Smokey and Sunshine

Sunshine: Newsletter?
Smokey: Yes.
Sunshine: Another article?
Smokey: No.
Sunshine: Advice?
Smokey: Also no.
Sunshine: Just plants?
Smokey: Just plants. New arrivals and top picks by our horticulturist
Sunshine: Perfect. I just enjoy the plants and coffee. Hope everyone reading does too.

Today: Spring Equinox Plant Festival 🌿

Everything is ready for today at our Spring Equinox Plant Festival. The garden is full and we would love to see you. Come over today and enjoy it with us. SEE FULL EVENT DETAILS

♥️ Mother’s Day: More Than a Gift

Mom: You grew this… for me? You remembered my favorite…
Smokey: I did.
Mom: You never forget what matters. It’s beautiful.
Smokey: Not as much as you. Happy Mother’s Day.
Sunshine: You raised him right. It shows.

Some things stay with you from your mom.

A favorite fruit. A smell from the garden. The way she showed you how to care for something and stick with it.

At the time, it felt small. Later, you realize it wasn’t. It turns into something real - a tree, a habit, a way of doing things you still follow.

Mother’s Day is simply a reason to tell your mom you remember. To say thank you for what she taught you, and to show your love.

It does not have to be complicated. Just something that makes it clear you were paying attention.

If you are thinking what to give, start simple.

A fruit she loves. A plant she will enjoy watching grow. Something alive, not just something that sits on a shelf.

It does not have to be big. What matters is that it means something to her.

And maybe, years from now, it becomes one of those things that stays.

We put together a few plants that make good Mother’s Day gifts.

Fragrant flowers. Fruit trees she can enjoy year after year. Easy growers that do not require much effort.

If she has a favorite, start there. If not, pick something simple and reliable.

🛒 Shop Gift plants

Eugenia Cherries 🍒

By Tatiana Anderson, Horticulture Expert at Top Tropicals with Smokey & Sunshine help

Growing Eugenia Cherries (Cherry of the Rio Grande & Grumichama)

Cherry of the Rio Grande and Grumichama are compact, adaptable tropical fruit trees well suited to Southern landscapes. While forgiving, they perform best when planted correctly from the beginning.

Site and Planting

• Drainage is essential. Avoid low areas where water collects. Plant on a slight mound if soil is heavy or clay-like.
• Choose full sun for best flowering and fruit production. Partial shade is tolerated.
• A south or southeast exposure near a wall improves cold resilience and reduces wind stress.
• Dig a hole twice as wide as the container, but no deeper than the root ball.
• Set the tree level with surrounding soil. Do not bury the trunk.

Water and Feeding

• Water regularly during the first few months while roots establish.
• Once established, trees tolerate short dry periods but fruit best with moderate, consistent moisture.
• Feed lightly and consistenly. SUNSHINE Boosters Robusta liquid fertilizer is safe to use with with every watering. During hot season you may add controlled release Green Magic every 6 months. It is essential to apply micro elements: Sunshine Superfood micro nutrients complex

Cold Tolerance

• Protect young trees during hard freezes.
• Established Cherry of the Rio Grande can tolerate brief drops into the low 20s.
• Established Grumichama tolerates temperatures into the upper 20s.

Harvest and Production

• Cherry of the Rio Grande fruits from late spring into summer. Pick when fully dark and slightly soft.
• Grumichama ripens quickly, often within four weeks after flowering. Pick when glossy and deep purple-black.
• Both trees often begin fruiting within 2–3 years and increase production steadily with maturity.

Growing in Containers

• Use at least a 10–20 gallon pot for long-term growth.
• Ensure multiple drainage holes.
• Use a high-quality, well-draining container mix. Avoid heavy garden soil. Top Tropicals Abundance soil-less mix is specially formulated for pot growing
• Place in full sun for best fruiting.
• Water deeply, then allow the top layer to dry slightly before watering again.
• Move containers to a protected area during hard freezes.
• Prune lightly to maintain shape and airflow.

Common Mistakes

• Planting in poorly drained soil.
• Overwatering and keeping soil constantly saturated.
• Over-fertilizing with excessive nitrogen.
• Planting too deep and burying the trunk.
• Expecting heavy crops immediately instead of allowing time for maturity.
• Skipping cold protection for young plants.

Learn more: Tropical Cherries – Eugenias

❓Frequently Asked Questions: Eugenia cherries (FAQ)

• Which one tastes better – Cherry of the Rio Grande or Grumichama?
  Cherry of the Rio Grande has a deeper, classic “sweet cherry” flavor with slight richness. Grumichama is softer, juicier, and often described as cherry with hints of grape and plum. Both are excellent fresh; Grumichama is especially popular for jam.
• Which tree produces more fruit?
  Grumichama typically produces heavier crops once mature and can carry hundreds of fruits in a season. Cherry of the Rio Grande produces consistently but in slightly smaller volumes.
• Do birds take all the fruit?
  Birds are attracted to both trees, especially Grumichama. Netting during peak ripening or harvesting promptly usually solves the issue.
• Are these true "tropical" trees or subtropical?
  They are best described as subtropical tropicals. Unlike ultra-tender tropical fruits, Eugenia cherries tolerate occasional frost once established, making them more reliable in Southern landscapes.
• Do they drop fruit messily?
  Fruit will fall if overripe, but the trees are compact and manageable. Regular harvesting prevents ground drop and keeps the area clean.
• Can they be used for hedging or screening?
  Yes. Their dense evergreen foliage and upright growth make them suitable for edible hedges or privacy screens while still producing fruit.

Choosing between them is not about survival — both have proven resilient. It is about flavor preference, crop volume, and how you want to use the fruit in your kitchen and landscape.

🛒 Add Eugenia cherries to your garden

✍️ Top Ten Fruit Tree Winners of Florida 2026 Record Freeze

👻 When plants grow wings...

🌴 Twilight in the garden. Smokey is holding a glowing pumpkin. Sunshine is sipping cocoa.

Sunshine: "Smokey, why does that plant look like it wants to fly away?"
Smokey: "That’s the Bat Lily - Tacca. It’s rare, it’s weird, and it’s in bloom just in time for Halloween."
Sunshine: "Figures. You always find the spooky ones."

Meet the Bat Lily (Tacca)

Tacca is also called the Bat Lily or Devil Flower. This tropical wonder grows bat-shaped wings and foot-long whiskers. The black form (Tacca chantrieri) looks straight out of a gothic dream, while the white one (Tacca nivea) is ghost-like and elegant.

Some of our plants are blooming right now in the nursery — true Halloween magic! Blooms are delicate and may not travel, but the plants are strong and will flower again soon in your care.

Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) with dark maroon wings and long whiskers

White Bat Lily (Tacca nivea) in bloom with wide ivory wings

"The White Bat Lily (Tacca nivea) is bold and sculptural, with oversized ivory wings that command attention. Its pale bracts stretch wide above clusters of deep maroon flowers, and long, silvery whiskers spill gracefully through the foliage. In filtered light, the plant seems to glow from within — elegant, crisp, and perfectly balanced between the strange and the beautiful. If I could pick, I’d go with the White Tacca. It feels more architectural, more balanced — those oversized wings catch light in a way that shows off every vein and curve. It looks engineered by nature, almost like an alien design prototype that actually works.

The Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) feels alive with shadow. Its dark maroon wings and wiry whiskers make it look like something that fluttered out of the jungle at dusk. The bloom’s layered structure and near-black sheen give it a quiet power — mysterious, understated, but impossible to ignore. But if I were designing mood lighting for a greenhouse at night, the Black Tacca wins. It’s subtle, mysterious, like a secret only visible up close. Together, they’re perfect opposites — yin and yang of the tropical underworld: white for daylight, black for moonlight." — says Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert

👉 Collect Tacca plants:

Black - Tacca chantrieri

White - Tacca nivea

Green - Tacca leontopetaloides