Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date:

Top 3 Fastest-Growing Red-Leaf Bananas Add Bold Color to Your Garden! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Top 3 Fastest-Growing Red-Leaf Bananas Add Bold Color to Your Garden!

Banana Red Leaf, Musa x sumatrana, and Blood Leaf, Musa x sumatrana Zebrina Rojo, and Bordelon, Red Striped

🚩 Top 3 Fastest-Growing Red-Leaf Bananas – Add Bold Color to Your Garden!

💅 Looking for instant tropical flair? These red-leaf bananas are among the fastest-growing and most eye-catching ornamentals you can grow. Perfect for pots, patios, or planting in the ground - they grow fast, look exotic, and bring bold color to your space. Best of all, they're low maintenance and cold-tolerant!
  • 🔥 Banana Red Leaf, Musa x sumatrana - Stunning maroon undersides and variegated green-and-red leaves. Compact in containers (3–5 ft) or dramatic in the ground (up to 8 ft). A true showpiece.
  • 🔥 Blood Leaf, Musa x sumatrana Zebrina Rojo - Rich burgundy splashes across green foliage, with small red fruit. Loves containers and adapts well to cooler zones.
  • 🔥 Bordelon, Red Striped - Hardy and tall (10–15 ft!), with striking red-striped foliage. A Louisiana native that flowers and fruits if protected in winter.


📚 More about ornamental Bananas:

🛒 Grow fast, grow bold – these sell out quickly!

#Discover #Hedges_with_benefits #Bananas

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Low-Maintenance Bloom for Your Patio

Desert Rose - Adenium in pot

Q: I'm looking for compact, low-maintenance plants for my patio - something colorful, unusual, and not like the boring crotons. I need several for my lanai, preferably flowering, showy, and easy to care for since I often forget to water. Do such plants even exist?

A: Sounds like you need Adeniums - also known as Desert Roses. They're perfect for patios and lanais, and they check every box: compact, low maintenance, drought-tolerant, and bursting with color. You can grow them in sun or shade, and they don't mind if you forget to water now and then. Plus, they're real conversation pieces - people collect them like art! Adeniums look like living sculptures thanks to their thick, swollen caudex.

At Top Tropicals, we grow over 200 hybrid varieties of Adeniums, and usually have 100+ in stock. You'll find doubles, reds, purples, yellows, even striped, dotted, rainbow, and black flowers. With so many options, you'll want more than just one!

Desert Roses - Adeniums in pots

Want that iconic fat base? Here's the trick:

Every time you repot, raise the plant slightly to expose more of the upper roots. This encourages downward root growth and thickens the caudex over time. Just use a well-draining mix, water only when dry, and feed with Sunshine Megaflor Booster to support both blooming and trunk growth.

Adeniums aren't just low-effort - they're living art for your lanai!

Add Color to Your Lanai

The First Video of Exotic Adenium Hybrids

Our Desert roses - Adeniums - were planted in March - and now, at the end of April, they're in full bloom. Just look at these colors in this ">short video!

Date:

Celebrate Earth Day - Plant a Tree, Power the Planet!

Earth Day April 22

This Earth Day, join the world's largest civic movement for the planet! Celebrated every April 22, Earth Day brings over a billion people together in support of a greener future. The 2025 theme, "Our Power - Our Planet ", encourages bold action - like planting trees that clean our air, feed our families, and brighten our landscapes.

Ready to grow your impact? Grow something powerful!

Get 10% OFF everything in our store using this code:

EARTH2025

Min order $100, excluding S/H. Exp. Exp 4-27-25.

Grow Green and Save!

Cat with trees in nursery

Date:

Location of the Library. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Location of the Library

Location of the Library
💻 Location of the Library

"The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library." - Albert Einstein

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

The Most Fragrant Medicinal Herb You'll Ever Grow! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The Most Fragrant Medicinal Herb Youll Ever Grow!

Lippia alba - Poleo, Pitiona

❤️‍ The Most Fragrant Medicinal Herb You'll Ever Grow!
  • 🌱 Just brushing past it releases a wave of spicy, citrusy fragrance - Lippia alba, also known as Poleo or Pitiona, is an herb garden must-have. Fast-growing, drought-tough, flood-friendly, and practically indestructible - it thrives where other plants fail!
  • 🌱 HELTH BENEFITS OF POLEO - LIPPIA ALBA

  • 🌿 Crush a leaf - instantly uplifting aroma! Close relative of popular Lantana but with much better scent.
  • 🌿 Grows into a lush, dense groundcover with dainty pink blooms
  • 🌿 Used in traditional Oaxacan cooking - especially mole sauces
  • 🌿 Leaves and roots make teas and syrups for cough, anxiety, digestion, and more
  • 🌿 Known for sedative, antidepressant, and analgesic effects
  • 🌿 Each plant has a unique essential oil profile!


🌱 Whether you’re into healing herbs, culinary magic, or just want the best-smelling plant in your garden - this is it.

🛒 Bring Home Nature’s Most Fragrant Medicine!

📚 Learn more:
What is the most aromatic medicinal herb

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover #Hedges_with_benefits

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Is This a Plant or a Coral? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Is This a Plant or a Coral?

🔥 Is This a Plant or a Coral?

  • 🟠 Medinilla scortechinii - Orange Coral Spike - these flowers look like they came straight from a coral reef! Orange Coral Spike is a rare gem that's hard to find and easy to love.

  • 🟠 Bright orange stems burst into star-shaped blooms that mimic glowing underwater branches - but they're blooming in your garden or home instead. Exotic, rare, and totally unforgettable.

  • 🟠 Compact and easy to grow - stays under 2 ft tall.

  • 🟠 Glossy dark leaves highlight the vibrant orange panicles.

  • 🟠 Grows in light shade or filtered sun

  • 🟠 Great in pots, hanging baskets, or as an epiphytic accent

  • 🟠 Perfect for collectors of unusual tropical plants

  • 🟠 Add a pop of orange to your garden or indoor jungle – this coral spike doesn’t stay in stock for long!


🛒 Buy Your Coral Bloom Beauty

📚 More from previous post:
A splash of tropical flair

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Discover

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Is This a Plant or a Coral? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Is This a Plant or a Coral?

Medinilla scortechinii - Orange Coral Spike

🔥 Is This a Plant or a Coral?
  • 🟠 Medinilla scortechinii - Orange Coral Spike - these flowers look like they came straight from a coral reef! Orange Coral Spike is a rare gem that's hard to find and easy to love.
  • 🟠 Bright orange stems burst into star-shaped blooms that mimic glowing underwater branches - but they're blooming in your garden or home instead. Exotic, rare, and totally unforgettable.
  • 🟠 Compact and easy to grow - stays under 2 ft tall.
  • 🟠 Glossy dark leaves highlight the vibrant orange panicles.
  • 🟠 Grows in light shade or filtered sun
  • 🟠 Great in pots, hanging baskets, or as an epiphytic accent
  • 🟠 Perfect for collectors of unusual tropical plants
  • 🟠 Add a pop of orange to your garden or indoor jungle – this coral spike doesn’t stay in stock for long!


🛒 Buy Your Coral Bloom Beauty

📚 More from previous post:
A splash of tropical flair

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Discover

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Making a promise. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Making a promise

Making a promise
💻 Making a promise

"Writing a letter is like making a promise, for when you send a letter, you promise to send a part of yourself." - Nina Bawden

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

The First Video of Exotic Adenium Hybrids! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The First Video of Exotic Adenium Hybrids!

Exotic Adenium Hybrids

🌸 The First Video of Exotic Adenium Hybrids!
  • 🌸 Our Desert roses - Adeniums - were planted in March - and now, at the end of April, they're in full bloom. Just look at these colors!
  • 🌸 Check out the varieties still in stock and grab yours before they’re gone. Some are already sold out, but you still have a chance to score amazing blooms!
  • 🌸 Why Collect Adeniums?

· Easy to grow indoors or out
  • · Thrive in sun, shade, and low humidity
  • · Drought-tolerant, low maintenance
  • · Not picky about soil
  • · Stunning blooms and unique caudex shapes

  • 🌸 How Many Varieties Exist?

· Over 200 hybrids at Top Tropicals
  • · 100+ varieties in stock now
  • · From doubles to red, purple, yellow, striped, dotted, rainbow, even black flowers - you'll want them all!


🌸 How to Grow a Big, Swollen Caudex
Each time you repot, raise the plant slightly to expose more of the upper roots. This encourages new root growth downward and helps form a thicker, more dramatic caudex.
  • · Use a well-draining mix
  • · Water only when dry - Adeniums love dry conditions
  • · Feed with Sunshine Megaflor Booster that supports both caudex and blooms
  • · Grow best in filtered bright light


👍 A simple trick with big results!

📚 More about Adeniums:

🛒 Shop Adenium colors and hybrids

#Container_Garden #How_to #Shade_Garden #Adenium

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

All your eggs in one basket. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

All your eggs in one basket

All your eggs in one basket All your eggs in one basket All your eggs in one basket
🐱 All your eggs in one basket

“Easter is the only time when it's perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket.”

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

How to Grow Your Own Cinnamon Tree Spice and Health Right by the Kitchen. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to Grow Your Own Cinnamon Tree Spice and Health Right by the Kitchen

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum), young leaves

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum), young leaves

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum), flowers

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum), flowers

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum), balk and leaves

Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum), balk and leaves

🏺 How to Grow Your Own Cinnamon Tree – Spice and Health Right by the Kitchen
  • 🌿 The Cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum aromaticum or zeylanicum), is an easy, fast-growing tropical plant that thrives in pots, making it perfect for patios, balconies, or even sunny indoor spaces.
  • 🌿 It naturally grows compact and bushy, so it's great for container gardeners - even those outside the tropics.
  • 🌿 You don't need to wait years for fruit - because cinnamon is the bark and the leaves!
  • 🌿 Once your tree is established, you can begin gently harvesting bark and fragrant leaves. Both parts of the plant are bursting with that signature warm aroma. Use the bark as a spice in baking, curries, or mulled drinks, and steep the leaves in teas or add them to savory dishes.
  • 🌿 Cinnamon has been treasured for over 4,000 years. Ancient Egyptians used it in rituals, and Roman emperors burned it at funerals to show wealth - it was once worth more than gold. Its value helped drive global trade and exploration.
  • 🌿 Today, cinnamon is celebrated not just for its flavor, but also its health benefits. It may help lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and fight bacteria and fungi. It's even linked to improved memory and brain function! The tree's powerful scent comes from cinnamaldehyde, a natural compound with medicinal properties.
  • 🌿 Two main types of cinnamon:

🟤 Cassia Cinnamon – stronger, spicier, and most common in supermarkets
🟤 Ceylon Cinnamon – milder and sweeter, often called "true cinnamon"

🌿 In short: With a cinnamon tree near your kitchen, you’re not just growing a plant - you're growing a spice, a medicine, a piece of world history, and a daily source of joy!

🛒Start growing yours today - fresh, homegrown cinnamon is truly the spice of life!

📚 Lean more from previous posts:

#Food_Forest #How_to #Remedies

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

How to tell the difference between Jasmine Sambac Varieties. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to tell the difference between Jasmine Sambac Varieties

Jasminum Sambac varieties

⏳ How to tell the difference between Jasmine Sambac Varieties
  • 💮 Jasminum Sambac is hands down the most fragrant jasmine in existence - and the most popular among tropical gardeners and plant collectors.
  • 💮 Native to India, it's the source of jasmine perfume oil and the signature ingredient in jasmine tea.
  • 💮 This plant comes in several varieties, each with unique flower size, shape, and growth habit - ranging from compact shrubs to vigorous bushes and climbing vines. It takes both sun and shade and makes a perfect container plant and indoor plant favorite.
  • 💮 All varieties of Sambac are equally fragrant. To get more flowers, just use Sunshine Pikake plant booster and enjoy the perfume all day long!
  • 💮 At Top Tropicals, we grow every known variety of Jasminum sambac in cultivation:


Arabian Nights - compact slow growing shrub with small delicate flowers

Belle of India - compact vine with long elegant petals, shade lover

Grand Duke of Tuscany - the most popular, vigorous bush with carnation-like flowers

Grand Duke Supreme - bigger, more vigorous version of Grand Duke with larger flowers

Gundu Malli - new hybrid between Arabian Nights and Grand Duke

Little Duke - more compact version of the Grand Duke

Maid of Orleans - vigorous full sun climber, great for hedges and fences

Mali Chat - very delicate, rare variety, with miniature 3-tier flowers, not easy to establish, shade lover

Mysore Mulli - vigorous vining shrub for sunny or semi-shade locations

🛒 Smell the Difference – Shop Sambac varieties

Learn more:
📚 Jasminum Sambac Absolute Flower - book download

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits #How_to #Discover

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Happy Easter! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Towards the Sunshine. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Towards the Sunshine

Towards the Sunshine
🔥 Towards the Sunshine

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." - Walt Whitman

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date:

Grow Your Own Guac: Avocado Independence Starts Now! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Grow Your Own Guac: Avocado Independence Starts Now!

Dwarf Avocado tree with fruit

Dwarf Avocado tree with fruit

Avocado trees in pots

Avocado trees in pots

Red avocado

Red avocado

Avocado Russel

Avocado Russel

Mexican Avocado

Mexican Avocado

Guatemalan Avocado

Guatemalan Avocado

Grow Your Own Guac: Avocado Independence Starts Now! us

mx News from Mexico? Avocado supplies are uncertain, and prices are going up. Why wait and worry - when you can grow your own right here at home?

us Our grafted avocado trees are LOADED with flowers this April and ready to set fruit by the end of spring. Dozens of varieties, from 3-gallon to 25-gallon sizes, these are not babies - they're future guacamole machines!

🛒 Plant today. Harvest tomorrow. Never run out of avocados again. Get your Avocado tree!

📚 For more information on #Avocado varieties, including fruit color and size, tree habit, season, and much more - check out our interactive Avocado Variety Guide. It will helps to choose the right variety for you. With its interactive tool, you can sort cultivars by fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, crop season, flower type A or B, tree habit and more.

🎥 How Avocado trees set fruit

#Avocado #Food_forest #Discover

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
< Previous pageNext page >Most recent entryBlog table of contents