Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees

Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees

Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees

🌈 Compact Bauhinias - everblooming container trees

📸 Pictures for the previous post, Bauhinias:
  • ▫️Bauhinia madagascariensis - Red Dwarf Orchid Tree. Blooms from winter through fall, up to 10 months a year. The most cold-hardy of all.
  • ▫️Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree. A large tree in the ground, but compact in pots if trimmed. Grafted trees flower right away. Winter bloomer, cold hardy to light frost.
  • ▫️Bauhinia tomentosa - Yellow Orchid Tree. Flowers from Winter through Summer, cold hardy to light frost.
  • ▫️Bauhinia monandra - Napoleon's Plume Orchid Tree. Almost everblooming with the longest flowering period (less cold hardy than the first three).
  • ▫️Bauhinia acuminata - Dwarf White Orchid Tree. Blooms from summer through winter (also less cold hardy than the first three).


🛒 Explore Bauhinias (Orchid Trees)

#Container_Garden #Trees

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Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?

Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?

🌈 Cassia vs Bauhinia: which is better as an everblooming container tree?
  • 🌸 Cassia (Senna) trees are very popular flowering trees - fast growing, free-flowering, relatively cold hardy, and they love the summer heat. Cassias come in several colors: yellow, orange, pink, red, and rainbow. Rainbow varieties (which are hybrids between yellow and pink cassias) are the most popular thanks to their multicolor blooms with swirls of yellow, pink, red, and orange. But while Rainbow Cassia is a spectacular flowering tree for southern gardens, is it a good choice for a container when you want color on your patio or pool deck?
  • 🌸 Some yellow-flowering cassias make attractive bushes that bloom most of the year and stay compact, so they can be grown as container specimens:

    • Cassia didymobotrya- Popcorn Cassia
    Senna alata - Empress Candles
    Cassia fistula - Golden Shower (a compact size winter blooming tree)
  • 🌸 When it comes to Rainbow or pink cassias such as Cassia javanica - Apple Blossom Tree or Cassia grandis- Red Cassia and other species and hybrids (Cassia marginata - Rainbow Shower Tree, Cassia roxburghii - Ceylon Senna, Cassia x nodosa - Pink Shower), these are usually more vigorous trees that may take several years to bloom. Their flowering season lasts from a few weeks to a couple of months. These trees grow moderately fast but typically need to reach about 10 feet before they start flowering.
  • 🌸 So, the answer is: if you want rich, deep color year-round from a container tree, go with Bauhinias - Orchid Trees. Most varieties grow well in pots, stay compact, and reach blooming maturity within just one season. The following varieties are everblooming and can produce flowers for up to 10 months of the year:

  • ▫️Bauhinia madagascariensis - Red Dwarf Orchid Tree. Blooms from winter through fall, up to 10 months a year. The most cold-hardy of all.
  • ▫️Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree. A large tree in the ground, but compact in pots if trimmed. Grafted trees flower right away. Winter bloomer, cold hardy to light frost.
  • ▫️Bauhinia tomentosa - Yellow Orchid Tree. Flowers from Winter through Summer, cold hardy to light frost.
  • ▫️Bauhiniamonandra - Napoleon's Plume Orchid Tree. Almost everblooming with the longest flowering period (less cold hardy than the first three).
  • ▫️Bauhinia acuminata - Dwarf White Orchid Tree. Blooms from summer through winter (also less cold hardy than the first three).


🛒 Explore Cassia trees and Bauhinias (Orchid Trees)

📚 Learn more:

#Container_Garden #Trees #How_to

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The tree that smells like roses and candy. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The tree that smells like roses and candy

🌹 The tree that smells like roses and candy

  • 🌹 Radermachera Kunming - Dwarf Tree Jasmine. This rare Thai beauty is small but mighty. Its creamy-pinkish blooms release a powerful scent that mixes roses, candy, and fine perfume - you can smell it from yards away!

  • 🌹 The leaves have a graceful, fountain-like shape, and the plant stays compact and full, perfect for pots or small gardens. Relatively cold hardy, everbloomer.

  • 🌹 In Thailand, it’s a symbol of peace and progress, and locals even use the flowers in traditional remedies as a natural relaxant and aphrodisiac. A true gem for anyone who loves fragrance and charm in one small tree.


🛒 Get your own Sacred Tree Jasmine for Peace and Love

📚 Learn more:
Smells like roses, but not a rose

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees

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Stop watering your Monstera on a schedule - here is what it really wants! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Stop watering your Monstera on a schedule - here is what it really wants!

Stop watering your Monstera on a schedule - here is what it really wants!
💦Stop watering your Monstera on a schedule - here is what it really wants!

  • ☘️ Monstera might look like a big diva, but it's actually one of the easiest houseplants to keep happy, according to the gardening experts from Southern Living.

  • ☘️ The trick is not sticking to a strict watering schedule, but checking the soil. Water only when the top couple inches feel dry - usually every week or two in warm months and less in winter. Give it a good soak until water drains out the bottom, then let it dry again.

  • ☘️ Too much water is worse than too little – soggy soil means root rot. Signs of overwatering include yellow or droopy leaves, dark spots, or gnats buzzing around. Underwatering looks similar, but the soil will be bone dry. When in doubt, check the dirt!

  • ☘️ You can water from the top or let the pot sit in a shallow tray to soak from the bottom – just don’t let it sit in water. Bright, indirect light and a well-draining pot are your best friends. Keep that balance, and your Monstera will thrive for decades.


📸 In the photo: Rhaphidophora tetrasperma - Mini Monstera, Dwarf Monstera Ginny, a rare collectible for plant enthusiasts.

🛒 Shop Monstera plants

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #How_to

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You won't believe what glows in the shade: the rare blue ginger. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

You wont believe what glows in the shade: the rare blue ginger

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger

💎You won't believe what glows in the shade: the rare blue ginger
  • 💎 If you ever spot a flash of electric blue in the tropical shade, you might think your eyes are playing tricks on you, but that vivid color belongs to a rare Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger.
  • 💎 Despite its name, this isn’t a true ginger at all. It’s actually related to Tradescantia, the same family as familiar houseplants like the Wandering Jew and Spiderwort. Native to Brazil, Blue Ginger thrives in warm, humid shade, making it a perfect choice for patios, screened porches, garden corners, or indoor collections.
  • 💎 Its glossy leaves and tall stems topped with clusters of sapphire-blue blooms create a tropical jewel effect. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, adding life and motion to shady areas where few other plants bloom so brightly.
  • 💎 Give it rich, well-drained soil, steady moisture, and partial shade - and enjoy one of the rarest colors in the tropical plant world.


🛒 Get your own exotic Blue Ginger

📚 Learn more:
Is Sapphire Gem really a ginger?

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year

Alocasia macrorrhiza Variegata - Variegated Elephant Ears

Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year
  • 🍀 This is Alocasia macrorrhiza Variegata - Variegated Elephant Ears - the tropical showstopper that collectors can’t stop talking about.
  • 🍀 One look at those giant leaves splashed with creamy white and deep green, and you'll see why it's always sold out. Every leaf is different - some half white, some marbled like abstract art. Some leaves can be completely white!
  • 🍀 Unlike most elephant ears, this one stays a bit more compact, which makes it perfect for a big decorative pot on a patio or shady corner. It still has that bold, jungle look but behaves better in containers.
  • 🍀 Give it bright, filtered light, warmth, and humidity. Keep the soil moist but never soggy. The white parts of the leaves can burn easily, so skip harsh direct sun.
  • 🍀 Here's a tip: if you see a solid green shoot, cut it off - it can take over and make the plant lose its variegation. That’s because this plant’s variegation is a chimera, meaning it can shift from leaf to leaf.
  • 🍀 Feed it lightly during the growing season. The white parts can’t make food for the plant, so it relies on the green sections to do all the work. A little boost with Sunshine Robusta or Green Magic controlled release fertilizer help it stay balanced without overloading the roots.
  • 🍀 This plant’s got everything: beauty, rarity, and a bit of mystery. No wonder it’s the one everyone wants to show off!


🛒 Get yours before it’s gone or add to wishlist

📚 Learn more:

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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Surprising Miniature Gardenia. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Surprising Miniature Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

💮 Surprising Miniature Gardenia
  • Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia - can surprise even longtime gardenia fans. It has all the charm of the classic shrub - glossy green leaves, pure white flowers, and that unforgettable fragrance - but in a smaller, easier form.
  • Natural bonsai. This little plant grows low and wide, staying under 1-2 feet tall and spreading up to 3-4 feet. It forms a dense mound or creeping groundcover that looks great along walkways or spilling from a pot. The leaves are tiny and shiny, giving it a neat, polished look all year.
  • The flowers are about an inch across, double or semi-double, and smell just like the full-size gardenia. They bloom in spring and often return through summer, filling the air with perfume.
  • Easier than other gardenias. Gardenia radicans isn’t as fussy as most gardenias. It can handle clay, sandy, or loamy soil as long as it drains well. Once established, it’s fairly drought-tolerant and can even handle some cold, down to around 15F in protected spots.
  • Where to plant. It's perfect for small gardens, patios, or as a bonsai. You get the luxury fragrance of a gardenia without needing a big space. Use it as a groundcover, edging plant, or container specimen. It's one of those plants that stays tidy, looks refined, and keeps blooming. For anyone who loves gardenias but wants something compact and low-maintenance, Gardenia radicans is a great find.


🛒 Add unique Mini-Gardenia to your collection

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden

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The hot Guyanese secret to perfect skin. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The hot Guyanese secret to perfect skin

Biquinho Pepper (Capsicum annuum x chinense) and Wiri Wiri Pepper (Capsicum frutescens)

❗️ The hot Guyanese secret to perfect skin 💥
  • 🌶 Who said Peppers can't be cute? These two little fireballs prove otherwise! They might look small, but they’re full of personality, flavor, and heat.
  • 🌶 Biquinho Pepper (Capsicum annuum x chinense)

    • This heart-shaped hottie is an ancient hybrid between bird pepper and habanero is as beautiful as it is flavorful. Each tiny 1-inch red pepper packs a fruity, tangy punch with just enough heat to make your taste buds dance. Perfect for container gardens, Biquinho peppers decorate the plant like tiny red ornaments – and they’re just as tasty in pickles, salsas, or fresh salads.
  • 🌶 Wiri Wiri Pepper (Capsicum frutescens)

    • From the kitchens of Guyana comes a true legend - the Wiri Wiri pepper. These little berry-shaped peppers turn from green to orange to bright red, bursting with intense heat and flavor. Guyanese chefs swear by it - it's the secret behind their famously spicy, flavorful dishes. Locals even say it’s the reason they live long, have glowing skin, and look amazing… it's not just spice, it's magic!
  • 🌶 Fun facts:

· Both peppers belong to the same botanical family as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants.
  • · What makes them special isn't just the heat - it's the flavor!
  • · True pepper lovers know that great peppers are about depth, aroma, and the fruity fire they bring to every meal.


🌶 Growing tips:
Feed your peppers with Sunshine C-Cibus plant booster for abundant crops and extra flavorful fruits. These compact plants thrive in containers and bring tropical flair to patios, balconies, or edible gardens.

💥 These two peppers are a must for spice lovers - intense fruity habanero flavor packs quite a bang!
Extremely showy, these ornamental peppers have culinary benefits and are great for container garden.

🛒 Add the flavor of Hot Peppers to your garden and kitchen

📚 Learn more:
📱 How to grow the hot Wiri Wiri and Biquino Peppers

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden

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What's that fragrance in the dark? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Whats that fragrance in the dark?

Brunfelsia - Lady of the Night

🌠 What's that fragrance in the dark?
  • 💐 Brunfelsia? People often ask: what can you plant in a shady spot that blooms year-round and smells amazing? The answer is Brunfelsia, known as Lady of the Night.
  • 💐 This Brazilian beauty is a compact, shade-loving shrub that thrives in low light and rewards you with creamy white flowers. As the sun sets, the blooms release a sweet, unforgettable perfume that lingers through the night. It’s like nature’s way of setting the mood for evening strolls.
  • 💐 Brunfelsia is more than just fragrance. Its flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, turning shaded corners into lively little stages. Low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly, and elegant, it’s the answer to your prayers: shade, flowers, and fragrance all in one plant.
  • 💐 The most fragrant Brunfelsias are the creamy-white varieties, often called Lady of the Night.

Popular species include: B. americana, B. isola, B. nitida, B. lactea, B. manaca, B. densifolia, B. gigantea.

Do you already grow Brunfelsia? What kind do you have in your garden?

🛒 Experience Brunfelsia fragrance

📚 Learn more about Brunfelsias:

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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10-minute recipe Bo La Lot with a leaf youve never cooked before! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

10-minute recipe Bo La Lot with a leaf youve never cooked before!

Bo La Lot recipe with Vietnamese pepper Lalot (Piper sarmentosum)

🍴 10-minute recipe Bo La Lot with a leaf you’ve never cooked before!
  • 🌮 Forget boring tacos - this wrap will blow your mind! In Vietnam they call it Bo La Lot - beef wrapped in peppery Lalot leaves.
  • 🌮 It started as grape leaf wraps in the Middle East, but in tropical Asia grapes don’t grow, so people swapped to Lalot. Way more flavor than grape leaves!
  • 🌮 Grilled beef, garlic, onion, lemongrass - all can be tucked into these shiny green leaves. Smoky, juicy, and so good you’ll wonder why you didn't try it sooner! It's better than grape leaf wraps, because it has so much flavor!
  • 🌮 Most large leaf pepper plants will work for this recipe - Vietnamese pepper Lalot (Piper sarmentosum), Betel Leaf (Piper betle), or even large leaves of the traditional Black Pepper plant (Piper nigrum).


🌯 BO LA LOT RECIPE

✔️ Ingredients
  • · 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • · 2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass (optional)
  • · 1 tbsp spice powder
  • · 1 tbsp curry powder
  • · 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
  • · 1 tbsp oyster sauce or fish sauce (optional)
  • · 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • · 1 tbsp finely minced shallots
  • · 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • · 2 tsp sugar or honey
  • · 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • · 1/2 tbsp salt
  • · 10-15 fresh Lalot leaves

  • 👉 Directions

  • · Preheat the grill.
  • · Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
  • · Wrap about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each betel leaf.
  • · Spear 3 to 4 betel leaf wraps onto a skewer and grill until the meat is thoroughly cooked.
  • · Be sure to eat immediately.


🛒 Grow Leaf Pappers for tasty, peppery recipes

📚 Learn more:
📱 Growing Lalot Pepper

#Food_Forest #Recipes #Container_Garden #How_to

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