We’ve all heard about 1,600-lb. pumpkins and 270-lb. watermelons. Those are impressive weights, and fortunately the fruits had the ground to support them as they increased in size. But do you know the largest fruit that grows on a tree? It’s the jackfruit (or jakfruit), and not only is it big, but it’s also very tasty – and versatile. Let’s take…
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You’ll probably agree that one of our favorite tropical fruits is ananas. No, we didn’t leave the ‘b’ off bananas. What most of the world calls ananas (usually pronounced ananás) is what English-speakers call pineapple. ‘Ananas’ came from the word that the Tupí, a Brazilian indigenous people, used for the plant. ‘Pineapple’ probably arose from…
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In the inventory and articles published on this website, we think it’s helpful to provide both botanical and common names, but sometimes the informal names are head-scratchers. For example, “Swiss Chard” is the appellation placed on a plant that’s native to the Mediterranean. Fortunately, most common names do make sense, and we believe there are few more descriptive than ‘Powderpuff.’ The most ornamental…
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Brooks Tropicals of Homestead this week issued a colorful, informative notice to remind us that starfruit season is upon us. It encourages consumers to incorporate the fruit in cooked dishes in addition to its customary use as a garnish. Take a minute to examine some of Brooks’s dining suggestions, republished with permission below. (Click on the bottom…
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Caesalpinia is one of the more interesting genera of ornamental trees belonging to the pea family, known botanically as Fabaceae. There is considerable disagreement about the number of species in the genus – it’s somewhere between 70 and 165 – but Richard Lyons’ Nursery will acquaint you with three that have proven desirable and reliable in…
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