Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
Bauhinias: trees with Orchid Flowers
and Butterfly Wings...
Photo above: Bauhinia variegata - Purple Orchid Tree, one of the most spectacular varieties.
Q: We just moved to Florida and I see these beautiful trees with large purple flowers. I was told these are Orchid trees, do you have them?
A: Bauhinias, commonly known as Orchid trees, are renowned for their captivating flowers and unique foliage. These trees typically grow to a moderate height of 15-25 feet with a spread of 10-15 feet, showcasing a rounded to vase-like shape. Thriving in hardiness zones 9-11, they exhibit resilience to heat and can withstand mild frost. There are over 300 species of Bauhinia, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. These species vary in characteristics such as size, foliage, and flower color, contributing to the diversity and appeal of this genus. You can find them as trees, shrubs, and even vines.
Bauhinias are evergreen (in tropics) to semi-deciduous (in cooler climates), offering year-round beauty with intermittent blooming cycles. The peak bloom time varies depending on the species and location, often occurring in late winter to early spring, bedecking the tree with striking orchid-like flowers in hues ranging from white and pink to purple and red. The flowers boast delicate petals with intricate patterns, resembling the elegance of true orchids.
One of the distinguishing features of Bauhinia leaves is their unique bi-lobed or bilobed structure, which gives them a distinct appearance. The leaves are deeply divided, typically into two lobes or halves, hence the common name "Butterfly tree" due to their resemblance to butterfly wings. This characteristic is often used as an identifying trait for Bauhinia species. The bilobed leaves add to the visual appeal of the tree, contributing to its ornamental value in addition to its beautiful flowers.
Photo above: Bauhinia monandra - Napoleons Plume, starts flowering in small size. This one is very beautiful but the most cold sensitive and should be grown in pots in areas with winter freeze. It will happily bloom in container!
Low-maintenance by nature, Bauhinias require minimal upkeep. Annual feeding with a balanced fertilizer enhances growth and flowering. Pruning is generally optional but can be done in late winter or spring, after flowering, to maintain shape or remove dead or damaged branches. These trees thrive in full sun, preferring well-drained soil. With their enchanting blooms and easy care requirements, Bauhinia orchid trees are a delightful addition to any landscape, and a colorful specimen for tropical winter gardens.
In addition, Orchid trees grow fast and provide excellent shade. They can make a shady spot in your garden in no time, giving relief from the hot sun. This is really valuable, especially in places where it gets very hot. So, not only are Orchid trees pretty to look at with their lovely flowers, but they're also great for keeping you cool!
Read more about Bauninias:
Bauihnias: Orchid trees with Butterfly flowers... and leaves
Photo above: Bauhinia x alba (candida) - White orchid tree, the most cold hardy variety that can take light freeze once established.
Photo above: Bauhinia purpurea - Purple Orchid Tree, one of the most popular and easy trees in Southern landscapes.
Date:
When Bigger means Better
Everybody loves shopping online nowadays, and plants are no exception. Buying plants by mail order is not uncommon anymore; it only takes one click, and luckily, there are many sources - from big shopping malls like Amazon to small backyard nurseries that sell their seedlings on eBay or Facebook - all delivered to your door. But plants are alive... So when doing your online plant shopping, you must ensure that you fully enjoy your experience and are happy with a healthy plant that a) doesn't die; b) recovers quickly; and c) starts growing fast, so you can see flowers and fruit as soon as possible.
The rule of thumb for shipping plants: bigger plants undergo shipping better, experience less stress, less leaf drop, and recover quicker than plants with smaller root systems. So when it comes to buying plants online, the bigger, the better. Unfortunately, many mail-order plant sources may sell you a tiny twig that has very few chances of surviving. Shipping is very expensive today, so shipping a bigger size plant may cost more than the plant itself.
Below is a piece of advice on how to make the best plant selection for your garden...
Photo above: Loquat trees in 3 gal containers.
5 important rules on how to buy trees online
1. Find a source with bigger plants. Check reviews, ask friends
for recommendations, inquire from the company about the size of their plants
and how they pack their plants for shipping.
TopTropicals offers well-established, strong plants with developed root
system, in container sizes 1, 3, 7, 15 gallon, directly from a tropical
Florida growing farm. Our unique plant-packing techniques are state of the art!
2. Price not always reflects the size and quality of the plant
TopTropicals offers many deals, discounts and sales, while still
providing the biggest and strongest plants grown in real tropical conditions.
3. Most fruit trees must be grafted to produce good fruit. Make
sure you are not purchasing a seedling when it comes to Mango, Avocado,
Peaches and some other trees with named varieties that don't come true to seed.
TopTropicals offers only grafted - Mango,
Avocado and a large number of other tropical cultivars.
4. Pick up when possible from the nursery your ordered from, or
get a delivery, instead of shipping the plants. A drive to the nursery will save you more time and money in the
future, plus you can hand-pick the biggest and healthiest specimens.
TopTropicals is open 7 days a week for your convenience. Visit our Ft Myers Garden Center or Sebring Farm to select the biggest plants.
5. Take advantage of X-Large size plant material if you live
outside the tropical zone and are trying to zone-push your tropical garden.
Bigger plants will establish faster and have more chances to survive cold winters.
Again, it will save you money in a long run (although bigger plants may be
more expensive, but their survival rate is much higher when it comes to cold
nights).
TopTropicals offers X-Large flowering and fruiting trees (7-15-25
gallons), and most of the varieties you see in our online
store can be custom-ordered in big sizes. Delivery and installation
available.
Photo above: Avocado trees in 7 gal containers.
Photo above: Magnolia champaca - Joy Perfume Tree in 25 gal container.
Date:
Shade
Tree Discount Program
How to reduce an electric bill and energy costs?
Photo above: Cassia fistula - Golden Shower Tree - one of the most popular trees. This all time favorite is fast growing and elegant.
Q: How to reduce an electric bill and energy costs?
A: This summer is expected to be hot. And the next summer... and next... Want to reduce your electric bill and energy costs? There is an excellent solution: plant a shade tree! Once fully grown, these trees will help keep your house cooler and lower your energy expenses.
Today we are offering a special discount you can use for purchasing
trees that will keep your homes cooler in Summer and gardens warmer in Winter!
Check out Fast
Growing Shade Trees, as well as other flowering trees and fruit trees and use discount below:
GETSHADE
Your savings with this code:
5% off orders $100+
15% off orders $150+
20% off orders $200+
Excluding S/H. Excluding 15 gal material. Exp. 6-12-24
Photo above: Tabebuia - spectacular winter bloomer.
Photo above: Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree. The most beautiful of all orchid trees.
Photo above: Mango trees now. Many varieties are vigorous, large trees.
Photo above: Cattley Guava Tree is an elegant solution for small spaces. Red Button French Kiss Ginger goes well with it!
Index of TopTropicals Telegram Channel
Follow these tags to find your interests:
#Butterfly_Plants - Butterfly attracting plants.
#Container_Garden - Plants suitable for container garden and indoor culture.
#Fertilizers - All the truth about fertilizers, plant food supplements, and our recommendations for different types of plants.
#Food_Forest - Fruit trees, Spice plants, and Edibles.
Including: #Avocado, #Mango, #Papaya, #Guava, #Jackfruit, #Loquat
📖 #Fun_Facts - interesting plant facts and legends.
🌳 #Hedges_with_benefits - Practical approach to your landscape and how to properly select showy and useful plants for your yard.
♍️ #Horoscope - Plant Horoscopes and Cat Horoscopes. Did you know that cats also have their Zodiac signs?
🛠 #How_to - Q&A about growing plants, tropical garden lifehacks.
👀 #Nature_Wonders - Unusual, amusing, outrageous, bizarre plants...
🐈 #PeopleCats - our Favorite PeopleCats (and some PeopleDogs, too).
🌸 #Perfume_Plants - Fragrant plants and perfume trees.
✍️ #Quotes - Interesting quotes.
#Recipes - Exotic recipes for tropical fruit and edibles.
💊 #Remedies - Medicinal plants.
☁️ #Shade_Garden - Plants suitable for low light conditions.
🌼 #Trees - Spectacular flowering tropical trees.
🏆 #Win - Contests, Sweepstakes, and other specials.
Join and share with friends👇🏵
TopTropicals
Is Magnolia edible? Vanilla Magnolia: its for cooking!
Florida Sweet Bay - Vanilla Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
Florida Sweet Bay - Vanilla Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
Florida Sweet Bay - Vanilla Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
💮 Florida Sweet Bay, or Vanilla Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) has beautiful flowers with strong vanilla fragrance, while the leaves offer unique culinary uses.
- 🔹 Strong vanilla scent: fragrance can be noticed hundreds of yards away.
- 🔹 White, delicate blooms.
- 🔹 Unique leaf flavor: fresh leaves have a distinct taste, fun for cooking. Sweet Bay offers unique cooking flavors.
- 🔹 Prefers moist, acidic soil conditions, tolerates flooding, ideal for wet spots in your yard.
- 🔹 Pest-free: no bugs or other pests.
🛒 Shop Magnolia trees
#Trees #Perfume_Plants
🏵 TopTropicals
What is the flower of the most expensive perfume?
Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca - white flower Alba
Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
The flowers from this tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca - are used to make the world's most expensive perfume 'Joy' and smell like fruity bubble gum 🎀... you can't stop sticking your nose in this flower!
👼 Sacred tree of India and SE Asia
flowers exude a divine fragrance that is exceedingly pleasing to the Gods... and women
🌳 Perfect small landscape tree of a columnar shape. Ideal for containers.
🌡 Relatively cold hardy
💎 Rare collectible, a gem of any plant collection!
📚 Learn more about Champaka
🛒 Shop Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree
#Perfume_Plants #Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Trees
🏵 TopTropicals
What is the best perfume tree for container culture? Dwarf Chanel No 5 Tree
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Chanel No5 Tree
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Chanel No5 Tree
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Chanel No5 Tree
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Chanel No5 Tree
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, or Chanel No5 Tree - is the most desired and sought after perfume plants.
- 🔅 Elegant pendant flowers are a piece of art.
- 🔅 Easy to grow, stays compact and in nice tree-like shape. Flowers smell as great as full size Ylang Ylang tree.
- 🔅 Needs warm and humid conditions for a full aroma.
- 🔅 Perfect container plantand a house plant, but keep in mind it requires bright light for profuse flowering.
📚 Learn more about Chanel No5 Ylang Ylang Tree
🛒 Order online
#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees
🏵 TopTropicals
Date:
How to grow Bottle brush trees
Q: Please recommend me a cold hardy flowering tree that doesn't need much care.
A: Growing bottle brush trees (Callistemon spp.) can be a rewarding experience, as they are known for their striking, brush-like flowers and ability to attract pollinators. Here are some detailed tips to help you successfully grow and maintain these trees.
Hardiness
Bottle brush trees are best suited for USDA hardiness zones 8-11. They thrive in warm climates and can tolerate some light frost, but severe cold can damage or kill the plant.
Planting Location
Sunlight: Bottle brush trees require full sun to thrive. Ensure they get at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Soil: They prefer well-draining soil. While they are relatively tolerant of poor soil conditions, a sandy or loamy
Space: Consider the mature size of the tree when planting. Some species can grow quite large, so provide enough space for them to spread without being crowded by other plants or structures.
Attracting Pollinators
Bottle brush trees are popular with pollinators. Their bright, nectar-rich flowers attract bees, butterflies, and birds, particularly hummingbirds. This makes them an excellent choice for a garden designed to support local wildlife.
Blooming and Fertilization
Bottle brush trees typically bloom in late spring to early summer. However, in mild climates, they may have sporadic blooms throughout the year.
Fertilization: While bottle brush trees do not require heavy fertilization, applying a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in spring can promote healthier growth and more abundant blooms. Be cautious not to over-fertilize, as this can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers. During the year, use |find_name=Sunshine Boosters Megaflor(Sunshine Megaflor)| - it is safe to use with every watering, year around.
Watering
During the establishment period, keep the soil moist. Once established, they are quite drought-tolerant but will benefit from regular watering during dry spells.
Pruning
Prune after flowering to maintain shape and remove any dead or diseased branches. This also encourages bushier growth.
By following these guidelines, you can enjoy the beauty and benefits of bottle brush trees in your garden. Their vibrant flowers and attraction to pollinators make them a delightful addition to many landscapes.
This is not a Photoshop! It is a true color of Plumeria
Rainbow Plumeria
The season started and we have lots of fragrant and colorful blooms on our Plumerias that we introduced earlier.
Some of the colors are just beyond description!
Plumeria, or Frangipani - is a symbol of Hawaiian Tropics and the most favorite perfume flower.
🛒 Choose from fantastic colors of Plumeria
#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees
What is the most celebreated fragrant flower?
Plumeria, Frangipani
- 🌸 Plumeria, or Frangipani, is the symbol flower of Hawaii that radiates beauty and grace in many amazing colors.
- 🌸 Plumeria sweet and fruity fragrance is enchanting and soothing, captivating the senses... It is one of the most favorite essences in perfumery.
- 🌸 Often woven into Hawaiian leis, plumeria blossoms embody the spirit of Aloha as a warm welcome and heartfelt hospitality.
- 🌸 Plumeria tree is very easy to grow and can happily flower in container. See important growing tips in our next post 👇
🛒 Choose from fantastic colors of Plumeria
#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees
🏵 TopTropicals