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Index > Garden Blog

Date:

Medusas Head Flower - from Greek mythology

Medusas Head Flower - from Greek mythology Medusas Head Flower - from Greek mythology
🦑 Medusa's Head Flower - from Greek mythology...

  • 🐙 Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine, Medusa Flower - has an intriguing flower!

  • 🐙 The faintly fragrant flowers have long, slender, and curly petals that resemble the snakes on Medusa's head from Greek mythology, giving it the nickname "Medusa Flower." The petals often extend and twist dramatically, creating an eye-catching appearance. The tips of the petals become narrowed and elongated, forming a twisting, sticky string that dangles down from the flower and touches lower leaves.

  • 🐙 The flowers are brightly colored, often in shades of white, yellow, and red, which can attract pollinators and add to their striking visual appeal.

  • 🐙 As suggested by another common name "Poison Arrow Vine," parts of the plant contain toxic compounds. Historically, the seeds were used by some African tribes to poison the tips of arrows for hunting. This gives the plant a certain mystique...

  • 🐙 Interesting pollination mechanism: the elaborate design of the flowers is not just for show; it plays a role in the plant's pollination strategy. The intricate structure can help ensure that pollinators come into contact with the reproductive parts of the flower, thereby facilitating cross-pollination.

  • 🐙 Blooms almost year around


What bizarre plants do you have in your collection? Share in comments👇

🛒 Order Medusa Flower

#Hedges_with_benefits #Nature_Wonders #Butterfly_Plants

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Good luck tree that brings money and prosperity? And yet shade, spectacular flowers and edible nuts? It is

💰Good luck tree that brings money and prosperity? And yet shade, spectacular flowers and edible nuts? It is Guiana Chestnut!

  • 🤞 Pachira aquatica (Bombax glabra) - Malabar Peanut or Guiana Chestnut is a beautiful, fast growing flowering tree with edible nuts!

  • 🤞 Tropical wetland tree native to Central and South America, known for its large, glossy leaves and its distinctive, braided trunk.

  • 🤞 The tree is believed to bring good luck and prosperity to those who own it, and is sometimes referred to as a "money tree."

  • 🤞 Pachira aquatica is also used in traditional medicine and often used for bonsai.


What other plants bring good luck? Share in comments👇

🛒 Order Guaiana Chestnut Money Tree online

#Trees #Food_Forest

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Top Tropicals Telegram Channel

⬆️ The number one seller of tropical flowering shrubs: Tropical Rose Hydrangea.

  • 🌸 Dombeya seminole - Tropical Rose Hydrangea is one of the showiest landscape plants and a real showstopper

  • 🌸 Known as the tropical hydrangea due to similar flowers. Flowers are pink to rose in color.

  • 🌸 Blooms from fall to spring. Blooms all winter, providing much-desired color

  • 🌸 Grows up to 7 feet tall and about the same in width. Can be pruned to about 5 feet tall. Does well in a container.

  • 🌸 Thrives in full sun to partial shade, tolerates poor soil. Fuller shrub and more flowers with more sun.

  • Fairly drought-tolerant once established.
  • 🌸 Serves as a nectar plant for many butterflies


🛒 Shop Dombeyas

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Summer Plant Market Extravaganza:
Event Mementos!

Plant Market Extravaganza Event Mementos

The event was fantastic! Thank you all for joining us at our Plant Market Extravaganza yesterday. We loved meeting new garden enthusiasts and reconnecting with old friends. Everyone found plants they adored, adding joy to their gardens. Many visitors enjoyed the garden tours led by Top Tropicals PeopleCats. Check out the event photos and our short slideshow - you might spot yourself or your friends! Share these treasured moments, and we’ll see you at the next event.

Gray Cat King of Top Tropicals

Golf cart with cats and flowers

Date:

Happy Fathers Day - June 16!

Happy Fathers Day - June 16!
🤩 Happy Father's Day - June 16!

❤️ Have a perfect day with dear friends, loving family, and healthy meals.

Consider growing a #Food_Forest to add some good stuff to your diet 🍌🍍🌶🥑🍒🥥🥭

💥 Use this discount coupon for any plants you want:

FATHERS2024

Your savings with this code:
5% off orders $100+
10% off orders $150+
15% off orders $200+
Excluding S/H. Exp. 6-17-24

🎁 Last minute gift shopping: get a Top Tropicals Gift Card with 15% bonus value.

🛒
Shop Fruit Trees and Edibles

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

The truth about Papaya:

The truth about Papaya: The truth about Papaya: The truth about Papaya:
🍊 The truth about Papaya:
  1. it is grass, and
  2. it can go transgender!

  3. The secret facts of Papaya's private life.

    • 📌 Did you know that Papaya technically is not a tree? It is a large herbaceous plant, usually with a single, straight trunk that can reach 30 feet!

    • 📌 Many dwarf varieties available in selection, reaching only 6-8 ft tall, but producing large crops of full size fruit - they are easy to harvest.

    • 📌 Papaya trees have very complex gender mechanism, but the bottom line is - the tree can chance its sex based on conditions! Many varieties are self-fertile, but it always recommended to plant a few trees for cross-pollination and better yield.

    • 📌 The sweetest Papaya is from so called "Solo" cultivars: the fruit is usually round or oval, on a smaller side, but super sweet.

    • 📌 Fruit from Solo cultivars are not susceptible to fruit flies.

    • 📌 Being officially a tropical plant, Papaya is pretty cold resistant and can withstand light freeze without significant damage.

    • 📌 Surprisingly, Papayas are also hurricane-resistant plants and can take strong winds without damage. They still stand when other trees are down!

    • 📌 Papaya is one of the Super-Foods thanks to papain - a natural enzyme containing in this fruit. Papaya fruit offers the best digestive aid! Eat some papaya after each meal to maintain healthy digestion.

    • 📌 Try papaya leaf wraps for cooking meats - you won't need a meat tenderizer!

    • 📌 Easy to grow trees, Papayas don't take any space in the garden, but bring so much goodness into your life!


    🛒 Shop Papaya Trees

    #Food_Forest

    🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

The truth about Ladybugs in your garden life

The truth about Ladybugs in your garden life The truth about Ladybugs in your garden life The truth about Ladybugs in your garden life
🐞 The truth about Ladybugs in your garden life

Q: I have Ladybugs in my garden, I wonder if they are eating my plants? Do I need to get rid of them?

  • 🐞 Ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) is, in fact, one of the best insects you can find in your garden, it is a natural predator that takes care of many bad bugs, including aphids

  • 🐞 Keep Ladybugs happy and bring them to your garden!

  • 🐞 Ladybugs actually are cultivated as natural pest control, and you can even buy them for your yard, instead of chemicals!


📸
  1. Love life of Ladybugs
  2. Ladybug larvae eating aphids.
  3. One of our #PeopleCats, "innocent" Ladybug (a.k.a. Bug) is wondering who else she can bug next...


  4. #How_to

    🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

June 15: join us for our
Summer Plant Market Extravaganza!

June 15, 2024 - SATURDAY - Summer Plant Market

Saturday, June 15, 9 am - 4 pm

Hi there! Rain or shine, we're ready to make it a day to remember with fantastic deals just for you:

30% OFF online prices, one day only! (excluding those in 15 gallon sizes or larger).
Gift bags - arrive early! The first 25 customers will receive a special gift bag!
Secret Garden: Super savings area 50-70% off
$5 and $10: Discover many plants available at just $5 and $10.
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation

Reminder: Father's Day June 16

Bring your Father with you and load up with presents of garden goodness!

Event discounts valid at both locations:

Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your garden and stay cool this summer. We can’t wait to see you there!

Kristi @ Top Tropicals

Kristi at Top Tropicals

Date:

This cant be real! But it is

👀 This can't be real! But it is.

🎥 Strongylodon macrobotrys - Jade vine, the flower you need to see to appreciate! Its beautiful seagreen/turquoise color is beyond description and is the rarest in the world of flowers.
Discover more breathtaking flowers, unusual plants and rare fruit - in TopTropicals channel.

🔴 Subscribe to see all the nature's wonders!

🛒 Shop Jade Vines

#Nature_Wonders

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

What is the most lovable flowering shrub?

❤️ What is the most lovable flowering shrub?

Clerodendrums are one of the most favorite and rewarding flowering shrubs and vines for Southern landscape or indoor culture.

  • ❤️ Free flowering, bloom year around

  • ❤️ Undemanding and fast growing

  • ❤️ Take sun or shade

  • ❤️ Many species are fragrant

  • ❤️ Attract butterflies and birds

  • ❤️ Perfect for container culture, compact and manageable plants

  • ❤️ Cold tolerant, quickly recover from cold damage, respond well to pruning.


📚 Clerodendrums mentioned earlier: Seaside Clerodendrum, Red Bleeding Heart, Bleeding Heart Vine, Musical Note, Glory Bower.

🎥 Clerodendrum paniculatum - Pagoda Flower

🛒 Shop Clerodendrums

#Butterfly_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

🏵 TopTropicals