Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

🏆 Discover the health benefits of Katuk: a Superfood for your mind and body

• 
  🌿 Katuk, or Tropical Asparagus (Sauropus androgynus), is a delicious leafy vegetable popular in South and Southeast Asia. Its young shoots, often referred to as tropical asparagus, are highly prized for their taste and high yields.
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  🌿 In Vietnam, Katuk is commonly cooked in soups with crab meat, minced pork, or dried shrimp, while in Malaysia, it’s stir-fried with egg and dried anchovies.
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  🌿 The plant is unique for being one of the few plants that contains vitamin K. It’s also rich in folate, vitamin K, and lutein - nutrients linked to improved memory and reduced cognitive aging.
• 
  🌿 Katuk thrives in full sun or semi-shade, making it a versatile and healthy addition to your garden or kitchen.

Lean more:
📚 Tropical Asparagus, Katuk: Grow your own food
📱 How to cook with Katuk

🛒 Add Katuk Superfood to your edible garden today

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

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🏆 Discover the health benefits of Katuk: a Superfood for your mind and body

• 🌿 Katuk, or Tropical Asparagus (Sauropus androgynus), is a delicious leafy vegetable popular in South and Southeast Asia. Its young shoots, often referred to as tropical asparagus, are highly prized for their taste and high yields.
• 🌿 In Vietnam, Katuk is commonly cooked in soups with crab meat, minced pork, or dried shrimp, while in Malaysia, it’s stir-fried with egg and dried anchovies.
• 🌿 The plant is unique for being one of the few plants that contains vitamin K. It’s also rich in folate, vitamin K, and lutein - nutrients linked to improved memory and reduced cognitive aging.
• 🌿 Katuk thrives in full sun or semi-shade, making it a versatile and healthy addition to your garden or kitchen.

Lean more:
📚 Tropical Asparagus, Katuk: Grow your own food
📱 How to cook with Katuk

🛒 Add Katuk Superfood to your edible garden today

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🍌 How to double your banana crop without extra space

• 🍌 Double Mahoi - is a Cavendish banana variety that typically produces a double stalk of bananas in its second year, boosting the harvest. It is one of the most popular banana varieties for home growers - and for good reason! Here's what makes it so great:
• 🍌 Double the Fruit: After the first fruiting, this variety often produces a second flower stalk - two harvests from one plant, which is rare among bananas.
• 🍌 Heavy Producer: Known for large, dense bunches of sweet, dessert-type bananas. One plant can produce up to 100 bananas per cycle!
• 🍌 Dwarf Size: Grows only about 6 to 8 feet tall, making it perfect for smaller yards, containers, or even patios.
• 🍌 Tasty Fruit: The bananas are sweet, soft, and flavorful, similar to the classic Cavendish but often fresher and more satisfying.
• 🍌 Self-Pollinating & Reliable: Easy to grow, doesn't need another plant to fruit, and performs well with basic care.
• 🍌 Great for Containers: Compact growth and fast fruiting make it ideal for container growing - even indoors with enough light.
• 🍌 Fast Fruiting: Can begin producing in 12-18 months under good conditions.
• 🍌 Why everyone wants Double Mahoi Banana? Because it's the most productive dwarf banana for home gardens. You get lots of fruit, it doesn't take up much space, and you can grow it in almost any warm climate - or in a pot anywhere else. Double Mahoi is the go-to banana for gardeners who want reliable harvests in a small footprint.

🛒 Grow twice the Bananas - plant Double Mahoi

📚 Learn more about #Bananas

#Food_Forest #Discover

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📱 Red Leaves, Red Fruit, Real Wow Banana!


#Bananas #Food_Forest #Discover

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Which Banana has red fruit and leaves?

• 💃 Banana Bordelon - Red Leaves, Red Fruit, Real Wow!

Not just leaves - this banana bears red fruit too!
• 💃 Banana Bordelon is a show-stopping ornamental AND edible HARDY banana that gardeners love for its bold look and surprising resilience.

Here's why it's in high demand:
• 💃 Striking Red-Striped Leaves: The main attraction is its dramatic foliage - large green leaves boldly striped with deep red. It instantly adds a tropical, exotic flair to any garden.
• 💃 Tall and Impressive: Grows 10-15 feet tall, making it a fantastic focal point or privacy screen in warm climates.
• 💃 Hardy for an Ornamental: Despite its tropical look, 'Bordelon' is more cold-tolerant than many bananas. With protection, it survives mild winters and can even flower and fruit in zone 8b and up.
• 💃 Flowers and Fruits: It's not just eye candy. With proper care and winter protection, Bordelon produces deep purple flowers and striking red fruit - a rare and beautiful bonus in ornamental bananas.
• 💃 Native Charm: Originally discovered in Bordelonville, Louisiana, it's adapted to Southern gardens and thrives in warm, humid conditions.
• 💃 Why everyone wants Bordelone Banana? Because it's both beautiful and tough. Bordelon brings color, height, and a tropical vibe to any landscape - and unlike many ornamentals, it can survive a chilly season and still reward you with vibrant foliage, flowers, and fruit. It’s perfect for collectors, Southern gardeners, and anyone who wants bold impact with low maintenance.

🛒 Bring home Bordelon: the Banana that paints your garden RED!

📚 Learn more about #Bananas

#Food_Forest #Discover

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⚡️ Patchouli: more than just a pretty scent - every gardener needs it, and here's why

Patchouli, or Pogostemon cablin, a plant from India that is used to produce the scent Patchouli, offers a wide range of benefits: from its calming aroma to its skin-healing and medicinal properties.

‍� Health Benefits of Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli, Pucha-Pat):

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  📌 Perfumery: Patchouli is well-known for its rich, earthy fragrance, making it a popular ingredient in perfumes, incense, and essential oils. Its strong, musky scent is calming and grounding.
• 
  📌 Skin Care: The essential oil derived from patchouli leaves is used in skincare products. It's known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, helping to soothe skin irritation, acne, and minor cuts or wounds.
• 
  📌 Stress Relief: Patchouli oil has calming and mood-enhancing qualities, making it effective for reducing stress and anxiety. It's commonly used in aromatherapy to promote relaxation.
• 
  📌 Anti-inflammatory: Patchouli has anti-inflammatory effects, reducing swelling and discomfort, particularly in arthritis or muscle pain.
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  📌 Digestive Health: The oil is sometimes used to promote digestion and relieve indigestion or bloating. It has mild antispasmodic properties that can soothe the digestive system.
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  📌 Insect Repellent: Patchouli has natural insect-repellent properties, making it useful for warding off mosquitoes and other pests.
• 
  📌 Antioxidant Properties: Some studies suggest that patchouli oil contains antioxidants, which may help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, supporting overall health.

Patchouli is not just prized for its unique fragrance - it's a versatile, easy-to-grow herb that thrives with minimal care. This herbaceous shrub is very vigorous and requires little attention. It loves filtered light and just a bit of water to flourish. Even in poor soils, Patchouli remains happy, consistently emitting its uplifting scent and bringing joy to your garden.

🛒 Bring the uplifting fragrance of Patchouli to your garden - grow happiness with every leaf!

📚 Learn more:
Researchers discover what a perfume from Ancient Rome was made of: Patchouli!

#Perfume_Plants #Remedies #Fun_Facts #Food_Forest #Discover

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⚡️ Patchouli: more than just a pretty scent - every gardener needs it, and here's why

Patchouli, or Pogostemon cablin, a plant from India that is used to produce the scent Patchouli, offers a wide range of benefits: from its calming aroma to its skin-healing and medicinal properties.

‍� Health Benefits of Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli, Pucha-Pat):

• 📌 Perfumery: Patchouli is well-known for its rich, earthy fragrance, making it a popular ingredient in perfumes, incense, and essential oils. Its strong, musky scent is calming and grounding.
• 📌 Skin Care: The essential oil derived from patchouli leaves is used in skincare products. It's known for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, helping to soothe skin irritation, acne, and minor cuts or wounds.
• 📌 Stress Relief: Patchouli oil has calming and mood-enhancing qualities, making it effective for reducing stress and anxiety. It's commonly used in aromatherapy to promote relaxation.
• 📌 Anti-inflammatory: Patchouli has anti-inflammatory effects, reducing swelling and discomfort, particularly in arthritis or muscle pain.
• 📌 Digestive Health: The oil is sometimes used to promote digestion and relieve indigestion or bloating. It has mild antispasmodic properties that can soothe the digestive system.
• 📌 Insect Repellent: Patchouli has natural insect-repellent properties, making it useful for warding off mosquitoes and other pests.
• 📌 Antioxidant Properties: Some studies suggest that patchouli oil contains antioxidants, which may help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, supporting overall health.

Patchouli is not just prized for its unique fragrance - it's a versatile, easy-to-grow herb that thrives with minimal care. This herbaceous shrub is very vigorous and requires little attention. It loves filtered light and just a bit of water to flourish. Even in poor soils, Patchouli remains happy, consistently emitting its uplifting scent and bringing joy to your garden.

🛒 Bring the uplifting fragrance of Patchouli to your garden - grow happiness with every leaf!

📚 Learn more:
Researchers discover what a perfume from Ancient Rome was made of: Patchouli!

#Perfume_Plants #Remedies #Fun_Facts #Food_Forest #Discover

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

🍌 Why everyone wants Banana Lakatan?

• 🌟 Banana Lakatan (also spelled Lacatan) is one of the most sought-after banana varieties for several great reasons:
• 🌟 Incredible Flavor: Lakatan is famous for its rich, sweet, and creamy taste. It has a fuller banana flavor than most commercial types, making it a favorite for eating fresh.
• 🌟 Deep Yellow to Orange Flesh: The vibrant color of the fruit is a sign of its high beta-carotene (Vitamin A) content - great for eye health and immunity.
• 🌟 Soft, Dessert-Like Texture: Unlike fibrous store-bought bananas, Lakatan bananas are smooth and velvety, almost like banana pudding in a peel.
• 🌟 Fast Fruiting: It's a vigorous grower that can produce fruit in as little as 9-12 months under warm conditions.
• 🌟 Highly Nutritious: Rich in potassium, vitamins A, C, and B6 - Lakatan is both a treat and a health boost.
• 🌟 Premium Status: In the Philippines and much of Southeast Asia, Lakatan is considered the top-quality banana, often more expensive and prized over all others.
• 🌟 Why Grow It? Because you can't buy this flavor in stores. Lakatan fruit doesn’t ship well - it's too soft and sweet for commercial export. That's why growing your own is the only way to enjoy its true taste.

🛒 Grow your own Lakatan and experience the banana everyone’s talking about!

📚 Learn more about #Bananas

#Food_Forest #Discover

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Which adenium is ever-blooming? Discover Flamingo Glow

• If you've visited our Top Tropicals Farm in Sebring, you've surely noticed our two beautiful ever-blooming Adeniums Flamingo Glow - the favorites that always draw admiration (and wishlists) from everyone! Our 2 Flamingo Glow mother plants we have in 7 gal pots are in bloom most of the time, almost year around, except for the Winter dormancy period.
• We're excited to share some great news: these two stunning Flamingo Glow adeniums cross-pollinated and have produced seeds, and their offsprings are now already blooming! The well-sized 3 year old seedlings have inherited the same vibrant, glowing color as their parents, and we now have a few plants available for sale.
• Desert Rose Flamingo Glow is a dazzling Top Tropicals hybrid (A. arabicum x A. obesum) that adds a splash of tropical elegance to any collection. Its soft pink blooms glow like a flamingo at sunset, gradually deepening from delicate blush to rich rose with darker splashes that illuminate the petals. Compact and easy to grow, this variety has a naturally dwarf habit and forms a beautifully rounded caudex, perfect for containers or bonsai-style displays. A living jewel that glows brighter with time!

📚 Learn more: #Adenium

🛒 Claim Your Flamingo Glow and discover more Adenium colors

#Container_Garden #How_to #Shade_Garden #Adenium

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😊 Why we love Jocote: the Hog Plum health benefits.
Sound on! 🎤

🍊 The Hog Plum tree (Spondias purpurea), that you saw blooming in March in this post, set the fruit by May in ABUNDANCE and we can't wait to see them ripe and harvest them! Hog Plum is one of our favorite fruits at Top Tropicals. It is also known as Purple Mombin, Jocote, or Spanish Plum. It’s popular in Central America and the Caribbean, and it's not just tasty and super productive - it's packed with health benefits!

❤️ HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE HOG PLUM FRUIT:

• ✅ Rich in Vitamin C. Helps boost your immune system, supports skin health, and acts as a powerful antioxidant.
• ✅ Good Source of Fiber. Aids digestion, helps prevent constipation, and supports gut health.
• ✅ Anti-inflammatory Properties. Traditionally used to relieve swelling, inflammation, and minor skin infections.
• ✅ Supports Heart Health. Contains antioxidants and nutrients that may help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• ✅ Hydrating and Refreshing. The fruit has high water content and is often eaten fresh during hot weather for hydration.
• ✅ May Help Regulate Blood Sugar. Some studies suggest that Spondias species may have a mild effect on blood sugar levels.

🛒 Sweet, tangy, and good for you - grow Hog Plum!

📚 Learn more:
This is how the flowers of a Hog Plum look like
The Hog Plum tree fruit
What fruit tree is full of fruit year around

#Food_Forest #Discover

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