Wild Guava

Of all the wild Guava (Psidium guajava) growing here, this one is my favorite with not so small fruit and pinkish flesh. I never planted them — the birds do. That is why birds are essential part of the ecosystem.

The most common are the pingpong ball size of fruits which I can get a lot and make some jams. 

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nut/Soap Berry (Trigonachras cultrata)

Outplanted this Soap nut/Soap Berry (Trigonachras cultrata) as a replacement to some species that did not survive the El Niño earlier this year. 

The drupes (soapnuts) contain saponins, which have surfactant properties, having been used for washing by ancient Asian and American peoples. ❤️🌱🌳

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Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

One of the few survivors of my Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) had spread quickly and I split this single pot and grounded into 2 separate hills. 

I could have split it into a single plant per hill but I decided to have atleast 4 stalks and a larger rhizomes so it can thrive fast and bear pods asap.

Cardamom, is a herbaceous, perennial plant in the ginger family, native to southern India. It is the most common of the species whose seeds are used as a spice called cardamom that has a sharp, strong, punchy aroma. 😍🌱💕

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Lanipga or Philippine Cedar (Toona calantas)

One of my Lanipga or Philippine Cedar (Toona calantas) at 2.5 years old recovering from being constantly battered by strong floods as shown with its broken young trunk. ❤️🌱🌳

Healed broken trunk damaged from previous floods of 2023. Hopefully it can withstand the floods in the coming months.

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Puerto Rico Silver Palm (Coccothrinax barbadensis)

Additional in my palm collection is the Puerto Rico Silver Palm (Coccothrinax barbadensis), it is a medium sized solitary fan palm with a thin trunk and an open graceful crown. 

The leaves have slightly drooping tips, and a silvery underside. Originates in the rainforests of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean. ❤️🌴💕

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Mindanao Narig (Vatica odorata)

Ready to sow the germinants of Mindanao Narig (Vatica odorata). Vatica odorata is a large, slow-growing, evergreen tree that can reach a height of up to 40 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 1 metre in diameter. 

The wood is hard and heavy, resistant to termites and insects. ❤️🌱🌳

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Alugbati (Basella alba)

Outplanted last July and these Alugbati (Basella alba) are growing very fast due to the constant rain. This vegetable is similar to spinach — so much so that it's often referred to as Malabar spinach. Like spinach, alugbati contains a variety of different nutrients, antioxidants and phytonutrients. 😋🌱❤️

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Dita (Alstonia scholaris)

Dita (Alstonia scholaris), also known as the Devil's tree. This is native to the Philippines. Reported as antimicrobial, antiamoebic, antidiarrheal, antihypertensive, antimalarial, febrifuge, stimulant, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, antiasthmatic, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fertility, anti-diabetic, cardiotonic. ❤️🌱🌳

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Wild fruit called Baga-aw

Trying to germinate the seeds of this wild fruit locally called "Baga-aw" or "Bago-santol". The fruit is edible and most likely this species is native as it came from the deep forest of Misamis. 💕🌱🌳

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Red Neck Palm (Dypsis leptocheilos)

This one is the Red Neck Palm (Dypsis leptocheilos). Endemic and is one of the most beautiful and unusual looking palms of Madagascar. 

A very attractive easy to grow palm with a velvet-like reddish brown crown shaft. I will be adding this soon in my palm collections. ❤️🌴💕

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Arikury Palm (Syagrus schizophylla)

Additional palm species in my collection. This is Arikury Palm (Syagrus schizophylla), also known as the Parrot Palm or Parrot Beak Palm, this unique feather-leafed palm is native to the Atlantic coast of central Brazil where it grows in sandy soil and features a distinctively different look compared to most other palms. 

It can grow only up to 10 ft tall with less maintenance and looks best under partial shade. ❤️🌴💕

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Edible climbers

Purple Passion fruit and the giant Passion fruit called Barbadine. I will surely replant soon as I have lots of trees for them to cling on. One way to utilize your trees in the food forest is to introduce food producing climbers. I do also have some flowering vines for my pollinators. As of now I think I have around 16 climbers of different species. 😋🌱❤️

Climbers are essential part of the food forest, they attract pollinators, provide habitat and food sources for beneficial insects and birds. 

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Harvest for today

My son Boris enjoying the harvest of some ripe fruits from our food forest. We only get what we need. 1 marang, 3 Barbadine, A handful of Malaysian Jade Rambutan and Lanzones. All are  ready to eat. 😋🌱🌳

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Barbadine (Passiflora quadrangularis)

Ripe fruit from one of my climbers — Barbadine (Passiflora quadrangularis). This is from my 3 year old Vines. They can easily be propagated thru cuttings but I prefer from seeds, it will last longer compared to those grown from cuttings. 

Barbadine fruit cut in half and it's ready to eat. Taste sweet and aromatic.

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Iloilo Tree (Aglaia argentea)

Aglaia argentea locally known in Western Visayas in the Philippines as Iloilo tree. It produces edible fruits, it can thrive on many different soil types, such as: basalt, clay, coral sand, granite, limestone and sandstone. It is a dioecious species so there are male and female plants. 😍🌱🌳

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