Gardening: How to Grow a Pineapple

How to Grow a Pineapple

Written by Linda Paquette

The first thing you need to grow a pineapple is a pineapple. The pineapple (ananas comosus) is a bromeliad; in fact, one of repparttar

few in its family that is edible. However, repparttar 144302

fruit of an unripe pineapple is poisonous and will irritate both your mouth and throat. Even repparttar 144303

ripe fruit of repparttar 144304

houseplant pineapple is not nearly as luscious and sweet as that grown in repparttar 144305

sands of

tropics; still, repparttar 144307

pineapple is a striking, interesting, and unusual plant to add to your collection.

The pineapple is a biennial. The first year it produces leaves and repparttar 144308 second year it produces repparttar 144309 flowering stalk that becomes repparttar 144310 fruit. Actually, repparttar 144311 pineapple flower becomes repparttar 144312 popular fruit. A small leaf-like cluster produces up to 200 dagger shaped bracts that are repparttar 144313 flowers. These flowers have immature ovaries that are called inflorescences. Each ovary turns into a seedless berry, repparttar 144314 berries fuse together into one unit: repparttar 144315 multiple fruit or sorosis we call repparttar 144316 pineapple.

Hibiscus

Written by Judi Singleton

There are over a 200 kinds of hibiscus. They grow all over repparttar

world. They have been associated with repparttar 144259

Goddess as repparttar 144260

Rose of Sharon variety. They have a long history. Not surprising as they are beautiful and used for many medicinal purposes.

If your hibiscus has dull medium green heart shaped leaves, dinner plate sized white, pink or red flowers with HUGE, bomb shaped buds (2-4" in length!), it is a perennial, hardy hibiscus.

Hardy hibiscus need very little care over repparttar 144261 winter, they are root hardy to about zone 5 with no protection. They die to repparttar 144262 ground each year. Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), also known as roselle, is a flowering shrub in repparttar 144263 plant family of Malvaceae and is repparttar 144264 commonly used species of hibiscus for tea. The calyces are used to make cold and hot beverages in many of repparttar 144265 world's tropical and subtropical countries. The calyces (or calyxes) are used which are repparttar 144266 outer portion of repparttar 144267 flower bud. The calyces are often referred to as hibiscus flowers in recipes and tea blends. It is also a great contribution to repparttar 144268 popular rosehip tea giving it a lemony flavor and lovely red color. The aroma and taste of Hibiscus is slightly of berry-like aroma. It has a well balanced, tart and astringent flavor.

Hibiscus were once called shoe-black, "indicating repparttar 144269 use of its flowers by tropical bootblacks, to polish shoes." (Taylor's Encyclopedia of Gardening, 1961) This was repparttar 144270 single reliable reference to this use repparttar 144271 author could discover. Nor could this author allow such a claim to stand without attempting experimentation.One red flower (five petals removed from calyx, stamens, and pistil) did one shoe. The red petals became liquefied and slimy under pressure against repparttar 144272 leather. The liquid dried and could be buffed within minutes. The right shoe of an old pair of black business shoes now appears much shinier than its 'sinister' counterpart. The tips of repparttar 144273 thumb, index, and middle finger of my right hand were also a dark purple until liquid detergent and a brush were applied. Medicinal Uses

Medicinally, leaves are emollient, and are much used in Guinea as a diuretic, refrigerant, and sedative; fruits are antiscorbutic; leaves, seeds, and ripe calyces are diuretic and antiscorbutic; and repparttar 144274 succulent calyx, boiled in water, is used as a drink in bilious attacks; repparttar 144275 leaves and powdered seeds are eaten in West Africa. Philippines use repparttar 144276 bitter root as an aperitive and tonic. Angolans use repparttar 144277 mucilaginous leaves as an emollient and as a soothing cough remedy.

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