Date: 18 Feb 2025
Unlock
Your Carefree Tropical Paradise:
Discover Our Useful Succulent Sale!
Beautiful flowers and Edibles
It's no secret that everyone's dream plant is the one that requires little to no care yet still blesses us with the beauty of flowers or the bounty of fruits. Does such a plant exist? Some might say, "Sure, get a plastic one!" But the truth is, some tropical plants, which typically need a lot of water and nourishment, can thrive with minimal effort.
Dive into our Useful Succulent Sale, where you'll find plants like the enchanting Plumerias, the striking Adeniums (Desert Roses) and Starfish Flower, fragrant Epiphyllums (Queen of the night), delicious Dragon Fruits, and exotic Barbados Gooseberries that promise a low-maintenance slice of paradise. These hardy succulents need just sunshine, occasional watering, and a splash of our liquid Sunshine Boosters for flourishing flowers and fruits. Take advantage of our INSTANT 15% discount on all these splendid succulents - one week only!
Instant 15% discount to start your carefree tropical garden today!
No code required!
No min order. Exp. 2-25-25
Reminder: use our FREE and DISCOUNTED SHIPPING for qualified orders
Dragon Fruit, or Pitaya - a striking member of the cactus family known for its spectacular night-blooming flowers and vibrant fruit. This climbing cactus can stretch up to 30 feet, producing fruit with flesh in shades of white, red, or magenta. Rich in antioxidants, it offers health benefits such as reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. A staple in both traditional and modern cuisine, it's featured in products from major brands like Tropicana and Snapple. According to the legend the fruit was created thousands of years ago by fire breathing dragons.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the Night - exotic cactus from tropical rainforests with large, meaty leaves and spectacular, huge white flowers that bloom nocturnally, filling the night with their powerful fragrance. A truly mesmerizing addition to any Southern or indoor garden.
Date: 1 Jan 2019
Top Tropicals New Year Resolutions
We take this opportunity to extend our grateful thanks to all visitors and friends of our garden and website. The entire Top Tropicals team wishing you a Happy New Year with Happy New Plants!
In 2019, Top Tropicals plans include (but are not limited to):
- improved design of the website, online store and shopping cart
- many new introductions of rare flowering plants including Red Jade
Vine, lots of new Adeniums
- rare fruit trees, including Mangosteen, Nutmeg, Clove and more
- extended selection of rare tropical seeds
- many new videos of rare tropical plants
- free and discounted shipping
Stay informed with our Newsletter updates!
New Year Resolutions for Gardeners in 2019
January is the month to plan and dream about your yard and garden. Grow
your garden a few steps at a time each year: pick a few resolutions for 2019
and plan accordingly. Next year, a few more, and so on until you build the
garden of your dreams.
This winter, resolve to:
- Hang a bird feeder.
- Order seeds of some rare plants so you can have an early start.
- Prune a tree into an espalier - it's a perfect time before Spring.
- Ask your grandparents what they grew in their gardens.
- Build a raised bed for succulents.
- If you live in a warm climate, plant a fruit tree or two.
- Start a compost pile.
- Plant a palm tree.
- Try some plant boosters to improve your plants hardiness.
- Chose Flowering trees, shrubs and vines suitable for areas in your garden that still have room...
- Install a rain barrel.
- Eat outside as often as possible.
- Show a child how to plant a tree.
- Provide a water source for bees and butterflies. They are not only
cool, but also pollinators that will help to set fruit and seeds!
- Call TopTropicals for garden advise - what to plant, where to plant,
and how not to kill it!
- Plant a berry-bearing tree or shrubs to feed the birds. Mulberry, Blackberry, Tropicals Cherries - are always good choices. They are 15% OFF now
Date: 26 Oct 2018
Improving cold hardiness before winter: fertilizer and micro-elements
Q: I live in New Jersey and it is getting cool here, with temperatures in the upper 40s, but my tropical plant collection is in a heated sunroom (still around 70s). Should I continue fertilizing my plants? And if yes, my second question about deciduous Sugar Apple tree. Should I continue fertilizing it until it drops leaves?
A:
First of all, even though you live outside tropical
climate, your plants enjoy warm temperatures year round,
and can be treated like if they were in a Southern
garden.
Plant nutrients, both macro-elements (regular
fertilizer) and micro-elements (such as iron, manganese,
magnesium, copper, and other elements) play an important
role not only in overall plant health but also in plant
hardiness.
The rule of thumb is, even in warm climates we cut off
any fertilizer by the end of October. You still have
time for the last treatment this year (next will be in
March, or when your plants start showing new growth).
You may apply just a bit of slow-release granulated
fertilizer, or water-soluble by foliar spray, diluted
1/2 of label strength, to all evergreen species in your
collection.
The most important application before winter is
micro-elements and other plant boosters that will help
you plant collection survive winter months with a
shorter daylight and cooler temperatures. Now it is a
perfect time to make these simple steps:
1) Miscro-element applications, any one of: Superfood, Iron Supplement, Greenleaf.
2) Sunshine-T application: for
improving cold hardiness, plus immune system resistance
to insects and deceases.
3)
Sunshine-Honey application for all fruit trees to
encourage bigger and sweeter fruit next year.
Regarding your second question. Deciduous tropical plants like Annonas, Adeniums, Plumerias, etc - do not need regular fertilizer at this time, however, go ahead and apply microelements Superfood complex, as well as Sunshine-Honey, while leaves are still green. These two will give a kick-start to provide better flowering in spring, and production of sweeter fruit later.
Check out SUNSHINE boosters - all with free shipping!
Date: 24 Jun 2018
Adenium: a Rose by any Other Name
New
article by Jane Jordan.
"...The famous quote is often used to imply that the names
of things do not affect what they really are, in the case
of The Desert Rose (Adenium obesum) it is not a rose at
all, rather a succulent that thrives in hot, dry and sunny
conditions. These spectacular plants have no relation to
the rose family, they are a species of flowering plant
from the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. The naming of this
plant is partly correct as they originate in sub-Saharan
Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where they can grow into
large trees with huge swollen trunks..."
Continue reading...
Date: 10 Nov 2025
❄️ How to Prepare Your Tropical Garden for Winter
Smokey and Sunshine Wrap Up the Garden with Frost Cloth Before the Chill.
Smokey: "Thermometer says 45. Time to wrap the bananas!"
Sunshine: "You wrap the bananas. I’ll guard the mulch… from this
sunny spot."
Smokey: "Teamwork, Sunshine. Teamwork."
🌡️ Cold nights are coming - but your tropicals do not need to shiver!
Even in sunny Florida and other warm zones, one cold snap can undo months of growth. Preparation is everything. Tropical plants can handle a lot, but they dislike surprises. Let’s make sure your garden stays safe, strong, and happy all winter long.
Tips from Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert
👉 Group and Check Your Plants
You already know which plants are in pots and which are in the ground. What matters now is prioritizing by cold sensitivity. Identify the tender tropicals – papaya, banana, plumeria, adenium, heliconia – and decide which ones get covered first when temperatures drop. Keep frost cloths or old sheets near those areas, ready to grab fast. If your garden is large, label protection zones or mark plants that always need extra care. The goal is to have a plan, not a panic, when the cold alert hits.
Once you know your priorities, you can plan the rest of your protection strategy.
👉 Feed and Mulch
Stop using high-nitrogen fertilizers by late fall. They push soft new growth that freezes easily. Add compost around the base of your plants and top with 3 to 4 inches of mulch. Mulch acts like a blanket: it keeps warmth in, protects the roots, and keeps soil moisture steady. Just make sure the soil drains well; cold and soggy soil leads to root rot. In raised beds, check that water flows away easily.
After you feed and mulch, it is time to look at how your local zone changes the game.
👉 Zone-by-Zone Tips
Moving Tropical Plants Indoors for Winter Protection
- Zone 10: You are lucky! This is mostly a maintenance season. Watch for root rot after heavy rain, trim lightly if needed, and protect tender young trees during surprise chills. Keep some frost cloth ready just in case.
- Zone 9: This is the main action zone. Nights can dip into the 30s. Deep-water your trees once before cold nights to insulate the roots. Apply heavy mulch, and have frost protection ready to go. If you grow tropical fruit like mango or guava, consider wrapping young trunks in burlap or foam pipe insulation.
- Zone 8: This is where tropical gardening becomes creative. Stick to cold-hardy tropicals such as loquat, guava, or cold-hardy avocado varieties. Use portable greenhouses, wrap trunks, and move smaller plants indoors or to a heated porch when frost threatens.
Now that the garden beds are set, let’s look at your pots and containers – your most mobile plants.
👉 Container and Patio Plants
Potted plants are the easiest to protect but also the quickest to freeze. Start reducing watering now so roots do not stay too wet in cooler weather. Before moving them, check for insects hiding under leaves or in the soil. Group your pots close to a wall for reflected heat and wind protection. If you plan to bring them indoors, do it gradually. Move them closer to the house for a few days before bringing them all the way inside to help them adjust to lower light and humidity.
When the chill starts, many gardeners rush to move everything inside at once – but a smooth transition works much better.
👉 Indoor Plants
When bringing plants inside, give them a good rinse to remove dust and bugs, and flush the soil to wash out salts from summer fertilizing. Keep them separate from your houseplants for a week to make sure no pests come along. Expect some leaf drop – it is normal as they adjust to lower light. Give them bright light near a window, and cut watering by about half until spring. Avoid misting too much; good airflow matters more than humidity during winter.
Many tropicals, like hibiscus, brugmansia, and crotons, may look tired for a while, but they will bounce back quickly once days get longer.
👉 Timing Is Everything
The key is to prepare before the first cold warning. Check your weather app regularly once nights start dropping into the 50s. Keep covers, mulch, and supplies ready so you are not running outside at midnight with a flashlight and a frozen hose. Have your frost cloths labeled by plant group and stored in an easy spot. A little organization now saves a lot of stress later.
Many tropicals, like hibiscus, brugmansia, and crotons, may look tired for a while, but they will bounce back quickly once days get longer.
Remember: the goal is to help your plants rest safely. Many gardeners prune or fertilize too late in the season – we will talk about why that can be risky next week."— says Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert
Coming next mail-list: The best gadgets for cold protection (lights, heaters, frost covers) and what NOT to do in winter.
📚 Learn more from Top Tropicals Blog:
Cold protection - winter action for your plant collection
What plants are good to order in Winter?
How to take care of house plants in Winter
How to protect tropical plants in Winter
How to take care of a mango tree in winter