Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 24 Aug 2024

How old is Southern Magnolia?

Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia

How old is Southern Magnolia? 95 million years old!
  • 💮 #Fun_Facts: Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia, is a unique and ancient flowering plant dating back about 95 million years to the time of the dinosaurs!
  • 💮 Its beautiful, large perfumed flowers are "primitive" and evolved before bees existed, relying on beetles for pollination. The tough petals and reproductive parts are a result of adapting to beetle activity.
  • 💮 Another fascinating feature is its cone-like fruit, which contains striking bright red seeds. These seeds are covered in a fleshy coating that attracts birds and small mammals, aiding in their dispersal, making the magnolia not only stunning but important for the ecosystem.


🛒 Order Southern Magnolia

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Date: 3 Mar 2025

Why this Magnolia flower smells like banana?

Magnolia figo, Banana Magnolia

🍌 Why this flower smells like banana?
  • Magnolia figo, or Banana Magnolia that we mentioned earlier, is currently in full bloom and filling the air with its unbelievably delightful fragrance! The sweet, fruity aroma of its perfume-like flowers carries a hint of banana, making it a truly irresistible addition to your garden.
  • Looking for a little perfume tree for a small garden or container? Compact and evergreen, reaching only5-6 ft in container, this small tree or shrub adds sophistication to any landscape. Glossy, deep green foliage enhances its visual charm.
  • Cold tolerant and heat tolerant. Takes sun and shade.


🛍 Plant Banana Magnolia

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Date: 26 Sep 2021

A Native Virgin - Sweetbay Vanilla Magnolia
(Magnolia virginiana)

by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats

...Fossilized specimens one of Magnolias have been found dating to 20 million years ago. Magnolia virginiana as a true American pioneer - it was the first magnolia to be scientifically described, and is the type species of the genus Magnolia; as Magnolia is also the type genus of all flowering plants (magnoliophytes), this species in a sense typifies all flowering plants...
...The flowers carry a very strong vanilla scent that can sometimes be noticed several hundred yards away! Fresh off the tree, the flavor of leaves is unique and fun to use. If you have a Florida Sweet Bay, your cooking will have flavors folks outside Florida can never hope to duplicate. It likes moist soils, so if you have a wet spot on your land - plant this tree. The lifespan of individual trees has been estimated at 130 years! No bugs, no pests!..

CONTINUE READING >>

Date: 28 Apr 2025

Smell the Little Gem

Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia

💎 Smell the Little Gem



🕊 Get up close with the Magnolia grandiflora - Southern Magnolia - its huge, creamy white petals look like sculpted wax, and the scent is fresh, lemony, and unforgettable!

📚 Learn more:



🛒 Plant the Iconic Southern Magnolia

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Date: 1 Jun 2025

Which Champaka tree is better - White or Golden?

✍️ Which Champaka tree is better - White or Golden?



🏆 Golden or White Champaka - Which Tree Should You Choose?
Both the White and Golden Champaka trees are prized for their intoxicating, fruity fragrance - often described as smelling like sweet bubble gum. Their blooms are famously used in the creation of Joy, one of the world's most expensive perfumes. While they share many similarities in scent and beauty, there are key differences between the two.

  • ⚪️ White Champaka - Magnolia (Michelia) x alba (in the video) is a sterile hybrid between Magnolia champaca and Magnolia montana. Because it does not produce seeds, this variety is always propagated through grafting or air layering. One major benefit of this is that grafted White Champaka trees begin blooming right away, even when they are still small. This makes Magnolia alba a more reliable and consistent bloomer from a young age.

  • ⚪️ White Champaka is also more compact and slower-growing than the Golden variety, making it especially suitable for container growing and smaller garden spaces.

  • 🟡 Golden Champaka - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca is the original species and grows from seed, which means it typically takes a few years to start blooming. However, it has an edge in cold hardiness and is more tolerant of cooler temperatures compared to the White Champaka.

  • 🟡 Golden Champaka tends to be more vigorous and taller, making it a better fit for larger landscape plantings where space and height are not limiting factors.


✍️ In Summary:


  • ✔️ Fragrance: Both smell similar - like fruity bubble gum - and are used for perfume.
  • ✔️ White Champaka: Grafted, blooms sooner, compact growth, ideal for pots.
  • ✔️ Golden Champaka: Grown from seed, blooms later, more cold tolerant, vigorous growth.
  • ✔️ Both trees are exceptional choices for Southern gardens. Whether you choose the early-blooming, compact White Champaka or the hardy, golden-flowered original, you'll be adding one of the most enchanting perfume trees to your landscape. Plant both!

See side-by-side comparison of the 2 varieties of Champaka trees in the next post👇

🛒 Plant Champaka trees and always have your own Joy Perfume

🎥 Magnolia (Michelia) x alba, White Champaka
Golden Champaka: video 1 and video 2

📚 Learn more about White and Golden Champakas:


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