Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
Go Bananas!
10 good reasons to plant bananas in your garden
Adding banana plants to your subtropical garden or plant collection can enhance the aesthetics of your outdoor and indoor space, provide fresh and nutritious fruits, and offer a fun gardening experience with relatively low maintenance requirements. It's a delightful way to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits of homegrown produce.
1. Tropical Ambiance: Banana plants bring a touch of the tropics to your subtropical garden. Their large, lush leaves create a lush and exotic atmosphere that can transform your garden into a tropical paradise.
2. Homegrown Flavor: Growing your own banana trees allows you to enjoy the freshest, most flavorful bananas right from your garden. Homegrown bananas often have a superior taste compared to store-bought varieties.
3. Nutritional Benefits: Bananas are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. By cultivating your own banana trees, you gain access to a nutritious and healthy snack option right in your backyard.
4. Quick Results: Banana plants are known for their fast growth. In subtropical climates, they can produce fruit in as little as one to two years. This means you don't have to wait long to savor the fruits of your labor!
5. Low Maintenance: Banana trees are relatively low-maintenance once established. They require regular watering, but their hardy nature makes them a relatively easy addition to your garden. They are not messy in a landscape.
6. Versatility: Bananas offer versatility in your garden. You can choose from dessert bananas for snacking, cooking bananas like plantains for culinary experiments, or even ornamental banana varieties to enhance your garden's aesthetics. There are so many varieties to enjoy! You can't find this big selection in a grocery store.
7. Sustainable Living: Growing your own bananas reduces your reliance on store-bought produce, contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle. It also minimizes the carbon footprint associated with transporting fruits to market.
8. Educational Value: Cultivating banana plants can be an educational experience for both adults and children. It offers insights into tropical horticulture and can foster an appreciation for gardening and botany.
9. Landscaping Appeal: Beyond their fruit-bearing potential, banana plants add visual interest to your garden. Their unique form and striking leaves make them an excellent choice for landscaping and providing shade in your outdoor space.
10. Resilience: While bananas thrive in tropical conditions, many banana varieties are hardy enough to withstand cooler climates, making them a durable addition to your garden.
Date:
Go Bananas - up to 20% OFF Banana Trees!
Now through 4/15 - Limited Time Only!
Banana Health Benefits
Bananas are a powerhouse of nutrition - rich in potassium for heart health, and packed with vitamins B6 and C to boost energy and immunity. They come from fast-growing, easy-care trees that thrive in warm climates or containers. Whether eaten fresh, blended, or baked, bananas are a naturally sweet and tasty treat you can grow yourself!
Ready to turn your garden into a tropical paradise and grow your own delicious bananas? Now's your chance - use our offer below!
A Banana for Every Space and Taste
At Top Tropicals, we've got over a dozen top banana varieties - from exotic ornamental beauties like Blood Leaf and Siam Ruby to edible showstoppers. Edible varieties range from popular, heavy-producing types like Double Mahoi to rare collector favorites like Ice Cream (Blue Java) - the kind you'll never find at the grocery store. We also carry dwarf varieties that grow just 4 feet tall but still produce full-sized fruit - perfect for containers, patios, and small spaces. Collect them all - edible, ornamental, dwarf, rare - and enjoy the fun, flavor, and beauty of growing your own banana grove.
From Collectors to Beginners - We've Got Your Banana
"Growing bananas is like growing sunshine. They bring energy, beauty, and fruit to your doorstep." - said Dr. Richard Campbell, tropical fruit expert and co-creator of the condo mango concept.
Growing bananas is easy, low-maintenance, and budget-friendly. With Sunshine Boosters plant food, these tropical favorites grow fast and can start producing as soon as next season! Whether you live in the South or up North, in a house or an apartment - you can grow your own bananas in the garden, on a balcony, patio, or lanai and enjoy the taste of the tropics at home.
Special Offer
Get instant 10% off all bananas for 1 week only, plus extra 10% OFF sitewide with code below for qualified orders.
Additional 10% off your entire purchase (including any other plants), saving total of 20% on your Banana trees:
GOBANANAS
Min order $150, excluding S/H. Exp. 4-15-25
Hurry, offer ends April 15th!
Learn More About Banana Varieties:
- Top Ornamental Banana Varieties - Which One Belongs in Your Garden?
- Best Edible Bananas to Grow - Sweet, Unique, and Delicious!
- How Many Banana
Varieties Can You Grow? (More Than You Think!)
In the photo above: Sunshine Boosters are the best fertilizers for ornamental (Sunshine Robusta) and edible bananas (Sunshine C-Cibus).
How many varieties of Bananas can I grow?
Bananas (Musa sp.) in containers
- 💛 At Top Tropicals, we have a few dozen varieties of Bananas (Musa sp.) - ranging from popular commercial and plantain types to spectacular ornamental bananas with colorful, tropical foliage.
- 💛 Banana plants are a favorite in Southern gardens, indoor plant collections, and greenhouses in cooler climates. Fast and easy to grow, they transform any space into a tropical paradise in just one season and can produce fruit for you in as little as 8–18 months after planting.
- 💛 Bananas are a powerhouse of nutrition, packed with potassium for heart health, fiber for digestion, and vitamins B6 and C for immunity. They’re a natural energy booster, great for snacks, smoothies, and even baking. Plus, their tryptophan content can improve your mood, and their low sodium helps regulate blood pressure.
- 💛 With so many delicious and unique varieties, growing different types of bananas lets you enjoy a range of flavors, textures, and uses - whether fresh, blended, or cooked - making them a must-have in any tropical or indoor garden!
Discover the most popular edible and ornamental bananas in our next post 🔽
🎥 Banana selection today at TopTropicals farm. Come over to pick the best one!
📚 More about Banana from previous posts:
- 💋Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #5 Banana growing and fun facts
- 💋How to make tasty Carambola Banana Whip
- 💋Why Bananas? They are good for you and are fun to grow
- 💋Bananas help you feel fuller and enhance your mood
🛍 Shop Banana varieties
#Food_Forest #Bananas
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date:
Top 5 butterfly attractors
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,
it became a butterfly"
Chuang Tzu (Taoist philosopher)
In the photo: yesterday we watched a butterfly born on one of our Champaka trees!
Q: What are the best butterfly attracting plants for a Southern garden?
A: If you love butterflies and if you enjoy
having nature around your home, then plant a butterfly garden. Florida is a perfect place to create a year round and
fully functioning butterfly garden. Caterpillars, which transform into
butterflies, require special kinds of plants to feed upon and these plants grow
extremely well in the South Florida and other subtropical areas. Below are the
top five winners that butterflies appreciate the most. Besides, remember That
all yellow flowers are attractive to them, for example Cassias. Butterflies like the Sun and everything that looks like the
Sun!
1. Calotropis
gigantea - Giant milkweed, Arka
2. Odontonema
cuspidatum - Firespike
3. Plumbago
auriculata Imperial Blue
4. Rondeletia
leucophylla - Panama Rose
5. Asclepias
curassavica - Red Milkweed, Butterfly Weed
Read more about Butterfly garden:
The Milkweed and
the Monarch, how to raise your own
Musings of a butterfly gardener about the milkweed bug
Plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds
In the photo: Odontonema cuspidatum - Firespike
Date:
NEW
VIDEO:
ABC7 Fort Myers News:
Butterfly plants at Top Tropicals
Butterfly plants... what can be more romantic and sweet in your garden!
Watch the news segment by Rachel Anderson for ABC-7: Butterfly plants at Top Tropicals.
"...Spring has sprung, and if you're looking to spruce up your
garden, Top Tropicals in Fort Myers has you covered! They have hundreds of exotic
plants, fruit trees, fragrant flowers and plants that will attract
butterflies to your garden!
If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift, plants are gifts that keep
on giving!.."
In the photo: Butterfly plants display in Top Tropicals office. Come and see our large selection of butterfly attractors in the nursery!
Subscribe to our Channel:
Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!
In the photo: Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle - a garden favorite, hardy, fast growing vine. Jasmine-sweet scented flowers attract butterflies, and hummingbirds, and berries attract birds!
Date:
Attracting butterflies
Q: How to attract more butterflies to my garden?
A: Attracting butterflies to your garden can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to help you create a butterfly-friendly environment.
1. Choose the right plants: Butterflies are attracted to nectar-producing flowers such as milkweeds, butterfly bushes. Plant lots of bright flowers, especially of yellow and pink colors like some cassias which seem to be the pleasant to butterfly's eye. Use a variety of flowers to attract different species of butterflies. This is a full list of butterfly-attracting plants.
2. Provide food for caterpillars: Butterflies lay their eggs on specific host plants that caterpillars will eat. For example, monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed. Passion flower is also a great butterfly host, but be prepared to sacrifice some leaves!
3. Provide a water source: Butterflies need a source of water to drink from. A shallow dish or birdbath with rocks in it will provide a place for butterflies to rest and drink.
4. Avoid using pesticides: Pesticides can harm butterflies and other beneficial insects. Try using natural methods to control pests in your garden, such as companion planting and hand-picking.
5. Create a sunny spot: Butterflies love warm, sunny spots. Plant your butterfly garden in an area that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
6. Add a butterfly house: A butterfly house can provide shelter for butterflies during bad weather and at night.
In the photo: Odontonema callistachyum - Lavender Butterfly Bush. Showy bright lavender flowers, butterfly attractor. Blooms in both sun or shade.
In the photo: Tecomaria capensis Apricot - Hammers Rose, Apricot Tecoma, Cape Honeysuckle. Very fast growing, it has attractive, light green foliage and frequent displays of long, tubular flowers that may be apricot or orange at the ends of the stems. Great for a privacy hedge that attracts butterflies!
What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?
Truly Tiny Banana
Cuban Red Dacca Banana
Double Mahoi Banana
Dwarf Cavendish Banana
Gran Nain Banana
Banana Lakatan
Continued for the previous post🔼
🔥 The most popular edible banana varieties:
- 🍌 Truly Tiny - is a compact banana variety growing 2-3 feet in pots and up to 5 feet in the ground, perfect for small spaces or container gardening, producing 4-5 inch fruit with a distinctive pineapple flavor.
- 🍌 Cuban Red Dacca - a vibrant tropical banana variety with reddish-purple, plump, and short bananas that are sweeter and richer in flavor than common yellow bananas, thriving in warm climates and reaching 8-15 feet tall.
- 🍌 Double Mahoi - is a Cavendish banana variety that typically produces a double stalk of bananas in its second year, boosting the harvest.
- 🍌 Dwarf Cavendish - a hardy, vigorous banana variety growing under 5-8 feet, producing large, flavorful fruit with minimal care, making it a popular backyard banana in Florida and one of the most common Cavendish types for hobbyists and container gardens.
- 🍌 Gran Nain - is the true Chiquita banana, growing under 5-8 feet tall and producing large bunches of fruit, making it a staple of commercial banana production.
- 🍌 Ice Cream (Blue Java) - a cold-tolerant hybrid of Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata, vigorous banana growing 10-15 feet tall and producing 40-60 lb bunches of stout, bluish-skinned fruit with sweet, vanilla-flavored, cream-like flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked.
- 🍌 Banana Lakatan - a popular Philippine banana cultivar prized for its sweet taste, rich aroma, and firm texture, making it a top choice for dessert bananas.
🆒 Banana #Fun_Facts
- 🟡Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart health.
- 🟡They provide a quick source of energy and are great for post-workout recovery.
- 🟡The fiber in bananas aids digestion and promotes gut health.
- 🟡Eat them fresh, add to smoothies, bake into breads and desserts, or use in various savory dishes.
- 🟡Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.
Learn about ornamental Bananas in next post 🔽
🛍 Shop Banana varieties
#Food_Forest #Bananas
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Why Bananas? They are good for you and are fun to grow!
Red Banana
Praying Hands Banana
Banana fruit
Rojo Banana
Variegated Banana
- 💛 Bananas are berries, not fruits!
- 💛 They float in water like apples and watermelons.
- 💛 Bananas are high in potassium, which helps muscles work properly.
- 💛 They can improve your mood because they contain tryptophan, which your body turns into serotonin.
- 💛 Bananas are great for your heart because they have lots of fiber and potassium.
- 💛 Eating bananas can help with digestion since they are rich in fiber.
- 💛 They are a natural energy booster, perfect for a quick snack.
- 💛 Bananas can help keep your blood pressure in check due to their low sodium and high potassium content.
- 💛 They contain vitamins like B6 and C, which are good for your immune system.
- 💛 Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.
❔ What is your favorite Banana or Plantain variety?
Share in comments👇
🛒 Shop Banana varieties
#Food_Forest #Bananas
🏵 TopTropicals
How to double your banana crop without extra space
Banana Double Mahoi
- 🍌 Double Mahoi - is a Cavendish banana variety that typically produces a double stalk of bananas in its second year, boosting the harvest. It is one of the most popular banana varieties for home growers - and for good reason! Here's what makes it so great:
- 🍌 Double the Fruit: After the first fruiting, this variety often produces a second flower stalk - two harvests from one plant, which is rare among bananas.
- 🍌 Heavy Producer: Known for large, dense bunches of sweet, dessert-type bananas. One plant can produce up to 100 bananas per cycle!
- 🍌 Dwarf Size: Grows only about 6 to 8 feet tall, making it perfect for smaller yards, containers, or even patios.
- 🍌 Tasty Fruit: The bananas are sweet, soft, and flavorful, similar to the classic Cavendish but often fresher and more satisfying.
- 🍌 Self-Pollinating & Reliable: Easy to grow, doesn't need another plant to fruit, and performs well with basic care.
- 🍌 Great for Containers: Compact growth and fast fruiting make it ideal for container growing - even indoors with enough light.
- 🍌 Fast Fruiting: Can begin producing in 12-18 months under good conditions.
- 🍌 Why everyone wants Double Mahoi Banana? Because it's the most productive dwarf banana for home gardens. You get lots of fruit, it doesn't take up much space, and you can grow it in almost any warm climate - or in a pot anywhere else. Double Mahoi is the go-to banana for gardeners who want reliable harvests in a small footprint.
🛒 Grow twice the Bananas - plant Double Mahoi
📚 Learn more about #Bananas
#Food_Forest #Discover
🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date:
Butterfly Garden from Anna Banana
Butterfly facts
1. There are approximately 20,000 different species of
butterflies, the largest of which is the Queen Alexandra
Birdwing with a wingspan of 11 inches.
2. Female butterflies can lay over 1000 eggs during their
short lifetime.
3. Butterflies lay their eggs on host plants which usually
hatch within a few days, then turning into caterpillars.
The caterpillar will then eat until it sheds it's skin
several times, called instars, finally emerging from the
chrysalis as a beautiful butterfly.
4. Butterflies are born to breed, their goal being to mate
and begin the cycle again. Most live only a few days
except the Monarch which can live up to six months.
5. Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico every fall and
remain there until spring when they make the return
migration.
6. Due to the continuing destruction of the rain forests,
where the largest population of butterflies are found,
their numbers are dwindling. We encourage you to plant a
butterfly garden!!
Remember:
- A sunny, less windy location is best, however, Zebras
love to float in the shade of bushes and trees.
- The more host and nectar plants you have, the more
butterflies will be attracted to your garden.
- Butterflies "puddle". They like a wet sandy area where
they congregate and sip minerals and nutrients from the
wet sand and water.
- Rocks to rest and enjoy their beautiful garden, and
don't forget a bench or hammock for yourself.
FREE butterfly garden guide from Anna Banana
For our local Florida customers, it is a perfect time now
to start a garden with plants for butterflies that will
appear first thing in Spring. Establish these plants now
for the Spring blooms that will attract the Beauty into
your garden!
Stop by our Garden Center to check out our Butterfly Plants display, or
simply call Anna Banana for a free consultation on
Butterfly Garden at 239-771-8081.
Hurry up while butterfly plants are on 4-day sale!
