How to get three colors on the same plant: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Brunfelsia grandiflora - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
🌸 How to get three colors on the same plant: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
💜 Brunfelsia is one of those plants that makes people stop mid-sentence.
It blooms in shade, smells incredible at night, and then does something unexpected - the flowers change color over just three days.
💜 Purple. Lavender. White.
All at the same time, on one plant.
💜 It is easy to grow, loves warm weather and part shade, and turns any garden path or patio into an instant conversation starter. Once it starts blooming, it just keeps going.
💜 These are the most interesting varieties known as Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow for their magical color transformation from purple to lavender to white over three days: B. grandiflora, B. paucifolia, B. australis.
Top nine plants of love, desire, and the senses: aphrodisiacs and sensory connections
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Coffee - Coffea arabica
Fig tree fruit (Ficus carica)
Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin
Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Cacao - Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao)
💖 Top nine plants of love, desire, and the senses: aphrodisiacs and sensory connections
Across cultures, love has also been expressed through taste, scent, warmth, and shared ritual. These tropical plants were valued not just for beauty, but for how they awaken the body and deepen connection.
💘 1. Cacao
Cacao - Chocolate Tree (Theobroma cacao) - has one of the strongest global associations with love. Revered by the Aztecs as a “food of the gods”, it was consumed to increase desire and emotional bonding. Chocolate contains compounds linked to feelings of pleasure and infatuation, making cacao a natural Valentine symbol.
Chocolate Tree Plant Facts
Botanical name: Theobroma cacao Also known as: Chocolate Tree, Cacao, Cocoa Tree
Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is both an orchid and one of the most sensual plant aromas known. Historically paired with cacao in love remedies, vanilla represents intimacy, warmth, and attraction. Its fragrance alone carries powerful emotional associations.
Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Plant Facts
Botanical name: Vanilla planifolia, Vanilla fragrans Also known as: Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean, French Vanilla, Vanilla Orchid
Ginger symbolizes heat, vitality, and passion. Used worldwide to stimulate circulation and warm the body, it represents spark, chemistry, and physical energy. 👉 Ginger gift
💘 4. Cinnamon
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) has long been associated with attraction and stimulation. Its warm, lingering aroma makes it a classic plant of desire, comfort, and emotional warmth.
Cinnamon Plant Facts
Botanical name: Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum verum Also known as: Cinnamon
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) has long symbolized love, fertility, and union, with its many ruby-red seeds representing abundance and deep connection. In ancient traditions, it was linked to goddesses of love and marriage and remains a symbol of passion balanced by continuity and commitment.
Pomegranate Plant Facts
Botanical name: Punica granatum Also known as: Pomegranate, Granada, Grenade, Pomegranate, Granada, Anar, Granaatappel, Pomo Granato, Romeira, Melo Grano
Coffee (Coffea arabica) represents connection through shared ritual. Sacred to African Sufis for its stimulating properties, coffee symbolizes conversation, alertness, and social bonding rather than purely romantic love.
Coffee Plant Facts
Botanical name: Coffea arabica Also known as: Coffee
Figs (Ficus carica) have ancient associations with fertility, sensuality, and indulgence. Their voluptuous form, sweet flesh, and rich texture made them symbols of desire and abundance in many cultures.
Fig Tree Plant Facts
Botanical name: Ficus carica Also known as: Fig Tree, Brevo
Betel Leaf (Piper betle) is a powerful symbol of love, respect, and partnership across South and Southeast Asia. It is exchanged in courtship, weddings, and ceremonies, representing acceptance and shared experience. Its heart-shaped leaves reinforce its Valentine symbolism.
Betel nut (Areca catechu) - traditionally used as a stimulant and aphrodisiac, betel nut represents intensity, ritual, and sensory awakening. In this context, it is best presented as a cultural symbol rather than a casual love plant.
Betel Leaf Plant Facts
Botanical name: Piper betle Also known as: Betel Leaf
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) represents deep attraction and emotional grounding. Its earthy, musky scent has long been associated with intimacy and physical presence. Unlike sweet florals, patchouli symbolizes mature, rooted love that lingers.
Patchouli Plant Facts
Botanical name: Pogostemon cablin, Pogostemon patchouli, Pogostemon heyneanous Also known as: Patchouli, Pucha-pat
🐈📸 Meet Onika's cats from TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden:
This is Jaxson. The cat, who loves to sit and meditate amongst the flowers.
"I can sit in the flowers ... for hours and hours!" - Jaxson
Four popular plants of friendship, appreciation, and shared connection
Heliconia flower
Ixora flower
Bougainvillea flower
Gardenia flower
💕 Four popular plants of friendship, appreciation, and shared connection
Not all love is romantic. Many tropical plants symbolize warmth, friendship, hospitality, and human connection.
❣️ 1. Gardenia
Gardenia symbolizes quiet devotion, gratitude, and unspoken affection. It is often given to express deep appreciation rather than dramatic romance. 👉 Gardenia gift
❣️ 2. Heliconia
With its interlocking bracts, heliconia represents unity, partnership, and celebration. It is often linked to joyful relationships and togetherness and is widely used as a long-lasting cut flower in tropical arrangements. 👉 Heliconia gift
❣️ 3. Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea symbolizes enduring love and protection - beauty supported by strength. It is often associated with commitment and resilience in relationships. 👉 Bougainvillea gift
What is the best Valentines Day gift that actually lasts?
Hoya kerrii, Sweetheart Valentine Hoya
🎁 What is the best Valentine’s Day gift that actually lasts?
💕 Sweetheart Hoya is a living heart, with perfectly heart-shaped leaves that feel like they were made for love.
💕 It comes in several beautiful forms - soft variegated Moonlight, bright variegated Sunshine, and classic Jade Green. Each one is special on its own, but together they feel like a little love story you can grow.
💕 A live plant gift does not fade or disappear. It stays, it grows, and it quietly reminds someone every day that they are loved.
💕 Sweetheart Hoya is also very easy to care for - low light, low water, happy at home or at the office. A sweet, lasting reminder of love.
Eight favorite plants of romance, affection, and emotional connection
Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya kerrii)
Jasminum sambac
Plumeria (Frangipani)
Clerodendrum thomsoniae, Bleeding Heart Vine
💕 Eight favorite plants of romance, affection, and emotional connection
These plants communicate love visually and emotionally. They are associated with beauty, admiration, devotion, and long-lasting relationships.
💖 1. Anthurium
With its unmistakable heart-shaped spathes, anthurium is one of the strongest visual symbols of love. In Latin America, it represents hospitality, passion, and enduring affection, making it a natural Valentine plant. 👉 Anthurium gift
💖 2. Orchids
In many Asian cultures, orchids symbolize refined love, fertility, and deep emotional connection. They are associated with elegance, respect, and long-term devotion rather than fleeting romance or infatuation. 👉 Orchid gift
💖 3. Valentine’s Sweetheart Hoya (Hoya kerrii)
Hoya kerrii is known for its thick, heart-shaped leaves, making it one of the clearest visual symbols of love. This long-lived vine represents loyalty and lasting commitment, and is found in several varieties with different leaf variegation patterns: regular green leaf, variegated Moonlight (gold on green) and Sunshine (white-and green).
Wax Hearts Plant Facts
Botanical name: Hoya kerrii Also known as: Wax Hearts, Sweetheart Hoya, Valentine Hoya, Heart leaf
In Polynesia and Southeast Asia, plumeria represents love, beauty, and new beginnings. In Hawaii, its flowers are a classic part of leis and have become an enduring symbol of romance, affection, and island love.
Plumeria Plant Facts
Botanical name: Plumeria sp. Also known as: Plumeria, Frangipani
Jasmine Sambac is strongly associated with romance, devotion, and spiritual love. In Hawaii it is used in leis, while in the Philippines, this so-called Sampaguita jasmine symbolizes purity, fidelity, and deep affection and is woven into garlands for lovers, weddings, and sacred ceremonies.
Sambac Plant Facts
Botanical name: Jasminum sambac Also known as: Sambac
Hibiscus symbolizes delicate beauty, attraction, and the fleeting intensity of passion. In many tropical cultures, it is associated with feminine energy and romantic expression. 👉 Hibiscus gift
💖 7. Clerodendrum Bleeding Heart
Clerodendrum thomsoniae, called the Bleeding Heart Vine, is known for its red, heart-like flowers held inside white lantern-shaped bracts. It has long been associated with love, emotional vulnerability, and deep personal bonds, making it a natural fit for Valentine symbolism.
Bleeding heart Plant Facts
Botanical name: Clerodendrum thomsoniae Also known as: Bleeding heart, Glory bower, Clerodendron
Traditionally associated with marital happiness and fidelity, Stephanotis has long been used in wedding garlands and bouquets in tropical regions. 👉 Stephanotis gift 🛒Explore gift plants 🎁 Get a Gift Card
💕 Valentine’s plants from around the world that symbolize love, connection, and appreciation
💘 When we think of Valentine’s plants, roses usually steal the spotlight. But in many parts of the world, love has long been expressed through tropical plants - not only through flowers, but also through scent, ritual, shared food, and sensory experience.
💘 Across cultures, tropical plants have symbolized romance, friendship, devotion, fertility, desire, and emotional connection. Some speak through heart-shaped leaves and fragrant blooms. Others through taste, warmth, and the way they bring people together.
💘 Love beyond flowers? Together, these tropical plants show that love is expressed in many ways - through beauty, scent, taste, ritual, warmth, and shared moments. Valentine’s traditions around the world remind us that love is not only something we see, but something we experience with all our senses.
💘 In our upcoming collection we will explore Valentine’s plants from the tropics, grouped by how they express love:
Mix with honey and a little water to soften the texture.
Spoon the mixture into small cups or molds.
Freeze until icy-soft.
Serve topped with fresh mint for a refreshing tropical snack.
🌿 About the plant:
Pitomba (Eugenia luschnathiana) is a tropical fruit native to Brazil, prized for its bright, citrusy pulp with a sweet-sour kick. The flavor is often compared to a mix of apricot, citrus, and mild resin, making it refreshing and snack-worthy straight from the fruit.
Pitomba Plant Facts
Botanical name: Eugenia luschnathiana, Phyllocalyx luschnathianus Also known as: Pitomba
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths
🌱 In the garden:
Pitomba grows as a small to medium-sized slow growing tree with glossy evergreen leaves. It thrives in warm climates, prefers full sun to light shade, suitable for USDA zones 10-11, it can also be grown in large containers and responds well to pruning, making it manageable for home gardens.
Sapodilla - Manilkara or Achras zapota, the Brown Sugar Fruit
🍊 How to make Sapodilla fruit profusely?
Sapodilla - Manilkara or Achras zapota), the Brown Sugar Fruit is a warm-climate evergreen fruit tree that can produce a lot of fruit once conditions are right. So why do so many sapodilla trees grow beautifully, flower heavily, and still refuse to set fruit?
Sapodilla Fruit Production - What Really Matters
1. 🌳 Choose the Right Tree
Grafted or air-layered trees fruit much sooner - typically in 1-2 years - and more reliably than seedlings, which may take 6–8+ years.
Some varieties are more profuse producers than others. For example, Silas Woods is virtually everbearing, Hasya is commercial prolific producer, Oxkutzcab (or Ox) -is also heavily productive (learn more about varieties).
2. ☀️ Environment: Heat, Sun & Water Balance
Temperature and Humidity
Excessive heat above 90F and low humidity can cause flowers to dry up and fall before setting fruit.
Solution: Provide filtered light or shade during the hottest part of the day to reduce heat stress on blossoms.
Water
Sapodillas are drought tolerant, but consistent moisture during flowering and fruit set improves fruit retention.
Avoid waterlogged conditions - soggy soil can stress roots and reduce yield.
Sun Exposure
Full sun is best for growth and flowering - but for hot climates, protection during peak afternoon heat helps reduce flower drop.
Young trees can also suffer sunburn.
3. Fertilization: Feed for Fruit, Not Just Foliage
Good nutrition is critical for flowers to turn into fruit. Apply a routine feed through the growing/flowering season - contolled-release (Green Magic) or liquid (Sunshine C-Cibus) both work.
Balanced fertilizer with trace elements like Boron (B), Molybdenum (Mo), Iron (Fe), and Copper (Cu) is essential for fruit set and development. Boron & Molybdenum deficiency as a frequent cause of flower/fruit drop in container-grown trees (nutrients get depleted quickly in pots).
Micro-nutrient sprays 2-3 times per year help improve fruit retention and quality. Some growers use sugar boosters (Sunshine Honey) or micronutrient blends that include Mo & B to help fruit set (Sunshine Superfood).
4. 🐝 Pollination - Often Overlooked
Sapodilla flowers are small and often require pollinators for best fruit set.
In some regions, small insects like thrips are key pollinators.
In places with low insect activity, hand pollination dramatically increases fruit set - brushing pollen from one flower to another with a small paintbrush during peak bloom times can help.
Placing fruit scraps (apple peels/banana peels) under the tree to attract beetles is an inexpensive way to boost insect activity.
5. ✂️ Pruning and Tree Structure
Moderate pruning can help open the canopy for better light penetration and air circulation, which supports flowering and reduces stress. Training young trees promotes a strong branch structure that can carry more fruit later. Sapodilla flowers on young growth (tips of the branches).
6. Pot vs Ground: Size Matters
If your sapodilla is in a container, root bound trees struggle with fruit set because roots run out of space and nutrients - stepping up to a larger container or planting in the ground can help.
Root-bound trees often bloom but fail to develop fruit.
7.
📅 Patience & Timing
Even healthy trees can take years to start fruiting well.
Trees often flower repeatedly but only set fruit when environmental conditions and pollination align - especially important for young or newly planted trees.
📌 Summary Checklist for Better Sapodilla Fruiting
✔️ Choose a grafted variety (faster, more reliable fruit). ✔️ Manage heat & humidity - shade during hot hours. ✔️ Water consistently but avoid waterlogging. ✔️ Fertilize balanced NPK + micronutrients (include B & Mo). ✔️ Encourage pollination
