Q: I got angel hair jasmine, it started flowering, but it does
not have any smell. What can be done?
A:Jasminum pubescens - Angel Hair Jasmine has very fine fragrance. It is
not as strong as some other jasmines like Sambac for example. However flowers do have a sweet scent especially in
the early morning hours, as long as the plant is well-established, grows in
a warm and humid environment. Keep in mind that flowers on young small plants
that do not have a developed root system, may not be as fragrant as on
mature vigorous specimens. Also, this jasmine needs a full sun location and
regular fertilizer for profuse flowering.
We recommend the following fertilizers to boost flowering energy:
- Pink N Good Daily Plant Food - Flower Booster
- Plumeria Top Dress - Smart-Release Booster
Use microelements at least once a month to improve plant vigor and quality
of flowers
Q: I visited Thailand recently, and enjoyed a wonderful stir fry
made with Cowslip flowers. I would love to grow it myself. I need this vine
in my life! Do you have them in your inventory and if so, will I be able to
grow it successfully here in SW Florida?
A:By Onika Amell, tropical flower specialist. The extremely fragrant Telosoma cordata has many names: Cowslip
Creeper, Pakalana vine, Tonkin Jasmine, Dok Kajon, or Chinese violet. It is a very
sought after rare tropical fragrant ornamental, but not everyone knows that
this flower makes a delicious meal!
The flowers have a lovely lemon-like fragrance and can be found in
South East Asian food markets. It is typically fried with eggs to make omelets or
stir-fried with tofu or pork and beef. Young leaves & flower buds can also
be eaten fresh (in a salad) or battered & fried. Not only are the flowers
delicious, but they are chock and block full of carbohydrates, proteins and
vitamins A and C.
An old Chinese tale tells the story of the mystic, aromatic powers of
the Pakalana vine...
Q: On the picture, these are a few of the jasmine plants that I
have from Top Tropicals. I have bought so many plants from you over the years,
not just jasmine. I have several varieties of jasmine. They were all doing
very well. However this year I didn't get a single flower. There are a lot of
buds... But before the buds open they become brown and withered. I bought
fertilizer from you. Fertilized the plants once a month like I always do. I
water the plants once a week. I repotted the plants hoping that would take care
of this problem. Some of the jasmine plants I pruned... the plants came back
vigorous growth with a lot of buds... BUT it is the same problem! Please
help.
A: One of the possible reasons why they have flower issues is -
maybe they don't have enough sunlight. They need to be in full sun all day
long for profuse blooming and proper flower forming. However since the buds are
forming, there may be just enough light. In this case, dropping buds may be a
sign of overwatering.
Important steps - how to make Jasmine Sambac flower:
Q: I need a tree for a space that is close to a pool and I don't
want a tree that is shedding leaves all year long. I don’t want it too big
either. The canary tree caught my attention but I need to know if it is a
tree that is dropping leaves all year. If it does then can you recommend another
tree? I live in Fort Lauderdale.
A:Canary tree is a good choice. It is free-flowering pretty little tree.
It is evergreen and doesn't shed leaves too much especially in your area with
mild winter. However, keep in mind that every plant sheds leaves. Even
evergreen trees replace old leaves with new ones. Some trees more than others.
Flowers also have a seasonal drop.
You may check the full list of compact flowering trees suitable for small spaces.
Another great choice is a Dwarf Tree Jasmine, Radermachera - also a free-flowering tree with rose-fragrant flowers
and large, architectural leaves that hardly ever drop. It has very dense yet
compact columnar shape, and is one of the greatest trees for smaller
landscapes.
Q: I live in New Cumberland, West Virginia. I love the smell of
Night-Blooming jasmine. Is it possible to grow it in the northern panhandle of
West Virginia? Do I have to plant it every year or do I keep it in a pot and
take it inside during the winter months?
A: Technically, Night Blooming Jasmine is not a true jasmine
(those plants belong to Oleaceae, or Olive family). Night Blooming Jasmine
belongs to the Solanaceae family, also known as the Nightshade or "Potato" family
of plants. Yes, this sweet fragrant flower called Jasmine for its perfume is
related to potatoes and tomatoes!
Night Blooming Jasmine - Cestrum nocturnum - is loved by many gardeners for its beautiful
fragrance at night. It is one of the most fragrant tropical evergreen shrubs
available. Cascading clusters of tiny, tubular pale yellow to white flowers open at
night and release a heavenly fragrance throughout the garden, especially on
warm summer evenings. The fragrance is much lighter during the day.
Night Blooming Jasmine is grown year-round in zones 9-11. It is at its
happiest in a sunny to a partially sunny spot in your garden in well-drained soil
but can be grown in cooler climates as a container or greenhouse plant.
You would absolutely be able to enjoy this plant during the warm months
in West Virginia, but it will most certainly not survive outside during the
winter. You will have to bring it inside. Take it outside again only once you
are confident there is no more possibility of frost. When grown indoors, be
sure to give it the sunniest, South facing window in your home. When grown in
a container, you will need to re-pot it every two to three years so it
doesn't become root-bound.
For those who are lucky to live in frost-free areas, in ideal growing
conditions outside, it can easily reach 8 feet with a spread of 5 feet. It has
a lovely informal look that can soften a more manicured garden. Add organic
matter to the planting hole when you plant to enrich the soil around the root
ball. Water well in the summer, but allow them to dry out a bit between
watering in the winter. Plant this Jasmine near pools, porches, doors, windows,
and walkways where its lovely fragrance can be enjoyed. The shrub is also an
excellent plant for privacy hedges and screens. When grown as a hedge, plant 3
feet apart.
Trim lightly after a bloom cycle to shape and then do a hard pruning in
fall or spring to control the size of this plant. Fertilize 3 times a year -
in spring, summer, and autumn - with a good quality granular fertilizer.
Night-blooming jasmine is an excellent mosquito repellent. The powerful
scent of the flowers attracts moths and bats that feed on mosquitoes and
other small insects.
The flowers of the Night Blooming jasmine are widely used in India and
other countries of South Asia for perfumery, medicinal applications and in
religious ceremonies.
Q: Q: How fragrant is the Tree Jasmine (Millingtonia) and how
tall does it grow?
A:Millingtonia hortensis, or Tree Jasmine, is such a beautiful flowering
tree with long, white, slender and trumpet-shaped flowers with a perfume that
wafts through the air. These trees are very sought after because they are so
highly fragrant. They are fast-growing trees that in Nature (Burma) can
easily reach a height of 40-50 feet, however here in SW Florida we have them
growing about 20-25 ft. The tree flowers
at night and then shed the flowers in the morning. The flowers are waxy and
stay fresh for a long time. In India the flowers are picked up and braided
for rituals. It flowers from October until the end of December. The tree is
also known as the Cork Tree, as an inferior cork is processed from the corky
bark. It is a fast growing, tall, straight tree with few branches and its
popularity lies in its ornamental value and not in its shade-giving properties.
Yet, once you've witnessed the profusion of white flowers, you will understand
why. It is a sight to behold! Cork tree is very easy and can grow in a
variety of soils. It requires full sunlight.
Q: Pretty much adore last newsletter. Haven't been buying because
our weather here in deep south Texas is so bad it is stunting and killing
even the Tamaulipan Scrub! Do you have a cure for that? :) I have every
expectation the new grafted Plumeria I purchased from you last year will bloom soon.
One of my favorite plants. Thanks again and keep up the good works.
A: Yes, there is a "cure" - using biostimulants that improve drought- and heat- resistance (SUNSHINE
boosters), plus the right plant selection. In fact, there is a large number of
tropical rare plants that can be successfully grown in hot climates like yours.
One of our partners lives in hot and dry Arizona area and has an amazing
tropical garden that includes many fruit trees (Mango, Persimmons, Pomegranates, Loquats, etc). Here you can see a few pics from his garden.
Your choice is absolutely right about plumerias. Other easy plants would be Desert roses - Adeniums, and Fancy Euphorbia millii - all these come in so many varieties of colors
and bloom throughout most of the year. Our special recommendations for you
would be also:
Q: Would you please help me select the right jasmine? I want to
find a jasmine that smells like lily of the valley or honeysuckle or roses,
not the one that smells like gardenia. I'm in Missouri, zone 6, so I want a
jasmine for my deck for the summer, so I want it to bloom this season.
A: There are 3 major types of tropical flower fragrances - Sweet,
Fresh, and Fruity (including Lemony). Below are the most interesting
fragrant tropical flowers, excluding Gardenias (which are sweet type). These are all
same-year bloomers, so you can enjoy the fragrance this year assuming proper
care and bloom booster feeding.
* - The fastest growers that can be treated as annuals. Others can be
grown in a pot and brought inside for winter, and be enjoyed every year.
How to make the whole garden fragrant.
List of the most fragrant yet easy to grow plants
Q: Dear toptropicals, thanks for the great database on tropicals
plants! I really enjoy browsing your web site and I am planning on completing
my collection by purchasing some plants from your shop. I am particularly
looking for fragrant plants that make the whole area fragrant. Can you provide
a list of recommended fragrant plants that bloom throughout the year round? I
currently have: murraya, plumeria, michelia alba, figo, champaca, rangoon
creeper, honeysuckle, jasmine, stephanotis, Arabian sambac, brunfelsias.
How to propagate plants from cuttings. Top (Tropicals)
secrets.
Q: After pruning my jasmine, I have so many branches and I don't
have a heart to through them away, can I use them to make more plants? Please
tell me what size cuttings and do I need to remove leaves? Should I just
stick them in the ground? Will they root? I don't know if you will be willing to
share your secrets?
A: We are always happy to know that you grow more plants, and
make our World better! These are some useful tips for the propagation of
tropical plants using cuttings:
- Cuttings and leaves. Use cuttings 2-5" long. Strip leaves from
the bottom. Cut larger leaves in half to reduce evaporation.
- Soak cuttings for 15-30 min in SUNSHINE solution.
- Mix. Use special well-drained mix with lots of soil conditioner: we
have a special professional propagation mix for cuttings.
- Mist. Put community pots or trays with cuttings in mist, or if you
don't have mist - cover the pot with a clear plastic bag to create a
mini-greenhouse.
- Shade. Keep propagation pots in bright shade and never allow direct
sun rays.
- Rooting hormone: yes, use it if you have it. Not only it promotes
root formation but also prevents from fungus so the cuttings won't rot. We use
Dip-N-Grow.
- Rooting and food. Check in 2-3 weeks for roots. Once you see the
little roots, begin fertilizing with a special Baby-Plant Food and make sure never exceed recommended doze otherwise
you may kill the cuttings.
- Establishing. Once roots start growing, plant in 4" pots in a well-drained potting mix and watch the beauty grow! Gradually move to
the full sun only when little plants establish and start new growth.
If you are lucky to make more rare plants than you can use, contact us, we will buy them from you or trade for your dream plants!
In fact, one of our customers from many years ago started selling us baby
plants that he propagated from our plants, and now has a successful business
(Karma Nursery); we buy a lot of plants from him every month!
