Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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Weird cactus looks like pasta with Dragon Fruit. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Weird cactus looks like pasta with Dragon Fruit

Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Curly Locks or Orchid Cactus

👀 Weird cactus looks like pasta with Dragon Fruit
  • Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Curly Locks or Orchid Cactus - is one of the most unusual jungle cacti you can grow. Instead of the usual flat cactus leaves, this one grows curly, looping stems that twist and spiral in every direction. It looks like a green waterfall of botanical noodles, perfect for a hanging basket or a high shelf where its wild shape can really show off.
  • ➰Curly Locks is actually a natural mutation of a Guatemalan jungle cactus that grows high up in jungle trees, using its stems to absorb moisture and light from the air. Like many epiphytic cacti, it produces large, fragrant flowers that open at night and look strikingly similar to orchids. After blooming, it forms small, oval pink fruits that are edible and juicy - like tiny dragon fruits!
  • ➰This plant is self-pollinating, so you don’t need insects or hand pollination to get fruit. It thrives in bright, indirect light and prefers to be a bit root-bound to trigger blooming. Just water moderately, let the soil dry slightly between waterings, and avoid moving it too often once it’s happy in its spot.
  • ➰Epiphyllum Curly Locks is not your typical cactus - it’s a living sculpture, a conversation piece, and a fruiting wonder all in one.


🛒 Add Curly Locks to your rare plant collection

📚 Learn more:
Botanical bedhead: curly, crazy, and full of surprises

#Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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🌳 Why Large Grafted Trees Are Better

Comparison of Mango trees growing in container and in ground at Top 
Tropicals nursery - potted tree with large green fruit and in-ground tree 
with ripe purple fruit ready for 
harvest

These are not seedlings — they’re grafted trees, which means you get the true variety with known flavor, quality, and performance. Large grafted trees give you a real head start:

  • Already mature with a strong root system.
  • Handle transplanting and weather shifts with ease.
  • Can bloom and fruit in the first or second season.

No guessing, no waiting years — you’ll get the exact fruit you want, sooner.

  • 👉 Learn more: How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit?

    For Indoor and Patio Growers

    No space for a full orchard? You can still grow your own tropical paradise! Our large grafted Condo Mango trees adapt beautifully to big containers on patios, balconies, and sunrooms. They stay compact, flower sooner, and can fruit even in pots when given good light and warmth.

  • 👉 Learn more: What are the Condo Mangos?

    Bring the tropics indoors — move your tree outside for summer sun, then back inside before frost. It’s the perfect way to enjoy homegrown fruit wherever you live.

    Give your garden a smart start this season. Large grafted Mango trees are ready — but only for a short time before winter.

    👉 Plant now, harvest sooner, and enjoy the true variety!

    Mango tree growing by a lake in a Florida backyard, healthy green 
foliage and young fruit developing on 
branches

    Plant Care Tips by Top Tropicals Plant Expert Tatiana Anderson

    Large grafted Mango trees are easy to establish.

    • Soil: Well-drained, rich mix — avoid heavy clay.
    • Water: Deeply once or twice a week after the tree is established; keep soil evenly moist during the first few weeks after planting.
    • Light: Full sun or bright patio spot.
    • Feeding: Use balanced fertilizer Sunshine Boosters Mango Tango with every watering and Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months for steady growth.
    • Protection: Cover on cold nights for the first winter.
    • 👉 Learn more: How to take care of a mango tree in winter.

    Plant once, care lightly, and your tree will reward you with fast growth and early fruit.

    🌳 Big Trees, Local Pickup Only

    For our local gardeners, we have something special. Extra-large 15- and 25-gallon Mango trees. These are full, mature specimens that simply can’t be shipped, but they’re perfect for local pickup or delivery.

    Instant Impact and Faster Fruit

    These trees already have strong trunks, big root systems, and start blooming next Spring. Plant one in your yard and it instantly looks like it’s been there for years.

    Delivery and Installation

    We offer local delivery and professional installation for large trees in the nearby area. Our team can bring the tree to your garden, position it correctly, and help with planting and setup.

    👉 Contact us to arrange delivery and installation for your 15- or 25-gallon tree.

    Limited Availability: Quantities are small, and these big trees go fast — once sold, they won’t be available again until next growing season.

    "Large grafted trees give you a head start — they’re stronger, settle in faster, and can reward you with fruit the very next season," says Tatiana Anderson

    🎥 Watch Short Videos:

    🛒 Shop Mango trees

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Large Grafted Mango Trees - Plant Now Before Winter!

Smokey the tuxedo cat prepares to plant a huge mango while Sunshine the
 ginger tabby relaxes in a reclining chair sipping coffee as a truck with a 
boom crane unloads the mango beside an excavator and a pile of mulch in a 
sunny tropical 
garden.

"Next Time We'll Specify - A TREE!" - Smokey and Sunshine Plant a Giant Mango

🌡️ Why plant now?

Fall is the perfect time to plant tropical fruit trees. The soil is still warm, the air is mild, and your trees can quietly build strong roots. By spring, they’ll already be settled and ready to grow fast.

Imagine walking outside next summer and picking your own mangoes from a tree you planted this fall!

🎥 Check out Mango Tree Videos

Large Pim Seng Mun Mango tree full of heavy green fruit.

💲 Special Offer – 20% off Large Mango Trees: 7-15 gal

Get 20% OFF large grafted Mango trees (7-25 gal) with code

MANGO2025

Min order 150 (excluding S/H), valid online only, cannot be combined with other offers.

Hurry, offer expires November 03, 2025!

👉 Explore Mango Varieties:

7 gal pots - shipped to you

15 gal pots: pick up or delivery

25 gal pots: pick up or delivery

All Mango sizes

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Sleep like a baby. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Sleep like a baby

Cash the Cat

😮 Sleep like a baby

"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one." - Leo J. Burke

🐈📸 Cash the Cat: "I tried to adult today… it was exhausting." At TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Plant a fruit tree - and breathe easier: fruit might be the surprising key to healthier lungs. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Plant a fruit tree - and breathe easier: fruit might be the surprising key to healthier lungs

Plant a fruit tree - and breathe easier: fruit might be the surprising key to healthier lungs
🍒 Plant a fruit tree - and breathe easier: fruit might be the surprising key to healthier lungs

  • Fresh fruit doesn’t just taste good - it can literally help you breathe better!

  • A new study presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress found that women who ate at least four portions of fruit a day had slower declines in lung function compared to those who ate less. Researchers believe antioxidants in fruit may help protect the lungs from the damaging effects of air pollution.

  • Air pollution is everywhere, and more than 90% of people worldwide are exposed to levels above safe limits. But the good news is, your diet can make a difference. Fruits are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that help your body fight off the oxidative stress caused by tiny airborne particles.

  • The study showed that women who ate plenty of fruit had stronger lungs despite being exposed to fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) from cars and industry. The difference wasn’t small either - their lung capacity dropped significantly less over time than in those with low fruit intake.

  • So planting fruit trees isn’t just about homegrown flavor or saving a trip to the store. It’s about protecting your health in a polluted world. Whether it’s mangoes, avocados, guavas, or starfruit, every harvest brings you cleaner nutrition and a cleaner breath of life.


🛒 Grow fruit - grow your health

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

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Figs with honey and nuts: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Figs with honey and nuts: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Figs with honey and nuts: quick-n-fun exotic recipes Figs with honey and nuts: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
🍴 Figs with honey and nuts: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

  • 🟡Roast figs, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with chopped nuts.
  • 🟡Simple and irresistible.


🛒 Plant fig trees and always have healthy desserts

📚 Learn more:
The fruit tree that every garden must have

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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How to create privacy with indoor or patio plants. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to create privacy with indoor or patio plants

How to create privacy with indoor or patio plants
🌳 How to create privacy with indoor or patio plants

"If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself." - George Orwell

🐈📸 Cats Timo and Cash enjoying their privacy with Calathea plants at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Straight from the Amazon: the most beautiful ginger everyone asks about at our farm. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Straight from the Amazon: the most beautiful ginger everyone asks about at our farm

Variegated Spiral Ginger - Costus arabicus (amazonicus)

⭐️ Straight from the Amazon: the most beautiful ginger everyone asks about at our farm
  • 🌀 Variegated Spiral Ginger - Costus arabicus (amazonicus) is not your average ginger. Unlike the common gingers with plain green leaves and short flower spikes, this one is a real standout. Its tall spiral stems are striped with bold white variegation, creating a dramatic swirl of green and cream even before it blooms.
  • 🌀 And when it does bloom - the flowers are pure white with soft yellow centers, like porcelain sculptures nestled among the leaves. It's a tropical showpiece that turns heads wherever it grows.
  • 🌀 Originally from South America and now loved in Hawaii and Florida, this ginger thrives in moist, rich soil and loves plenty of water. It handles both sun and shade, but really shines in a bright, filtered light spot.
  • 🌀 We have one growing right by our farm office, and everyone who walks by stops, stares, and says the same thing: "I want that plant!"

Now you can have it too - straight from the Amazon forest to your garden!

🛒 Get your own Amazon Ginger

📚 Learn more:

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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I got flowers on my mind! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

I got flowers on my mind!

Cat Bob

Cat Bob

💐 I got flowers on my mind!

"I am the king of the jungle, just ruling the couch temporarily."


🐈📸 Cat Bob ruling TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats

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Guava beats banana in the potassium game. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Guava beats banana in the potassium game

Tropical Guava - Psidium guajava

Tropical Guava - Psidium guajava

🍉 Guava beats banana in the potassium game
  • 🍉Everyone talks about bananas when it comes to potassium, but guava (Tropical Guava - Psidium guajava) quietly beats them! One cup of guava packs around 688 milligrams of potassium, compared to about 450 in a banana!
  • 🍉Potassium is essential for strong bones, steady blood pressure, muscle function, and a healthy nervous system. Adults need between 2,600 and 3,400 mg daily, according to the National Institute of Health - so adding guava to your fruit bowl is a smart move.
  • 🍉Guavas are common across the tropics - from Mexico to the Caribbean - with green or yellow skin and beautiful pink or off-white flesh. Sweet, aromatic, and easy to grow in warm climates, guava is one tropical fruit that truly earns its place in the garden and on your plate.


🛒 Your body needs potassium - your garden grows it on guava tree!

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Guava #Discover

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