**Lantana Flowering Bush Lantana camara
Not a spectacular flowering bush, but as a hummingbird attractant lantana is terrific. Like so many other plants here in a Caribbean tropical garden, the lantana is poisonous. The colors of its flowers range from pink and white through to yellow and orange.
From: It originated in the West Indies.
Planting and Growth: It grows best in full sun, tolerates dry conditions and appreciates fertilizer.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008

**Leather Leaf Fern See The "F" Page FERNS

Leeks

**Lemon grass Cymbopogon citratus
We just got this plant from a neighbor a few months ago. Its appearance is that of a weedy grayish green grass about twenty inches high. It now has a home in our herb garden and is doing well.
Planting and Growth: It prefers full sun and regular rain or watering.
From: India
Benefits: Aside from being a regular ingredient in Thai cooking, it makes a lovely tea. It also may serve as a non-toxic mosquito repellant.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2008

**Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Tropical Climate Varieties: Great Lakes, Mignonette, Salad Bowl or Lakeland. Here in Montserrat the Department of Agriculture sells flats of a variety called Empire. It is a good when it works, but it takes a lot of care and bolts too readily to make it a viable commercially grown lettuce in a Caribbean environment. We've recommended Lakeland which we hope is the variety that is most typically grown in Trinidad & Tobago. It is wonderful; it has a good flavor, great texture and it survives the heat! We even had friends send us seeds from Tobago to plant in Taxco, Mexico, because the lettuce was just so good!
Soil: Lettuce likes a well drained soil with lots of organic matter.
Fertilizer: Here in Montserrat plant the lettuce and bathe it DAILY in Miracle Grow for the first two or three weeks. NO KIDDING!!!! After that surround it with 12/24/12. Keep it well watered and you'll enjoy lots of salad.
Insects: Here in Montserrat bugs have not been a special problem with lettuce (I am knocking wood as I write this) Surprisingly we do have aphids, but they seem to attack only our very young celery stalks and leaves.
Diseases: So far we haven't had any noticeable diseases. (No doubt that will happen next year.)
Benefits: High source of silica.
Text & Photo Copyrighted © KO 2007

Lignum Vitae Guaiacum sanctum
This is a relatively small tree growing to be at maturity only about thirty feet. Its real asset in the garden is that when it flowers it is spectacular! Plant it where its one inch blue flowers will maximize the show. Like the cordia tree, the lignum is a true friend to tropical gardeners. It loves the rain, but it will tolerate a long dry season, and it will grow happily in the sun or in a semi shady area. It does not grow too fast and will normally bloom in the spring.
A native of the Caribbean, this was one of the small trees offered in the Montserrat Department of Agriculture's annual almost free tree give-away. We didn't know what it was and so came away without one. We'll soon change that.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008

Lime
Calcium or magnesium ground from limestone rock is normally used in agriculture to "sweeten" soil or make it less acidic. In olden days people actually tasted their soil to see if it were sweet or acid. Then they added to the soil what they believed necessary to correct the pH.
These days the most common way to sweeten soil is to add agricultural lime or ground limestone, though wood ashes are said to work as well. There are two other types of lime: burnt lime also known as quick lime can be used in the garden, but it is very active and can burn plants. Hydrated lime or slaked lime can also be used, but is rarely used because it is extremely caustic.
Note: Here on Montserrat there is no available ground limestone or what is known as agricultural lime. And, the soil is extremely acidic due to the many layers of volcanic ash that have been deposited over the last decade and to the frequent acid rain that falls when the Soufriere Volcano's sulfuric dioxide emissions flow north over the island and over the area in which we live and combine with a rainstorm. Unfortunately this is not an unusual event.
Hydrated lime is indeed a dangerous material and contact with it should be avoided if at all possible.
For More Information: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/cabarrus/staff/dgoforth/limefaq.html#L7
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008

**Lime Tree, Key Lime Citrus aurantifolia (L.)
We developed a real fondness for the fruit from this twenty to thirty foot lime tree while living in Taxco, Mexico; it is not bitter like American lime juice yet it is more tart. Lime oil is extracted from the rind of these fruits and the Caribbean island of Montserrat was once famous for the exportation of lime oil produced from its many lime tree plantations. You are probably familiar with the brand, “Roses Lime” whose juice originated in Montserrat.

A century ago, Montserrat lime juice was carried on British ships to prevent scurvy engendering the nickname “Limey,” but the island's orchards were severely damaged by disease in the 19th century and lime trees were never replanted for commerical purposes. Even today lime trees in Montserrat are very subject to what is locally called “die back disease” which starts at the top of the tree and works its way down, eventually killing the tree.
From: Originating in India and Malaysia, this lime is now found almost all of the year round warm climate countries in the world.
Planting and Care: This relatively small tree prefers to grow in full sun and grown from seed will take from eight to ten years to bloom and fruit. We are still waiting, but have only a year or so to go. Wish us luck.
Here in the Caribbean we have been told by locals to use routine watering with human urine to reduce the negative affects of ants on these wonderful trees. We have heeded the advice and our Mexican lime is now about twelve feet tall. It has yet to produce fruit, but we are now at the nine year stage and ever hopeful.
Recipe:
“Limesicles”
Mix ½ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of sugar. Heat just until the sugar dissolves then cool and refrigerate. When cold, stir briskly and pour into small plastic cups with popsicle sticks. Freeze.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008

LINKS and REFERENCES FOR TROPICAL GARDENING

Books on Tropical Plants and Tropical Gardening

Honychurch, Penelope N. Caribbean Wild Plants & Their Uses, MacMillan Education Ltd, London, 1986.

Stresau F.A.S.L.A., Frederic B., Florida, My Eden, Florida Classics Library, Port Salerno, Florida 33492-1657, 1986.

Bromeliads

http://www.centralcoastbroms.com/plantslinks.asp
This is a good non-commercial site for folks especially interested in bromeliads.

Bulbs

http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/index.asp
As the name implies this is a good site for bulbs, tubers and corms, etc.

http://www.bloomingbulb.com/
The name says it all for this commercial site.

Cactus and Succulents

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/index.html
This is a pretty good non commercial site where you will find lots of information on all sorts of cactus and succulents.

Ferns

http://www.srtrop.com/index_hm.htm
This is a page on the indoor care requirements of many of the ferns we have growing outside in our garden.

Fruit Trees and Plants

http://www.crfg.org/index.html
This is the website for the California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc. It is an excellent source of information on any and all fruit trees and fruiting plants you may be interested in growing.

http://www.tntisland.com/fruits.html
This is a lovely site with beautiful photographs of well-known and exotic fruits.

Good Gardening Practices

http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/
This is a good site for lots of information on growing specific types of plants, but more importantly it a good site for looking at your land and gardens in a new way. Even if you live in an apartment, but have a balcony or terrace this is a good site to take a look at.

Natural Pesticides and More

Oisat.org/home.html
In their own words this is an "Online Information Service for Non-Chemical Pest Management in the Tropics." This may be one of the best sites I've found to help in managing our unwanted garden visitors.

Orchids

http://www.orchids.org
This is an amusing site which will take you some time to figure out, but I think it probably has a lot of good information tucked in to a lot of confusion.

Parasitic Plants

http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/index.html
This is a peculiar site, but academically based and amusing as well as interesting. If you are interested in parasitic plants take a look below at the Love Vine.

Seed, Plant and Tree Companies

http://www.jacksonandperkins.com/gardening/GP/gatepage/SiteMap
This is a good site for the spring catalog of seeds and plants available from this company.

Stokes.com
Recommended for vegetable seeds.

Thompson Morgan.com
Recommended for all types of seeds.

http://www.plantoasis.com/
This is a good site for houseplants, many of which grow outside in a tropical climate.

Tropical Plants, Seeds and Trees

SouthernTropicals.com
This is a good site for photos to help you identify what you have growing and to see and buy what you might like to have growing.

TopTropicals.com
This is a good site for photos to help you identify what you have growing and to see and buy what you might like to have growing.

http://www.flowersofindia.net/
This is a non-commercial site with the goal of posting information on all of the plants and trees that grow in India. The site is in English, but does offer information in Indian languages as well.

http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/plants/plants.htm
This is a non-commercial site posting information on plants and trees found in Singapore's wetlands.

University Agriculture Department Websites

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/basics.html
This is a good site for advice on how, where and when to plant vegetables in your garden.

Loofah Luffa cylindrica
This is the vine that produces the wonderful loofah bath scrubbers which, once used, no one can live without!
Planting and Care: This vine likes full sun and lots of water. It covers whole yards and walls and produces its bounty in the three month summer rainy season in Mexico. It is not particularly attractive so put it where it will not be a centerpiece in your garden.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008

**Love Vine, Devil's Twine Cassytha filiformis
This is a terrible parasitic spaghetti like vine that in no short time will encompass and destroy some of your favorite plants, bushes and trees if you live in a tropical or semi tropical climate. Its color is most commonly a deep mustard yellow, but it may also be seen with a more orange or reddish tinge.
Benefits: Cancer patients may be thrilled to know that this plant produces several cancer fighting alkaloids alongside of producing its other health benefits. It is hard to imagine that this very tenacious parasite will ever become extinct so putting up with it will also have its benefits.
Eradication: This takes determination and constant vigilance. As soon as you see a bit of the vine, stop and take the time to prune everything that has been twined by its tendrils being very careful not to drop any small piece on the way to the disposal bucket or wheelbarrow. Burn what you remove to ensure that any seeds that may be viable will not take hold anywhere else.
From: Hades as the Devil's Twine name implies!
Planting and Care: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!
Link for more information: http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Lauraceae/
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008

**Lucky Bamboo See The "D" Page DRACAENA -- Lucky Bamboo

**Lucky Lily See The "D" Page DRACAENA -- Lucky Bamboo