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10 reasons why chocolate is actually good for you and how you can grow your own

Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) fruit on a tree

Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) fruit on a tree

Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) tree in a pot

Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) tree in a pot

Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) opened fruit with cacao beans

Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) opened fruit with cacao beans

💩 10 reasons why chocolate is actually good for you and how you can grow your own
  • ☕️ That's right - the source of your favorite sweet treat, the Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) we introduced in earlier post, produces cocoa that's packed with powerful health benefits. Growing your own chocolate tree isn't just fun and rewarding - it's a way to bring a superfood right into your backyard!
  • ☕️ Here are 10 reasons why cocoa is a health hero:

  • 🍫 Loaded with Antioxidants - Fights free radicals and supports overall cell health.
  • 🍫 Heart Healthy - Helps lower blood pressure and improve circulation.
  • 🍫 Mood Booster - Promotes feel-good chemicals like serotonin and endorphins.
  • 🍫 Brain Power - Flavanols support memory, focus, and cognitive function.
  • 🍫 Fights Inflammation - Natural compounds help reduce chronic inflammation.
  • 🍫 Supports Blood Sugar Balance - May improve insulin sensitivity.
  • 🍫 Glowing Skin - Boosts hydration and protects against UV damage.
  • 🍫 Aids in Weight Management - May reduce cravings and support metabolism.
  • 🍫 Rich in Minerals - Packed with magnesium, iron, copper, and more.
  • 🍫 Good for Gut Health - Acts as a prebiotic to feed good bacteria.


☕️ With all these benefits, why not grow your own source of chocolate? Plant a Theobroma cacao tree and enjoy the magic of harvesting your very own cocoa pods. It's not just a tree - it's a conversation starter, a wellness booster, and your personal chocolate factory in the making.

🛒 Get your Chocolate Tree today and grow your own goodness

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts #Discover

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Date:

This is why Atemoya is better than any other Annonas

Atemoya (Annona cherimola Annona squamosa) fruit on a tree

Atemoya (Annona cherimola Annona squamosa) fruit on a tree

Atemoya (Annona cherimola Annona squamosa) open fruit

Atemoya (Annona cherimola Annona squamosa) open fruit

💋 This is why Atemoya is better than any other Annonas
  • 🎃 Atemoya (Annona cherimola × Annona squamosa) is a hybrid between the Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) and the Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa), combining the best traits of both fruits.
  • 🎃 This tree is notably hardier than the common sugar apple and thrives in tropical heat, unlike the cherimoya, which prefers cooler summers. Its resilience makes the atemoya an excellent choice for both subtropical and tropical gardens, as it can tolerate light frosts.
  • 🎃 The tree reaches about 15-25 feet in height and spreads equally wide at maturity.
  • 🎃 One of the advantages of Atemoya over the Sugar Apple is its fruit, which contains fewer seeds, making it more enjoyable to eat fresh..
  • 🎃 Grafted Cultivars:


Atemoya cv. Geffner: An Israeli cultivar renowned for its heavy cropping capacity and excellent flavor. Geffner is highly productive and is considered one of the best varieties, producing good fruit yields without the need for hand-pollination. ​

Atemoya cv. Lisa (48-26): Developed by Gary Zill, Lisa is praised for its outstanding taste and attractive appearance. The fruit has a pinkish-gray exterior and a soft, light pink interior. While not as naturally productive as Geffner, Lisa can yield well with hand-pollination. ​

Atemoya cv. Priestly: This cultivar produces large, green fruits with a creamy texture and uniquely sweet flavor. It is a grafted variety that combines desirable traits from both parent species, making it a delightful addition to home gardens. ​

📚 More delicious Annonas:
Spiny Hedgehog fruit: what does it taste like?

🛒 Plant Atemoya and enjoy your own rare exotic fruit!

#Food_Forest #Discover

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Date:

Why this tree is so popular in Asia: health benefits of Chinese Olive Superfruit

Chinese Olive - Canarium album

Chinese Olive - Canarium album

👍 Why this tree is so popular in Asia: health benefits of Chinese Olive Superfruit
  • 🫒 Chinese Olive Tree (Canarium album) is a time-honored Superfruit tree that packed with nutrients, history, and amazing flavor.
  • 🫒It has been celebrated in Asia for over 2,000 years - for good reason.
  • 🫒 The olive-like drupes are packed with essential amino acids, healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins. Plus, they’re rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and other powerful bioactive compounds.
  • 🫒 Enjoy the fruit raw, pickled, candied, or cooked into soups and stews. It can even be dried as a snack, brewed into herbal teas, or roasted like a nut.
  • 🫒 With its unique flavor and ancient reputation in Asian medicine and cuisine, the Chinese Olive is both a conversation piece and a functional food tree for your garden.


🛒 Plant Chinese Olive - add timeless wellness and culinary magic to your garden

#Food_Forest #Nature_Wonders #Discover

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Date:

MANGO VARIETY CHEAT SHEET

Mango fruit on a tray

Mango fruit on a tray

🥭 MANGO VARIETY CHEAT SHEET
How to pick the right mango tree for your yard, Quick Guide
  • 🟠 Condo Mango - for containers and small spaces

    • 1. Cogshall - Compact and colorful, with sweet flavor and fungus resistance.
    2. Ice Cream - Stays under six feet with rich, dessert-like flavor.
    3. Julie - Caribbean favorite with sweet tropical flavor, but very cold sensitive.
    4. Mallika - Indian condo mango with rich, sweet flavor and hints of citrus and melon.
    5. Carrie - Super sweet and fiberless, perfect for small yards.

📚 More: Top 10 Dwarf "Condo" Mango - great for container culture.
  • 🟠 Most popular varieties everyone wants

    • 1. Alphonso - Rich Indian mango with coconut-like flavor, highly prized.
    2. Maha Chinook - Rare, ultra-sweet Singapore mango, good for pots.
    3. Fralan - Hardy tree with sweet green fruit that cracks when peeled.
    4. Fruit Cocktail - Tastes like a blend of pineapple, citrus, and guava.
    5. Nam Doc Mai - Most beloved Asian mango, semi-dwarf and versatile.
  • 🟠 Most vigorous reliable producers

1. Glenn - Easy to grow, consistently produces excellent fruit.
2. Pim Seng Mun - Super productive and reliable.
3. Sweet Tart - Intense flavor, new and exclusive variety.
4. Fruit Punch - Tastes like a medley of tropical fruits.
5. Orange Sherbet - Sweet citrus flavor on a moderately vigorous tree.

🛒 Select perfect Mango trees and enjoy your own treats

#Food_Forest #Mango #Discover

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Date:

A Prayer for Our Feline Friends

A Prayer for Our Feline Friends
🤫 A Prayer for Our Feline Friends 🐱

O holy St. Gertrude of Nivelles, Patron Saint of Cats,
I ask you to pray that my sweet kitty(ies) will always be content, energetic, curious, playful, and good-natured.
I pray my cat(s) will be a joy to me and those I love.
Carry my cat(s) to the throne of the Father and ask Him to bless them with long life and great happiness.
Pray, dear saint, that my cat(s) stay free from illness and always feel safe, protected, and loved.
Thank you for asking blessings upon my cat(s).
Ask the Lord to pour out special graces upon all cats and cat owners.
May they bring great love to one another and live companionably in peace.
Amen.

🔠 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats

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Date:

March 17: not only St

March 17: not only St March 17: not only St March 17: not only St
😳 March 17: not only St. Patrick's Day! St. Gertrude of Nivelles: Patron Saint of Cats, Gardeners, and Those Who Fear Mice! 🐭

  • 🐈 March 17 isn't just about St. Patrick! It's also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the Patron Saint of Cats, Cat Lovers, Gardeners, and Travelers! While her feline connection only emerged in the 1980s - over 1,300 years after she lived - the idea has spread far and wide. Some trace it back to a 1981 Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog, which first linked St. Gertrude to cats.

  • 🐈 Gertrude, a 7th-century Benedictine abbess, was known for her kindness, hospitality, and yes - her love of cats! She cared for the monastery's feline friends, offering them food and affection. In her honor, Nivelles, Belgium, holds an annual Le Tour Sainte-Gertrude, a grand procession celebrating her legacy.

  • 🐈 Gardeners also look to St. Gertrude's feast day as the perfect time to start spring planting - because a beautiful, sunny March 17 is seen as a sign of a good growing season ahead! So, when you're decked out in green for St. Patrick's Day, give your furry friend an extra cuddle in honor of the original Cat Lady Saint!

  • 🐈 And of course, Plant People usually are Cat People - this is why we have our PeopleCats.Garden!


🔠 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats

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Date:

St. Gertrude of Nivelles:
Patron Saint of Cats, Gardeners,
and Those Who Fear Mice!

St. Gertrude with cats

Q: What is celebrated on March 17 besides St Patrick's Day? Is it true this is also a Gardener's Day?

A: March 17 isn't just about St. Patrick! It's also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the Patron Saint of Cats, Cat Lovers, Gardeners, and Travelers! While her feline connection only emerged in the 1980s - over 1,300 years after she lived - the idea has spread far and wide. Some trace it back to a 1981 Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog, which first linked St. Gertrude to cats.

Gertrude, a 7th-century Benedictine abbess, was known for her kindness, hospitality, and yes - her love of cats! She cared for the monastery's feline friends, offering them food and affection. In her honor, Nivelles, Belgium, holds an annual Le Tour Sainte-Gertrude, a grand procession celebrating her legacy.

Gardeners also look to St. Gertrude's feast day as the perfect time to start spring planting - because a beautiful, sunny March 17 is seen as a sign of a good growing season ahead! So, when you're decked out in green for St. Patrick's Day, give your furry friend an extra cuddle in honor of the original Cat Lady Saint!

And of course, Plant People usually are Cat People - this is why we have our PeopleCats.Garden!

A Prayer for Our Feline Friends

O holy St. Gertrude of Nivelles, Patron Saint of Cats,
I ask you to pray that my sweet kitty(ies) will always be content, energetic, curious, playful, and good-natured.
I pray my cat(s) will be a joy to me and those I love.
Carry my cat(s) to the throne of the Father and ask Him to bless them with long life and great happiness.
Pray, dear saint, that my cat(s) stay free from illness and always feel safe, protected, and loved.
Thank you for asking blessings upon my cat(s).
Ask the Lord to pour out special graces upon all cats and cat owners.
May they bring great love to one another and live companionably in peace.
Amen.

Date:

St. Patrick's Day - March 17
Live green, not just wear green!
15% discount

St Patrick's Cat

St. Patrick's Day is coming, and luck is in the garden! Live green, not just wear green! There's no better way to celebrate than by adding a touch of green to your space. Whether it's a new fruit tree, a colorful flowering plant, or a fresh herb for your kitchen, now's the time to add GOOD LUCK and prosperity to your Garden and Home!

Shop online or come visit us, and let us help you create a little piece of paradise in your own backyard! To make it even sweeter, we're offering a special holiday discount! Use code below at checkout and save 15% on your favorite plants. But hurry - just like a four-leaf clover, this deal won't last long!

LUCKYPLANTS

Min order $150. Excluding S/H. Exp. 3-18-25

Reminder: use our FREE and DISCOUNTED SHIPPING for qualified orders

Shop Now!

Date:

St. Patricks Day Sale

St. Patricks Day Sale
👍 St. Patrick's Day Sale: Live green, not just wear green! Enjoy 15% discount 🛍
  • 🍀 St. Patrick's Day is coming, and luck is in the garden! Live green, not just wear green! There's no better way to celebrate than by adding a touch of green to your space. Whether it's a new fruit tree, a colorful flowering plant, or a fresh herb for your kitchen, now's the time to add GOOD LUCK and prosperity to your Garden and Home!
  • 🍀 Shop online or come visit us, and let us help you create a little piece of paradise in your own backyard! To make it even sweeter, we're offering a special holiday discount! Use code below at checkout and save 15% on your favorite plants. But hurry - just like a four-leaf clover, this deal won't last long!
  • 🍀 LUCKYPLANTS 🍀


Min order $150. Excluding S/H.
Exp. 3-18-25

🛍 Shop your lucky plants

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

How many varieties of Bananas can I grow?

Bananas (Musa sp.) in containers

🍌 How many varieties of Bananas can I grow?
  • 💛 At Top Tropicals, we have a few dozen varieties of Bananas (Musa sp.) - ranging from popular commercial and plantain types to spectacular ornamental bananas with colorful, tropical foliage.
  • 💛 Banana plants are a favorite in Southern gardens, indoor plant collections, and greenhouses in cooler climates. Fast and easy to grow, they transform any space into a tropical paradise in just one season and can produce fruit for you in as little as 8–18 months after planting.
  • 💛 Bananas are a powerhouse of nutrition, packed with potassium for heart health, fiber for digestion, and vitamins B6 and C for immunity. They’re a natural energy booster, great for snacks, smoothies, and even baking. Plus, their tryptophan content can improve your mood, and their low sodium helps regulate blood pressure.
  • 💛 With so many delicious and unique varieties, growing different types of bananas lets you enjoy a range of flavors, textures, and uses - whether fresh, blended, or cooked - making them a must-have in any tropical or indoor garden!


Discover the most popular edible and ornamental bananas in our next post 🔽

🎥 Banana selection today at TopTropicals farm. Come over to pick the best one!

📚 More about Banana from previous posts:

🛍 Shop Banana varieties

#Food_Forest

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
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