Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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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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Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas
🌹 Heat-loving color that never quits: discover Cannas

📸 Canna flowers for the previous post 👆

🛒 Shop Cannas

#Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden

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Why cannas shine in southern landscapes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

🌷 Why cannas shine in southern landscapes

  • 🌷 Canna lilies thrive in the heat and humidity of the South, delivering bold, tropical flair with minimal effort.

  • 🌷 These low-maintenance hardy perennials grow fast, bloom nearly year-round, and handle everything from full sun to soggy soil.

  • 🌷 Their dramatic foliage and vivid flowers add instant impact to borders, containers, and water features.

  • 🌷 Meet some standout Cannas:

  • ♦️ Canna Australia - Towering up to 6-7 ft, this collectible variety flaunts fiery red blooms and rich burgundy leaves. A favorite for borders, ponds, and seed jewelry alike.

  • ♦️Canna Madeira - A compact beauty with red blooms edged in yellow, perfect for the front of borders or small containers.

  • ♦️Canna Tropicanna - A showstopper with tangerine flowers and striped foliage in bronze, green, and fuchsia tones - stunning even without blooms.


More Canna flowers in next post 👇

🛒 Add bold color with Cannas

#Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden

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A Plumeria you can train to climb? Fragrance on the fence - the climbing Frangipani. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Chonemorpha fragrans - Frangipani vine

💮 A Plumeria you can train to climb? Fragrance on the fence - the climbing Frangipani...
  • 💮 Twelve-inch leaves and a perfume cloud? Yes, it's real. Chonemorpha fragrans, or Frangipani vine, is a large woody tropical liana with clusters of large, perfume-fragrant flowers and lush green foliage. It is close related to perfumed Plumeria - Frangipani.
  • 💮 Chonemorpha fragrans, the stunning Frangipani vine is a classic tropical woody climber, Plumeria's wilder cousin, bursting with huge, lush leaves (up to 12 inches long!) and clusters of intensely fragrant, creamy white flowers that smell just like your favorite Plumeria.
  • 💮 Unlike its tree-form relative, this beauty grows as a vine and needs a strong support to climb - think fence, trellis, or pergola.
  • 💮 Plant it in full sun for the best bloom show, though it's happy in partial shade too.
  • 💮 With the right care and some fertilizer, it will turn your garden into a fragrant paradise and stop guests in their tracks. Plant it by your sitting area, and enjoy nature's own perfume drifting in the breeze!


🛒 Add Frangipani perfume to your fence

📚 Learn more:

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Hedges_with_benefits

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A perfect Summer plant: red bells are hot without bringing heat. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Fireball Abutilon - Abutilon darwinii x striatum

🔥 A perfect Summer plant: red bells are hot without bringing heat
  • 🔥 Meet the Fireball Abutilon, a fiery beauty that doesn't burn! This charming hybrid (A. darwinii x striatum), also known as Biltmore Ballgown, shows off glowing red bell flowers with elegant curled petals and bold red veins.
  • 🔥 Its maple-like leaves add even more style.
  • 🔥 It can grow up to 8-10 ft tall but stays neat with pruning. Loves summer pampering - water, fertilizer, and sunshine. Not a fan of cold snaps, so give it a cozy spot.
  • 🔥 It's the perfect plant for turning up the color without turning up the heat!


🛒 Shop Flowering Shrubs for Hot Summer

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_plants

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Redder than red: when orange wasn't enough, nature made this hottest flower. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Senecio confusus variety Sao Paulo, Pseudogynoxis chenopodiode, Bright red Mexican flame vine

💥 Redder than red: when orange wasn't enough, nature made this hottest flower
  • 🔻This vine didn't get the memo about "'just orange"! Senecio confusus variety Sao Paulo (Pseudogynoxis chenopodiodes), or Bright red Mexican flame vine - is our favorite variety of the classic Mexican flame vine here at Top Tropicals. Sao Paulo isn't just orange, it's fire-engine red!
  • 🔻Spectacular bright red blooms year-round and thick evergreen leaves that are larger and darker than regular Orange variety; they provide a lush, tropical look. Red variety is also more vigorous than regular Orange Senecio.
  • 🔻Fast-growing and easy to train over fences, arbors, or trellises.
  • 🔻Drought-tolerant once established and thrives on neglect.
  • 🔻Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds
  • 🔻A must-have for beginners and collectors alike, this vine delivers a nonstop show of blazing color all winter and beyond.


🛒Bring home the brightest flame vine on the market!

📚 Learn more:

#Butterfly_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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Have you ever seen a Half-n-Half Parrot's Beak? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Gmelina philippensis variegata - Half-n-Half Parrots Beak

Have you ever seen a Half-n-Half Parrot's Beak?

‼️ Just landed: Half-n-Half Parrots Beak - rare variegated form! Limited quantities - first time ever!
  • 🐦 We just got our hands on a super rare twist of a beloved classic - Half n Half Parrot's Beak! This is not your average Gmelina philippensis. It's a variegated version you've probably never seen before, and it's ready to steal the show!
  • 🐦 Classic Parrot's Beak is already a fan favorite with its whimsical, hanging branches and cartoonish yellow blooms that really do look like parrots mid-laugh. Now imagine all that - with variegation!
  • 🐦 Why is it special? Because each leaf is half green, half creamy-white - a stunning two-tone effect . It's got the same iconic yellow parrot-beak flowers, but with a brand-new flair.
  • 🐦 Compact growth and ivy-shaped foliage make it ideal for bonsai. The leaves reduce beautifully with training. Develops character as it ages: spiny branches, textured bark, and an artistic form perfect for styling.
  • 🐦 Fast grower with a naturally tidy canopy, it produces eye-catching yellow flowers shaped like parrot beaks, hanging in chain-like racemes. This rare form is perfect for collectors, bonsai lovers, or anyone who wants a showpiece plant that sparks conversation.
  • 🐦 Note: Gmelina is pronounced "Melina" - the G is silent, but the plant is anything but!


📚Check out the Classic Parrot Beak in earlier post and in the Video

🛒 Limited quantity available - grab your Half n Half before they’re gone!

#Butterfly_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits #Nature_Wonders

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What is the best plant for a butterfly garden. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Panama Rose - Rondeletia leucophylla

What is the best plant for a butterfly garden
  • If you're looking to add a splash of color and attract fluttering butterflies, the Panama Rose (Rondeletia leucophylla) is a must-have for your butterfly garden.
  • This stunning shrub, reaching up to 5 feet, is a true butterfly magnet with its bright pink, star-shaped flowers that bloom in clusters.
  • Why every gardener wants Panama rose for their butterfly garden? The sweet nectar from these flowers draws in butterflies, making it the perfect addition for a garden that thrives on natural pollinators.
  • Panama Rose has an enchanting fragrance that becomes more noticeable after sunset.
  • Native to Mexico, it’s ideal for USDA Zones 9-11, though with the right care, it can thrive in colder regions too.
  • This easy-care shrub thrives in full sun with regular watering and can tolerate occasional flooding. It maintains a natural, bushy shape and blooms cheerful, cup-shaped flowers from November to early summer, with sporadic blooms throughout the year.


🛒 Plant Panama Rose Butterfly Magnet

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

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What flower smells like lemons? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Aglaia odorata - Chinese Perfume Plant, Chinese Rice Flower

💐 What flower smells like lemons?
  • 🍋 Aglaia odorata, also known as Chinese Perfume Plant or Chinese Rice Flower, is in full bloom at TopTropicals, filling the air with its pleasant lemony fragrance virtually year-round!
  • 🍋 This tough, low-maintenance plant adds a touch of enchanted magic and delightful scent to your garden.
  • 🍋 Beyond its beauty, Aglaia boasts medicinal properties thanks to compounds like odorine and odorinol.
  • 🍋 It grows into a dense bush without the need for pruning, making it the perfect, cold-tolerant tropical hedge.


🛒 Get ever-blooming, fragrant delight - Aglaia

📚 Learn more:
Replacing a boring hedge witth Chinese Rice Flower: lemony fragrance year around

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits #Remedies

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