Gardener Quiz time!

Ok all you gardeners out there time for a quiz. Make your best guess as to what this is a photo of.

These copper leaves came out as one whirl, at the tip of the leader, and doubled in size each day. They went from nothing to 14 inches long in one week.

Here is another shot from a bit more distance. Can you guess what it is?

Hints:

If you look at the background planting you will see that it is growing in a tropical region.

It will only grow within 20 degrees of the equator.

It does best as an understory planting.

It likes to have daily rain and loves high humidity.

I'm not growing it for its fruit but it is edible.

Do you give up yet?

Think warm drinks....humm..........no its not coffee.

Think cake........that's too easy now....any guesses?

Think syrup.......no...not maple, silly.

Ok one last hint.

What I hope to harvest actually grows directly off of the trunk and branches and can get up to 12 inches long.........HA!....no it's not a banana, sorry.

Okay enough teasing. It's a Cacao tree, you know, where chocolate comes from.

I bought this on one of my trips down to western Miami. I don't expect it to produce anything for a few years though....

Life fantasy 64 is to own a Cacao grove in the islands someday...

Craig Rees Cowden

www.greensideupblog.com

p.s. Shortly I'll be telling you where you can get your hands on a few of the seeds if you want to try making some chocolate yourself.