Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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What fruit can reduce your blood pressure?

Top ten tropical fruit that help reduce blood pressure

Q: Can you recommend trees which fruit are beneficial for balancing blood pressure? I have limited space, so I want to be selective and grow a food forest that truly supports my health.

A: You don't need to spend $$$ on doctors and medications to stay healthy and young. By eating right and adding a few powerful plants and fruits to your diet, you can naturally keep your blood pressure in check. If you plant them today - you can harvest your own medicine tomorrow. And don't forget - gardening itself is therapeutic! It keeps you active, reduces stress, and helps your whole body stay in balance.

💚 Top ten tropical fruit that help reduce blood pressure:

🍈 Jackfruit - Contains potassium and magnesium, which help relax blood vessels and regulate blood pressure.

🍉 Guava - Rich in potassium and fiber, supports vascular health and may help lower blood pressure.

🍊 Papaya - High in potassium and antioxidants, promoting healthy blood pressure.

🍌 Banana - Well-known for its high potassium content, which helps counteract sodium and lower blood pressure.

🍍 Pineapple - Contains potassium and bromelain, which may support circulation and reduce inflammation.

🍅 Persimmon - High in fiber and antioxidants, which can contribute to better heart and vascular function.

🍇 Mulberry - Contains resveratrol and other antioxidants linked to heart health and blood pressure support.

Tamarind - Rich in potassium and fiber, may help regulate blood pressure and support arterial health.

🍑 Loquat - Contains potassium, aiding in fluid balance and blood pressure control.

🍒 Tropical Cherry (Eugenia) - Contains antioxidants and supports healthy circulation.

Shop tropical fruit trees that boost your health

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How to grow cold-hardy avocados and how cold-hardy are they? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to grow cold-hardy avocados and how cold-hardy are they?

Cat is growing cold-hardy avocados

Cat is growing cold-hardy avocados

How to grow cold-hardy avocados and how cold-hardy are they?

Growing avocados in colder regions is possible with the right variety and care. By selecting Cold Hardy varieties, ensuring proper care, and taking protective steps during cold spells, you can successfully grow avocados outside of tropical climates.

The more established your tree, the better it will tolerate colder weather.

🌡 What is Avocado cold hardiness?

Avocados are sensitive to freezing temperatures but some Mexican varieties are cold-hardy, surviving temperatures as low as 15F once established. With proper care, some can endure brief cold snaps down to 10F.
  • 👉 Cold hardiness depends on several factors, including:

  • 🟢 Duration of cold: How long the tree is exposed to freezing temperatures.
  • 🟢 Sun exposure: Trees with more sunlight tend to handle cold better.
  • 🟢 Wind protection: Wind can make cold weather more damaging.
  • 🟢 Tree health: Proper care, including fertilization, can improve cold tolerance.


❄️ How to protect avocados from cold

If you're growing avocados in a cooler climate, it's essential to protect them from harsh cold. Here are some tips:
  • 🟢 Bigger is Better: Larger, more established trees are generally more cold-tolerant than young ones.
  • 🟢 Wind Protection: Cold winds can be more damaging than the temperature itself. Plant your avocado in a sheltered spot, such as on the south or southeast side of a building, where it’s protected from strong winds.
  • 🟢 Good Fertilization: A healthy tree is more likely to withstand cold. Make sure your avocado receives regular fertilization throughout the growing season to keep it strong.
  • 🟢 Watering: Avocados need regular watering, but during winter, they require much less water. Avoid overwatering, as this can lead to root rot in cold conditions.


✍️ Specific protection for young plants
  • 🟢 Covering and mulching: When a freeze is expected, mound mulch around the trunk to insulate the roots and cover the tree with a blanket for warmth. For extra protection, use Christmas lights or a small heater under the cover, following safety precautions.
  • 🟢 Microclimates matter: Plant your tree closer to a building for better cold protection. Placing it in the warmest part of your landscape will help it get more heat during winter.
  • 🟢 With proper care and protection, you can enjoy fresh avocados even in cooler climates!


🛒  Shop Cold Hardy Avocados

📚Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Avocado #How_to

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Redder than red: when orange wasn't enough, nature made this hottest flower. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Redder than red: when orange wasnt enough, nature made this hottest flower

Senecio confusus variety Sao Paulo, Pseudogynoxis chenopodiode, Bright red Mexican flame vine

💥 Redder than red: when orange wasn't enough, nature made this hottest flower
  • 🔻This vine didn't get the memo about "'just orange"! Senecio confusus variety Sao Paulo (Pseudogynoxis chenopodiodes), or Bright red Mexican flame vine - is our favorite variety of the classic Mexican flame vine here at Top Tropicals. Sao Paulo isn't just orange, it's fire-engine red!
  • 🔻Spectacular bright red blooms year-round and thick evergreen leaves that are larger and darker than regular Orange variety; they provide a lush, tropical look. Red variety is also more vigorous than regular Orange Senecio.
  • 🔻Fast-growing and easy to train over fences, arbors, or trellises.
  • 🔻Drought-tolerant once established and thrives on neglect.
  • 🔻Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds
  • 🔻A must-have for beginners and collectors alike, this vine delivers a nonstop show of blazing color all winter and beyond.


🛒Bring home the brightest flame vine on the market!

📚 Learn more:

#Butterfly_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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James Coconuts: a person who never made a mistake. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

James Coconuts: a person who never made a mistake

James Coconuts the cat

James Coconuts the cat

🐈🐈🐈 James Coconuts: a person who never made a mistake

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Wise Mango - a smart choice for flavor lovers: sweet, juicy, and Florida-tough. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Wise Mango - a smart choice for flavor lovers: sweet, juicy, and Florida-tough

Mango Wise tree with fruit on it

🌈 Wise Mango - a smart choice for flavor lovers: sweet, juicy, and Florida-tough.

Mango Wise is a forgotten gem from the golden age of mango breeding in South Florida. Originating in Miami during the post-1930s boom of cultivar development, it was once part of a wave of exciting new introductions. Over time, many of these excellent varieties faded from commercial propagation, despite having outstanding eating qualities. Wise stands out with its nearly round fruit, minimal to no fiber, and rich, juicy sweetness. It's a smart, flavorful choice that deserves a comeback in Florida gardens.

🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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Watch Joy Perfume in full bloom - filling the air! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Watch Joy Perfume in full bloom - filling the air!

🏵 Watch Joy Perfume in full bloom - filling the air!

📱

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees

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What does Joy Perfume flower smell like? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What does Joy Perfume flower smell like?

Magnolia champaca, the Joy Perfume Tree in full bloom

☀️ What does Joy Perfume flower smell like?
  • 🏵 Meet Magnolia champaca, the Joy Perfume Tree - the most desirable perfume tree for Southern gardens and a Signature Plant of Top Tropicals!
  • 🏵 At our Farm in Sebring, these stunning trees bloom almost year-round, filling the air with a fruity, enchanting fragrance.
  • 🏵 Yes, this is the flower used to make the world's most expensive perfume - Joy! And it smells like fruity bubble gum... you won’t stop sniffing it!
  • 🏵 With lush, lemon-lime leaves and a tall, elegant shape, Champaka is as beautiful as it is fragrant.
  • 🏵 Visit Top Tropicals in Fort Myers or Sebring and bring home your very own Joy Perfume Tree today!
  • 🏵 We have beautiful Champaka trees in all sizes:

3 gal pot: 3-4 ft tall - ready to bloom within a year, can be shipped
7 gal pot: 5-6 ft tall - ready to bloom, can be shipped
15 gal pot: 7-8 ft tall - have already bloomed, pick up or delivery*
25 gal pot: 10 ft tall - have already bloomed, pick up or delivery*
* Free delivery for qualified orders

🎥 These Champaka trees in the video are 5 years old (3 years in the ground) and keep blooming for the last 3 years!

🛒 Claim Your Joy Today - Own Your Perfume Champaka!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees

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When Mr B is busy. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

When Mr B is busy

Mr B the cat drinking from watering cat

Mr B the cat drinking from watering cat

🐈 When Mr B is busy

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Finally: a sugar that is good for your health! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Finally: a sugar that is good for your health!

Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) - the Brown Sugar fruit tree

🍯 Finally: a sugar that is good for your health!
  • 🍩 Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) - the Brown Sugar fruit that loves you back with a health kick! Sapodilla is a delicious tropical fruit with soft, brown, sweet flesh and a malty, caramel-like flavor. It's loved not just for its unique taste, but also for its rich nutritional and medicinal value. Sapodilla is a sweet, nourishing fruit that doubles as a natural energy snack and a digestive aid.


🍴 Culinary Benefits: The sweet you don't have to feel guilty about!
  • 🍩 Eaten fresh - Just scoop the flesh out and enjoy! Tastes like brown sugar or caramel with a hint of pear.
  • 🍩 Smoothies and shakes - Adds creamy sweetness without the need for added sugar.
  • 🍩 Desserts - Used in ice cream, custards, or fruit salads.
  • 🍩 Jams, preserves - Makes a rich, flavorful jam.
  • 🍩 Dried sapodilla - Can be sun-dried like dates for a chewy, candy-like snack.


💚 Sapodilla's Health Benefits:
  • 🍩 Rich in fiber - Helps regulate digestion, prevent constipation, and support gut health.
  • 🍩 Natural energy booster - High in natural sugars and calories, great for quick energy.
  • 🍩 Packed with antioxidants - Contains polyphenols and flavonoids that help fight inflammation and cell damage.
  • 🍩 Vitamins A, C - Supports eye health, immune function, and skin regeneration.
  • 🍩 Iron, potassium, and folate - Supports blood health and may help maintain heart function and blood pressure.


🛒 Grow your own Sugar Fruit

📚 Learn more:
When does Sapodilla start fruiting and what is the best variety
New variety of Sapodilla: Thai Brownie

#Food_Forest #Discover

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How to produce my own vanilla? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to produce my own vanilla?

💡 How to produce my own vanilla?

Secrets of Vanilla pollination finally revealed!
Vanilla is the World's most popular flavor and one of the most expensive spices and flavorings.
Every tropical gardener wants to have a vanilla plant and of course the most common question they ask - how to make my vanilla produce vanilla for me? In this video we will show you how:
📱

🛒 Shop Vanilla Bean Orchids

📚 Learn more:

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Food_Forest #How_to

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How to grow the Fern with Elephant Ears. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to grow the Fern with Elephant Ears

Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern

🍀 How to grow the Fern with Elephant Ears

Continued from previous post
  • 🐘 If you love dramatic foliage but don't want the diva attitude, this gentle giant is for you!
  • 🐘 Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern - is native to tropical Africa, it loves warm temps, high humidity, and indirect light. It thrives in partial sun to bright indirect light and should be kept evenly moist. As it matures, mount it on a wooden plaque, since as one of the largest staghorn ferns in cultivation, it can become a massive specimen! Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern is sure to impress your gardening friends.
  • 🐘 A fantastic choice for shaded patios, trees, or fern walls - it brings jungle vibes without being fussy. More sculptural than spiky, elephantotis is a must-have for collectors, houseplant lovers, and fern fans who want something out of the ordinary. It's big, bold, and undeniably cool.
  • 🐘Fun_facts: The bigger the fern, the better it gets - this species just keeps getting more majestic with age!


🛒 Claim your gentle giant

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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So rare, it should come with a passport! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

So rare, it should come with a passport!

Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern

Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern

🌿 So rare, it should come with a passport!
  • 🐘 The most laid-back member of the staghorn clan is Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern.
  • 🐘 The Gentle Giant of the Fern World, this rare Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern has tall shield fronds and deeply veined, round fertile fronds that look like elephant ears instead of stags horns.
  • 🐘 It features huge, rounded shield fronds that resemble elephant ears - soft, wavy, and deeply textured. Unlike its antler-shaped cousins, this species has broad, floppy fronds that hang down like giant green sails.
  • 🐘Epiphytic by nature - grows mounted on wood, hanging baskets, or trees, just like in the wild.


Continued in next post...

🛒 Bring the Elephant home

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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The fern that dreams are made of. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The fern that dreams are made of

Dreaming of Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern

Dreaming of Platycerium elephantotis - Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern

🐘 The fern that dreams are made of. Literally.

Ever dreamed of an elephant with fern ears? Well... now it exists. And it hangs on your wall.
Platycerium elephantotis - the Elephant Ear Staghorn Fern that's big, bold, and totally mind-blowing.
Check it out in the next posts➡

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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Google the Cat: purpose of life. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Google the Cat: purpose of life

Google the Cat

Google the Cat

💻 Google the Cat: purpose of life

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

🐈 PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

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What banana fits anywhere? Meet the world's smallest banana tree - big flavor in a tiny package. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What banana fits anywhere? Meet the worlds smallest banana tree - big flavor in a tiny package

Banana Truly Tiny

🔥 What banana fits anywhere? Meet the world's smallest banana tree - big flavor in a tiny package
  • Banana Truly Tiny is one of the most in-demand banana plants for collectors, small-space gardeners, and anyone who wants to grow bananas indoors. Here's why:
  • World's Smallest Banana Plant: As the name suggests, it’s the most compact edible banana variety. It grows just 2-3 feet tall, making it perfect for apartments, balconies, or desktops.
  • Edible Mini Bananas: Yes, it produces real, sweet, snack-sized bananas - not just an ornamental plant! The fruit is delicious and just the right size for kids or snacking.
  • Perfect for Containers: Its dwarf size makes it ideal for pots. You don’t need a yard or greenhouse - just a sunny window or patio.
  • Cute, Decorative, and Functional: It’s both a conversation piece and a fruit producer. Great for gifts, collectors, and home décor.
  • Indoor-Friendly: One of the few banana plants that thrives indoors with good light and care. It also stays manageable and won’t outgrow your space.
  • Fast-Growing and Fun: Like other bananas, it grows quickly and is exciting to watch - perfect for kids, first-time growers, and anyone who wants a rewarding plant.
  • Why Everyone Wants Truly Tiny? Because it’s the cutest banana plant in the world, and it actually produces fruit! Whether you're a collector or just want something exotic and productive in a small space, Truly Tiny is in a league of its own.


🛒 Get Truly Tiny - the cutest banana you'll ever grow!

📚 Learn more about #Bananas

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden #Discover

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