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OUR TROPICAL GARDEN

 

Click below to see our garden plants alphabetically listed by common name.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
M page
Macadamia Nut Tree Macadamia ternifolia F. Muell. or Intergrifolia or M. integrifolia
This tree takes a long time to become productive, up to four or five years, but a couple of years later a single tree can bear many pounds of its delicious and valuable nuts. Macadamias are said to be well-suited to the climate in Montserrat. Its leaves are holly-like in appearance. This tree is one of those that are as wide as they are tall. We’re trying to find one growing on the island where we might find viable seeds or seedlings.
From: It originated in a sub-tropical climate in Australia.
Text Copyrighted ©KO 2008
 
**Macho Fern See the "F" Page FERNS -- Sword Fern
 
 
 

MAHOGANY TREES

** West Indian Mahogany Tree Swietenia mahogani (L.)
Native to the West Indies, the mahogany is now said to be protected in Montserrat, though we are unsure what that means as we see so many cut down. Among several young trees, we have one very tall old tree on our property which truly is the garden's centerpiece as well as being a stunning survivor of the 1989 devastation wrought by Hurricane Hugo. It is a West Indian mahogany which is said to have a better wood grain than the other mahogany on the island which is called Honduran mahogany, but it seems to be much slower growing than its Honduran cousin. West Indian mahogany trees lose their leaves in the spring dry season in April and May, though the old leaves are almost immediately replaced by new growth. The mahogany can be most readily identified by the rounded oval pods at the top of the tree which come from nondescript flowers born in late spring to early summer.
From: The Caribbean and South Florida.
Photographed: In our garden at our home in Montserrat.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2008

 

**Honduran Mahogany Tree Swietenia macrophylla
In our first few years here in Montserrat, we worked hard clearing our land. We got to a final corner two years ago and discovered a lovely, straight as an arrow, mahogany growing in the center of a large nondescript tropical forest area. We cleared all of the less appealing trees and brush and were left with a mahogany about six inches in diameter. That small tree has grown at an enormous rate and is now well over a foot in diameter. In its native environment this tree will grow to be one hundred and fifty feet tall. It is the tree now used for mahogany wood the world over.
Photographed: In our garden at our home in Montserrat.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2007

 

 
 
 
Malavar Plum See the "R" Page -- ROSE APPLE
 

Mamey Sapote Tree, Mamey, Mamey Apple, Manseport (In Montserrat) Mammea americana or Pouteria sapota
The fruit of this large tree are baseball sized with a light brown rough skin. The interior is yellow/orange in color and very sweet. For those of us who have developed an allergy to mangos, this might be a close alternative fruit.
Benefits: Aside from the lovely fruit it bears, many parts of this tree can be used for their natural insecticidal properties.
For more information take a look at this website: click here!
From: The Caribbean, Central America and the northern countries of South America
Planting and Care: Growing up to seventy five feet tall, the mammy is a truly tropical tree, hardy in almost all conditions in the tropics, but not at all resistant to COLD. It will do its finest in full sun with routine rainfall or watering.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Mango Tree (Julie variety) Mangifera indica L.
Here in our garden our mangos bloom most heavily in January with the harvest beginning in May and continuing through August. The trees bloom again in September, but lightly, just enough to give us some fruit in time for Christmas. Mango trees can become huge, up to about ninety feet, but ours are not yet so big.
Benefits:
Its leaves make a great yellow dye and are sometimes used for cattle fodder. If you ever wanted to cut one down, you could use the bark for its tannin and the wood for ship building. It should not be used in making charcoal.
According to author David Eric Brussel who wrote Potions, Poisons, and Panaceas: An Ethnobotanical Study of Montserrat, a tea made from the leaves is used “. . . to treat colds, sinus congestion, asthma, coughs, and arthritis. The leaves are chewed to expel intestinal worms. . . . The resin from this tree is said to have anti syphilitic properties. A decoction of the bark or the dried pulverized seed is taken internally for chronic diarrhea.” (p 18)
CAUTION: The mango tree is in the poison ivy family so if you are allergic to one, you may be allergic to the other and this is something to be careful about. After living for years in Mexico mangos became a staple in our diet. BUT, having bought a property in Montserrat with two mango trees I developed an allergy when I harvested the fruit over the several weeks of ripening and peeled and chopped it for the freezer almost every day so we would have mangos all year. At first I became red as if I had a sunburn, then blisters grew on my swelling hands and face. I resisted as long as I could, but after a week or so I finally succumbed to a doctor's prescription for Prednisone as the burning and itching became insupportable. This is a serious allergic reaction and sadly I will probably never be able to eat or touch a mango again.
Diseases and Insects:
The most common disease anthracnose is indicated by black spots on the leaves and can be treated with a natural fungicide. As for insects mangos are not bothered too much except for nematodes. Plant marigolds under the tree to repel these nasty critters.

From: Although they are now common in many
parts of the world, mango trees are originally from India.
Fruit: Mangos should be picked when ripe as green
fruits do not ripen well. Unfortunately, ripe mangos are very appealing to our garden thrushes.
Photographed: In our garden at our home in Montserrat.

Varieties: It is said by some that the best variety to grow if you are starting fresh is “Bombay” because it is less stringy than other mangos. In Mexico we were enamored of the petecón mango. Here in Montserrat our Julie mangos are already mature so we’ll stick with them, but a tree bearing petecóns would have been a real treat.
Text & Photographs Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008 and 2009

 

On the left our mature Julie Mango in full bloom and on the right our young Julie

 

**Manseport See Mamey above

 
**Marigold (annual flower) Tagetes
Marigolds are great flowers in almost any setting; their colors are in the red to yellow range, the height of these feathery leaved aromatic plants varies from six inches to three feet and the flowers from about four inches across to only about one inch.
Benefits: Marigolds should be planted in almost any garden anywhere to naturally prevent insect damage. They really do work as protectors of vulnerable plants such as tomatoes, even here in the Caribbean where they are a natural inhibitor of nematodes, which are a serious problem.
Photographed: In our upper vegetable garden at our home in Montserrat.
Spiritual Uses:
Marigolds are a staple part of Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos celebrations all over Mexico. This is a unique and wonderfully different version of what we know as Halloween. Do take a look at our story about this very special day in Mexico to learn more about the tradition and about how the marigold is used at that time of the year. Here is the link: http://www.krika.com/wsdayofthedead.html
Warning: Do not plant marigolds near green beans; they are not friends.

Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008/2010
 
**Marjoram Origanum majorana
Marjoram has a milder flavor than oregano, but used fresh it is an excellent substitute.
Planting and Care: This most essential herb is easy to grow once it is started. That is the only tricky part. If you are lucky enough to be near plant supply sources, buy one. If not, you are in the same boat as we and I wish you well with starting seeds. I have no advice as I believe only being lucky has resulted in our having a plant. Once your plant is started and on its way it will grow well in full sun or semi shade. If grown as a potted plant I believe it prefers a clay pot. If grown in the garden it will spread, putting down roots from its delicate stems. It likes a sweet soil (alkaline) and regular rain or watering.

Text Copyrighted ©KO 2008
 
**Match-Me-If-You-Can Please See the "J" Page - JOSEPH'S COAT (1) and (3)

 

Mexican Petunia, Mexican Blue Bell Ruellia brittoniana
This long blooming plant and its pretty foliage belie its hardy nature.
Benefits:
The sweet flowers on this plant will draw butterflies and hummingbirds.
From: Mexico
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Plant it in full sun or in the shade and give it abundant water or keep it dry and it will do just fine. Its flexibility is a real plus and it is very pretty as well.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010

 
 

Mexican Purslane, Moss rose, Perslane, Purslane, Portulaca Portulaca grandiflora
This is a delightful tough ground hugging flowering ground cover. It can handle full sun and comes with flowers in a range of bright Mexican colors.
From: Southern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina
Photographed:
On the shore of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Planted in poor soil in bright sun, with regular ground level watering these plants will be looking good and in full flower. They are also drought tolerant which is a real plus.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010

 
Mexican Sage See the "S" Page -- SALVIAS -- Mexican Sage
 
**Mexican Thistle See The "P" Page -- POPPIES - Mexican Poppy
 

**Mile a Minute, Cardinal Climber, Cupid’s Flower, Cypress Vine, Star of Bethlehem Ipomea quamoclit
This is a lacy delicate trailing vine with small red flowers. It is an annual, but I suspect it will self seed without having to be replanted.
Benefits: This sweet vine is a hummingbird attractant.
Photographed: In our deck garden at our home in Montserrat.
Planting and Growth: I was given seeds and planted them along with some others in a large seed bed. The other plants were up and transplanted to the garden before the mile a minute ever showed up. When it did, I no longer remembered what I had planted, but waited to see what the little plants would turn into. My patience was rewarded as a couple of weeks later they had developed enough so I realized what they were. They will grow best in full sun or semi shade with a medium amount of routine rainfall or watering and will bloom in the tropical summer months of June, July, August and September. You can expect the vines to reach up to fifteen feet in no time at all as the name implies.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted © Krika.com 2009

 
Mint Herb Menta or Monarda punctata or for spearmint Mentha spicata
Mint is one of our favorite plants; it likes sun and lots of water. Just yesterday we visited the Agricultural Department here in Montserrat and seeing potted mint plants we thought we would buy a few and put them in our garden. As it turned out, the mint plants that we saw were all privately owned by Agricultural Department staff. None were for sale to the public like us, small backyard gardeners nor to any of the professional farmers working within their recently granted hundreds of square feet of greenhouse capacity.
Benefits: Mint tea made from a cup of boiled water poured over 5 or 6 freshly picked mint leaves I can testify is a life saver to those with almost any kind of digestive distress. Have a cup after meals. Mint also has antioxidant properties and may be a useful over all toxin cleanser.
Photographed: As a potted plant on our terrace in Taxco, Mexico.
Planting and Growth:
In Mexico, snips of thriving mint plants will be given by anyone who had one to whomever asked. Here in Montserrat even at the Agricultural Department no snips and no plants were available yesterday (6/27/08) from lovely large mint plants. If you live with more generous people than we do, surely one of your neighbors will give you a few snips of a plant. If not, try starting them from seeds. Once established mint grows almost too well so it is best planted in an area naturally or intentionally restricted. It likes sun or semi shade and reasonable rainfall or watering.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008
 
Miracle Leaf See the "K" Page -- KALANCHOE -- Donkey's Ears
 
Mission Cactus See The "N" Page -- NOPAL
 
Monkey Pod See The "R" Page -- RAIN TREE
 

Morning Glory Vine Ipomoea
This is one of those great garden standbys. They twine themselves around everything and bloom continually with flowers opening every morning. In Mexico they grow wild by the roadsides and are called platos quebrados or broken plates.
From: The Americas
Photographed:
In a garden on the bay in Warren, Rhode Island, in the United States on the left. On the right at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Pick a sunny spot to plant the seeds and provide routine watering or rainfall to keep them happy. They are fast growing and come with purple, blue (my favorite), pink, red or white flowers.
Text and Photographs Copyrighted ©KO 2009/2010/2011

 

**Morning Glory Bush Flowering Bush Ipomoea carnea or Ipomoea fistulosa
This soft looking flowering bush growing over 10 feet tall thrives in rough conditions here in Montserrat. It is more beautiful if cared for, but it seems to be one of those plants that has a will of its own to survive and to be stylish while doing so. We had one by the wall just inside our driveway entrance and its three inch lavender flowers were a continual delight. We liked it enough to use it as a hedge. It is fast growing and continually covered with flowers.
From:
This glorious flowering bush originated in the tropical areas of the Americas.
Photographed: At our home in Montserrat.
Landscaping ideas:
As you can see in the photograph to the right, this flowering bush will make a beautiful informal and carefree hedge. Ours in the photograph replaced a very tall and very old red hibiscus hedge which died while we were away in Greece.
Surprisingly on a small island with folks who resist giving compliments, our new hedge has drawn quite a bit of attention.
Planting and Care: Bright sun, not infrequent fertilizing, and routine rainfall or watering will keep this shrub/bush at its best. G

Text & Photographs Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008/2010

 
Moses-In-The-Boat See The "B" Page BOATLILY
 
Moss Rose See above -- MEXICAN PURSLANE
 
Mother in law plant See The "S" Page SNAKE PLANT
 
Mountain Mahoe Tree, Tree Hibiscus Hibiscus elatus
Lost to the volcanic eruption of July 7, 2003, this was the large-leaved tree with deep red orange flowers that grew beside our pool. Its leaves and especially its flowers made for a bit of a mess in the pool which took a lot of extra cleaning, but enjoying the tree’s beauty while lazing in the pool was well worth the effort of a little more clean up. Swimming under the tree was lovely and we miss it every day.
From: Hawaii.
Photographed: In our shady terrace garden at our home in Montserrat.

Text & Photographs Copyrighted ©KO 2008
 
Mung Beans See The "B" Page -- BEANS -- Mung Beans
 
 
 

MUSHROOMS

Edible Mushrooms Agaricus
Planting and Care: Mushrooms like a warm, moist and dark environment and monitoring the pH of the growing medium is also important. Given a place to grow with these qualities, mushrooms are said to be a self sustaining crop.
Text Copyrighted ©KO 2008

 
Stinkhorn mushroom (1) "Stinky fingers" Mutinus elegans
When we first saw this one growing in our shady terrace garden we had a good laugh about the shape and coloring, naming it "stinky fingers" before running quickly away from the truly awful smell. We took a photograph the next morning of the new ones that had appeared overnight and then with our noses in an uproar, we dug them out, finding them connected to firm roundish white balls just under the soil surface. We became very religious about the removal every morning, because the smell was so bad and so strong we couldn't spend any time in the terrace unless they were removed. A good friend who recently left Montserrat for a home in Oregon told us what they were and we now have an answer to our long standing question about another stinkhorn mushroom.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008
 
Stinkhorn mushroom (2) "Lattice stinkhorn" Clathrus ruber
This apparition appeared in the area of our upper vegetable garden about two years ago. About six inches high and brightly colored, they smelled enough to attract flies, but not enough to drive us from the garden as did the "Stinky Fingers" described above. They seemed pretty creepy and none of the local farmers we talked to would tell us anything about them, claiming never to have even seen them in their entire lives lived on island. That didn't seem too credible and we did find out what they were from former Montserratian expats now living in Oregon, Inge and Wolf Krebs. They also had the stinkhorns in their garden when they lived in Montserrat.
Photographed: In our upper vegetable garden at our home in Montserrat.

For more information on stinkhorns, here is a good web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/phallaceae.html
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2007/2010
 
 

MUSSAENDA FAMILY

Dwarf Yellow Mussaenda Pseudomussaenda flava or Mussaenda lutea or Mussaenda luteola or Mussaenda glabra or Mussaenda incana
Benefits: This is a butterfly and hummingbird attractant.
From: Tropical Africa or maybe the far east
Planting and Care: This is a small member of this lovely family of plants so choose its place in the garden carefully to show it off at its best. It prefers a bright semi shady area or full sun and a good bit of rainfall or watering. It is not winter hardy.
Text Copyrighted ©KO 2010

Mussaenda Frondosa
This bush struck my eye from all the way across a terrace filled with beautiful plants. It was so striking because of the bright white leaves you can see in detail in the photograph on the right. Surrounding the small flowers and lying against the deep green of the other leaves these white leaves made something almost magical.
Photographed: In the garden of the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010

 
 
Tropical Dogwood, Red Flag Bush, Ashanti Blood, Flame of the Forest Mussaenda Evangelina or Mussaenda erythrophylla or Mussaenda coccinea
At its happiest the tropical dogwood will grow to be 10 feet tall or more and all along the way will be attracting butterflies.
From:
The tropical regions of West Africa
Photographed: In the garden of the Hotel San Buenaventura on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Like others in this family, this plant likes full sun and routine rainfall or watering to be at its best, though it is fairly tolerant of soil types and qualities. It is relatively immune to serious insect damage and diseases. Prune it with abandon to keep the shape you want and it will delight you by producing more flowers.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010
 
 

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