Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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Turn up the color in your garden with the bold everblooming Brazilian plume. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume or Red Cloak

Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume or Red Cloak

Megaskepasma erythrochlamys flowers

Megaskepasma erythrochlamys flowers

♨️ Turn up the color in your garden with the bold everblooming Brazilian plume
  • ❣️Looking to add nonstop color, tropical flair for shade or sun, and pollinator appeal to your garden?

  • Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume or Red Cloak, is the ultimate show-stopper shrub that takes both sun or shade.
  • ❣️ With its big, bold leaves and eye-catching crimson-to-mauve flower spikes, this plant brings exotic beauty - without the need for a steamy jungle.
  • ❣️The best part? It's surprisingly cold hardy. This lush-looking tropical can handle brief dips into the 30s (F), making it a top pick for USDA zones 9-11. Plant it in full sun or partial shade, and with regular watering, it rewards you with a steady burst of blooms that butterflies and hummingbirds can't resist.
  • ❣️Reaching 5-7 ft tall in the ground, it fills out beautifully to anchor beds or soften fences. In colder regions, it can still thrive in large pots - just give it a sheltered spot, bring it indoors when temperatures drop, and enjoy its vivid flower show all winter long.
  • ❣️If you want a garden that doesn’t fade with the season, the Brazilian plume delivers color, volume, and wildlife appeal - all year round.


🛒 Make your garden pop with color of Brazilian plume

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

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Shooting Star Gardenia: a rare scent from Africa. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Gardenia nitida (Posoqueria), Shooting Star Gardenia

⭐️ Shooting Star Gardenia: a rare scent from Africa
  • ⭐️ Gardenia nitida (Posoqueria), Shooting Star Gardenia - is a rare African treasure prized for its star-like tubular flowers and rich, intoxicating fragrance.
  • ⭐️ Blooming sporadically throughout the year, this plant puts on a dazzling show when in bloom - often covered in clusters of white blossoms that light up the garden like stars.
  • ⭐️ Its leaves are unusually shaped and add to its exotic charm. It is a must-have for fragrance lovers and rare plant collectors.


🛒 Bring the stars with scent to your garden

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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Get the Red Jade look without the fuss: cold-hardy Dwarf Red Jade Vine. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Dwarf Red Jade Vine blooming

Dwarf Red Jade Vine blooming

Dwarf Red Jade Vine blooming

Dwarf Red Jade Vine blooming

💃 Get the Red Jade look without the fuss: cold-hardy Dwarf Red Jade Vine
  • 🔥 Love the stunning, fiery blooms of the famous Red Jade Vine (Mucuna benettii) but live outside the tropics?

  • Its cousin - Dwarf Red Jade Vine - is tougher, easier to grow, and just as jaw-dropping, and delivers the same dazzling display of blazing red flower chains - without the high-maintenance, ultra-tropical demands.
  • 🔥 Camptosema grandiflora - Dwarf Red Jade Vine, Cuitelo, or Rooster's Crest - this Brazilian superstar brings cascading chains of bright red blooms that look like flames frozen in mid-air.
  • 🔥 Unlike the ultra-tropical and finicky Mucuna benettii, this cousin is tougher, easier to grow, and just as jaw-dropping. It thrives in full to partial sun, forgives a little drought, and even shrugs off light frost. Blooming in fall and winter, it gives your garden a fiery finale when everything else starts to fade.
  • 🔥 Got a pergola or arbor? Perfect. The hanging flower clusters will light up the space like a botanical chandelier. Just prune it hard in spring and feed it well, and it will thank you with a blooming spectacle year after year.
  • 🔥 If you've been dreaming of the iconic Red Jade Vine but thought it was out of reach - this is your sign.


🛒 Get all the wow of Red Jade Vine - without the worry

📚 Learn more:
Camptosema grandiflora, Dwarf Red Jade Vine - my favorite plant

#Nature_Wonders #Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

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What jasmine has a stronger scent than Sambac? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Jasminum molle, Indian Jui, Jasminum auriculatum

🎆 What jasmine has a stronger scent than Sambac?
  • ⭐️ Once you smell it, you’ll never forget it! If you are looking for a jasmine that truly stands out, Jasminum molle (also known as Indian Jui or Jasminum auriculatum) is one of the best-kept secrets among fragrant plants.
  • ⭐️ An uncommon jasmine with an unforgettable scent, with a rich, gardenia-like perfume that rivals the world-famous Jasmine Sambac, this stunning species deserves a special place in your collection.
  • ⭐️ Extraordinary fragrance: The satin-white flowers release an intense, sweet scent that fills the air - one of the strongest among all jasmines.
  • ⭐️ Multiple growth habits: Naturally bushy and fast-growing, it can be shaped into a dense shrub, grown in containers, or even allowed to climb slightly on a trellis. It also makes a great hedge.
  • ⭐️ Versatile and hardy: Adapts well to full sun or part shade, wet or dry soil. Fairly cold-hardy, it can handle a light frost with no damage.
  • ⭐️ Seasonal blooms: While blooming peaks in summer, flushes of flowers can appear again in fall or even winter, often in clusters that cover the plant.
  • ⭐️ Cultural significance: In India, this jasmine is sacred to the Goddess Devi and widely used in religious ceremonies, garlands, perfumes, and hair adornments.
  • ⭐️ Medicinal uses: Traditional remedies use jasmine oil for hair and skin health, and the roots for treating skin conditions.
  • ⭐️ With small, dark green leaves and powdery white blooms, Jasmine Molle is a top choice for gardeners who love richly fragrant plants. It's easy to grow, low maintenance, and incredibly rewarding. Whether in a pot, a border, or a spiritual garden, this jasmine is more than just a plant - it's an experience.


🛒Bring sacred fragrance into your garden

📚 Lean more about #Perfume_Plants

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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Cashmere bouquet - smells like royal bouquet and grows like a weed. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Clerodendrum bungei - Glory Bower, Cashmere bouquet

💐 The shrub that smells like a royal bouquet and grows like a weed?

💐 Clerodendrum bungei - Glory Bower, Cashmere bouquet, fills the air with sweet perfume and bursts of pink blooms that butterflies love. Its dark leaves add contrast, and it grows fast - maybe too fast - so plant it in a pot or tucked-away spot unless you want a fragrant takeover!

🛒 Add Clerodendrum bungei to your garden today - before it grows away!

📚 Learn more:

#Hedges_with_benefits #Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Butterfly_Plants

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Bleeding Heart Vine surprised everyone this year! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Bleeding Heart Vine - Clerodendrum thomsoniae

💞 Bleeding Heart Vine surprised everyone this year!
  • ❣️ Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) is not just a winter bloomer! Despite the common belief that it blooms only in winter, this beauty actually flowers year-round in warm climates, putting on a continuous display of red and white "hearts". It bloomed in winter, then in spring, and now - it's a summertime - it is still full of flowers!
  • ❣️ The "bleeding heart" look comes from the striking contrast between the white calyx and the deep red flower inside - like a heart bursting with color.
  • ❣️ It's a vigorous vine, perfect for trellises, arbors, or containers. It can even be trained as a shrub!
  • ❣️ Grows best in bright filtered light or partial sun, and appreciates regular watering - but it's not fussy.
  • ❣️ Pollinator magnet! The blooms attract hummingbirds and butterflies, adding motion and life to your garden.
  • ❣️ Tough and tropical - i'’s hardy, low maintenance, and stays evergreen in frost-free areas.
  • ❣️ It's not shy, not seasonal, and definitely not boring!


📚 Learn more from previous posts:

🛒Get your own Bleeding Heart

#Butterfly_Plants #Shade_Garden #Fun_Facts #Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden

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What is the most wanted fragrant plant ever? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

🏵 What is the most wanted fragrant plant ever?

  • 💮 We are revealing a secret, because this plant... was a creator of Top Tropicals: fragrant Jasminum Sambac.

  • 💮 Here is the reason why every gardener wants to have this plant: the fragrance is so wonderful, it will attract you like a bee to a honey and make you feel GOOD!

  • 💮 This video contains a unique information - a guide to different varieties of this fascinating plant - fragrant Jasmine Sambac:


📱

🛒 Shop Jasmine Sambaс - add tropical perfume to your garden

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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Curcuma - the tropical tulip with a secret spice twist. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Curcuma flowers

🌷Curcuma - the tropical tulip with a secret spice twist
  • 🌷Curcuma, also known as Siam Tulip or Turmeric, is a plant with personality! It looks like it came straight from a fairy tale with bright, showy blooms in pink, purple, white, yellow, and even orange - that rise above lush green foliage like floral fireworks.
  • 🌷Despite its exotic looks, it’s super easy to grow. Keep the soil moist, give it filtered light, and this beauty will reward you with long-lasting blooms. This is an excellent cut flower that lasts up to 2 weeks in a vase!
  • 🌷And here's the kicker: beneath the soil, it hides a spicy secret - its rhizomes are the source of Turmeric, the golden powder used in curry and traditional medicine. So yes, your flower garden can also be a spice rack!
  • 🌷Curcuma thrives in warm zones but grows happily in pots too - just bring it inside when things get chilly. With its striking looks and health-boosting roots, Curcuma is your new garden showstopper and wellness booster all in one!


🛒 Plant Curcuma: add color, spice, and charm to your garden

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden #Hedges_with_benefits

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This is what we plant for a compact colorful hedge solution. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Thunbergia erecta - Kings Mantle

💜 This is what we plant for a compact colorful hedge solution
  • 💜 Thunbergia erecta - Kings Mantle - is currently in full bloom in our garden, showcasing its vibrant flowers that last almost year-round.
  • 💜 One of our favorite flowering shrubs, it's compact, easy-going, and perfect for adding a splash of color.
  • 💜 Available in blue, white, and even variegated lavender flowers, King's Mantle thrives in both sun and filtered light, with its dense, manageable habit making it ideal for low-growing hedges or garden specimens.
  • 💜 It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and with simple pruning, it stays under 4 feet while producing a profusion of blooms.
  • 💜 Hardy to 30°F and suitable for USDA Zones 9-11, it's also great for container gardening in colder regions.


🛒 Shop Thunbergias - colorful flowers for sun and shade

📚 Learn more:

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants
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Mandevilla or Dipladenia? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Mandevilla and Dipladenia

❤️ Mandevilla or Dipladenia?

Q: What is the correct name – Mandevilla or Dipladenia? I see both names in garden centers, and they come in many colors. What color is Dipladenia and what is Mandevilla?

‼️ A: Both names are correct, and you’ll often see them used interchangeably - but they aren’t exactly the same. Mandevilla and Dipladenia are closely related, and with so many hybrids, the lines between them can blur.

🌺 Difference Between Mandevilla and Dipladenia
  • 💋Mandevilla is a vigorous woody vine with large, stiff leaves. It’s ideal for vertical spaces like trellises and fences.
  • 💋Dipladenia is a bushier, more compact plant with smaller, smoother leaves. While it can be trained on a trellis, it’s better suited for hanging baskets, pots, or as a specimen plant.
  • 💋Both Mandevilla and Dipladenia come in a variety of colors - white, pink, red, and even yellow so color is not what distinguishes them. It's the growth habit and leaf type that set them apart.


📚 Learn more:

🛒 Explore Mandevilla-Dipladenia colors: collect them all!

#How_to #Container_Garden #Hedges_with_benefits
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