimmed and compact, with seedlings often blooming when just 2 feet tall. While it's sensitive to cold, growing it in a container makes it easy to move indoors during chilly weather. This makes Bauhinia monandra the perfect choice for gardeners who want a tropical tree that delivers nonstop visual impact in a manageable size.

🦋How to enjoy the orchid flowers and butterfly foliage of Bauhinia right on your patio or balcony? Choose the right variety. More bauhinia species suitable for containers: B. galpinii, B. madagascariensis, B. monandra, B. alba (candida), B. acuminata, B. bidentata, B. blakeana, B. grandidieri and many others.

🛒 Shop Orchid Trees

📚 Learn more about Orchid trees:

How to grow Orchid Trees in pots
Bauhinias: trees with Orchid Flowers and Butterfly Wings
Why Bauhinias are called Orchid Trees: orchid flowers with butterfly wings...
Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree
Bauhinia galpinii (punctata) - Pride of De Kaap or Nasturtium Bauhinia

#Container_Garden #How_to #Trees

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🌳 Looking forward to harvest

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson.

🐈📸 Bob is harvesting Bay Leaves at TopTropicals

#PeopleCats #Quotes

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

♨️ Turn up the color in your garden with the bold everblooming Brazilian plume

❣️Looking to add nonstop color, tropical flair for shade or sun, and pollinator appeal to your garden?
Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume or Red Cloak, is the ultimate show-stopper shrub that takes both sun or shade.

❣️ With its big, bold leaves and eye-catching crimson-to-mauve flower spikes, this plant brings exotic beauty - without the need for a steamy jungle.

❣️The best part? It's surprisingly cold hardy. This lush-looking tropical can handle brief dips into the 30s (F), making it a top pick for USDA zones 9-11. Plant it in full sun or partial shade, and with regular watering, it rewards you with a steady burst of blooms that butterflies and hummingbirds can't resist.

❣️Reaching 5-7 ft tall in the ground, it fills out beautifully to anchor beds or soften fences. In colder regions, it can still thrive in large pots - just give it a sheltered spot, bring it indoors when temperatures drop, and enjoy its vivid flower show all winter long.

❣️If you want a garden that doesn’t fade with the season, the Brazilian plume delivers color, volume, and wildlife appeal - all year round.

🛒 Make your garden pop with color of Brazilian plume

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals