Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date:

Medusa's Head Flower - from Greek mythology. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Medusas Head Flower - from Greek mythology

Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine, Medusa Flower

Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine, Medusa Flower

Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine, Medusa Flower

Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine, Medusa Flower

Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine, Medusa Flower

Medusa's Head Flower - from Greek mythology...
  • 🐙 Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine, Medusa Flower - has an intriguing flower!
  • 🐙 The faintly fragrant flowers have long, slender, and curly petals that resemble the snakes on Medusa's head from Greek mythology, giving it the nickname "Medusa Flower." The petals often extend and twist dramatically, creating an eye-catching appearance. The tips of the petals become narrowed and elongated, forming a twisting, sticky string that dangles down from the flower and touches lower leaves.
  • 🐙 The flowers are brightly colored, often in shades of white, yellow, and red, which can attract pollinators and add to their striking visual appeal.
  • 🐙 As suggested by another common name "Poison Arrow Vine," parts of the plant contain toxic compounds. Historically, the seeds were used by some African tribes to poison the tips of arrows for hunting. This gives the plant a certain mystique...
  • 🐙 Interesting pollination mechanism: the elaborate design of the flowers is not just for show; it plays a role in the plant's pollination strategy. The intricate structure can help ensure that pollinators come into contact with the reproductive parts of the flower, thereby facilitating cross-pollination.
  • 🐙 Blooms almost year around


❓ What bizarre plants do you have in your collection? Share in comments👇

🛒 Order Medusa Flower

#Hedges_with_benefits #Nature_Wonders #Butterfly_Plants

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

"A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime

A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime
🌳 "A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime." - Mark Twain

And Loki says: "Climbing a tree is the easy part; it's the descent that requires finesse."

Good night 🕯

Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden  #Quotes

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Hamburger Bean: A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Hamburger Bean:

Mucuna sloanei - Yellow Jade Vine or Hamburger Bean

Mucuna sloanei - Yellow Jade Vine or Hamburger Bean seeds

Mucuna sloanei - Yellow Jade Vine or Hamburger Bean seeds

Mucuna sloanei - Yellow Jade Vine or Hamburger Bean flower

Mucuna sloanei - Yellow Jade Vine or Hamburger Bean flower

🍔 Hamburger Bean: how to cover a fence fast with an exotic vine: Jade Vine here.
  • 🟡 Mucuna sloanei - Yellow Jade Vine or Hamburger Bean. You saw the Sea-Green Jade vine in our earlier post. This one is lemon yellow.
  • 🟡 It is much more hardier than the Sea-Green variety and is super fast growing!
  • 🟡 This is a high-climbing woody vine native to rain forests of South America.
  • 🟡 It has long, rope-like stalks hanging below the forest canopy where night-flying bats can easily access the fragrant blossoms.
  • 🟡 The name Brown Hamburger Bean is because of the beautiful seeds (looking like little hamburgers) that are often collected and polished by natives and made into lovely necklaces and bracelets.


🛒 Shop Jade Vines

#Nature_Wonders #Hedges_with_benefits

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Fragrant Fried Eggs for bees and butterflies. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Fragrant Fried Eggs for bees and butterflies

Oncoba spinosa - Fried egg tree

🍳 Fragrant Fried Eggs for bees and butterflies 🐝
  • 🟡 Oncoba spinosa - Fried egg tree - is a conversation piece in your garden.
  • 🟡 A medium shrub or small tree.
  • 🟡 Beautiful white and yellow camellia-like flowers look like 'fried eggs' when they drop off and fall on the ground with their yellow stamens facing upwards.
  • 🟡 Flowers are honey-sweet fragrant and attract butterflies and bees.
  • 🟡 The fruits have a sour, edible pulp.


🛒 Get a Fried egg tree

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants #Perfume_Plants

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

"Age is just a number. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Age is just a number

Age is just a number
🍷 "Age is just a number. It's totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine." - Joan Collins.

Good night 🕯

Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Cabernet Allamanda is in full bloom again! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cabernet Allamanda is in full bloom again!

Allamanda x violacea Cabernet - Wine Red Allamanda

🍷 Cabernet Allamanda is in full bloom again!

♥️ Allamanda x violacea Cabernet - Wine Red Allamanda that we mentioned earlier - blooms non stop most of the year. We never saw it without flowers! Spectacular vine.

🛒 Add some Cabernet to your garden

#Hedges_with_benefits

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Good luck tree that brings money and prosperity? And yet shade, spectacular flowers and edible nuts? It is. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Good luck tree that brings money and prosperity? And yet shade, spectacular flowers and edible nuts? It is

Pachira aquatica (Bombax glabra) - Malabar Peanut or Guiana Chestnut

💰Good luck tree that brings money and prosperity? And yet shade, spectacular flowers and edible nuts? It is Guiana Chestnut!
  • Pachira aquatica (Bombax glabra) - Malabar Peanut or Guiana Chestnut is a beautiful, fast growing flowering tree with edible nuts!
  • Tropical wetland tree native to Central and South America, known for its large, glossy leaves and its distinctive, braided trunk.
  • The tree is believed to bring good luck and prosperity to those who own it, and is sometimes referred to as a "money tree."
  • Pachira aquatica is also used in traditional medicine and often used for bonsai.


❓ What other plants bring good luck? Share in comments👇

🛒 Order Guaiana Chestnut Money Tree online

#Trees #Food_Forest

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

The number one seller of tropical flowering shrubs: A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The number one seller of tropical flowering shrubs:

Dombeya seminole - Tropical Rose Hydrangea

⬆️ The number one seller of tropical flowering shrubs: Tropical Rose Hydrangea.
  • 🌸 Dombeya seminole - Tropical Rose Hydrangea is one of the showiest landscape plants and a real showstopper
  • 🌸 Known as the tropical hydrangea due to similar flowers. Flowers are pink to rose in color.
  • 🌸 Blooms from fall to spring. Blooms all winter, providing much-desired color
  • 🌸 Grows up to 7 feet tall and about the same in width. Can be pruned to about 5 feet tall. Does well in a container.
  • 🌸 Thrives in full sun to partial shade, tolerates poor soil. Fuller shrub and more flowers with more sun.

    • Fairly drought-tolerant once established.
  • 🌸 Serves as a nectar plant for many butterflies


🛒 Shop Dombeyas

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

🏵 TopTropicals

Date:

Summer Plant Market Extravaganza:
Event Mementos!

Plant Market Extravaganza Event Mementos

The event was fantastic! Thank you all for joining us at our Plant Market Extravaganza yesterday. We loved meeting new garden enthusiasts and reconnecting with old friends. Everyone found plants they adored, adding joy to their gardens. Many visitors enjoyed the garden tours led by Top Tropicals PeopleCats. Check out the event photos and our - you might spot yourself or your friends! Share these treasured moments, and we'll see you at the next event.

View the photos

Date:

Happy Father's Day - June 16! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Happy Fathers Day - June 16!

Happy Fathers Day - June 16!
Happy Father's Day - June 16!

❤️ Have a perfect day with dear friends, loving family, and healthy meals.

Consider growing a #Food_Forest to add some good stuff to your diet 🍌🍍🌶🍒

💥 Use this discount coupon for any plants you want:

FATHERS2024

Your savings with this code:
5% off orders $100+
10% off orders $150+
15% off orders $200+
Excluding S/H. Exp. 6-17-24

🎁 Last minute gift shopping: get a Top Tropicals Gift Card with 15% bonus value.

🛒 Shop Fruit Trees and Edibles

🏵 TopTropicals
< Previous pageNext page >Most recent entryBlog table of contents