Tropical Plants Discovery: Ultimate Way To Relax

Almost every day, at 7 a.m., I look at tropical plants while I walk.  Malaysia, since it is near the equator, doesn’t vary much as far as the time of sunrise, which is right around 6:00 a.m.  This is the best time of day to walk. Because it is cool, fog sits low in the marshy places. Nearby neighbors, some still cooking on wood stoves, are up making curry, roti (bread), and brewing sweet tea. The heavenly smells linger around the houses.  Come take a walk with me through my neighbors’ gardens, I will share what I know about the plants we find.  Isn’t the sun beautiful slanting through the trees!  I love this part the most when walking in the morning to look at the tropical plants.

Duku Orchards

This orchard is a duku orchard. The duku, in other Asian countries is the langsat tree.  It is from the family of mahogany trees. The fruit of duku trees grows in bunches of 2 to 30 fruit, but the fruit bruises easily, so it’s not sold abroad.  It’s a shame because it tastes like caramel. The silky, sweet taste makes ice cream even more delish!

My Neighbor’s Tropical Plants

My nearest neighbor has several interesting tropical plants that are propagated all over the world including the Croton, or commonly known as Joseph’s Coat (in reference to Joseph’s coat of many colors, in the Bible), because of its multicolored leaves. 

The pink colors of the bougainvillea are actually a paper thin pink covering around the flower called bracts.  The flower itself is tiny and white.  These flowers are one of my favorite tropical plants while walking in the morning.

This is a ruffled red hibiscus, which is called Bunga Raya. It is the national flower of Malaysia.

Next to the hibiscus, is a purple oleander which is an evergreen plant native to Morocco.  The fruit of the oleander, called capsules, can be dangerous, every part of this plant contains toxins.  If you have pets, it is best to plant this on the outside of the fence so pets do not become poisoned.  Even though it is toxic, parts of the plant are remedies for epilepsy, irregular heartbeats, and dizziness. This is a plant to steer clear of when you are walking in the morning to look at tropical plants.

Tropical Plants Are Sometimes Grasses

Lemongrass is a grass, but is propagated by rhizomes. When I plant one or two lemongrass stalks, I get a big bunch.  In Malaysia, this grass is called Serai, with several types. Some of the Serai are slightly toxic and make a good pest control.  I planted the toxic variety near my windows so mosquitoes fly away, and placed cut stocks in my cabinets to discourage ants.  away, and

Papaya Trees

Did you know that Papaya trees can grow from seed to a 20 foot tree in 18 months?  The fruit on the trees is from 1 to 20 pounds.  Papayas are from two types, the Hawaiian and Mexican papaya.

Interesting Facts About Cemeteries

This Plumeria tree is often found in cemeteries here in Malaysia because it is easy to grow.  You can stick the stalk in any soil and it roots.  In Islamic society here, there are no headstones with name or dates. Instead, there is a phallus type marker for men and a flat marker for women.  Families usually plant some type of tree or flower so they can find their relatives’ graves. Then, the knowledge of who is buried where, is passed by word of mouth during an annual pilgrimage to the cemeteries during the holy month of Ramadan.  The only challenge is if everyone uses the same Plumeria tree to mark the graves.  These flowers smell sweet.  

Banana Trees

This is a banana hand with baby fingers (bananas) and the flower at the end. Many Malays cook the flower for a sweet treat.  Did you know the inside of banana peels can whiten your teeth? Rub the peel against your teeth every day for a week.  The minerals in the peel will whiten your teeth.  Those same minerals can take the swelling and itchiness from a mosquito bite too!.

Nicotine In Tropical Plants

Did you know that eggplants have the highest amount of nicotine of any plant but you’d have to eat 30 lbs. to equal the same amount in one cigarette. .The British name “aubergine” comes from ancient sanskrit, but the word eggplant is from a small white egg shaped variety that the British, in India, were crazy about.  The  Renaissance Italians called eggplants crazy apple.

Coconuts Aren’t Nuts

The coconut tree is the only species of the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the whole coconut palm or the fruit, which is actually a drupe, like a cherry, peach, or olive, with a pit in the middle; it is not a nut. This dwarf variety is prized in Malaysia because the fruit is easy to reach.

Jackfruit Looks Like Aliens

Jackfruit has the largest tree fruit in the world, reaching 80 pounds and up to 36 inches long. The exterior of the fruit is green or yellow when ripe. The interior consists of large edible bulbs of yellow, banana-flavored fruit.  My chickens like it too!

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed the walk through my neighborhood.  There are so many other tropical plants here. Come back to visit my blog so you can learn interesting facts about Malaysia’s rain forests or better yet, sign up below and I will send the blogs straight to you!