| |
| Baby
Sun Rose See the "S" Page -- SUN JEWEL |
| |
| **Balfour
Aralia See
The "A" Page ARALIA |
| |
 **Bamboo (Clumping
variety, leafy plant) Bambusa
 Several
years ago we planted clumping bamboo
in our shady terraced hill garden, as a sun block for our driveway
and as a hedge at one end of our property. We didn't know the
variety name and we still don't.
We
took culms from a bamboo here in Montserrat that was about 30
feet tall with 3 to 4 inch stems and the gardener told us it
was “West Indian bamboo” which doesn't seem to exist
on the internet.
Our bamboo is now a stellar performer! Even the rather conservative folks here
from Britain and the United States consider it beautiful. Most of them have
dreadful tales of running bamboo and all are startled to see that ours is not
a monster.
From: I read somewhere that clumping bamboos
are native to the high Himalayas which seems very peculiar seeing
how happy and healthy ours are at sea level in the tropical Caribbean.
Photographed: In the garden beside our driveway
at our home in Montserrat.
Planting and Growth: When you bring home your
bamboo shoots set them in the center of an area where they can
spread in a natural circle. They
will prefer a sunny or semi sunny location, fertile soil or the
addition of regular fertilizer (bamboo is in the grass family)
and routine rain or watering. As the bamboo settles in and begins
to grow you can determine which of the stalks you will let grow.
If one is heading in a direction that you don't what it to grow,
simply remove the shoot when it is small. You may also feel free
to prune the bamboo a bit if you wish.
Text & Photographs Copyrighted © KO 2008 |
| |
| **Bamboo
Palm See
The "P" Page PALM TREES |
| |
**Banana
Passion Fruit, Caruba, Banana Poka, Bananadilla Passiflora
mollissima
The two photographs below were taken on the roadside in
a small village outside of Taxco, Mexico. The village, higher
up in the mountains and an hour away from Taxco, lies along what
was always a difficult road, but is now greatly improved. Here
in the village called Tenerillas there is snow in the winter
and year round it is almost always cool and humid because it
lies at cloud level. The vegetation there is lush with hardy
tropicals as a hard freeze would be extremely rare.
Benefits: In Mexico, the fruits of this vine are considered an excellent
treatment for high blood pressure aside from their value as a delicious base
for a fruit drink.
From: One source reported the vine coming from
the higher altitudes in Venezuela through to Bolivia and Peru.
Another source said Brazil, but didn't mention altitude.
Link: http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/banana_passion_fruit.htm
Photographed: Along the roadside in Tenerillas, a small village about
an hour's drive outside of Taxco, Mexico, in the State of Guerrero.
Planting
and Care:After stopping to talk with the owner I took
some ripening fruit from the vine in Tenerillas, Mexico, whose
flowers you see below and brought them to Montserrat in the Caribbean.
I kept them refrigerated for several months and finally got them
planted. The seeds have proved very hardy as I now have several
small plants thriving. I suspect that here in the Caribbean they
will prefer a little shade during the hottest time of day.
Normally this vine grows best at higher elevations,
above 5000 feet. Our home is just about 800 feet above sea
level so we have our fingers crossed. If we are lucky, the
mature flowering banana passion fruit vine will add yet one
more hummingbird attractant to the garden and will give us
its aromatic soft yellow fruits all year round. It is said
that in the best setting one vine will yield two hundred fruits
when it is mature.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted © KO
2008
 
|
| |
| **Banana
Poka -- See Banana Passion Fruit above |
| |
|
| |
|
BANANAS
  **Banana (Normal
sweet eating variety) Musa acuminata or Musa spp or Musa
sapientum
To see more Bananas just click here!
Bananas are one of the prettiest and most exotic plants in the garden if you
can find a place for them that is out of the wind. Winds quickly tear the huge
green leaves to shreds as you can see in the photograph on the right.
The plants yield a great amount of fruit periodically on one stem. After about
five years, new plants have to replace the old. Depending on the
variety
you
plant they will grow to a height of twenty to thirty feet.
Benefits:
1. Bananas contain the minerals potassium and magnesium which in recent studies
are said to correlate positively with bone strength.
2. If you have an upset stomach, eat a banana; it may help.
Insects and Diseases: We have found that bananas
on our property are especially subject to infestations of nematodes which though
unseen cause a rotting of the base of the banana plant under the soil surface.
Normal procedures we've been told include digging up the infected plants and
soaking them in what are very toxic nematocides. That didn't seem at all appealing,
but planting marigolds by the hundreds helped a great deal. It was a slower,
but longer lasting and much safer cure. Bananas are not plagued by many insects
except the banana borer.
Text & Photos Copyrighted © KO
2004/2007
|
| |
 Bananas
Variety Unknown
This banana plant was a gift from a departing expat and we
have no idea what it is. What we do know is that it is delicious
and very sweet.
Photographed: In our banana garden at our home in Montserrat.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted © KO
2007 |
| |
**Cooking
Banana (Not a Plantain) Musa hybrid
We were given this banana by a Canadian fellow who had sold his home in Montserrat
and so was leaving the island. He also gave us a few of his wife's lovely orchids,
though most of them died in the ash fall of 2003. The banana survived and this
year bore fruit. Our neighbor Jack, a Montserratian who spent his working years
in the USA and is now retired, took a look at our banana patch and said, "That
is a cooking banana." We spent a bit of time talking trying to distinguish
it from a plantain, but we never really got the idea, though we did have a wonderful
harvest of these bananas. They are more squared in shape than sweet bananas and
they NEVER get sweet, even when they are brownish and soft and appear perfect
for banana bread. They really are cooking bananas.
From: The Dominican Republic
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008 |
| |
|
 Lake
Atitlan Bananas
I don't know what variety this banana plant is, but take a look at the quantity
of bananas on this one plant.
Photographed: In San Marcos on Lake Atitlan
in Guatemala
Text
and Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2010
|
| |
  Mother
Banana or in Spanish Madre Banano
This banana was growing along side the country dirt road that we take in the
mornings when we are going shopping in the town market. It is very tall and has
a hugely thick trunk as you can see in the photograph to the left, but it didn't
strike us as unusual until it put out its flower which is unlike any other banana
flower we've seen (photgraph on the right). We asked a local fellow passing by
what it is called and he said, "Madre Banano," with a good deal of
respect for this prolific banana plant.
Photographed: Along the roadside in Hacienda
San Buenaventura in Guatemala in May 2010.
Planting and Care: I don't yet know about
the planting of this unusual banana, but we were told that
it will produce for more than two decades. All of the banana
and plantain plants that we know produce bananas once and
then produce side shoot plants that will also each produce
bananas only once before dying.
Text
and Photographs Copyrighted © KO 2010 |
| |
  Pink
Banana Musa Textilis or Musa
velutina
As you'll see in the photographs this is a beautiful
banana plant when in flower and it has the rare characteristic
of growing its beautiful small pink bananas straight up.
Sadly the fruit is inedible.
From: The Himalayan Tropics
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden
at Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text & Photographss
Copyrighted © Krika.com 2010
|
| |
  **Plantain Musa
paradisiaca L.
This is the heavy cooking banana plant and its name, plantain,
is an African word for banana. We call them “platanos machos” in
Mexico to distinguish them from sweet eating bananas. It has been
said that a plot of ground that will grow 50 pounds of wheat or
100 pounds of potatoes will grow 4000 pounds of plantain. Since
they can be eaten in so many ways, it seems a shame they are not
even more widely used. We particularly like them aged till the
skin turns black, then peeled, fried in butter and served with
pork or mixed into a curried rice dish.
Photographed: In our banana garden at our home in Montserrat.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted © KO
2007/2010
|
| |
 Red
Banana Musa Sumatrana zebrina rojo
Photographed: In
the Botanical Garden at Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text & Photograph
Copyrighted © Krika.com 2010
|
|
| |
| **Barbados
Flower Fence See the "P" Page -- PRIDE OF BARBADOS |
| |
|
| |
| BASIL
 **Basil
(1), Sweet Basil Ocimum basilicum
What would a garden be without one or more varieties of this fragrant
herb. Here in Montserrat, we have had good luck growing the traditional
large leaved soft basil which we harvest regularly to make great
quantities of pesto which we freeze in ice cube trays so we have
easy serving size portions whenever the mood strikes. We also have
learned to quick fry fresh basil leaves in olive oil to freeze for
other uses, like chopped frozen on homemade pizza or chopped into
a homemade tomato sauce. Gourmet Magazine also has a great
number of recipes for using fresh basil.
Benefits: Once flowering, basil is used throughout
Mexico to shoo away flies and it really does work! Pick a few flowering
stems and treat them like any other flowers from your garden. Find
a pretty vase, fill it with fresh water and load it up with basil.
Basil may also be a healthful energizer. Try making a light tea
from several leaves and see how you feel.
From: Basil is said to have originated
in such diverse continents as Africa and India/Asia.
|
| |
 Planting
and Care: Here in the Caribbean this type of basil
seems to prefer some shade during the
hotter parts of the day. Plant it in rich soil where it will
receive regular rainfall or watering. When the plants reach
about eight to ten inches tall, begin to harvest the upper
leaves. Take a sharp knife and cut just above a leaf joint.
If you don't harvest the leaves regularly, the plants will
begin to flower and the leaves will grow smaller and a little
bitter. When this happens the plants are no longer useful in
food preparations, but will work fine as insect repellents.
When your basil has been in the ground for a couple of months
and seems to be growing woody, harvest several soft (not woody)
stems with several leaves. Place these in water in a bright,
but not sunny, window. They will quickly root and you will
have fresh basil to plant. You can do this for several months,
but at some point you will have to start over from seeds so
when one of your plants goes to flower leave it until it begins
to seed. Then pull it up gently on a wind free day. Shake the
dry plant over an old sheet and collect the seeds for the next
gardening season.
Varieties: The basil you see pictured above
which was photographed in our garden in Montserrat is probably Lettuce
Leaf. These plants are able to grow well here in what
can be a hot, dry and VERY windy climate that just as easily
in a few days can be a very rainy temperate climate.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted © KO
2004/2008/2010
|
| |
 **Basil
(2), Mint (in Montserrat) Caribbean Perennial Ocimum
basillicum (L.)
Willd.
This plant has small leaves, less than an inch long, a terrific flavor and, best
of all, it is a very tough plant that can grow in tropical sun.
Benefits: Here in Montserrat it is used a a tea.
From: American tropics and subtropics
Planting and Care: This plant will root easily from a six inch cutting
placed in a glass of water on a bright, not sunny, windowsill. Once rooted it
can be moved outside, first to a semi shady area in a small pot and then to a
bright sunny spot in the garden. It is a lovely plant and will grow to be about
two feet tall before it always seems to succumb to some insect, most often mealy
bugs. So, although it is a perennial we keep individual plants only about a year
before renewing them with a fresh cutting.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted © KO
2004/2007
|
| |
|
| |
| **Bay
Leaf Tree See
Below BAY RUM TREE |
|
 **Bay
Rum Tree, Bay Leaf Tree, Wild Cinnamon Tree Pimenta
racemosa (Mill.) J. W. Moore syn. P. acris or Caryophyllus
racemosus
The bay rum tree is very attractive and can be grown on a relatively small
plot of land as a garden centerpiece. Its leaves are dark green and shiny resembling
the shape of the bay leaves used in cooking, but BEWARE bay rum oil is toxic
so the leaves are probably toxic too. Its flowers are not memorable for their
beauty, but they provide a lovely enduring scent in the garden.
Benefits:
Growing to up to 40 feet this tree is the source of bay oil used in making
the popular bay rum cosmetic products that are said to have originated in Montserrat.
One
hundred pounds of bay rum leaves yields one pound of an essential oil called
myrcia. Bay rum is made from a combination of bay oil or myrcia, orange oil,
pimenta oil, alcohol and water. Parts of the bay rum tree have also been said
to have curative powers in external applications for muscle and joint strains
and pains.
From: The West Indies
Photographed: In our garden
at our home in Montserrat.
Planting and Care: Trees live so long and are large enough to dominate
areas of your garden so choose well where you will plant this one.
It prefers full sun and routine rainfall or watering though ours
which are fully grown have suffered through several droughts with
little apparent damage.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted ©KO
2008
|
| |
| **Beach
Mulberry See
The "N" Page NONI |
| |
 Beach
Roses and Rose Hips
Photographed: By the sea in Sakonnet, Rhode
Island, in the northeast USA.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted ©KO
2010
|
| |
|
| |
BEANS
**Asparagus
Bean, Yard Long Bean Dolichos melanophtalmus or Vigna
sesquipedalis or Phaseolus sesquipedalis'
This is a prolific climbing type of green bean which as the name implies is
very long, not a yard, but at least a foot. We planted these beans along with
Italian pole beans. The local large rodent called an agouti ate all of the
latter so we are very fond of the asparagus bean for its survival characteristics.
Even though the plants look terrible they produce enough beans every day or
so to make the evening meal green and they are delicious.
Photographed: In our garden in Montserrat
Planting and Care: Plant a few seeds by a 10 foot pole in full sun.
With regular rainfall or watering you should begin harvesting in about sixty
days. The seeds for this type of bean can be identified because they are a
muted red in color.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2009 |
| |
Black
Beans
Link: http://www.iit.edu/~beans/black.html
|
| |
**Green
beans Phaseolus vulgaris
Tropical Climate Varieties: Extender, Contender,
Harvester
Soil: Deep and fertile.
Fertilizer: 4/16/4 or 5/20/5
Diseases: Most are spread by insects so control
bugs.
Planting: We plant them in November for an early
February harvest because insects are not prevalent in that season.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2007
|
| |
| Kidney
beans |
| |
 **Mung
beans, Green Gram, Golden Gram, Vigna radiata (L)
The mung bean is what we know as the most common "bean sprout" in most
of the world. These are the wonderful crisply fried sprouts so essential in Chinese
cuisine. Like us, many people wrongly think that sprouted soy beans produce the
Chinese dishes. Mung beans are as easy to sprout as alfalfa and about one tablespoon
of seeds produces about one quart of sprouts. When the sprouts are fully developed
give them a rinse and a drain and store them in the refrigerator. They will keep
for several days.
Benefits: The beans themselves are high in protein,
about 25% by weight. They are also said to have detoxifying properties.
Try cooking them with coriander, cumin and ginger. If you spout
the beans you will be getting vitamin C not in the beans themselves.
And, mung bean flour is said to be useful in caring for the skin.
From: Burma and India
Links:
http://www.iit.edu/~beans/mung.html
Photographed: In our garden in Montserrat
Planting and Care: Plant your seeds about 1" deep and be prepared
to wait because these beans take more than three months to reach their height
of from two to three feet, to flower and produce mature bean pods. When they
do produce you won't be disappointed as each pod will contain about 10 to 15
seeds. Mung beans make a good green manure crop and are nitrogen fixing. They
are also both heat and drought tolerant and so make one a good choice for
growing
in a tropical summer which is a very difficult time
for most vegetables and other plants.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted © Krika.com
2008 |
| |
|
| |
 Bear's
Breach, Greek Akanthos Acanthus mollis
This is a plant we first saw in the Botanical Gardens in Athens.
Aside from lovely winding paths and many large trees providing wonderful
shade this garden is disappointing. The Bear's Breach is the only
memorable plant we saw.
Photographed: In
the Botanical Garden at Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Planting
and Care: Grow this plant in bright semi shade with regular
rainfall or watering for best results. The leaves and tall flower
stalks, up to five feet, make this a stunning accent plant.
Link:
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
Plants/Acanthaceae/Acanthus_mollis.html
Text
and Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2008/2010
|
| |
| Beefsteak
Plant See
the "J" Page JOSEPHS COAT (3) |
| |
Beets Beta
vulgaris
Native to Europe extending toward the east to Asia and to North Africa the lowly
beet has been the staple food of many peoples, both in its vegetable form and
so as a source of sugar. All too often beets are overcooked and fall into the
same group of inedible vegetables as overcooked cabbage and broccoli. When well
prepared beets are delicious! In New England they grow like weeds, but here in
the Caribbean we have yet to see one appear in the garden despite out best efforts.
We'd like your advice if you have some to give us.
Text
Copyrighted © KO 2007 |
| |
|
| |
BEGONIAS
 **Begonia
Landscaping
Begonias range from the prosaic shady garden hardy plant in carefree New England
summer gardens, usually with nondescript pink or red flowers, to large leaved
indoor specimens with beautiful flowers. These latter plants would be perfect
in our shade garden, but we have so far no access to the plants themselves
here in Montserrat and no starter plants from elsewhere. We're going to change
that just as soon as possible!
Photographed: At the driveway entrance to Hotel
Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photograph copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
sutherlandii
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010 |
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 1
Photographed: At the Hotel San Buenaventura
on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photograph copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
  Begonia
Mystery Pink 2
Photographed: At the Hotel San Buenaventura on Lake
Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery White 2D
Photographed: At the Hotel San Buenaventura on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 3
Photographed: At the Hotel San Buenaventura on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photograph copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 4
Photographed: At the Hotel San Buenaventura on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photograph copyrighted © KO 2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 5
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan
in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 9
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO 2010 |
| |
 Painted
Leaf Begonia, Rex Begonia
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photograph copyrighted © KO2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 30A
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan
in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 31A
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan
in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Painted
Leaf Begonia, Rex Begonia
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photograph copyrighted ©KO2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 33
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 35
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan
in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 36
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan
in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 38
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake
Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
  Begonia
Mystery 39
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake
Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted ©KO
2010
|
| |
 Begonia
Mystery 40
Photographed: On our garden terrace at our apartment in Oaxaca,
Mexico.
Text and photographs copyrighted ©KO
2010
|
| |
| **Bell
Pepper See
The "P" Page PEPPERS |
| |
| **Be-Still
Tree See
The "Y" Page YELLOW OLEANDER TREE |
| |
| **Bhaji See
The "S" Page SPINACH |
| |
| Bird's
Nest Fern See
The "F" Page FERNS |
| |
|
| |
BIRD OF PARADISE
 Bird
of Paradise Strelitzia
reginae
This is one of the plants I covet, but do not yet have
growing in the garden. When I get one, I know just where to plant
it so that its exotic flowers and very large leaves will be at
their best in the four foot height they usually achieve.
From: South Africa
Photographed: In our apartment garden in Oaxaca,
Mexico, in February 2010.
Planting and care: This stunning plant likes to live in the sun with
its feet firmly planted in rich soil in a setting that receives regular rainfall.
It will do well also in semi shade, but reduce its exposure to watering or rainfall
as well as to the sun.
Text
and Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2007/2010
|
| |
  White
Bird of Paradise
As
you can see in the photograph to the left, this is a HUGE member
of the Bird of Paradise family. These plants were 12 to 15 feet tall
and I mistook them for some variety of bananas until my husband called
my
attention
to them. Truly
extraordinary.
Photographed: At
the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Text and photographs copyrighted ©KO 2010
|
| |
|
| |
Bird's
Nest Anthurium See
the "A" Page ANTHURIUM, BIRD'S NEST
|
| |
 **Blackberry
Lily, Leopard
Lily Belamcanda chinensis
We were given thinnings of this plant from a neighbors garden,
but told nothing about what it was or where and how it prefered to
live in the garden. Okay, good practice; it's an orphan so put it first
in semi shade with regular but not too much water. The roots soon put
up leaves and I thought for sure we had a new type of iris in the garden.
I was very happy. We waited and waited and after several months
stems appeared and grew a good four feet before blooming with lovely
orange speckled flowers that last long enough to make the whole exercise
well worth the effort.
From: North America
Photographed: In our deck garden
in Montserrat.
Planting and Care: Leopard lilys look almost
like irises and most of the year you'll have an ever enlarging
clump of tall thin medium green leaves so it makes an excellent
background plant for flowers growing only to a foot or so. I
wouldn't even dream of growing these from seed, but if you come
by some small plants put them in full sun or semi shade with
regular water or on the dry side and they'll do just fine.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
| **Black
Crab See
The "W" Page -- Wildlife - Black Crab |
| |
 Black
Eyed Susan Vine Thunbergia
alata
This is a delicate vine with small very appealing flowers
ranging from white through yellow to orange and all have
the distinctive "black eye."
From: East Africa
Photographed: At the Hotel San Buenaventura
on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in May 2010.
Planting and Care: This little vine likes
it sunny and moist and will be a perennial once it settles
in. It is not winter hardy.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted © KO
2010
|
| |
Black
Pepper Piper nigrum
Black pepper is obtained from dried unripe fruits. White pepper
results when ripe fruits are fermented to remove their skins
and then dried. What surprised
me when I received a pepper plant as a gift, is it turned out to be a tree
not a bush as I had imagined. The tree is beautiful and yields
after about five years.
This is one of our trees that lives in Taxco. I haven’t been able to
get one in Montserrat.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2004
|
| |
 Top
Of Page |
|
  **Bleeding
Heart #1 (Caribbean version) Clerodendrum thomsoniae
or Clerodendrum speciosum or Clerodendrum delectum
Blooming almost continuously, this bleeding heart has the qualities
of a small bush but with a strong vine like tendency if it has anything
on which to grip. The flowers are less delicate than more northerly
versions and its bumpy papery leaves are a rich medium green. In
our garden it thrives in the hot sun, but grows just as well in
mixed shade and sun.
Blooms: Almost continuously, but never spectacularly
From: It is believed to have originated in W. Africa.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2009
|
| |
|
Bleeding
Heart #2 (Northern version) Dicentra
spectabilis
This plant grows well despite its delicate appearance. Unlike its Caribbean
cousin, it has no vine like quality and it blooms for an all too short period
once each year.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2007
|
| |
| Blue
Hibiscus See the "R" Page ROSE OF SHARON |
| |
| **Blue
Lily of the Nile See
The "A" Page AGAPANTHUS |
| |
| **Blue
Trumpet Vine See
The "C" Page CLOCK VINE |
| |
 **Boatlily,
Rheo, Moses-In-The-Boat, Oyster Plant Tradescantia
spathacea or Tradescantia discolor or Rhoeo
spathacea
This is a low growing spreading ground cover plant
with leaves that are green on top and purple underneath.
Planting and Growth: This plant seems to be
in the Wandering Jew family. It is hardy, surviving drought or
lots of rain, direct sun or deep shade and all with absolutely
no care other than what Mother Nature delivers. As with all of
us though, it does look better if given a little care.
Text
and photograph Copyrighted © KO 2008
|
| |
| **Bok
Choy See
The "P" Page Pok Choy |
| |
 Bolivian
Sunset Gloxinia Gloxinia sylvatica
Benefit: This is
a hummingbird attractant.
From: South America
Photographed: At the Hotel San Buenaventura Lake
Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: This sprightly groundcover
will do best in a semi shady garden area that receives lots of
rainfall or routine watering. Planted in a sunnier location seems
to bring out more flowers, but they are smaller and less appealing.
Text
and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010 |
| |
Books
on Tropical Plants and Tropical Gardening
See The "L" Page -- LINKS and REFERENCES FOR TROPICAL
GARDENING
|
| |
**Border
Grass, Liriope,
Lily Turf Liriope muscari
This is a grass-like border plant with a peculiar ability to adapt to and change
its form depending on the level of light it receives. In the shade where ours
lived for three years, the leaves were thin deep green and about 10" long.
Someone told me that border grass would be happier in the sun so I moved them
to our driveway garden, using them as a border for our amaryllis. At first they
suffered terribly, looking on the verge of extinction. I was about to move them
once more, when they began to grow shorter, wider and less deep green leaves
and in the spring here in a tropical environment to flower with spikes of tiny
purple blossoms.
From: Japan and China
Planting and Care: Border grass is one of those
peculiar survivors which will adapt itself to full sun, semi shade
or full shade and a likewise variable amount of water. With a little
care when first planted, border grass will provide you with a very
attractive and tough plant to stabilize soil loss on slopes.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008 |
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**Boston
Fern
See
The "F" Page FERNS
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BOTANICAL GARDENS
Botanical
Garden Jardin Etnobotanico, Reforma
s/n esquina de Constitución, Centro, Oaxaca
Clicking above will take you on a tour of this relatively new and very exciting
garden in the City of Oaxaca, Mexico. Huge and perfect cactus specimens have
been saved from destruction during state construction projects such as highways
and damns. They are now planted and preserved in this large walled garden. Note:the
link will take you to the S page, just scroll down until you get to Sights
and Sites and the Botanical Garden.
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Hotel
Atitlan Botanical Garden, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
This part of the highlands of Guatemala is lush with flowering tropical plants
with the blue waters of Lake Atitlan making an exquisite backdrop. Only recently
did we discover that there is a Botanical Garden devoted to exotic species
and lovingly designed and cared for. We are very grateful for their work and
have noted throughout this site where we have photographed plants in their
garden. Visit the hotel and gardens at Hotel
Atitlan.com
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO
2010
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 Urbino
Botanical Garden, Urbino, Italy
This
little garden was a delightful surprise to find in mid spring. Bulbs
were up and in flower, but the spring clean up was still in the works.
Winter was over, but summer had yet to arrive.
 Text
and Photographs Copyrighted ©KO 2010
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 **Bougainvillea Bougainvillea
spp
This is one of our very favorite flowering plants. We have bright fuchsia, pink,
purple,
salmon,
orange, and white flowering vine like bushes all over our Montserrat gardens
though we love best the hot pink ones growing by the pool.
From: Brazil
Pruning: It is best to prune just after the plants have flowered, but
in reality you can do it when you wish. Hard pruning, in other words seriously
cutting back the plants, is not particularly injurious to the health of the plants
and will net you a vision as in the photograph on the right!
To see more bougainvillea Click
Here or click either photograph.
Text & Photographs Copyrighted © Krika.com 2008
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| Brazilian
Cherry See
the "S" Page SURINAM CHERRY |
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 Brazilian
Clusia, Porcelain Flower Clusia orthoneura, Clusia
Braziliana
From: S. America
Planting and Care: It will do well in full sun or
semi shade as we have seen it thriving in each setting. I would describe
this as a small tree rather than a shrub so I may have gotten the
identification wrong. The flowers are exquisite and have been on
the trees now for four months.
Photographed: At the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan
in Guatemala.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted ©KO
2010
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 Brazilian
Plume Flower (Pink) Justicia carnea
Photographed: At
the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: This pink flowering shrub will grow to be
six feet tall at its best if planted in a bright semi shady
area. It likes rich soil and routine rainfall or watering.
Text and photograph copyrighted ©KO
2010
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 Brazilian
Plume Flower (Red), Brazilian Red Cloak Megaskepasma
erythrochiamys
From: Central America
Benefits: This is an attractant for butterflies and hummingbirds.
Photographed: At
the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitilan in
Guatemala.
Planting and Care: This tall red flowering shrub will grow
to
be 10 to 12 feet tall at its best if planted in full sun or in a bright semi
shady
area.
It
likes
rich
soil and routine
rainfall or watering and an acid soil. It's wise to prune the flowers on top
as a way of keeping the plant under control as well as encouraging more blooms.
Text and photographs copyrighted ©KO
2010
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Brazilian
Plume Flower (Yellow), Yellow Jack Justicia aurea or
syn. Jacobinia aurea
From: Mexico and Central America
Planting and Care: This
yellow flowering shrub will grow to over ten feet if planted
in a
bright semi
shady
area. It likes rich soil and
routine
rainfall
or
watering.
Text copyrighted ©KO
2010 |
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Brazilian Plumes See
the "S" Page SHRIMP PLANTS -- Golden Shrimp Plant |
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| Brazilian
Red Cloak See Brazilian
Plume Flower Red Above |
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Breadfruit
Tree Artocarpus altilis, Artocarpus incisus or
Artocarpus communis
Its fruits can weigh up to 10 pounds each which in the tropics are
cooked in a variety of ways much like white potatoes – boiling,
roasting or frying.
Benefits: Aside from being delicious, its fruits
are high in carbohydrates and vitamins A, B, and C. The leaves may
be made into a tea to reduce high blood pressure.
From: The
breadfruit was brought to the West Indies in 1793 from Tahiti.
Planting and Growth: Fast
growing to 50 or 60 feet, the breadfruit likes life sunny and moist.
Like so many tropical trees it is very susceptible to dry wood termites.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2007
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| Bridal
Bouquet See The "F" Page -- FRANGIPANIS |
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| Bristle
Grass See
the "P" Page -- Palm
Grass |
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**Broad-Leaf-Thyme See
The "T" Page THYME, Spanish Thyme
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BROMELIADS
Photographed: The
flowering plant below set off in a black frame was photographed
in our garden in Montserrat. The other plants were all photographed
at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, most of them at the Botanical Garden
at the Hotel Atitlan.
Planting and Care: These
plants prefer a semi to a fully shady place in the garden and they
like an acid soil or a nook that collects rain and old leaves set
somewhere in a large tree.
All text and photographs are
copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008 or ©KO 2010. None
are to be used without permission.
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 Silver
Vase Aechmea fatsiata
From: Brazil
Planting
and Care: This bromeliad likes strong diffuse light and
warm, but not hot temperatures. Keep it reasonable moist. Buy a
plant that is close to the size you want because it is a slow grower
and will take a long time to "fill in."
Photographed: In the dining room at the Hotel
Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
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Vriesea splendens
From: Venezuela
 
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 Guzmania Guzmania
'Sunnytime'
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 Neoregelia 'Flandria' |
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**Brown
Bud Allamanda See
The "Y" Page YELLOW ALLAMANDA
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 Bulbine Bulbine
frutescens
Bulbine is a very hardy plant with flowering stems growing to
about one foot in height. Normally the continually blooming flowers
are a combination of yellow and orange as in the photograph,
but
there
are also
less common varieties with only yellow flowers.
Photographed: By
the side of the road at the beach in Panajachel, Guatemala.
Planting and Care: This pretty plant is almost immune to insects
and diseases and grows in full sun with very occasional rainfall
or watering.
Text
and Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2010
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| **Burma
Creeper See
The "R" Page -- Rangoon Creeper |
Sedum morganianum
Family: Crassulaceae
Burro's Tail
Origin: Mexico
small shrub 2-5 ftfull sunsemi-shademoderate waterdry conditionsornamental
foliagepink flowers
It makes an attractive, succulent plant for hanging baskets, is
easily propagated from leaf cuttings or by stem cuttings. |
 Burro
Tail Sedum morganianum
From:
Mexico
Photographed: At
the Hotel San Buenaventura on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala in May
2010.
Planting and Care: They are said to prefer full
sun, but I have very often seen them growing beautifully in semi
shade. Go light on the water to keep them happy.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO
2010 |
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**Buttercup
Tree Cochlospermum vitifolium 'plenum'
If not for its luscious yellow flowers, I would consider this a weed tree; something
to be removed so that something better could take its place.
From: Mexico through South America
Planting and Care: This is a very soft wooded
tree that will grow to about thirty scraggly feet if left on its
own. It's appearance is much improved if it is heavily pruned after
blooming.
Text
Copyrighted © KO 2007 |
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| Butterfly
Ginger Lily See
the "G" Page -- GINGER -- White Ginger |
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**Butternut
Squash Cucurbita moschata
This wonderful vegetable grows well in the Caribbean,
or at least it does in Montserrat, holding up to the sun and
heat better than we ever expected. In New England I always
planted it directly in the the garden. Here we plant seeds
in small pots and then transplant the small plants to the garden;
otherwise the yield from seeds is very low.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2007 |
