BLOOMING SHRUBS

Ylang Ylang shrub. Not everybody can grow Cananga odorata, Ylang-Ylang Tree - fast growing and pretty big. With the Desmos chinensis, a small relative you get that intense fragrance but in a plant that can be kept around 3 to 6 feet. It is a better choice for those with limited space.
Ylang Ylang Shrub - is a rare treasure for fragrance lovers. It's a compact, bushy, vining cousin of the famous Ylang Ylang tree, but with an even more intense perfume. The scent is often compared to sweet lemon candy.
This shrub shows off graceful, arching branches and pendant flowers that come in golden yellow or the even rarer bright red form. It thrives in warm, humid conditions and becomes vigorous once established.
Perfect for smaller gardens or containers, while still delivering that unforgettable fragrance.

The rare red-flowered variety of Desmos is one of the most sought-after perfume plants of Southeast Asia, Ylang Ylang shrub. Not everybody can grow Cananga odorata, Ylang-Ylang Tree - fast growing and pretty big. With the Desmos chinensis, a small relative you get that intense fragrance but in a plant that can be kept around 3 to 6 feet. It is a better choice for those with limited space.
Ylang Ylang Shrub - is a rare treasure for fragrance lovers. It's a compact, bushy, vining cousin of the famous Ylang Ylang tree, but with an even more intense perfume. The scent is often compared to sweet lemon candy.
This shrub shows off graceful, arching branches and pendant flowers that come in golden yellow or the even rarer bright red form. It thrives in warm, humid conditions and becomes vigorous once established.
Perfect for smaller gardens or containers, while still delivering that unforgettable fragrance.

West African Sickle bush, Aroma, Kalahari Christmas tree, Chinese lantern tree, Marabou-thorn, Princess's Earrings. Interesting powderpuff-like pink flowers make this plant unforgettable. Good plant for bonsai.

Tropical Hydrangea - very fast growing winter bloomer with fragrant pink hydrangea-like flowers. Large size multistem bush with large heart-shape lush foliage. Flowers of this spectacular winter bloomer attract lots of bees and butterflies. Great landscape solution for a quick covering / screening of unwanted views!

Tropical Hydrangea - very fast growing winter bloomer with fragrant pink hydrangea-like flowers. Large size multistem bush with large heart-shape lush foliage. Flowers of this spectacular winter bloomer attract lots of bees and butterflies. Great landscape solution for a quick covering / screening of unwanted views!

Showy, variegated formThe Lucky Bamboo Plant which is an extremely popular houseplant and candidate for some aquariums, terrariums, and paluadariums. It is not actually closely related to bamboo grass, although its common name comes from its resemblance to bamboo grass. While not a true aquatic plant, the Lucky Bamboo Plant is extraordinarily popular and can often be applied to aquarium, terrarium, and paludarium setups! It should be positioned upright with its leaves clearly out of the water. There isn't really a well known reason for how this common name came about, although Dracaena sanderiana grows easily in water and the canes of the plant have a similar appearance to real bamboo stalks, it has no true connection with Japanese culture.

Blue sage, blue eranthemum - bright gentian blue - an unusual color in the tropics, winter bloomer, shade lover.
Learn more about Eranthemum pulchellum: Blue Sage: Winter Wonder.

Red spurge, Mexican shrubby Spurge, Caribbean Copper Plant. unique looking small multi-stemmed tree or large shrub up to 10 feet. Wine red foliage and small white flowers. The red leaves stand out against the pale bark.

Snows of Kilimanjaro, Pascuita, Snowflake Tree. Rare unusual shrub with tiny small leaves (decorative white bracts), white on top, reminding popular Poincettia. Unlike many other euphorbias, this plant is fragrant. When it is in bloom, the air around is filled with a sweet pleasant smell. Attracts butterflies.
This plant completely loses leaves for winter, re-leafs in spring.

Also called "First Love" (sometimes misspelled as YAshioka), this cultivar is one of the darkest green of all gardenias, it has a 3 to 5 inch bloom so perfect, it looks artificial. It was developed by Tadaoki Yoshioka while he lived in Hawaii, and he later brought it to Florida when he moved to Ft. Lauderdale with his family in 1954. The gardenia was named after his daughter, Aimee (Aimee Hironaka), who died in a plane crash in Dallas on August 2, 1985 (Delta Flight 191). Aimee gardenia grows openly and upright and blooms twice a year and slightly later than others. Flower Size 3 - 5".
See picture of flower,
page about gardenias, their cultivation and varieties.
See picture of actual plant for sale (1-2013).

This Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia offers nearly all the beloved traits of larger gardenias - lush evergreen foliage, heavenly fragrance, and elegant white blooms - in a compact, manageable form. Its modest size, spreading habit, and relative tolerance make it an excellent choice for container gardening, small landscapes, or even bonsai enthusiasts. With attention to soil acidity, drainage, and consistent moisture, this little plant can deliver big delight.
See page about gardenias, their cultivation and varieties

This hybrid is very rare and hard to find. The intoxicating sweet fragrant blossoms are creamy white works of art. Huge double flowers up to 5-6" in diameter, large glossy oval leaves.

This shrub or small tree is native from Angola to KwaZulu-Natal. This species has fragrant white blossoms turning yellow with time, long narrow leaves, with wavy margins - very curious plant.

Colorful plant from South East Asia with variegated green and white leaves, with an irregular dull green pattern extending from the mid vein to almost the edge of the leaves. Evergreen tropical shrub to 6 feet, but can be kept to 3 feet as a greenhouse or indoor plant. Flowers are tubular, reddish-purple. Best with bright light and moist soil. Use in tropical landscape beds or in mixed containers. A lightly shaded position is ideal.

Silver Raisin, Grey Raisin. Small flowering tree with showy yellow flowers.

Fire Bush, full size variety. Grows into a small tree. Small, tubular red-orange flowers. Pruning inhibits the blooms, which appear at the ends of the branches. One of the best butterfly attractors.

Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak. One of the most recognized and widely grown species, and one of the most beautiful. The inflorescence it produces is one of the most colorful you will ever encounter. The flowers last a long time and make an excellent cut flower. It is an easy grower in tropical areas but some room is required because the stalks can reach 7 feet in height. It can withstand temperatures in the high 20s. Can be grown in large pots

Apricot Brandy is a tropical hibiscus with a warm, glowing color that looks like sunlight captured in a flower. The large, double blooms open in rich coral-apricot tones, deepening toward the center with soft pinkish highlights. Each blossom shows layers of silky, overlapping petals that form a full, ruffled shape. Bright orange anthers and yellow pollen add a cheerful contrast.
This variety blooms freely through the warm months, especially with regular feeding and full sun. Flowers last only a day as with all hibiscus, but new buds follow continuously, keeping the plant in color for much of the year.
The foliage is glossy and deep green, forming a neat, bushy shrub that reaches about 4-6 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide. It's well suited for hedges, accent planting, or containers on sunny patios. Like other tropical hibiscus, it prefers warmth, rich well-drained soil, and consistent moisture.
Apricot Brandy adds a tropical, sunset hue to the garden and pairs beautifully with reds, yellows, and pinks. It's one of the most rewarding double hibiscus varieties for both landscape and container gardeners.
In TopTropicals garden this variety showed pretty strong cold tolerance (at least to light freeze) and we believe it might be a hybrid between H. rosa-sinensis and cold hardy H. syriacus. It is often referred to as H. Althea, H. Amplissimus (referring to double flower), and Double Rose of Sharon. Similar variety with lighter, salmon color - Peach Blow, is an old landscape hybrid, widespread in Florida.

Beautiful vinous flowers open in the morning, and by 3-4 pm they convolve into a curious fico-like knot. Flowers cover the bush several times a year. Very similar to Hibiscus acetosella, only with green leaves, this edible hibiscus is rich of vitamin C. All parts of the plant are edible and can be used for delicious tea or in a salad. Very fast growing, forms a large bush in one season. Tolerates dry conditions. Grow your edible landscape in no time!
With proper care and protection, this plant can provide a striking display of color and texture in the garden year after year.
This species is often confused with H. furcellatus and sometimes offered in trade under that name.
Learn more about edible hibiscus: Most useful Hibiscus plants.

Double Red is a classic tropical hibiscus known for its rich, velvety red flowers and continuous bloom. Each blossom is fully double, made up of many overlapping petals that form a lush, ruffled bloom about 4 inches across. The deep red color stays consistent even in full sun, creating a striking display against the glossy green foliage.
This variety is one of the most dependable and easy-to-grow tropical hibiscus types. It flowers freely through the warm months and can bloom almost year-round in frost-free climates. Like most hibiscus, each individual bloom lasts only a day, but new buds open daily, keeping the shrub in near-constant color.
Double Red grows into a dense, rounded shrub about 4-6 ft tall and 3-4 ft wide. It's ideal for hedges, accents, or large containers on patios and pool decks. Plants perform best in full sun with regular watering and rich, well-drained soil. Feed monthly during the growing season to encourage continuous flowering.
This time-tested hibiscus is a true garden classic, combining vivid color, strong growth, and reliable performance. Its full, double blooms and intense red tone make it one of the most popular hibiscus varieties ever introduced.
In TopTropicals garden this variety showed pretty strong cold tolerance (at least to light freeze) similar to cold hardy H. syriacus. It is often referred to as H. Althea, H. Amplissimus (referring to double flower), and Double Rose of Sharon. This variety is also known under names: Red Hot, Red Dragon, Super Red.

Hibiscus El Capitolio Bloody Mary is a rare and striking variety with pendant flowers featuring a double skirt of ruffled, vinous-red petals. This evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub reaches 5 to 10 feet tall with arching branches, perfect for sunny or semi-shady spots, even seaside locations. Thriving in USDA Zones 9-11, it tolerates moderate water, flooding, and needs well-draining soil. Its dramatic crimson blooms, borne in pairs, peak in summer, adding year-round beauty to any garden.

Our resident botanist/horticulturist, Mark Hooten, recently made and registered a unique Hibiscus hybrid which we at Top Tropicals are very happy to make available to the world. This is a first time offering anywhere!
This is an admittedly an unusual Hibiscus hybrid. It involves a parent species never before registered as being used as a parent for any Hibiscus hybrid in the past. In-fact, the International Hibiscus Society didn't even have a database for it, so it had to be added to their registry.
The hybrid involved taking the pollen of the spectacular H. schizopetalus from the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro (Coral Hibiscus), and using it for pollinating a flower of the rare, virtually unknown but elegant and tiny Madagascan H. grandidieri. This hybrid, which Mark Hooten registered under the name Fairy Dancer, was the result: "My knowledgeable, Hibiscus loving friends assure me that this is a most wonderful hybrid to come along for a very long time, and that I should be proud to offer it to the world."
This wonderful outcome was totally unexpected. The small, almost tiny, deeply lobed leaves unlike those of any other Hibiscus hybrid, resemble those of certain mulberries or figs. They grow from arching stems, from which a nearly constant display of bright red-fuscia flowers dangle on long, thread-like stems, making them appear suspended in air at a distance.

If you're looking for a hibiscus that makes a statement, President Red delivers. This classic tropical hibiscus produces enormous, brilliant red flowers measuring 5 to 7 inches across, creating a spectacular display from spring through fall. The bold blooms stand out against glossy dark-green foliage, bringing instant tropical color to the garden.
Unlike many tropical hibiscus varieties, President Red has demonstrated impressive cold tolerance. During the historic Florida freeze of February 2026, established plants in our garden survived two nights at 25F and nearly two weeks of unusually cold weather (when all tropical hibiscus was killed by that cold), recovering and resuming growth when warmer temperatures returned. While protection is still recommended during severe freezes, this variety has proven tougher than many tropical hibiscus selections.
President Red is a fast-growing evergreen shrub with a dense, upright habit that can reach 6 to 10 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide when planted in the ground. Its large, trumpet-shaped flowers often feature a deeper red eye and prominent red pistil, adding even more drama to each bloom.
Butterflies and hummingbirds are naturally attracted to the nectar-rich flowers, making this variety an excellent choice for pollinator-friendly gardens. Whether planted as a specimen, hedge, flowering screen, or patio container plant, it quickly becomes a focal point wherever it grows.
President Red performs best in full sun, where it produces the heaviest bloom display. It prefers rich, well-drained soil and regular watering, especially during dry weather. Routine fertilization during the growing season encourages continuous flowering and lush growth.
With its giant scarlet blooms, vigorous growth, and surprising cold hardiness, Hibiscus President Red remains one of the most rewarding tropical flowering shrubs for warm-climate gardens.

Coral Hibiscus, Skeleton Hibiscus. A weeping tree hibiscus, rare and hard to find. Grows rapidly and blooms freely. Flowers look like parachutes and can be recognized by the fringed and lacy petals which are bent backward. It has slender and gracefully curved stems. Can be trained into a showy standard.

A fast-growing woody climber with clusters of pink, white, and yellow blooms that carry a strong, fruity fragrance. The petals are frilly and eye-catching, followed by quirky three-winged seed pods that spin like tiny helicopters. Blooming heavily in winter and early spring, it perfumes the garden when most plants are resting.
Easy to grow and versatile - it can be trimmed into a shrub, shaped into a small tree, or trained as a vigorous vine with strong support. It also grows well in containers with regular pruning. In India it is called Madhavi, the Spring Herald, often paired with mango trees in gardens and legends.
A tropical beauty that brings fragrance, charm, and a touch of story to your garden. It's pretty cold hardy too - can take some light frost.