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This is how the flowers of a Hog Plum look like

😳 This is how the flowers of a Hog Plum look like

✏️ The Hog Plum tree blooms with small, red flowers that grow directly on the stems of the tree, a unique feature known as cauliflory. This early-blooming trait allows the flowers to appear before the leaves, creating a striking display.

See pictures of fruit in next post🔽

🛍 Shop Hog Plum Trees

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts

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What is coffee made of?

Coffee berries (Coffea arabica)

Coffee berries (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

☕️ What is coffee made of?

☕️ Coffee beans are actually the seeds of red or purple cherries that grow on Coffee Trees (Coffea arabica). Once harvested, the beans are dried, roasted, and ground to make the coffee we drink. The roasting process brings out the rich, aromatic flavors that coffee lovers enjoy!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Coffee tree is the best gift
Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #2. Coffee Tree
The best Gift plant
The most popular and the easiest tropical fruit tree grown as a house plant

📱GROW your own COFFEE plant - Free Coffee Everyday

🛍 Shop Coffee trees

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts

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Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii

Clerodendrum wallichii

Clerodendrum wallichii

Clerodendrum schmitii

Clerodendrum schmitii

🎈 Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii

📸 Clerodendrum wallichii (left) and Clerodendrum schmitii (right)

🛍 Shop Clerodendrums

#Butterfly_Plants #Shade_Garden #Fun_Facts #Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden

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What is the difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii?

🧐 What is the difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii?

  • ⭐️ The main difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii lies in the color of their flower stalk and a slight variation in their growth habits, though both share similar overall characteristics.

  • ⭐️ Clerodendrum schmitii - also known as Chains of Glory or Light Bulb Flower, is a rare species that features elegant white, fragrant flowers held in loose, pendulous panicles. These blooms are showy against the plant's dark green foliage and typically hang down a foot and a half or more. This winter bloomer often has two flowering periods during the season and is distinguished by its striking red stems, adding a touch of drama to its graceful form.

  • ⭐️ Clerodendrum wallichiii, also known as Bridal Veil, has a similar cascading growth habit with fragrant white flowers in loose panicles, which appear around Thanksgiving. The flowers are beautiful, but the key difference is in its green stems. This plant grows up to 7 feet tall and has narrow, pointed leaves. It blooms from fall to spring, preferring to be protected from wind and hot afternoon sun.

  • ⭐️ While both plants feature fountain-like shapes and are covered in flowers during the winter to spring season, the red flower stalks of Clerodendrum schmitii and the green ones of Clerodendrum wallichii set them apart.


🎥 Clerodendrum schmitii - Chains of Glory, Light Bulb Flower.
More pictures in next post ⬇️

📚 More about Clerodendrums in previous posts:

🛍 Shop Clerodendrums

#Butterfly_Plants #Shade_Garden #Fun_Facts #Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden

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You need this Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

🌺 You need this Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy: blooms start as pure white flowers and change color over three days, from white to deep pink, and finally to a dark "blue-pink" hue. The large blossoms, up to 5 inches across, are unique because their color cycle occurs independently on each bloom, creating a stunning display of all three colors on the bush at once!

🛍 Plant Cotton Candy Hibiscus

#Fun_Facts #Hedges_with_benefits

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Why this plant is called Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae - Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae - Bird of Paradise

🌈 Why this plant is called Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae - Bird of Paradise - is known for its striking, bird-like flowers that resemble a vibrant bird in flight. Native to South Africa, it's a popular ornamental plant that thrives in sunny, tropical gardens.

🛍 Plant Bird of Paradise

#Fun_Facts #Container_Garden

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What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?

What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant? What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant? What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant? What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant? What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant? What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?
🍌 What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?

Continued for the previous post🔼

🔥 The most popular edible banana varieties:

  • 🍌 Truly Tiny - is a compact banana variety growing 2-3 feet in pots and up to 5 feet in the ground, perfect for small spaces or container gardening, producing 4-5 inch fruit with a distinctive pineapple flavor.

  • 🍌 Cuban Red Dacca - a vibrant tropical banana variety with reddish-purple, plump, and short bananas that are sweeter and richer in flavor than common yellow bananas, thriving in warm climates and reaching 8-15 feet tall.

  • 🍌 Double Mahoi - is a Cavendish banana variety that typically produces a double stalk of bananas in its second year, boosting the harvest.

  • 🍌 Dwarf Cavendish - a hardy, vigorous banana variety growing under 5-8 feet, producing large, flavorful fruit with minimal care, making it a popular backyard banana in Florida and one of the most common Cavendish types for hobbyists and container gardens.

  • 🍌 Gran Nain - is the true Chiquita banana, growing under 5-8 feet tall and producing large bunches of fruit, making it a staple of commercial banana production.

  • 🍌 Ice Cream (Blue Java) - a cold-tolerant hybrid of Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata, vigorous banana growing 10-15 feet tall and producing 40-60 lb bunches of stout, bluish-skinned fruit with sweet, vanilla-flavored, cream-like flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked.

  • 🍌 Banana Lakatan - a popular Philippine banana cultivar prized for its sweet taste, rich aroma, and firm texture, making it a top choice for dessert bananas.


🆒 Banana #Fun_Facts

  • 🟡Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart health.
  • 🟡They provide a quick source of energy and are great for post-workout recovery.
  • 🟡The fiber in bananas aids digestion and promotes gut health.
  • 🟡Eat them fresh, add to smoothies, bake into breads and desserts, or use in various savory dishes.
  • 🟡Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.


Learn about ornamental Bananas in next post 🔽

🛍 Shop Banana varieties

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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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Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes

Macadamia Nuts (Macadamia integrifolia)

Macadamia Nuts (Macadamia integrifolia)

🏆 Ten best fruit trees to grow in Florida and Southern landscapes.
# 6: Macadamia Nut Tree.
  • 🌰 Macadamia Nuts (Macadamia integrifolia) are known for their delicious flavor and high price tag, but you can grow these popular, sweet nuts right in your own garden!
  • 🌰 Cold-Hardy and Productive. Macadamia trees are fairly cold-hardy, grow quickly, and thrive in all Florida soils. They are very productive and can tolerate both flooding and drought once established. Older trees can survive cold winters with minimal dieback, while young trees need protection from temperatures below 25-26F.
  • 🌰 Water and Soil Tolerance. Macadamia trees need plenty of water and can handle some flooding, but they are also drought-tolerant once mature. They adapt well to all Florida soil types.
  • 🌰 Fertilizer Needs. Macadamia trees require a special fertilizer program for healthy root development and optimal production. Use only liquid fertilizer such as Sunshine C-Cibus and apply microelements regularly, such as Sunshine SuperFood, to prevent nutrient deficiencies that can stunt growth.
  • 🌰 #Fun_Facts:

⏺Did you know the Macadamia nut is the hardest-shelled nut in the world - and also one of the most nutrient-rich? The shell material is five times harder than hazelnut shells, with mechanical properties similar to aluminum!
  • ⏺Despite being rich in calories, macadamia nuts may help you lose weight. This may be partly explained by their amounts of protein and fiber, two nutrients known to reduce hunger and promote feelings of fullness.
  • ⏺Macadamia nuts are rich in healthy fats, vitamins, and mineral. They're linked to numerous health benefits, including improved digestion, heart health, weight management, and blood sugar control. High in monounsaturated fats, they may help lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease risk. These nuts are also a good source of antioxidants, including tocotrienols, which may protect against cancer and brain diseases.


📚 Learn more:

🛒 Plant your own Macadamia Nut Tree

#Food_Forest #Remedies

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What is the best fruit tree producing in winter

Loquat flowers

😇 What is the best fruit tree producing in winter
  • 🍑 If you answered the quiz What makes loquats different from other fruits - then you know that Loquat trees flower and produce fruit during the winter months, making them a rare source of fresh fruit when most other trees are dormant.
  • 🍑 Loquat flowers are very pretty! Loquats are relatives of Apples, Peaches, Plums and Pears - they belong to Rosaceae family.


🎥 Loquats are in full bloom in our garden now. The fruit will ripen by April

📚 More about Loquat from previous posts:

🛒 Plant a Loquat Tree

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts #Loquat

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
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