Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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Why gardeners love the Pink Butterfly Tree: blooms, shade, and zero fuss. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Bauhinia variegata, Pink Butterfly Orchid Tree

Bauhinia variegata, Pink Butterfly Orchid Tree

Bauhinia variegata, Pink Butterfly Orchid Tree, flowers close up

Bauhinia variegata, Pink Butterfly Orchid Tree, flowers close up

🌸 Why gardeners love the Pink Butterfly Tree: blooms, shade, and zero fuss
  • 🌸 Bauhinia variegata, Pink Butterfly Orchid Tree - is a gorgeous, fast-growing tree with orchid-like blooms in shades of magenta to lavender. Flowers appear from late winter through spring - and sometimes again in summer - filling the air with a soft, sweet fragrance. Its butterfly-shaped leaves and wide canopy make it perfect as a focal point, shade tree, or street-side beauty. Great for sustainable landscapes, shelterbelts, and windbreaks too.
  • 🌸 Easygoing and low-maintenance, it thrives in just about any soil - loam, sand, clay, even rocky ground - as long as it drains well. Loves full sun, needs little water once established, and grows fast (up to 2–3 feet per year) with plenty of cooling shade.
  • 🌸 The bright blooms bring in butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
  • 🌸 Extra bonus: its buds and blossoms are edible and used in traditional cooking, and the bark has been used in folk remedies for things like thyroid and ulcers.
  • 🌸 Tough, fast, and blooming with elegance, the Pink Butterfly Orchid Tree is a gorgeous shade tree that thrives on neglect - poor soil, low water, no problem! Fragrant, orchid-like flowers light up your garden from winter to spring: easy to grow and even easier to love!


🛒 Limited stock - plant one this season!
Discover more Bauhinias - Orchid trees.

📚 Learn more about Orchid trees:

#Trees

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☀️ When tropical plant takes a Summer break

Tropical landscape

Why your plants might stop growing in mid-Summer
and what to do about it

Q: Why some tropical plants stop growing when it gets too hot? Aren't they supposed to like the heat? Should I use more fertilizer during hot Summer?

You've been watching your tropical tree thrive all spring. New leaves, steady growth, maybe even a flower or two. Then July hits, and… nothing. The heat cranks up, and your once-busy plant just sits there. No new shoots, no blooms, not even a twitch. If it feels like your plant ghosted you - but don't worry! It's not dying. It's just hot!

Q: What happens to tropical plants when it gets extremely hot?

When the heat hits, plants hit pause. In the peak of summer, especially with temperatures above 90F, many tropical and subtropical plants go into heat survival mode. Growth above ground may slow down or stop entirely. It's not because you forgot to water or skipped a fertilizer dose - it's just too hot. The plant's energy shifts underground, where roots may still be growing. Think of it like a tropical version of a siesta - less margarita, more mulch. This stage might last a few weeks or longer, depending on how intense the heat gets. But the important thing is: it's normal.

Q: What NOT to do?

  • Don't drown it in extra water. That leads to root rot.
  • Don't dump dry fertilizer on it. That can burn the roots or just get flushed away. Use controlled release or liquid fertilizer dozed proportionaly to the plant's water usage.
  • Don't prune aggressively, hoping to jolt it awake.

None of that helps - in fact, it can make things worse.

Q: What you CAN do?

  • Water deeply in the early morning, and let the soil dry a bit between waterings.
  • Add mulch to help keep the root zone cool and reduce evaporation.
  • Provide temporary shade for potted plants or young trees.
  • Hold off on pruning or heavy feeding until you see new growth.

Just like you wouldn't run a marathon in a heatwave, your plant needs a break too.

Q: Why you shouldn't fertilize stressed plants with dry fertilizer?

Fertilizing seems like the obvious solution when a plant stalls, but in the heat of summer, it can backfire. When temperatures soar, roots slow down, and absorption becomes inefficient. You might pour in nutrients, but your plant can't use them - and what's worse, any tender new growth that does emerge can get scorched or sunburned before it has a chance to harden.

Feeding a plant with strong fertilizers during a heatwave is like telling someone to sprint in a sauna. It's not just unhelpful - it's risky. That's why you need a fertilizer that’s engineered for hot weather - not just any slow-release formula.

Liquid Sunshine Boosters mild formulas are safe to use year around. Controlled release fertilizer like Green Magic are safe as well, just make sure to follow directions and dosage.


Q: Why Green Magic fertilizer works in heat better that Osmocote?

Green Magic controlled release fertilizer

Not all slow-release fertilizers are built for hot summer. Some popular brands might seem like a good choice - but they’re optimized for soil temperatures around 70-75F. That's a mild Spring day in the South, but in real-world Florida or Arizona heat? Not even close.

Here's the problem: Osmocote releases nutrients based on moisture, not temperature. When it's hot and humid - or worse, when you water heavily - it can dump too many nutrients at once. That nutrient surge can:

  • Burn your plant's roots
  • Force tender new growth that gets fried in the heat
  • Leach straight out of the pot, wasting both fertilizer and money

It's unpredictable, especially in containers that heat up faster than ground soil. What you think is "slow-release" can behave more like a fertilizer bomb.

Green-Magic, by contrast, uses a temperature-sensitive polyurethane coating that responds gradually and consistently as the soil warms. That means:

  • No sudden nutrient spikes
  • No wasted runoff
  • And no risk of heat-triggered burn

It's designed to feed steadily and predictably - even when temps hit 90F and stay there. For potted tropical plants, that kind of control is the difference between stressed and thriving.

Q: How does Sunshine Boosters help with daily plant recovery in summer?

Once your plant begins to show signs of life again - maybe a new bud, or evening perkiness - it's safe to resume feeding. But skip the salts, and reach for something gentler: Sunshine Boosters.

These amino-acid based liquid fertilizers are designed for daily use, even in containers during the hottest days. They enhance nutrient uptake, even when roots are stressed or sluggish. Unlike synthetic chelators like EDTA, Sunshine Boosters won't bind nutrients or burn root system. They stay gentle, available, and effective. Learn more from this short video.

Use SUNSHINE Robusta for foliage support, or Ca-Support PRO for strong structure and recovery. It's like hydration and nutrition in one - perfect for tropical plants fighting through summer heat.

Q: How can I help my plants during extreme heat?

Don't fight the heat - work with it. If your tree looks stalled this summer, don't panic. It's following a rhythm older than all of us. Support it with smart watering, the right fertilizer combo, and a little patience. Before long, you'll see buds again - and know your plant made it through the heat.


Shop fertilizers and garden supplies


Read more plant care tips in Garden Blog

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National treasure of Thailand: Golden Shower Tree. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cassia fistula - Golden Shower Tree

🌞 National treasure of Thailand: Golden Shower Tree
  • ☀️ Cassia fistula - Golden Shower Tree is known as the national flower of Thailand. It is one of the most spectacular flowering trees for tropical and subtropical gardens.
  • ☀️ From late spring through summer, it puts on a breathtaking display of golden-yellow flower clusters that hang in long, pendulous chains, often over a foot long. When in full bloom, the entire tree appears drenched in gold.
  • ☀️ This deciduous tree drops its leaves in the dry season, allowing the brilliant flowers to take center stage. The leaves re-emerge after flowering, followed by long, dark brown seed pods that can reach up to two feet.
  • ☀️ Cassia fistula is fast-growing, typically reaching 20-30 feet tall, and thrives in full sun with well-drained soil. It prefers a dry season to initiate heavy blooming and is tolerant of drought once established.
  • ☀️ Aside from its beauty, the tree has cultural and medicinal significance in Asia in Ayurvedic medicine.
  • ☀️ Fun facts:

▫️In Thailand, it’s called Ratchaphruek and symbolizes royal identity.
  • ▫️Its golden flowers are often used in local festivals and ceremonies.
  • ▫️It attracts bees and butterflies and provides seasonal shade.


🛒 Shop showy Cassia trees

📚 Learn more:
▫️Compact and showy flowering trees: Rainbow Cassias.

#Butterfly_Plants #Trees

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Van Dyke: the mango that glows and flows. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Van Dyke Mango

Van Dyke: the mango that glows and flows.
Mango Rainbow🌈
  • 🟠 Van Dyke is a Florida classic mango that’s loved all over the world - and once you try it, you’ll know why!
  • 🟠 The trees are strong, spreading, and loaded with beautiful fruit.
  • 🟠 Walking through the grove, this one really pops - bright yellow skin with a red blush, like it’s lit from within.
  • 🟠 I pick it, slice it open... and wow! No fiber, just rich, juicy flesh with a sweet, spicy twist. It’s dense, meaty, and bursting with tropical flavor. This mango isn’t just pretty - it's pure magic!


🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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🌱 Bigger Trees, Bigger Benefits

Fruiting Mango and Avocado Tree Installed

Why Choose a 15 or 25-Gal Tree?

These are not starter trees — they’re mature, fruiting specimens that give you a head start in your garden or orchard. You’ll enjoy faster harvests, fuller canopies, and a more immediate impact on your landscape.

Top Reasons to Choose a Bigger Tree:

  • Already fruiting – enjoy your own mangos or avocados right away
  • Pre-trained and shaped for strong structure and balanced growth
  • Instant results in the yard – no years of waiting
  • Thicker trunks and stronger roots make transplanting easier

We make it easy for Florida gardeners:

  • Pickup available at two South Florida locations
  • Local delivery and installation services offered – just ask!
See installation and delivery details
Read More Garden Tips

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What's inside the Napoleons Hat? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Napoleon's Hat - Napoleonaea imperialis

🎩 What's inside the Napoleons Hat? False Kola experience!
  • 🎩 Napoleon's Hat (Napoleonaea imperialis), lives up to its name with large, saucer-shaped flowers that bloom straight from the leaf axils or even directly from the trunk!
  • 🎩 The hat-shaped, brightly colored flowers smell like butterscotch!
  • 🎩 The reddish seeds resemble kola nuts and even have a similar taste, giving you a fun, "false kola" experience.
  • 🎩 An instant conversation starter, Napoleon's Hat is a quirky, fragrant addition to your garden - perfect for those looking for something a little different.


🛒 Experience Napoleon's Hat - the most bizarre flower with benefits!

📚 Learn more:
A French Emperor's Hat Blooming in Your Garden
Napoleons Hat - Endangered species from the outgone era of the Napoleon's War

#Fun_facts #Trees #Nature_Wonders

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Instant rainforest for your yard - tropical vibes made easy! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cyathea cooperi - Australian tree fern

🌴 Instant rainforest for your yard - tropical vibes made easy!
  • 🌴 How to create your own jungle retreat quickly? Bring a touch of the tropics to your yard with the Australian tree fern!
  • 🌴 Cyathea cooperi - Australian tree fern - grows fast and looks like it came straight from a Hawaiian rainforest.
  • 🌴 Its giant, lacy fronds can reach up to 8 feet long.
  • 🌴 It takes bright shade or sun, as long as it stays moist.
  • 🌴 The baby fronds of the Australian tree fern unfurl like little furry scrolls, each one slowly unrolling like a curious creature’s tail coming to life. They look almost animated!
  • 🌴 Even in windy spots, this fern holds its own and adds instant jungle vibes. Create your own jungle retreat!


🛒 Yes, I want tropical vibes! Add to my paradise

#Nature_Wonders #Trees #Shade_Garden

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Happy Independence Day!
4th of July Sale

Independent cat on Independence Day opening a can

"Independence is happiness." - Susan B. Anthony

Happy 4th of July from the tropics! Whether you're staying local or escaping for the long weekend, it's the perfect time to enjoy your garden, start something new, or grab that plant you've been eyeing. Red Desert Roses, white fragrant Gardenias and Jasmines, rare Blue Ginger - tropical blooms are showing off right now, and we are celebrating with a hot summer sale: 20% off everything with code HAPPY4TH25, plus extra savings on combined DEALS and BOGO! Add some color to your summer and let your garden do the fireworks!

Use the code below to save 20% on your entire order:

HAPPY4TH25

Min order $200. Excluding S/H. Exp. 7-7-25

Reminder: use our FREE and DISCOUNTED SHIPPING for qualified orders

Shop Now Bauhinia madagascariensis, Red Butterfly Orchid Tree

In the photo above: Bauhinia madagascariensis, Red Butterfly Orchid Tree - dazzles with bright red flowers striped in gold. A rare, fast-growing tropical that brings serious color to your garden, it is one of the most striking Orchid trees you can grow. It thrives in sun and rewards with nonstop color.

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Where do Macadamia nuts come from. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Macadamia trees with fruit

🌰 Where do Macadamia nuts come from

🐿 Macadamia trees (Macadamia integrifolia) that were flowering earlier in Spring, are now full of nuts at Top Tropicals garden! We are looking forward to harvesting these sweet, delicious and nutritious treats, competing with squirrels!

📚 More about Macadamia tree:

🛒 Grow your own Macadamia Nuts

#Food_Forest

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