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Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

🧛 Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?
  • 😇 The Legendary Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (also called Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) got its name from the flower's extraordinary ability to retain its spicy, sweet fragrance for centuries.
  • 😇 These flowers were used in ancient funeral ceremonies, placed in crypts to preserve their aroma for generations. Even today, dried Rosita de Cacao flowers can hold their scent for decades, a testament to their remarkable endurance.


    • History and Legends

    Aztec names: Poyomatli, Xochicacaohuatl, Flor Cacahuaxochitl, Cacaoxochitl.
  • 😇 The species was at one time widespread and growing wild throughout the Oaxaca region of Mexico known for plants used in Shamanism.
  • 😇 Cherished by the Aztecs, the Rosita de Cacao was deeply intertwined with their rituals and daily life.
  • 😇 The flowers, known as Cacaoxochitl or "cacao flower," were blended with chocolate drinks like Tejate, a sacred, energy-rich beverage reserved for royalty and religious ceremonies. This frothy drink combined Cacaoxochitl with other ingredients like cacao, vanilla, and chili peppers to create what the Aztecs called the "drink of the gods."
  • 😇 Legend has it that Emperor Montezuma consumed up to 50 cups of xocolatl daily, infused with Rosita de Cacao, to fuel his energy and passion.


    • Medicinal and Spiritual Uses
  • 😇 The flowers of this tree were not just for flavor - they were also prized for their calming and medicinal properties. Natives used them to treat anxiety, fevers, and coughs, often mixing them with cacao for enhanced effects.
  • 😇 Modern studies suggest the flowers contain lactone alkaloids like funebradiol, which are known for their relaxing properties and are now being investigated for potential medicinal applications.
  • 😇 Beyond its rich history, Rosita de Cacao is an evergreen beauty with creamy white, aromatic flowers and large, leathery leaves. It's a perfect addition to any garden for those who want a piece of history, an enduring fragrance, and a touch of ancient legend.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Fruit of Money and Love
Fun Facts: Cacao beans

🛒 Shop Tropical Fruit Trees

#Food_Forest #Fun_facts #Nature_Wonders

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What plants do you recognize in this display

🥸 What plants do you recognize in this display ❓

Share in comments 🔽

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

Noni Tree (Morinda citrifolia) - flowers

Noni Tree (Morinda citrifolia) - flowers

Noni Tree (Morinda citrifolia) - fruit and leaves

Noni Tree (Morinda citrifolia) - fruit and leaves

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 5: Noni.
  • 🥝 A Superfood for Your Garden. Noni Tree (Morinda citrifolia) - is one of the top superfood plants, making it a fantastic addition to any Southern garden.
  • 🥝 Endless Medicinal Benefits. Noni fruit boasts numerous medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory effects, relief from arthritis, support for diabetes, metabolism, immune system, and weight loss. It's even thought to help fight cancer. Commercial Noni juice is very expensive, but growing your own tree provides easy access to this powerful natural remedy.
  • 🥝 Fast-Growing and Productive. The Noni tree grows quickly and begins producing within 2 years from seed.
  • 🥝 Tough and Resilient. Noni is a tough plant, thriving in poor soil, enduring summer heat, and withstanding drought conditions.
  • 🥝 Cold Hardy. Despite its large tropical leaves and a reputation of a tropical species, Noni trees are surprisingly cold-hardy. While they may experience some leaf damage during cooler weather, they typically recover well when warmer temperatures return.
  • 🥝 Ornamental and Practical. In addition to its fruit, the Noni tree has great ornamental value. The large, waxy leaves are over a foot long and give a tropical feel, while the fruit itself is unique and ornamental: its flower appears to grow directly on the fruit!


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Plant a Noni Tree

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

Malpighia glabra - Barbados Cherry, Acerola

Malpighia glabra - Barbados Cherry, Acerola

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 4: Barbados Cherry.
  • 🍒 Malpighia glabra - Barbados Cherry, or Acerola is yet another tropical cherry!
  • 🍒 A Vitamin C Powerhouse. Barbados Cherry is renowned for having the highest vitamin C content of any fruit. It is used in jellies and jams and freezes well without losing its vitamin C.
  • 🍒 Fast-Growing and Abundant. This dense shrub grows quickly and fruits several times a year, providing abundant crops. If you want fast results and fruit quickly, this is the plant for you!
  • 🍒 Easy to Grow and Tolerant. It tolerates alkaline soil, which is rare for tropical plants. It is also drought-tolerant, easy to grow, and relatively cold-hardy, with the ability to withstand light freezes.
  • 🍒 Wildlife-Friendly. Birds love the fruit, making it a great addition to any wildlife-friendly garden.
  • 🍒 Dwarf Variety: Nana. The dwarf Nana variety has tiny leaves and smaller fruit, making it highly ornamental. It's perfect for containers, as a border plant, or even as a bonsai.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Barbador Cherry

#Food_Forest

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What is the most rare and unique plant of your collection?

Anthurium Black Dragon

🍸 What is the most rare and unique plant of your collection?

😈 Anthurium Black Dragon is a super exotic gem that brings a dash of dramatic flair to your rare plant collection!
  • 🖖Under bright filtered light, its bold, upright leaves turn a stunning black, while in shadier spots, they shift to a sultry dark-green with a reddish-black tint. With more light, they transform back to black, creating an ever-changing display.
  • 🖖This rare, herbaceous rosette also sports a brown spadix and dark-brown spathe, making it an unforgettable centerpiece and add a little magic to your indoor jungle.


🤡 What rare plants do you have in your collection? Share pictures with us!

🛒 Get your own Black Dragon

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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Cat with mango on a tree

"He who plants a tree plants hope." - Lucy Larcom

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Cat Horoscope - Aquarius Cats 1/20 - 2/18

Cat Horoscope - Aquarius Cats 1/20 - 2/18 Cat Horoscope - Aquarius Cats 1/20 - 2/18
♒️ 😵 What is your cat's Zodiac sign?
Cat Horoscope - Aquarius Cats 1/20 - 2/18

❓ How to know the astrological sign of your cat? It can be determined by either their date of birth or adoption, as adoption is often considered a second birth for cats.
  • ✨ You can discover the astrological traits that describe the cat, such as their independence, diva-like tendencies, sense of humor, intelligence, and more.
  • ✨ It's also important to consider the astrological relationship between cats and plants...


♒️ Aquarius Zodiac Cats are:
  • ▪️most popular, central figure in their community
  • ▪️friendly, social networkers among various species
  • ▪️intelligent, creative, and playful
  • ▪️loyal but sometimes aloof for emotional self-care
  • ▪️finds peace in secluded, grassy, fragrant spots
  • ▪️forgivable mischief and crumpled flowers
  • ▪️prefers herbaceous perennials, mild-scented shrubs, and soft-leaved plants


🌟 Learn more about Aquarius Zodiac Cats and their lucky plants

#PeopleCats #Horoscope

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Do you forget to water houseplants? Its your perfect plant!

Chlorophytum orchidanteroides - Mandarin Plant

❤️ Do you forget to water houseplants? It's your perfect plant!
  • 🍊 Chlorophytum orchidanteroides - Mandarin Plant - is one of the most popular and colorful house plants and a shade garden favorite.
  • 🍊 It forms a gorgeous rosette of shiny, dark green pointed leaves with a glowing orange center. Sometimes the rich hues shift to pink or orange up the leaf's midrib, giving this plant a truly eye-catching look.
  • 🍊 A colorful cousin of the familiar Spider Plant, it can be grown in pots, mixed containers, or as a specimen shrub in shady tropical landscapes, tolerating similar indoor conditions as a Spider Plant.
  • 🍊 For the brightest colors, remove any basal sprouts that appear, so they don't crowd out the vivid growth.
  • 🍊 This plant doesn't like full sun, and prefers its soil to dry slightly before watering, making it an easy-care and stunning choice for anyone looking to add a splash of color to their indoor collection.


🛒 Get your Mandarin Plant

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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The first pictures ever! The rarest Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

☄️ The first pictures ever! The rarest Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

👆 For the previous post: more pictures of the rarest ginger - Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

🔥 This variety is virtually unknown in mainstream horticulture, making it a prized collector's item. Any plants in cultivation likely come from very limited nursery sources or specialty plant imports.

🛒 Only a few plants available: Coral Ginger Borneo Pink

#Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden

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Finally - the first image on Internet: rare ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)

😱 Finally - the first image on Internet: rare ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)
  • ❤️ Riedelia coralina - Coral Ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)
  • ❤️ This super rare ginger finally bloomed for us! We grew this rare specimen from seeds form the collection of Mark Hooten, S. Florida horticulturist. The species close related to Burbidgea. Riedelia coralina is so rare that published information about this exact species is extremely hard to find. Most references to it appear in specialized collector circles rather than in widely available horticultural or botanical literature.
  • ❤️ We have only a few plants, ginger collectors, hurry up!

It is so rare you can't even find images on Internet. This will be the first one!

📚 Learn more about gingers from previous posts:

🛒 Get collectible Coral Ginger Borneo Pink

#Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden

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