Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 20 Feb 2017

Flowering plant for a front yard

Q: I need your expertise. I had a plant in the front of my house that when I moved in (two years ago) wasn't doing well. It was infested with grasshoppers and snails. I treated it with a pesticide and fertilizer and it flourished. Had beautiful flowerings and was almost the size of the mulch area. Then the property management company hired some terrible grass cutters that I believed destroyed it. I would come home and find the red mulch and leaves from the plant all over the front lawn. And since then it has gone down hill. I am attaching a picture. As of now the larger of the remaining two trunks (out of six that were there) is falling over and it doesn't seem to be doing well. So I was wondering if you can recommend a nice plant that I can replace this one with. Nothing extravagant but nice enough to fill in that area. Also since I only lease here don't want to get to pricey either. Thanks for any advice and plants you have.

A: The plant you have is called Spider Lily. It is one of the easiest landscape plants that doesn't require much care and is great for low maintenance yards. In your case, besides possible damage from the grass cutter, looks like the plant is very old judging by the thick woody stem. It is not a bad idea to replace it with something more pretty rather than trying to baby it. Other suggestions for this location would be something easy and low maintenance, especially if you don't have reliable sprinkler system in that area of your yard and don't want to spend time hand-watering with a house:
Sweet mimosa - grows into very large bush, Pony tail, Dwarf poinciana, Powderpuff, Clusia, Devils backbone (smaller bush 3 ft tall), Cordyline, Ti leaf - these are very colorful.
There are more low maintenance plants you can chose from.
And always remember that traditional "landscapers" that only mow grass, may not be experts on plants. You may always call TopTropicals Garden Doctor and get professional help with keeping your plants healthy. We are always here to help your garden!

Date: 2 Feb 2022

5 most rewarding tropical fruit trees

Top Tropicals @ Garden America Radio Show

...The most popular garden radio show Garden America is featuring Top Tropicals topic "5 most practical and rewarding fruit trees for subtropical areas".

1) Jackfruit Orange Crush (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
...We recently obtained this variety and it is hands down the best Jackfruit we ever tasted. It is crunchy, sweet, aromatic, with bright orange pulp...

2) Dwarf Guava Hawaiian Rainbow (Psidium nana)
- A very small version of the favorite aromatic Guava.
- Grows only up to 5-6 ft tall with a short trunk and branching, bushy habit.

3) Yellow Pitaya, Dragon Fruit (Selenicereus megalanthus)
- This particular species of Dragon fruit is the sweetest and has great flavor unlike most pitayas
- doesn't mind regular water and rains but is also drought-tolerant

4) Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
- Can be kept as a very compact tree, and fruits in a pot.
- Flowers and fruits right away. The plants are covered with flowers now and setting fruit.
- Very cold hardy to upper 20's, drought tolerant, fast growing

5) Macadamia Nut (Macadamia integrifolia x tetraphylla)
- The most delicious and popular sweet nuts that are usually so expensive, can be produced in your garden!
- Cold hardy, fast growing, and very productive.

Listen to Facebook-Live Show (recording):

Date: 23 May 2024

Index of TopTropicals Telegram Channel

Index of TopTropicals Telegram Channel

🗂 Index of TopTropicals Telegram Channel



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#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.

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🐈 #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.

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🌼 #Trees - Spectacular flowering tropical trees.

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TopTropicals

Date: 7 May 2026

3 Best Trees for a Fast-Fruit Garden

3 Best Trees for a Fast-Fruit Garden
3 Best Trees for a "Fast-Fruit" Garden 🍒

Want fruit without the wait? These tropical powerhouses deliver a "fast-food" garden in record time.

  • 🍓 The Top 3 Speed Demons


1. The Favorite: Papaya 🍊
If you want speed, Papaya is king. It can go from a small seedling to heavy fruit in 6-10 months. It behaves more like a giant herb than a tree: it is fast, has shallow roots, and is incredibly responsive to water and fertilizer. In warm climates, it is a plant it and watch it go legend. 👉 More

2. The Reliable: Guava 🍉
Guava is the most forgiving fruit tree you can own. It handles heat, poor soil, and the occasional week of neglect without missing a beat. Most varieties begin producing in just 1-2 years, staying compact enough for small yards or large pots. 👉 More

3. The Surprise: Eugenias 🍒
This family (including Surinam Cherry, Grumichama, Cherry of the Rio Grande, and Pitomba) often flies under the radar. They look like ornamental shrubs, but they establish quickly and can fruit within year two. They handle pruning beautifully, making them perfect for edible hedges. 👉 More

  • 🍓 The Fast-Fruit Honor Roll


  • 🍓 Ultra-Fast (Under 1 Year)

Papaya and Banana: The heavyweight champions of speed.
Strawberry Tree (Muntingia calabura): Non-stop cotton candy berries.
Grafted Favorites: High-quality Mango, Avocado, Peach, Nectarine, and Persimmon.

  • 🍓 Very Fast (1-2 Years)

The Berries: Mulberry (especially Everbearing), Fig, and Barbados Cherry.
The Exotics: Strawberry Guava, Loquat, and the curious Peanut Butter Tree (Bunchosia).
The Sweet Treats: Blackberry Jam Fruit (Randia formosa).

  • 🍓 Tropical Staples (2-3 Years)

Starfruit (Carambola): A heavy producer that looks stunning in the garden.
Annona Family: Sweet Sugar Apples and creamy Atemoyas.
Macadamia Nut: A long-term investment that starts surprisingly early.

🍓 Fast Climbers and Bush Fruit


Passionfruit: Will cover a fence and fruit in a single season.
Berries: Mysore Raspberry and classic Blackberries for quick returns.

🛒 Ready to harvest? Shop the "Fast-Fruit" Collection

📚 Learn more:

Murta Plant Facts

Blepharocalyx salicifolius, Eugenia salicifolia
Murta
USDA Zone: 9-11
Small tree 10-20 ftSemi-shadeFull sunRegular waterWhite, off-white flowers

#Food_Forest #How_to #Discover

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Date: 26 May 2021

Jasmine for a fence

In the photo: Jasmine Maid of Orleans

Q:We are looking for a jasmine variety without thorns that we can grow on a wire fence...

A: All true jasmines (Jasminum spp.) are thornless. So you are safe to get anyone you like. The most vigorous, fast growing jasmines that grow into a vine, are:
Jasminum dichotomum
Jasminum pubescens
Jasminum nitidum
Jasminum officinale
Jasminum sambac Maid of Orleans - the most fragrant!

In the photos: Jasminum nitidum (Star Jasmine)

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