Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
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Discovering the Amazing Guava Fruit Tree
A Gardener's Delight:
How to grow Guava Tree, delicious recipes and more...
Imagine stepping into your garden, plucking a fresh, juicy guava off a tree, and savoring its sweet, tropical flavor. Sounds delightful, doesn't it? Guava trees are not only a wonderful addition to any garden but also offer an array of delicious and nutritious fruits. Let's explore the fascinating world of guava fruit trees, dive into the different species, and share some tasty ways to enjoy this remarkable fruit.
If you're blessed with a warm climate, find a sunny spot with well-drained soil for your tree. Water it regularly, especially during dry spells, and keep it well-fed with a balanced fertilizer. Pruning is essential for maintaining a bushy, healthy tree that'll reward you with an abundance of fruits...
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Grow Your Own Food:
Costa Rican Guava - Guava for Drinking!
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...Looking for a handsome, unusual fruit tree for container culture with healthy and flavorful fruit? Or simply want an easy fruit tree that is hardy and undemanding? Psidium friedrichsthalianum (family Myrtaceae), the Costa Rican Guava or Cas Guava, is a perfect small guava tree that can be very rewarding. In Nicaragua it is called "Guava for Drinking" or "Fresco de Guava". Despite the tartness, the flavor is excellent with passionfruit and pineapple tones and is much more pronounced than the subtle flavor of the common Guava. These fruits are very much a part of the culture and cuisine of Costa Rica. Also it has been successfully grown in California now and can be grown in many subtropical regions or as a container plant - "condo" fruit tree...
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Guava, the easiest container fruit tree
Grow Your Own Food
Guava is one of the most popular and well-known tropical fruit because
it is so tasty, sweet, juicy and flavorful! Many people are familiar with it
because of the large number of products made from this aromatic fruit. But
very few people know that Guava tree culture is very easy and this plant can
fruit in a pot right away. Guava tree start blooming and producing fruit as
small as 1 gal pot size. It can be kept in compact shape, responds well to pruning, stays bushy and grows very fast. It
is a perfect container fruit tree or a specimen for a tropical garden of any
size.
Upon ripening, the fruit becomes soft and juicy. It may be eaten fresh,
made into a juice or nectar contain fruit pulp, or made into preserves, jam,
jelly, or paste. A distinctive, savory-fresh aroma of fruit is thermo-stable,
thus survives processing. The guava is an excellent source of vitamins C and
A.
The plant is relatively cold hardy. Our young trees, 3 months after being
planted in the ground were exposed to a short period of freeze last winter
(mid-20's) but they grew back without significant damage. Try to keep Guava
cold-protected for the first winter, then it will be much hardier once
established.
Guavas are fast growers and heavy feeders, and benefit from regular
applications of fertilizer. Make sure to get some Sunshine Boosters fertilizer: Sunshine
C-Cibus - Crop Booster, and feed them your round.
Date:
Privacy Hedges with Benefits
What's the numero uno question we get bombarded with at Top Tropicals Nursery? Well, it's a real head-scratcher:
Q: "...Can you recommend me a flowering privacy hedge to spice up my yard's life? My current hedge is just a green wall and I'm tired of the monthly trim routine. I need something lively, fast-growing, and unusual if possible. No plain old ixora, please!.."
A: After over two decades of being the go-to advice-givers, we thought, "Why not spill the floral beans and share our tropical wisdom?" But where to begin? The jungle of flowering ornamentals is vast, and picking the perfect shrub is like finding the missing piece of a gardening puzzle. So, in our new column "Hedges with Benefits" we're dishing on those not-so-average shrubs that'll not only prettify your patch but also bring some serious practicality. Today's lineup is -
Top Ten Winners:
Fast growing flowering shrubs
Below is the top selection of spectacular flowering shrubs that can create a nice hedge or a natural screen within just a couple of seasons.
Tithonia diversifolia - Sunflower tree.
Grows super fast to a very tall dense hedge, and starts flowering right away. Full sun, very easy, not
fussy about soil or water. Winter bloomer.
Calliandra surinamensis - Powderpuff.
Pretty pink powderpuffs almost year around! Easy to prune.
Dombeya x wallichii - Tropical Hydrangea.
You can see this beautiful bush right at Top Tropicals gate. Winter bloomer, large lush leaves and huge, pink hydrangea-like blooms. Very large and fast growing, likes water, tolerates shade.
Acalypha hispida - Cat tail, Chenille plant.
All time favorite, everblooming with red cat tails! Full sun. Easy to control.
Hibiscus variegated Snow Queen.
Popular landscape bush with unusual look, red flowers over snow white variegation, very showy! Responds well to
pruning. Full sun.
Leonotis leonurus - Lions Ears.
Winter bloomer, great for low hedges. Covered with bright orange curious flowers,
medium sized, easy to control at 3-4 ft. Full sun.
Plumbago auriculata Imperial Blue
One of the most popular Southern hedge plants, everblooming with bright blue flowers, tolerant to drought, heat, and poor soils. Can be maintained short or tall (2-6 ft).
Eranthemum pulchellum - Blue Sage, Lead Flower.
Great for shady spots, winter bloomer with dark green leaves and unusual sky-blue flowers. Can be trimmed if needed. Nice and dense.
Clerodendrum paniculatum - Pagoda Flower. Happy in the sun or shade, easy plant. Loves water.
Tibouchina lepidota - Ecuador Princess, Jules Dwarf.
Sun or shade, blooms on and off throughout the year. Beautiful Purple
Princess!
Date:
New Video:
Dwarf Guava Hawaiian Rainbow
Psidium guajava "Nana"
Put a little Aloha in your garden... A guava that will bring a taste of the Islands!
This is a very small version of the favorite aromatic Guava - Nana. It grows only up to 5-6 ft tall with a short trunk and a branching, bushy habit. It is perfect for those who have limited space. It can be grown in a pot and fruits heavily. Provided with warm conditions, the tree can bear fruit almost year around. The fruit is round, about 2", pretty good size for a dwarf tree. The flesh is sweet, aromatic, and
varies from white to yellow to pink.
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Easy compact bush for sandy soil
Caesalpinia pulcherrima - Red Dwarf Poinciana, Bird of Paradise.
Q: Can you recommend a flowering bush that will be in full sun and in sandy soil. I do not want it to exceed 10 feet.
A: For a garden specimen bush that is medium size and tolerates poor soils, we can recommend to choose from the plants below. These are all easy to grow, not fussy about soil and water, and stay compact and require minimal or no trimming at all.
Calliandra surinamensis - Powderpuff - 6-8 ft
Hibiscus
mutabilis Cotton Candy - Mallow Hibiscus - 5-6 ft
Dombeya seminole
- Tropical Rose Hydrangea 4-6 ft
Allamanda
schottii - Dwarf Allamanda Bush 3-4 ft
Brunfelsia
pauciflora Compacta - Dwarf Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow - 4-5 ft
Calliandra
schultzii - Dwarf calliandra - 4-5 ft
Plumbago
auriculata Imperial Blue
Caesalpinia
pulcherrima - Red Dwarf Poinciana, Bird of Paradise - 2-4 ft
Hibiscus
schizopetalus - Coral Hibiscus - 5-6 ft
Jatropha
integerrima compacta - 4-5 ft
Clerodendrum
bungei - Glory Bower - tolerates shade, 4-5 ft
Eranthemum
pulchellum - Blue Sage, Lead Flower (prefers shade) - 4-5 ft
Magnolia figo -
Banana Magnolia - small tree, 6-8 ft
Megaskepasma
erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume (tolerates shade) - 5-6 ft
Tibouchina
lepidota - Ecuador Princess, Jules Dwarf - 3-4 ft
Leonotis leonurus
- Lions Ears - 3-4 ft
Also, for your further reference, check out the reference chart Hedges with Benefits Chart to see different flowering bushes that are great for hedges as well as garden specimens, depending on your specific needs.
Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume.
Brunfelsia pauciflora Compacta - Dwarf Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow.
Leonotis leonurus - Lions Ears.
Date:
Hedges
with Benefits
Reference Chart
Large and fast growing
Tithonia diversifolia - Sunflower tree
Acacia farnesiana
- Sweet Mimosa
Calliandra
surinamensis - Powderpuff
Aloysia virgata
- Almond Bush
Dombeya x wallichii - Tropical Hydrangea
Cornutia grandifolia - African lilac
Gmelina
philippensis - Parrots Beak
Hibiscus
mutabilis Cotton Candy - Mallow Hibiscus
Senna alata -
Empress Candle, Candelabra Plant
Medium or easy-trim
Acalypha hispida - Cat tail, Chenille plant
Bauhinia galpinii - Pride of De Kaap
Cestrum nocturnum
- Night blooming jasmine
Dombeya seminole
- Tropical Rose Hydrangea
Gardenia thunbergia - Forest
gardenia
Hamelia patens - Fire Bush
Hibiscus variegated
Snow Queen
Jasminum sambac
Maid of Orleans
Ochna integerrima
- Vietnamese Mickey Mouse, Hoa Mai
Odontonema callistachyum - Lavender Butterfly Bush
Odontonema cuspidatum - Firespike, Red
Rondeletia
leucophylla - Panama Rose
Tecoma stans - Yellow Elder
Short or slow growing
Aglaia odorata - Chinese Perfume Plant
Allamanda
schottii - Dwarf Allamanda Bush
Brunfelsia pauciflora Compacta - Dwarf Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow
Clerodendrum
incisum - Musical Note
Calliandra schultzii -
Dwarf calliandra
Gardenia
vietnamensis - Vietnamese Gardenia
Leonotis leonurus
- Lions Ears
Neea psychotrioides - Pigeon Plum, Hoja de Salat
Plumbago auriculata Imperial Blue
Garden Specimens
Combretum constrictum Thailand, Ball of Fire
Caesalpinia
pulcherrima - Red Dwarf Poinciana, Bird of Paradise
Clerodendrum
quadriloculare - Winter Starburst
Euphorbia
leucocephala - Snows of Kilimanjaro, Pascuita
Gardenia nitida - Shooting Star Gardenia
Hibiscus schizopetalus - Coral Hibiscus
Jatropha integerrima compacta
Kopsia fruticosa - Pink Gardenia
Malvaviscus x penduliflorus
Variegata - Summer Snow
Mussaenda philippica
x flava - Calcutta Sunset (Marmelade)
Plumeria pudica - Bridal Bouquet
Semi-Shade to Shade
Clerodendrum bungei - Glory Bower
Clerodendrum
paniculatum - Pagoda Flower
Eranthemum pulchellum - Blue Sage, Lead Flower
Clerodendrum
speciosissimum - Java Glorybower Mary Jane
Justicia carnea
- Pink Brazilian Plume, Jacobinia
Magnolia figo -
Banana Magnolia
Megaskepasma erythrochlamys - Brazilian plume
Thunbergia erecta - Kings Mantle
Tibouchina lepidota - Ecuador Princess, Jules Dwarf
Edible Hedges
Eugenia uniflora - Black Surinam Cherry Lolita
Camellia sinensis
- Tea Leaf
Hibiscus
sabdariffa - Flor de Jamaica, Karkade Sorrel
Laurus nobilis - Bay Leaf
Manihot esculenta
- Yuca Root
Nashia inaguensis
- Moujean Tea, Bahamas Berry
Sauropus androgynus - Katuk, Tropical Asparagus
Sauropus Variegata - variegated Katuk
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Easy Sunday Morning Deals: Dwarf Guava Hawaiian Rainbow
Saving on your favorite plants is Easy.
Easy like Sunday Morning...
..."A ' ohe loa i ka hana a ke aloha.
Distance is ignored by love..."
- Toni Polancy -
It's time for our favorite day and another Easy stroll through Top Tropicals Garden with savings of
50% and MORE!
Put a little Aloha in your garden....
Two Exotics from Paradise
It may be cold where you are, so take a trip with us to the Hawaiian Islands. Tropical breezes,
soothing ocean waves and an unbeatable selection of tropical plant treasures...
This week we bring the Aloha to you. A guava that will bring a taste of the
Islands and a spectacular variety of Majestic Taro.
Dwarf Guava Hawaiian Rainbow
- Ready to fruit this year! -
This is a very small version of the favorite aromatic Guava - Hawaiian Rainbow Nana. It grows only up to 5-6 ft tall, perfect for limited space. It can be grown in a pot and fruits heavily almost year around. The flesh is sweet, aromatic, and varies from white to yellow to pink.
Colocasia Diamond Head
- Large Developed plants! -
Diamond Head is a spectacular variety of Taro is named after the volcanic cone on the Hawaiian island of Oahu - both the cone and plant are black and lustrous! Mature plants form a well-behaved clump and reach 3 to 4 feet tall, with leaves up to 2 feet wide! A must for black plant fanatics. Grows more compact that other Colocasias and no two leaves are the same!
Colocasia Diamond Head,
regularly $42.95,
is on Easy Sunday sale for only $21.48
Dwarf Guava Hawaiian Rainbow, regularly $52.95,
is on Easy Sunday Sale for only $26.48.
Combine the two for maximum Aloha and save even more:
only $42.95 for both - one plant comes FREE!
Remember, the Easy Sunday Deal expires on Monday January 17th.
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Varieties of Guava
Q: We were just in Australia where guava juice was available in the markets. Pretty sure I can grow different varieties of Guava's here, as I have 3 already, but wondering if it would be psidium guajava or littorale as the best bet for making the pink juice we enjoyed. Thanks so much, your plants are so healthy when they arrive!
A: Both species are used for commercial juice making. We grow lots of Psidium littorale - Cattley Guava, Strawberry Guava - and we make delicious juice. Psidium guajava - Tropical Guava, Guajava - is less juicy, fruit is somewhat dry, but it still has a great flavor; you may need to add water to blended pulp. And sugar - add it to both kinds of fruit!
Check out our Guavas!
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Butterfly Bush: Fast, Pretty, Low Maintenance...
Five unbeatable reasons to plant Butterfly Cassia
Q: I am trying to find some easy flowering shrub to screen the ugly corner of my neighbor's yard, can you suggest something fast growing and pretty?
A: One of our favorite flowering shrubs in Florida is the Cassia bicapsularis, commonly known as Scrambled Egg Bush or Butterfly Bush. It is one of the most desirable plants for the southern landscape. It has all the benefits any gardener may dream of, whether a beginner or an expert:
1. Very fast growing, can screen unwanted views and create a beautiful flowering hedge. Cassia bicapsularis is known for its rapid growth, making it an excellent choice for quickly transforming an unsightly corner into a vibrant and lush area. Its dense foliage and attractive yellow blooms add both beauty and privacy to your outdoor space.
2. Easy to grow, not fussy about soil or water, drought and flood tolerant, cold tolerant. Butterfly Bush is incredibly adaptable and resilient. It thrives in a variety of soil types, is not demanding when it comes to water, and can withstand both drought and occasional flooding. Additionally, it is cold tolerant and can withstand occasional frosts once established.
3. Blooms for many months, featuring especially in winter flowers from Fall to spring. Very pretty, large "sunny" flowers resembling bright yellow butterflies, hence the name. It is a generous bloomer, gracing your garden with vibrant yellow flowers for an extended period, particularly from fall to spring. The large, sunny blooms not only add visual appeal but also attract pollinators, enhancing the ecological balance of your garden.
4. Attracts lots of butterflies. As the common name suggests, the Butterfly Bush is a magnet for butterflies. If you enjoy the presence of these beautiful winged creatures in your garden, planting Cassia bicapsularis is an excellent way to encourage and support butterfly populations.
5. Low maintenance. Butterfly Bush can be trimmed and controlled at the desired shape if needed, but if you have room for a big bush in a full sun area - just let it go and it will form a nice dense bush without any pruning: this shrub is a low-maintenance delight. While it can be pruned and shaped according to your preferences, it also flourishes when left to grow naturally. Its ability to form a dense and attractive bush without constant pruning makes it an ideal choice for those seeking a fuss-free gardening experience.
If you're looking for a fast-growing, low-maintenance, and aesthetically pleasing solution to screen an unsightly corner, Cassia bicapsularis is an unbeatable choice. It ticks all the boxes for a beautiful and resilient flowering shrub in the southern landscape.
"...Without a doubt, Butterfly Cassia became one of my favorite plants during my visit to Florida for Christmas a few years ago. I only wish I could have taken it back home with me to Latvia. If only my windowsill hadn't already reached its greenhouse capacity!.." - Alex Butova.
To see more options for flowering shrubs, check out the reference chart Hedges with Benefits Chart.