Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 18 Apr 2025

Want Constant Blooms? Plant Clerodendrums

Your Shortcut to a Colorful Garden

Cat  with  Bleeding  Heart  Clerodendrum

Q: Q: I live in Florida, and while everything is green, I want more color in my garden and patio. What low-maintenance perennials can add nonstop blooms without constant care? I'm tired of annuals that don't last. Do such plants even exist?

A: Yes, they do - and your perfect solution is Clerodendrums. These colorful tropical perennials grow fast, bloom for most of the year, and thrive in both sun and shade. They're easy to care for, relatively cold-tolerant, and come in many shapes: shrubs, vines, and even small trees. Ideal for both garden beds and containers.

Why Grow Clerodendrums?

Clerodendrum  philippinum  -  Cashmere  Bouquet

Clerodendrums are tough, reliable, and visually striking plants:
- Fast-growing with a compact habit
- Available in many forms: shrubs, vines, and small trees
- Colorful flowers, many of them are sweetly fragrant!
- Thrive in sun or shade; cold tolerant; not picky about soil
- Bloom repeatedly or continuously
- Excellent for pots, patios, or indoors

Clerodendrums as Shrubs

Clerodendrum  ugandense  and  mastacanthum

- Clerodendrum bungei - Glory Bower: fragrant pink blooms, spreads quickly
- Clerodendrum incisum - Musical Note: unique buds shaped like musical notes
- Clerodendrum inerme - Wild Jasmine: salt-tolerant, good for seaside areas
- Clerodendrum mastacanthum - Pink Butterfly Bush: long-blooming, eye-catching pink
- Clerodendrum paniculatum - Pagoda Flower: layered red-orange towers of flowers
- Clerodendrum philippinum - Cashmere Bouquet: double fragrant flowers, shade-tolerant
- Clerodendrum ugandense - Blue Butterfly: delicate blue blooms that attract pollinators

Clerodendrums as Vines

Clerodendrum  thomsoniae  -  Bleeding  Heart

- Clerodendrum thomsoniae - Bleeding Heart: classic red-and-white contrast, climbs easily
- Clerodendrum speciosum - Red Bleeding Heart: vivid magenta blooms, great on trellises

Clerodendrums as Small Trees

Clerodendrum  quadriloculare  -  Winter  Starburst

- Clerodendrum minahassae - Fountain Clerodendrum: upright, white flower sprays
- Clerodendrum sahelangii - Champagne Clerodendrum: cascading white blooms
- Clerodendrum quadriloculare - Winter Starburst: purple leaves, late winter blooms
- Clerodendrum schmitii - Chains of Glory: dangling flower clusters, unusual look
- Clerodendrum wallichii - Bridal Veil: long white flowers, graceful arching branches

Clerodendrum  minahasse

Date: 14 Apr 2025

How to Plant a Perfume Hedge
And What Does a Champaka Tree Look Like?
Practical Growing Guide

Champaka  tree  in  landscape

Photo above: Magnolia champaka (Joy Perfume tree) in landscape. This tree was planted 3 years ago from a 7-gal pot. The tree is now 5 years old from seed and has been covered with flowers for two seasons in a row. Check out short video.

Q: How big does the Champaka tree grow, tall and wide? And what is the growth habit? I'm thinking of planting a perfume hedge along my property with several of these beautiful trees (8-10 trees). How far apart should I plant them and what container size should I start with? And how soon will they start blooming?

A: Magnolia champaka, or Joy Perfume tree is the most desirable perfume tree for Southern landscapes - and a Signature Plant of Top Tropicals! You can see several of these stunning 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 lemon-lime, light green leaves are lush, soft, and tropical-looking, with a unique and beautiful color.

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. In Florida, mature trees can reach 20-25 ft tall, although in true tropical environments they may grow much taller. Check out short video of a mature tree. It doesn't get very wide, and if you are planning to plant several trees as a perfume hedge, you can space them as close as 10 ft apart. This tree - light green, fragrant, evergreen, fast-growing, bushy, and dense - makes the perfect perfume hedge!

Champaka trees begin flowering within 2-3 years from seed. Singing birds love this tree and often build nests in its bushy crown during spring. The tree is relatively cold-hardy and can withstand light freeze for short periods once established. Just make sure to provide regular watering.

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 - contact us for estimate

Plant Your Perfume Hedge Today!

Imagine walking along a path lined with Champaka trees - Joy -fragrant blossoms drifting through the air, lush green leaves swaying gently, and birds singing above. With just a few trees, you can create your own heavenly hedge of joy and fragrance. Let your garden bloom with elegance, beauty, and the world's most luxurious scent!

Champaka  flower

Date: 14 Apr 2025

Hop into Easter Week Sale - Plant Joy and Save!

Happy Easter Week, Tropical Gardeners!

Spring is here - and so is your chance to grow your own magic. Eggs may be pricey... but guess what? You can grow your own food instead! Plant a fruit tree this Easter and watch it hatch into something better than chocolate - like juicy Mangoes, Dragon Fruits and Carambolas, sweet Papayas and Bananas, healthy Avocados and Jackfruits or your very own exotic Sugar Apples hanging from the branches!

Easter is about hope, renewal, and starting fresh - just like your garden! Whether you're planting your first tree or adding a rare gem to your edible jungle, now is the perfect time. Get 15% OFF everything in our store using this code:

EASTERWEEK

Min order $150, excluding S/H. Exp. Exp 4-20-25.

Hop to it! Don't put all your eggs in one basket... unless it's a basket full of fruit trees of flowering shrubs. Let's plant some hope together - one tree at a time.

Date: 5 Apr 2025

Secret Banana Daiquiri Recipe:
Healthy Never Tasted So Good!

Banana  Daiquiri  Recipe

Q: What can I do with a lot of Bananas? All three trees I got from you last year produced lots of bananas and I can eat only so much. Any exotic recipes?

A: When we get lots of bananas (which happens every year!), we make banana bread or banana pudding for the whole team. But those are pretty common recipes. Try Banana Daiquiri!

Banana Daiquiri Recipe Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
2 ounces light rum

  1. tablespoon sugar
    1 ounce lime juice

1/2 ounce triple sec (optional for added depth)
Ice cubes
Slice of lime or banana for garnish>

Instructions:

Prepare the Banana: Peel the banana and cut it into chunks.
Blend the Ingredients: In a blender, combine the banana chunks, light rum, sugar, lime juice, and triple sec. Add a handful of ice cubes. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a small amount of water or more lime juice to adjust the consistency.

Garnish and Serve:

Pour the mixture into a chilled glass. Garnish with a slice of lime on the rim of the glass or a small wheel of banana. Serve immediately and enjoy the refreshing tropical flavors!

This Banana Daiquiri is not only refreshing but also offers a creamy texture and a perfect balance of sweetness and citrus. It's a fantastic choice for hot days or when you're in the mood for something a bit exotic. Cheers!

Date: 5 Apr 2025

Go Bananas - up to 20% OFF Banana Trees!

Now through 4/15 - Limited Time Only!

Banana  varieties  collage

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!

Banana  Truly  Tiny

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!)

Sunshine  Boosters  fertilizers  for  Banana  trees

In the photo above: Sunshine Boosters are the best fertilizers for ornamental (Sunshine Robusta) and edible bananas (Sunshine C-Cibus).