Tag Archives: canary islands

All about the Kasturi Mango in Europe, Mangifera casturi

mangifera-casturi-kasturi Canarius | Thursday December 9th, 2021 |

Kasturi is not just another good-tasting cultivar of mango. It is a fully different species of Mangifera, from Kalimantan (Borneo). Some people say it is not a mango, it is a Kasturi! Fruits of Mangifera casturi are black-purple skinned, their flesh is deep orange, sweet and loaded with flavour and vitamines.

Kasturi is extinct in the wild and survived in cultivation

mangifera-casturi-kasturi

The species was unknown in the western world until a few years ago. It is sadly extinct in the wild, as Kalimantan forests have been extensively cut. It survived in cultivation around its native areas. The Banjar people of the South of the island hold these fruits in high esteem. No commercial plantations have ever existed, while they are grown for personal consumption by lots of private farmers-gardeners, since the wild harvest is no longer possible. The natural forest is lost forever and we can rescue only a slice of its original diversity.

Casturi mangoes can grow very tall and its hard to pick them. They do well in low altitude lands with alluvial soil and enough water. The fruits is consumed fresh and seldom processed in jams since fresh fruits are always in great demand by the Banjar. The rest of the world barely knew about the existance of this extinct-in-the-wild fruit and only a group of specialists in South Florida and in the Canary Islands became familiar with them.

To graft or not to graft Kasturi?

Yes! Unless you live in a deeply tropical everwet lowland, then you’d better graft it on Mangifera indica. This is because Mangifera casturi has delicate roots which are adapted to equatorial soil conditions. Non-grafted kasturi will take eons to grow and fruit in non-tropical areas. Their leaves often grow crinkled when it is not hot enough and the trees are sensitive to wind. It is a bit tricky to graft M.casturi on M.indica but we do it, and we graft them on the cold-proof mango rootstocks from Mangifera Gomera-1 and Gomera-3. This changes the whole world and allows the delicate equatorial kasturi to grow very well here in the non-tropical Canary Islands. Grafted trees are stouter, with darker, thicker, shorter leaves, they flush well even if not in summer and fruit much earlier and regularly.

mangifera-casturi-kasturi

Kasturi mangoes in Europe

We have been leaders in disseminating Mangifera casturi throughout Europe, since we shipped the first grafted plants in 2016. So far, our plants reached lots of customers, mostly collectors scattered throughout Europe. It is by far too early to tell, but we got lots of positive reports from our clients. Quite a few have been planted outdoors in the best climates and now they are growing outdoors in Madeira, Southern Italy, Portugal and Greece. In the meantime, kasturi trees are becoming popular among collectors in Florida, since the team of Fairchild Gardens started to show and spread them.

Where did the Canarian kasturis come from?

They are the grandchildren of the Bajar trees ! In the late 1990′s Fairchild Gardens of Miami organised a collection of rare Mangifera species with lots of new seeeds and scions coming from the countries of origin. The team of Richard J. Campbell studied their growth and grafting. They  selected the ones that best thrived in South Florida.

Richard was in touch with Domingo Fernandez-Galvan, of the ICIA research center in Tenerife, who soon got backups of the best scions. Domingo grew them to maturity in the lands of the astonishing collection of fruits “La Cueva del Polvo”, held by the ICIA in SW Tenerife, in a mild, always dry, sunny and windless climate. Two kasturi trees grew huge and started fruiting but they fell into oblivion, both because they were not part of any research project of the ICIA, and because Domingo and other workers did not like the fruits, for being small, with too many fibres and a strong wild flavour. In one visit to the fruit collection, around 2006, Carlo Morici of the Palmetum de Santa Cruz tried some fruits Mangifera casturi and Mangifera laurina from the trees and fell in love with them. He got a box of fruits from Domingo and shared them with friends. Many found in that it was a new superior taste. Carlo convinced Domingo to give more attention to these wild species and Domingo soon organised a release of this new fruit tree with the help of Miguel, expert grafter, fruit grower and nurseryman of Northern Tenerife. Miguel had signed an official cooperation and could get a few hundreds of scions to make the first commercial sales and more mother plants for the future. Domingo passed away a few years later but thanks to him the orchards of Tenerife include hundreds of rare fruit trees, like kasturi and more.

Tenerife, a dream place for exotic fruits in Europe

litchi-fruit-at-canarius Canarius | Tuesday December 13th, 2016 |

Scientists working at the Canary Islands Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA), an autonomous body attached to the Minister for Agriculture, Stockbreeding, Fisheries, and Food in the Canary Islands Government, continue to analyze the enormous possibilities of growing exotic fruits in the Canary Islands to explore new marketing opportunities.

To this effect, researchers focus their analysis on the farm Cueva del Polvo (Guía de Isora, Tenerife) with a collection of recent exotic fruit species in the Archipelago, such as Mamey Colorado or Jackfruit.

Particular attention in this field should be made to the lychee trials, also known as litchi, carried out with different varieties and which have shown the interest of this fruit of appreciated taste qualities to the point that, in ancient times, it was reserved for the emperors.

online-mango-treeTo these studies are added those developed in Papaya, aimed at identifying the best varieties of this exotic fruit to determine the most outstanding aspects of each of them.

We also seek to clarify whether, in the future and using innovative breeding techniques, crossbreeding could be achieved with plants considered more optimal to obtain better-adapted varieties in the medium term.

Additional tasks have also been developed related to the mango fruit aimed, among other aspects, to analyze the evaluation of plantations and the development of new cultivation techniques.

All these investigations allow to diversify the agricultural activity and that the farmers have a greater variety of the crop as a complement to the traditional ones; As well as obtaining better commercial-quality fruits.

The exotic plants we have at Canarius are grown within greenhouses in different areas of Tenerife, where the use of chemicals is kept to a minimum. Some of our nurseries are completely organic, and others are energetically self-sufficient.

In the Canary Islands, we enjoy a subtropical climate with a cool winter. However, our nurseries are not air-conditioned to produce robust and resistant plants that can be grown in colder climates.

Ficus carica and its rich fruit: the fig

Ficus-carica Canarius | Monday August 22nd, 2016 |

Ficus carica, also popularly known as fig tree, is a small tree or shrub (about 5 metres high) belonging to the family of Moraceae (Moraceae). Ficus carica is one of the variants of the Ficus genus, whose original cultivation occurs in western Asia. However, it now grows spontaneously in some regions of the Mediterranean and other parts of the world.

The shrub has a smooth, greyish bark and is heavily branched. Its leaves are deciduous, green and consist of 3 to 5 lobes.

Common fig (or just the fig)

Figs-(Ficus-carica)

It also produces a fruit known as figs: medium fruit the size of a light bulb or a little smaller. Some figs have a clear green colour and others are black or purplish.

Figs have a rather sweet taste and are noted for their high fibre content, higher than many fruits. They also provide a considerable amount of minerals and vitamins such as iron and magnesium.

The fig (Ficus carica) usually grows in rocky terrain, and even walls, from sea level to 1700 metres high. Its roots are quite vigorous and can sometimes move the ground under which they grow.

They are shrubs very resistant to adverse conditions and are grown primarily as second-class fruit trees. Some fig trees, called breveras, produce two crops a year: brebas in June (older than figs) and figs, between late August and early September.

As well as seasonal fresh fruit, figs have traditionally been consumed after undergoing the drying process, this has been the most common way to preserve the fruit.

“Dry” or “overripe” fruit, especially figs, was a food that was especially valued. The process allowed to delay their consumption and covered times when food shortage was notorious. Their leaves have been used for animal feed.

Mango Cultivation in the Canary Islands

Mangifera-cv-Gomera-1 Canarius | Wednesday June 1st, 2016 |
mango-trees-orchard

Image ICIA (Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agraria)

The Mango fruit was introduced in the Canary Islands at the end of 18th century, originating from the Philippines. Although throughout 19th century came to the archipelago numerous Cuban and Venezuelan mangos. In a short period of time, this fruit is become in a common tree in gardens located in the coastline of the Canary Islands, where climate noticeably favors its development.

The best areas for mango cultivation in the archipelago are warm sites of coastlines in the South. Despite the tree is very rustic and it can grow in any sort of soil, due to the subtropical climate in the Canary Islands, mango (Mangifera) prefers those soils with a great depth (minimum 80 cm).

Mango blooming is presented in the Canary Islands in February or March, as a direct consequence of cold in winter. The minimum temperatures in those dates are relatively low and, therefore, there are some problems for bearing fruit.

The most important variety of mango tree for our archipelago it is the local Gomera 1.

Description of the Mango Gomera

hardy-canarian-mangoMango Gomera is a very robust medium sized tree, with dome shaped crown, and stiff, thick, arching leaves. Flushes of new leaves are deep red-burgundy. It is able to flower up to 3 times a year. If it is too cold or wet, it will lose the inflorescences and flower again, about 2 months later, until the right season for fruit set is matched.

Fruits are yellow with pale dots and sometimes with a hint of pink. They are produced in groups, with a small to average size (250 g average), very good flavor, aromatic, with a high content in fibers.

Genetic analysis shows thant it is very closely related (not the same) to the Cuban Mango “Filipino”, and to the Floridan Mango “Turpentine”. It is possibly the same of the Cuban “Manga Blanca”.

Scientific Literature in Spanish about Mango Gomera

“Mejora del Mango en Canarias”, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA)

“Gomera-1 en el programa de mejora del Mango”,  Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA)

Buy cold hardy mango trees in our Shop

In our shop, Canarius, you can purchase small trees of Gomera mangos and also a wide selection of mango trees of different varieties. All trees are grafted by hand, with specific cultivars. We ship to any countries in Europe. Try also our delicious Mango jam with or without sugar, in the honeys & jams section, produced with the mangoes of the Canary Islands.

Palm Honey from the Canary Islands VS. Palm Honey from Chile

Canarian-Palm-Honey-vs.-Chile-Palm-Honey Canarius | Friday April 29th, 2016 |

We know palm honey as the food product obtained from the sap (fluid carried by the conducting tissues of plants) of a number of different palm species. However, there is a clear distinction depending on their place of origin.

Palm Honey from the Canary Islands

Canarian-Palm-Honey

Canarian Palm Honey is a typical product of La Gomera island (Canary Islands, Spain), obtained from the sap of the Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis). This sap is commonly known as guarapo.

It’s a type of syrup that’s obtained from the heart of the Canary Island date palm. With an intense flavour and a dark colour, it’s used in the making of many typical desserts of the Archipelago.

As for its production, the inhabitants of La Gomera climb to the top of the palm trees to get the guarapo: they must cut the top leaves to reduce layers and so that the sap can be channeled to the outside of the palm tree. Once the fluid has been collected, it’s boiled by slow cooking until obtain the palm honey.

Although this honey is only produced in La Gomera, it’s distributed across national territory and part international. Outside Spain, in central Chile, we can also find a type of palm honey: a sweet syrup kind, which is extracted from the sap of Jubaea chilensis, the Chilean palm.

Palm Honey from Chile

Dark-palm-honeyChilean Palm Honey has been consumed in Chile since the time of the conquest (16th century). Although it’s presumed that it was known to the indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Spaniards.

This sap, like its Canarian version, is reduced with a large amount of sugar. It’s currently marketed with a specific composition: palm sap and coconut juice with added cane or corn. Chilean Palm Honey is also used as a dessert accompaniment, as well as a fruit sweetener.

This type of natural, healthy and great-tasting honey is rooted to the traditions of southwestern South America’s own food traditions; consumed by a large sector of Chileans.

Curare enano: fried, baked or boiled

Curare-enano-banana Canarius | Friday April 15th, 2016 |

The banana is an important source of food in rural areas of most tropical and subtropical countries. Curare enano is a dwarf cooking-plantain from Central America, with excellent fruit quality.

The Canary Islands

In Honduras, Curare enano is the second most cultivated fruit and it’s available all year round. However, as we have already mentioned in the past, thanks to the subtropical climate of the Canary Islands, at Canarius we also have Musa “Curare enano” – Dwarf Cooking Plantain.

Also, the variety of Curare enano plantain is found mainly in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Colombia, where it’s exported all over the world.

The preferred method for consumption is normally fried, but it can also be baked or boiled. In addition, it’s ideal for making patacones or plantain chips.

Some features of this banana

musa-curare-enano-dwarf-cooking-horn-plantain

The plant normally doesn’t exceed two and a half metres high, making it less susceptible to wind damage. It also requires a low dose of water for production and is quite easy to grow.

A Curare enano is harvested nine months after planting and yields between 35 and 40 bananas per cluster. It’s advisable to keep them in greenhouses when you want to grow them in areas that aren’t of a tropical or subtropical climate.

These types of advantages are part of the great current business opportunity regarding the Musa “Curare enano” on the international scene. Although good agricultural practices are also crucial for providing good yields of this variety of banana.

Alluding to these banana leaves, often have wavy blades. This is not a disease or disorder but it is typical of this dwarf cultivar, a difference in morphology just like its dwarfness.

What do we ship?

packing-canarius

We ship a stout rooted sucker, not a potted plant. You will receive it with the corm wrapped in a bag with moist sphagnum or perlite. In spring, suckers may not have roots. In this case, suckers are easy to root if temperatures are kept between 20 and 30º C.

How to Root Sugarcane Cuttings

Canarius | Tuesday January 12th, 2016 |

Sugar-canes-in-Canarius

saccharum-officinarum-ceniza-bengala-striped-sugarcane

Sugar Cane is a 3-5 m tall tropical grass that produces most of the world sugar. Saccharum officinarum grows outdoors in tropical to warm mediterranean climates. Canes can be peeled and eaten at any moment, they are best after blooming. Sugar cane is very fast growing in hot summer weather, with abundant water and fertilize.

Cuttings are the best way to reproduce sugar cane, because they root easily and will give a plant exactly like the original mother plant. Reproduction from seed is much slower and it is only used experimentally in order to produce new cultivars.

The best rooting temperature is 20-30 C. Cuttings can be planted directly in soil or they can be rooted in water. New roots and new shoots will develop from the nodes: these are the dull-coloured rings present on each stem, formed as leaf-scars when old leaves fall off. Usually roots come first and then the buds wake up and form new primary shoots.

  • In soil: use a fluffy, sandy, draining soil. You can do it in two ways: stick the cuttings upright, burying 2/3 or them in the soil mix, or place the cuttings horizontally underground, lightly buried for a few millimeters. Keep them moist.
  • In water: put the cuttings upright in a tall glass filled with water. Roots will show up in one or two weeks. Move the rooting cuttings to soil after about one month from the start of the process.

how-to-root-sugarcane-cuttings

Cuttings can be rooted in sun or shade. It does not matter, because during about one month the rooting plants will live at the expenses of the sugar stored in the stem. After this time, the rooted plants should be moved to full sun as soon as possible, so the canes will start to grow thick thanks to their own photosynthesis.

Buy sugarganes from the Canary Islands

Saccharum_Caña_de_AzucarCome and visit our shop, www.canarius.com, and you will find different cultivars of traditional sugarcanes from the Caribbean, Polynesia and the Canary Islands. We ship to our customers packs of two super-thick cuttings ready to root and sprout.

Canarian honeys, some of them unique worldwide

Canarius | Thursday August 13th, 2015 |

bee-honey The exclusive plant life in Tenerife, with a great variety of endemic species, makes possible that bees can be working all year. That’s why in the island is collected many kinds of honeys. Even, some of them unique around the world. The combination among heathers, chestnuts, fruit trees or grass in Tenerife forms an endless number of species where these insects can extract nectar for making bee-honey. A natural foodstuff which has been protected by Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). In the present day, there are 13 sorts of honeys catalogued in the island. Although we are talking about a chageable number because it could appear new variants. As we have said, the Canary islands are home to a deep tradition of sweet preserves.

palm-honey On our online store, Canarius.com, we count on some honey made by, both bees and human beings. We shall select for you only the best brands, the favourites of the Canarian citizens. Right after, we will present some of them. On the one hand, an amazing product is the unique Palm honey, obtained from the sap of the endemic palm Phoenix canariensis. The main features of this palm is its big size, tapeworm or its thick trunk with more than 30 metres high. Palm Honey or Palm Syrup is an edible sweet syrup produced in the Canary Islands from the sap of the native palm tree, by tapping the tree in a sustainable way. To sum up, it is not necessary the natural work of bees. Palm Honey is thinner and darker than bee-honey. On the other hand, also we can find on our online shop the well-known Pitera bee-honey (Agave americana). It is about a syrup that is sweeter than honey and tends to be less viscous.

Keep up to date with our website. We’ve got new plants!

Canarius | Friday August 7th, 2015 |

New-succulent-plants-on-Canarius We have recently uploaded more new plants on our website and some species are truly extraordinary! There are lots of new heliconias, aloes, hoyas, palms, and bananas. We are just starting with succulents and many more will come in the following weeks. Right after, we will explain some of these new species: – Amorphophallus titanum, the Titan Arum, produces the largest of all “flowers”. It is an incredible monster that is seldom seen in cultivation only the best botanical gardens keep one in their greenhouses and few lucky collectors. – Mangifera casturi, the Kasturi mango. This is a different, rare mango species, considered sacred in Borneo. It has the flavour of all flavours. It is grafted on Mango Gomera-1 to increase cold resistance. A true release! – Aspidistra cv. Asa Ahi. It is one of the most sought-after variegated perennials from Japan. The new leaves take almost two years to get the snow-white top that drives everybody crazy. It is frost-hardy and it can live indoors as a house plant. -  Hechtia tillandsioides: A cold-hardy terrestrial bromeliad with spineless soft silvery leaves. Seldom seen for sale, it will also bless your garden with huge “sprays” of pink flowers. – Rhapis excelsa VARIEGATED CULTIVARS. It took a lot of years to make the mother plants grow, but the first plants are now ready for sale! We offer different named clones of these uncommon variegated plants. They are also perfect as indoor plants for your home!

Remember that we are lucky due to any delivery from the Canary Islands travels as airmail, so the box often travels during just 3-8 days and skips any spell of cold or heat. Contact us if you have any question. Would you like to buy any sort of these plants? You just have to go into our online store y choose your favourite one. Go ahead!

Discover how we ship on Canarius.com

Canarius | Tuesday July 21st, 2015 |

How-we-work On Canarius.com, we are lucky because any mail from the Canary Islands travels as airmail, so the box often travels during just 3-8 days and skips any spell of cold or heat. So far, we shipped hundreds of parcels to many different countries. Likewise, if you are out of the European Union we can make easier your purchase. The truth is that different countries out of Europe have different legal requirements. We will try to match all of them, but in some cases we need your cooperation. Some countries will ask you to request an import permit, so you will have to get it in advance and email it to us. Our minimum order is 80 €

For the customers in the USA

We are able to ship to the United States and we will ask you to cooperate and obtain an USDA-APHIS import permit so you can legally import our plants into the USA. We will prepare all the necessary documents to fulfill the requirements of your country. We offer a free phytosanitary certificate and a free handling for plants, including bare-rooting and packing. Some of the plants that we offer in our website are not allowed to be imported in the United States. This list is often changed by the United States, so please contact us if you have any doubt:

  • Saccharum (Sugar Canes)
  • Morus (Mulberry trees)
  • Citrus (All citrus fruit trees)
  • Some Palms (currently in our catalog: Livistona spp.)
  • Ipomoea batatas (Sweet potato, including black-leaved sweet potato)
  • Gossypium (Cotton)
  • Theobroma spp. (cacao)

How we work

This is a bit of information about how we ship. Contact us if you have any questions. We can easily reply in English, Spanish and Italian. Although, also we can handle other languages, such as French or German. Right after, we share with you an explanatory video about “How we work”: