By Donna Porter

The delectable, juicy and unsurpassed sweetness of the Mango fruit is enjoyed by more people on a world-wide scale that any other fruit.  Mango is considered the “King of Fruits”.    They are associated with fortune, abundance and fertility and are represented in religious themes of South Asia’s Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian communities. It is said that the forbidden fruit or “apple” in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden was that of the Mango. Fossil records dating back 25 to 30 million years have revealed the Mango’s center of origin as northeast India, Myanmar/Burma and Bangladesh and their cultivation dates back more than 6,000 years.

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Filed under: Donna Porter, It's a Wonderful World of Plants on April 15th, 2011
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By Donna Porter

February and March are not exactly my favorite times of the year here in Costa Rica.  Yes, these are our peak months for tourism but, as a plant person, my thinking leans more towards garden activity.  It is a time when we are not suppose to be planting, but I say, if there is a reliable water source and reliable labor available… then let the planting proceed.  This summer began with milder than usual temps and continued, cooling showers in December and on into January, but who knows what February and March will bring. With these conditions, it is has been especially difficult to halt the planting.

Summer in the tropics does have its advantages and “silver lining” in the plant world and one of those is that this is the time of the year when the flowering trees – do their thing.  With the onset of higher /dryer weather, many tree species will shed their leaves and begin their reproductive cycle of flowering and seed production.  It is almost a dormant state for many plants, where little vegetative growth is occurring compared to the rainy/”green” season.

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Filed under: Donna Porter, It's a Wonderful World of Plants on March 14th, 2011
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By Donna Porter

Ginger.  The word, in and of itself, has an essence of beauty and intrigue.  It can stir your senses with images of the exotic, or bring feelings of delight to one’s lips by its soft pronunciation of syllables or to ones taste buds by its savory, tangy flavor.   But, here in the tropics, Ginger brings pleasure to the eyes as well.  It is the name commonly bestowed upon hundreds of plants that belong to the family Zingiberaceae, which include approximately 52 genera and 1,300 species.

Zingiber officinale is the culinary and medicinal ginger whose aromatic, rhizomatous root is world renown. It has been in cultivation in India and China for millennia, and therefore its exact origins are unclear.  Unlike many of its Zingiberaceae relatives, its claim to fame is its swollen, antler-looking roots, and not a colorful, showy flower or handsome foliage.

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Filed under: Donna Porter, It's a Wonderful World of Plants on February 26th, 2011
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By Donna Porter

Early November in our lil’ piece of paradise has re-enforced the fact that Mother Nature “rules” – and, sometimes, with an iron fist.  Rainfall reports recorded by our friend Alexander Walker, out near Naranjito, came in with astonishing, record-breaking amounts.  Alexander recorded that 49.5 inches (123.75 centimeters) of rain had fallen from 11-1-10 to 11-6-10.  That is 4.1 feet (1.21 meters) of rain in 6 days! The highest amount for that week was recorded on Tuesday, with 14” (35cm) of rain.  Thank goodness it doesn’t snow here.

With these incredible rainfall amounts, it is not difficult to comprehend why we have witnessed such destructive effects as roads and bridges collapsing, towns evacuated due to overflowing rivers and numerous landslides.  Natural catastrophes are happening worldwide, and for the most part, there is not a darn thing that we can do about it, except…… to tread more lightly on our dear “Mother”.

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Filed under: Donna Porter, It's a Wonderful World of Plants on December 16th, 2010
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By Donna Porter

My heart goes out to the Red Hibiscus; a plant that seems as though here in Costa Rica has lost respect  and gained un-popularity through overuse and abuse. It is machete- massacred probably worse than any other plant around, and can no longer lay claim to even its very own spot in a garden or landscape other than being shoved into an overcrowded hedge.  Sadly, it appears as though its only purpose here in Costa Rica is to provide a living screen between neighbors or other unsightly nuisances.  This world- renowned, sacred to some, plant has been belittled, de-throned and Insulted and I would like to shed some light upon the Red Hibiscus in hopes that it will spark a new found awareness and appreciation for this unsung beauty.

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Filed under: Donna Porter, It's a Wonderful World of Plants on November 28th, 2010
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By Donna Porter

Within the profusion of tropical flowers that grace our area and stir our senses, the Heliconia is one that stands above the rest in having the ability to invoke an impression of awe and amazement on  its viewer.  For those of us who live here, it is easy to fall into a state of unconsciousness when it comes to our reaction to many of the tropical plants and flowers, because they are a part of our everyday landscape. But, can you remember the very first time that you ever set eyes on, and/or touched, the flower of a Heliconia?   I am not sure about you, but my first reaction (being that I came from the temperate climate) was that of shock and incredibility. It was a flower like none I had ever seen before.

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Filed under: Donna Porter, It's a Wonderful World of Plants on October 17th, 2010
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By Donna Porter

The plethora of topical plants found within the borders of Costa Rica is truly one of the wonders that captivates its visitors and residents alike.  It is amazing to discover  the variety of places that a plant can actually situate itself and call “home”.  I am sure anyone who pays any attention to our natural landscape, has been awed by the sight of  seemingly hundreds of loosely vase-shaped plants nestled  and dangling amongst the branches of some trees.  At first observation one may think that this greenery is part of the actual tree, when in fact it is not.  These are our  native epiphytic-wonders called Bromeliads and there are an estimated 200 native species of Bromeliads alone in Costa Rica.

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Filed under: Donna Porter, It's a Wonderful World of Plants on August 24th, 2010
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