Category Archives: Tropical Fruit Plants

The Canary Islands are a paradise for exotic fruits and we offer the largest selection in Europe of tropical fruit trees

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.

A Rainbow of Bananas

IMG-20181212-WA0008 Canarius | Thursday December 6th, 2018 |

We took this picture in June 2018 in order to show the incredible diversity of bananas that we pick in our nursery. We grow more than 80 different cultvars, with different tastes, shapes and colours, with the aim of producting quality suckers for our webshop.

The bananas that we put on our wooden  bench for this pircture belong to the following cultivars, clockwise: Cavendish, Dwarf Red (Figue Rose), Blue Java, Rajapuri and Monkey Fingers.

Cavendish is the most widespread yellow banana of the world trade. Dwarf Red , or Figue Rose, is the most common red-skinned banana. Blue Java, Rajapuri and Monkey Fingers are non-commercial bananas, only grown on a small scale or in family backyards for their great taste.

When we post for the frist time this photo, in our facebook page we reached in a few days 12k people. An astonishing record.

You can check the original photo in our facebook page .

We sell the plants of all these bananas through our website www.canarius.com. If you want to go straight to our BANANA SECTION click the link.

Three bananas grown in Tenerife: Dwarf Curare Plantain, Dwarf Red and Manzano.

Three bananas grown in Tenerife: Dwarf Curare Plantain, Dwarf Red and Manzano.

The exotic red Atemoya

Anonna x Atemoya Red Israel texture Canarius | Thursday February 2nd, 2017 |

This superior quality, hybrid Atemoya surprises us by its intense red color, resistance, and exquisite flavor.

Atemoya: The best of the Anona and the Cherimoya

Anonna x Atemoya Red Israel 1The Annona x atemoya, also known as atemoya, is a hybrid between the Annona squamosa and the Annona cherimola (Cherimoya). In fact, the name of this exotic hybrid comes from combining “ate”—the old Mexican name for sugar-apple— and “moya”—from cherimoya—.

Both the Annona squamosa (anona, sugar-apple) and the Annona cherimola (Cherimoya) are subtropical crops originating in Central and South America, which generate large fruit with pulp sprinkled with large seeds.

The atemoya inherits the characteristics of the annona and the cherimoya, presenting an extremely adaptable and robust plant.

The red hybrid Atemoya from Israel

This particular hybrid comes from Israel and has a striking red skin. Although this crossing could remind us to the “big red” Annona squamosa; The “red Israel” is not an A. squamosa, but an atemoya, that is, that has a part of cherimoya as well.

Texture and color

The atemoyas usually have a heart or oval shape and are pale green. However this hybrid has a more rounded shape and its skin is a spectacular reddish color, as its name suggests.

Anonna x Atemoya Red Israel 2Usually the atemoya has a very rough skin in the part of the stem, very similar to the Annona squamosa, with fleshy protuberances similar to scales. As we move toward the base, the texture softens and looks more like a cherimoya. In this case, the skin texture of the Red Israel Atemoya is slightly rougher and even reminiscent of that of an artichoke.

Undoubtedly, the most striking visual feature of this hybrid Atemoya is its attractive red color, which arouses the appetite by just looking at it.

Pulp and flavor

The atemoya does not have the pulp divided into sections as occurs in the A. squamosa, but it is homogeneous. In this sense, the atemoya looks more like a cherimoya. The pulp is white, although sometimes it may have a slight pinkish hue.

The flavor of this “Red Israel” hybrid is exquisite: it is quite sweet but with a slight acid touch. It has tastes of pineapple, vanilla and blueberry. Also, its texture is very soft, succulent, and watery.

In addition, besides its exquisite flavor, the atemoya has fewer seeds than the cherimoyas. They have a dark brown color and are not edible.

Cultivation of the “Red Israel” Atemoya

At Canarius, we offer a potted graft of about 30 to 60 centimeters within 4 to 18 months old. We graft Annona x Atemoya adult cuttings in Annona cherimolas to improve the cold resistance of its roots.

The result is a robust plant, which has a cold hardyness similar to an A. cherimola and adapts itself very well. It does not need manual pollination and is very productive: it usually ripens from 4 to 6 months after flowering.

Enjoy this striking and tasty hybrid of Atemoya and many more exotic fruits that you will only find in Canarius.

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.

Wrapping Banana Tree in an Exotic Garden

wrapping-the-bananas Canarius | Monday October 17th, 2016 |

banana-or-plantain-treeThe banana or plantain tree requires warm weather and constant humidity in the air. They need an average temperature of 26-27 °C, with prolonged and regularly distributed rains.

For the cultivation of banana trees is preferable humid plains near the sea, sheltered from the winds and irrigable zones. Also, their growth stops at temperatures below 18 °C, resulting in damage to the trees at temperatures below 13 °C and higher than 45 °C.

That is why our archipelago in the Canary Islands has become the ideal place to cultivate this tropical fruit species. In this location, the Canarius plants are being grown for the past years.

In tropical conditions, the natural light does not have much effect on the development of the plant as in subtropical conditions. Although by decreasing the intensity of light, the growth cycle is lengthened. Even the development of the offsets is also influenced by the light quantity and intensity.

The lack of water at any time can cause the reduction of the banana trees in number and size of their fruit, and in the final return of the crop itself.

Wind effects can vary: from causing an abnormal perspiration due to the reopening of the stomata to the laceration of the leaf blade, (most widespread damage) producing losses in the final return of up to 20%. Also, high winds break the petioles of the leaves and the pseudostems, which could result in the rooting out of the whole plant.

A gardener wrapping his banana tree

At Canarius, thanks to our experience in tropical plants, we suggest that, during the winter months and under the threat of frost, it is essential to take precautions for the crop’s protection.

The most common mechanism to do this is to use some coating, such as sheets, blankets, or tarps to protect them from the cold, expressly designed for gardens during the winter.
Below we shared the time-lapse of a gardener wrapping his banana tree ready for winter in his garden in England:

Timelapse: Wrapping the bananas in the Exotic Garden from Chris Ridley on Vimeo.

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.

Know all the benefits of pineapple

Benefits-of-pineapple Canarius | Thursday July 14th, 2016 |

Pineapple is considered one of the most popular tropical fruits in the world. Its sweet and refreshing taste makes the pineapple, also known as Ananas, a common food in the homes of many families.

It is a tropical fruit that contains lots of vitamins -such as vitamin C, B1, B6, B9 (folic acid) and some vitamin E- and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iodine, copper and manganese.

In addition, the pineapple has diuretic and detoxifying properties that boost elimination of all those substances that can affect health if not properly removed.

Much of the pineapple’s composition is water and a lot of fiber. That, together with it being very low in calories, makes it an ideal diet fruit.

Most of the benefits of pineapple is due to the presence of an enzyme called ‘bromelain’. An enzyme that improves digestion and has the ability to destroy intestinal parasites.

What is ‘bromelain’?

Eat-pineappleThe ‘bromelain‘ in the pineapple has anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, anti-edema and fibrinolytic properties. In fact, the pineapple’s antiinflammatory action could be useful in treating diseases involving inflammation. Such is the case of acute sinusitis, sore throat, arthritis or gout.

This enzyme present in said fruit also acts as a natural anticoagulant besides causing beneficial changes in white blood cells.

At Canarius we have pineapple!

ananas-comosus-cv-md-2-pineappleWe offer certified living plants of pineapple. MD-2 is the famous Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet, the best commercial cultivar of pineapple.

This supreme hybrid was developed by the Pineapple Research Institute in Hawaii (dissolved in 1986), which conducted research on behalf of the major pineapple companies. Del Monte released it later, in 1996.

It tastes twice as sweet as the former commercial varieties, and has a very high content vitamin C. This selection has been a revolution in the worldwide market of fresh pineapple (non-canned). In just ten year from its relase, it has taken up more than 50 percent of the global market, being the commercial pineapple of top quality.

The plant we offer was originally raised in vitro in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Then it was rooted and grown for months in a greenhouse, in order to achieve robust plants of a good size.

Our plants are 20-30 cm in diameter. Size in cm is variable, but we will always choose one well-rooted robust specimen.

When will it bloom and fruit?

Pineapples grow fast in full sun and hot weather. Our plant will take just one year to bloom if kept in a warm environment. On the other hand it can easily take three or more years in a weakly heated greenhouse in Europe. Pineapple is a tropical plant. It is sensitive to frost and cold weather in general. Keep above 10º C in Winter.

Some Kinds of Litchi Chinensis in Tenerife

Litchi-chinensis Canarius | Wednesday July 6th, 2016 |

Lychee is a subtropical evergreen tree native to eastern China, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. The tree has a medium size reaching up to 2-3 m (6-8 ft).

Its fruit is smooth, aromatic and juicy inside the thin, rough, slightly spiky and leathery pink to red shell. Litchi chinensis has a small inedible brown seed. Rich in vitamin C, it is available mainly in mid-summer. Eaten fresh, used in fruit salads, also bottled, canned, frozen and dried (lychee nuts).

At Canarius we have Litchi chinensis. This variety thrives and fruits regularly in the warmer coastal Mediterranean. It does not grow well in the tropics, because it needs cool winters, with temperatures below 12º C in order to induce flowering. It only takes short, light frost.

LITCHI CHINENSIS KWAI MAI PINK

The “cold-hardy” lychee tree. This Chinese lychee variety produces fruits in cooler locations and and fruits very late, in mid-summer. Fruits are greenish-pink and quality is very good.

Kwai-Mai-Pink

LITCHI CHINENSIS EARLY LARGE RED

The variety “Early Large Red” has a fruit slightly more than 2,5 cm (1 “) long, usually obliquely heart-shaped, crimson, with green interspaces, very rough, skin very firm and leathery, adhering slightly to the flesh. Flesh greyish-white, firm, sweet and flavourful. It is a moderate bearer, early in season.

Early-Large-Red

LITCHI CHINENSIS TAI SO

“Tai-so” is a vigorous chinese cultivar of Lychee. It produces regularly and abundantly. The fruit is sweet, pink to red. It is also called Mauritius Lychees in the western trade, but also Hong Huey or Hong Huay, Da Zao and Tai Tsao in Asia.

Tai-So

LITCHI CHINENSIS KAIMANA

One of the best tasting large lychees. It is a subtropical perennial tree native to eastern China where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. The tree has a medium size reaching up to 2-3 m (6-8 ft). Its fruit is smooth, aromatic and juicy inside the thin, rough, slightly spiky and leathery pink to red shell.

The variety “Kaimana” has a large fruit, deep-red, of high quality, and the tree is a regular bearer. Lychee thrives and fruits regularly in the warmer Mediterranean. It needs cool winters, with temperatures below 12º C.

Kaimana

Here we present some of the newest in our online shop:

LITCHI CHINENSIS SUEY TONG

LITCHI CHINENSIS CALCUTIA

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.

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.