Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
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!
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
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
Six most desired perfume plants
Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Chanel No 5 Tree
Magnolia (Michelia) champaca - Joy Perfume Tree, Champaka
Artabotrys - Ylang Ylang vine
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis - Parijat
Jasminum sambac Grand Duke
Jasminum officinale - French Perfume Jasmine
- 🕊 Cananga fruticosa - Dwarf Ylang-Ylang, Chanel No 5 Tree. One of the most desired and sought after rare fragrant plants. Elegant flowers are responsible for creation Chanel #5 perfume. Perfect small tree for a container.
- 🕊 Magnolia (Michelia) champaca - Joy Perfume Tree, Champaka. The most sacred tree of India and tropical Asia. Divine fragrance exceedingly pleasing to the Gods... The flowers 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!
- 🕊 Artabotrys - Ylang Ylang vine - Woody climber with strong fragrance of flowers resembling lemon candy and melon.
- 🕊 Nyctanthes arbor-tristis - Parijat. Small tree or shrub from India with highly perfumed flowers, one of the most desired fragrant plants. Mythology says the plant came to earth with God Krishna, shedding flowers like tears before dawn.
- 🕊 Jasminum sambac - the most popular and the most fragrant Jasmine for both indoor or outdoor culture. Varieties: Arabian Nights, Belle of India, Mangalore Malli, Grand Duke, Grand Duke Supreme, Gundu Malli, Maid of Orleans, Mali Chat, Mysore Mulli, Little Duke Supreme - Baby Duke.
- 🕊 Jasminum officinale - French Perfume Jasmine - Essential oil of this jasmine is one of the most important components in perfumery.
🛒 Shop fragrant plants
#Perfume_Plants
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
What does a mature Champaka Tree look like? Practical Growing Guide
Joy Perfume tree (Magnolia champaca)
- 🏵 Champaka, or Joy Perfume tree (Magnolia champaca) is the most desirable perfume tree for Southern landscapes - and a Signature Plant of Top Tropicals! You can see several of these beautiful trees around our B-Farm in Sebring, including the one right by the office front door.
- 🏵 The flowers are used to make the world's most expensive perfume, Joy - and they smell like fruity bubble gum… you won't be able to stop sticking your nose in this flower! The Joy Perfume Tree blooms on and off year-round.
- 🏵 The Champaka tree has a striking columnar shape and becomes very bushy and full when established - whether in a pot (with a proper fertilizer program) or in the ground.
- 🏵 The lemon-lime, light green leaves are lush, soft, and tropical-looking, with a unique and beautiful color!
- 🏵 Champaka trees begin flowering within 2-3 years from seed.
- 🏵 Singing birds love this tree and in Spring make their nests in its bushy crown.
- 🏵 The tree is relatively cold hardy and can withstand light freeze for a short time once established. Make sure to provide regular watering for Champaka tree.
- 🏵 We have beautiful Champaka trees in all sizes:
3 gal pot: 3-4 ft tall - ready to bloom within a year, can be shipped
7 gal pot: 5-6 ft tall - ready to bloom, can be shipped
15 gal pot: 7-8 ft tall - have already bloomed, pick up or delivery*
25 gal pot: 10 ft tall - have already bloomed, pick up or delivery*
* Free delivery for qualified orders
🎥 These Champaka trees in the video are 5 years old (3 years in the ground) and already bloomed for the last 3 years!
🛒 Claim Your Joy Today – Own Your Perfume Champaka!
📚 Learn more from previous posts:
- 🟡How to grow Magnolia champaca and get some Joy
- 🟡When does Champaka tree start blooming?
- 🟡Why Champaka is such a popular perfume tree
- 🟡Flower of the most expensive perfume
- 🟡White Champaka
- 🟡Article about Champaka
#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date:
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.
Why Champaka tree is such a popular perfume tree
Joy Perfume tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca
- 🏵 The flowers from Champaka, or Joy Perfume 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. The flowers exude a divine fragrance that is exceedingly pleasing to the Gods... and women.
- 🏵 The tree is very compact for both landscapes and containers. It has bushy, yet columnar shape. Can be grown in container with minimal pruning.
- 🏵 Blooms on and off several times a year. Relatively cold hardy, but requires regular watering.
🎥 Yellow Champaka in bloom. This tree is 3 years old.
📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Flower of the most expensive perfume
White Champaka
Article about Champaka
🛒 Shop Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree
#Perfume_Plants #Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Trees
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date:
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.
When does Champaka tree start blooming?
Joy Perfume tree (Magnolia champaca) flowers
- 🏵 Champaka, or Joy Perfume tree (Magnolia champaca) blooms in and off year around. This year it's the third time we see our trees with flowers.
- 🏵 The flowers 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!
🎥 Yellow Champaka in bloom. This tree is 3 years old.
📚 Learn more from previous posts:
- 🟡Why Champaka is such a popular perfume tree
- 🟡Flower of the most expensive perfume
- 🟡White Champaka
- 🟡Article about Champaka
🛒 Shop Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree
#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date:
Champaka - a true Joy of your life
by Alex Butova, the Witch of Herbs and Cats
...Champaka, or Joy Perfume Tree, is regarded as one of the most sacred
trees of India and tropical Asia. Its flowers exude a divine fragrance that
is exceedingly pleasing to the Gods... and women!..
...The tree was traditionally used to make fragrant hair and massage oils.
Jean Patou's famous perfume, 'Joy', the second bestselling perfume in the world after Chanel No. 5, (but definitely the most expensive number one!) is derived from the essential oils of champaka flowers. The plant common name "Joy Perfume Tree" comes from this perfume. Many niche perfumers are now once again using Champaka Absolute as single note fragrances...
Planting a Golden Champaka really makes your home a sweet home. Also you
can take the flower into your car, office, restroom, and anywhere you want to
create fragrant atmosphere. It emits a unique warm fragrance which promotes a
peaceful state of mind, reduces stress and helps you to relax and breathe
easily. Looks like it is specially designed for moments of tranquil
contemplation. It's the nature of Champaka - to remind us of the Divine in all
things...
