Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

What is the rarest Tacca?

• 💚 Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Bat Flower, Devil Flower - is the rarest Tacca of them all!
• 💚 Move over Black and White - this is the green bat flower, and it's in a class of its own!
• 💚 Tacca leontopetaloides is a collector's dream and is rare in cultivation. With eerie greenish-purple flower clusters perched on tall stalks and long, trailing whisker-like bracts, this plant looks like something out of a botanical fairytale.
• 💚 Unlike its fussy cousins, the Green Bat Flower is surprisingly easy to grow. It thrives in shady or semi-shaded spots, comes back reliably each spring, and doesn’t mind a bit of neglect. Its glossy, deeply divided leaves die back in fall and return with vigor as the weather warms up. A well-draining pot, occasional feeding, and moderate watering are all it asks for.
• 💚 Native to Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, it's more than just a pretty face - this plant has traditional medicinal uses too. But let's be honest: most collectors grow it for the jaw-dropping display.
• 💚 Very few collectors have this variety - don't miss your chance to be one of them!

📚 Learn more about Taccas:

• ▫️ When Bat Head Devil flower is in bloom
• ▫️ Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca
• ▫️ Tacca nivea - White Tacca
• ▫️ Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca

🛒 Get the rare Green Bat Flower - easy to grow and unlike anything else in your garden

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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🐈 Scooby in action

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop" - Confucius

🐈📸 Scooby the cat @TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats #Quotes

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🌈 What is a good late-season Mango? Gold Nugget, a late-season fiberless gem

Gold Nugget, developed in Florida in the 1990s and patented in 1990, likely originated from Kent seedling parentage . The fruit is large, oval, about a pound, with yellow‑orange skin and occasional pink blush. Inside, it offers firm, fiberless yellow flesh with a mild, classic mango flavor. The vigorous tree is spreading and prolific, ripening fruit from late July through August in Florida, and exhibits strong resistance to bacterial black spot. An excellent choice for late-season harvest and home dooryard planting.

🛒 Shop Mango varieties

📚 Previous posts: #Mango_Rainbow - varieties you should try

#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow

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🎆 What jasmine has a stronger scent than Sambac?

• ⭐️ Once you smell it, you’ll never forget it! If you are looking for a jasmine that truly stands out, Jasminum molle (also known as Indian Jui or Jasminum auriculatum) is one of the best-kept secrets among fragrant plants.
• ⭐️ An uncommon jasmine with an unforgettable scent, with a rich, gardenia-like perfume that rivals the world-famous Jasmine Sambac, this stunning species deserves a special place in your collection.
• ⭐️ Extraordinary fragrance: The satin-white flowers release an intense, sweet scent that fills the air - one of the strongest among all jasmines.
• ⭐️ Multiple growth habits: Naturally bushy and fast-growing, it can be shaped into a dense shrub, grown in containers, or even allowed to climb slightly on a trellis. It also makes a great hedge.
• ⭐️ Versatile and hardy: Adapts well to full sun or part shade, wet or dry soil. Fairly cold-hardy, it can handle a light frost with no damage.
• ⭐️ Seasonal blooms: While blooming peaks in summer, flushes of flowers can appear again in fall or even winter, often in clusters that cover the plant.
• ⭐️ Cultural significance: In India, this jasmine is sacred to the Goddess Devi and widely used in religious ceremonies, garlands, perfumes, and hair adornments.
• ⭐️ Medicinal uses: Traditional remedies use jasmine oil for hair and skin health, and the roots for treating skin conditions.
• ⭐️ With small, dark green leaves and powdery white blooms, Jasmine Molle is a top choice for gardeners who love richly fragrant plants. It's easy to grow, low maintenance, and incredibly rewarding. Whether in a pot, a border, or a spiritual garden, this jasmine is more than just a plant - it's an experience.

🛒Bring sacred fragrance into your garden

📚 Lean more about #Perfume_Plants

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits

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🐈 Full-on reality show: Survivor - Backyard Edition

🐾 Today’s episode of Spoiled Indoor Cats Watch the Wild features Serge, Jim II, and Kiwi glued to the screen door, eyes wide. Outside, a scrappy street cat dares to eat their refused dinner leftovers.
Serge snickers:

• “No way... he's actually eating that.”

Jim II gags dramatically.
Kiwi chimes in:
• “We sent that brand back with a paw-written complaint!”

📸Serge, Jim II, and Kiwi the Cats @TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats

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🌴 Why is my palm tree turning yellow?

Yellowing leaves are a common concern with palms and can be a sign of several issues, most commonly: nutrient deficiency and pests or disease. Additionally, leaf yellowing may be a sign off overwatering or poor drainage, underwatering, or cold damage.

• ✔️Nutrient deficiency

Nutrient deficiency is the most frequent cause of palm issues. Palms are heavy feeders, and even a slight imbalance can lead to yellowing. Lack of nitrogen, magnesium, iron, or potassium is the leading cause.
• ✔️Signs of nutrient deficiencies:

▫️Magnesium and Iron deficiency is one of the top culprits, especially in sandy soils. It causes older fronds to turn yellow with green veins.

• ▫️Potassium deficiency causes yellow or orange spots on older fronds.
• ▫️Nitrogen deficiency leads to overall pale yellowing, especially in new growth.

• ✔️How to fix?

Use a slow-release fertilizer with high Nitrogen content, like Green Magic, that includes all these elements; with 16-6-11 grade and 6 months release, it turns plants green very quickly! You can also use a balanced liquid fertilizer like Sunshine Robusta. Additionally, a supplement of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) and micro-element supplement containing chelated Iron can help, like Sunshine Superfood (amino-acid based natural product).
• ✔️Pests and Diseases

Pests and fungal diseases can lead to yellowing. Check for signs of scale, mites, or fungal and bacterial problems, especially if yellowing is uneven or spotted.
• ✔️Signs of pests:

▫️Thrips cause silvery-yellow streaks or mottling

• ▫️Spider mites, especially in dry conditions, cause yellow speckling
• ▫️Scale insects can suck sap and weaken fronds
• ▫️Mealybugs often found in leaf bases and crowns

• ✔️How to fix?

Inspect your palm regularly and treat pests early with neem oil, insecticidal soap, or horticultural oil.
• ✔️Lethal yellowing

Lethal yellowing is a serious disease caused by a phytoplasma, a type of bacteria-like organism. It affecting mostly Coconut palms and some other species like Phoenix (Date) palms. It causes premature fruit drop, yellowing of fronds starting from the lower ones, and eventual death of the tree.
• ✔️How to fix?

Unfortunately, there's no cure, but early removal of infected trees can slow the spread. Disease-resistant coconut varieties are available.
• ✔️Other causes

▫️Overwatering or Poor Drainage: Too much water can suffocate roots and lead to yellowing. Make sure the soil drains well and let it dry slightly between waterings.

• ▫️Underwatering: Dry soil for too long will stress the palm. Water deeply but infrequently.
• ▫️Cold Damage: Exposure to cold temperatures can turn fronds yellow or brown, especially in tropical varieties.

✔️In most cases, leaf yellowing isn't fatal, but it's a sign your palm needs attention. Focus on balanced feeding, proper watering, and pest checks to keep your palm healthy and green. Trim only fully dead fronds - yellow ones still provide nutrients to the palm. With proper care, your palm should green up again.

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#How_to #Fertilizers

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🐊 The most unique Florida Native

• 🐸 Baccharis halimifolia - Aster Tree, Snow Bush, or White Cloud Tree, is a one-of-a-kind member of the daisy family - actually, it's the only tree in the Asteraceae family!
• 🐸 In winter, it puts on a magical show, covered in persistent fluffy white seedheads that look like fresh snow or a floating cloud.
• 🐸 Its quirky leaves and adaptable shape let you grow it as a shrub, small tree, or potted plant. Hardy and tough, it thrives in poor soils, handles drought, and even tolerates some frost.
• 🐸 A perfect choice if you are looking for beauty with zero fuss.

🛒 Bring home the magical Aster Tree - tough, unique, and blooms with beauty!

#Trees

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💐 The shrub that smells like a royal bouquet and grows like a weed?

💐 Clerodendrum bungei - Glory Bower, Cashmere bouquet, fills the air with sweet perfume and bursts of pink blooms that butterflies love. Its dark leaves add contrast, and it grows fast - maybe too fast - so plant it in a pot or tucked-away spot unless you want a fragrant takeover!

🛒 Add Clerodendrum bungei to your garden today - before it grows away!

📚 Learn more:

• 💋How to get a large, lush and fragrant bush in no time
• 💋Cashmere Bouquet

#Hedges_with_benefits #Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Butterfly_Plants

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🐈 Cat of the day: Macaron

• 🐾 Meet Macaron, our desert drifter from Nevada who now claims a corner of TopTropicals Arizona office.
• 🐾 Unlike your average snuggly cat, Macaron refuses the luxury of a bed - he prefers the cold hard floor or a tangle of electronic wires (maybe he's solar-powered?)
• 🐾 Macaron doesn’t hang out with the other cats, doesn’t play, doesn’t cuddle. He’s a true lone ranger. Some say he's antisocial... we say he's just mysterious!

📸 Macaron the Cat @TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden 
#PeopleCats

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🍯 How to grow the Amazing Peanut Butter Tree - in one short video

• 
  Peanut Butter Tree (Bunchosia argentea) earns its name from its fleshy fruits that boast a delightful peanut butter flavor. One of the most fascinating exotic fruit, as amazing as Miracle fruit, Peanut Butter Fruit is loved by both kids and adults... and yes, it tastes exactly like peanut butter!.. Yet it is much healthier food, with many medicinal benefits...
• 
  Compact in size, small tree reaching only 10-15 ft or kept as a bush, it's a perfect choice for limited spaces. Can thrive indoors, starting to fruit within just 2-3 years from seed. Watch the video how easy it is to grow:

📱

📚 Learn more:

• 💋Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #10. Peanut Butter Tree (Bunchosia argentea)
• 💋Delectable Peanut Butter Tree
• 💋The best small fruit trees that will produce right away
• 💋How soon will Peanut Butter Tree fruit?
• 💋Top 10 fast-fruiting trees

🛒 Shop Peanut Butter Tree

#Food_Forest #How_to

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