Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 4 May 2026

🍲 Where the Garden Becomes the Kitchen

Close-up of Capsicum annuum x chinense Biquinho pepper plant with clusters of small, bright red, teardrop-shaped fruits hanging among glossy green leaves, some still green, with water droplets visible after rain.

Biquinho pepper loaded with fruit - small, beak-shaped peppers ripen from green to bright red, offering intense fruity habanero flavor with little to no heat on a compact, heavy-producing plant.

Sweet Pepper Plant Facts

Botanical name: Capsicum annuum
Also known as: Sweet Pepper, Chilli Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Ornamental pepper
USDA Zone: 4 - 10
Highligths Small plant 2-5 ftFull sunWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyBlue, lavender, purple flowersWhite, off-white flowersEdible plantEthnomedical plant. Plants marked as ethnomedical and/or described as medicinal, are not offered as medicine but rather as ornamentals or plant collectibles. Ethnomedical statements / products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We urge all customers to consult a physician before using any supplements, herbals or medicines advertised here or elsewhere.Irritating plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
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A lot of plants that thrive in Florida heat have deep roots in Mexico, and not just as ornamentals. Think coral vine or flame vine climbing a fence in summer, or bird of paradise sitting at the edge of a patio like it owns the place. These are not plants that need coaxing. They grow fast, full, and unapologetically. Then there are the plants you actually eat: peppers, prickly pear , sweetleaf, and fruit trees like avocado, guava, and sapodilla. They do not just decorate the yard. They change how the yard works, and how the kitchen feels all year.

Avocado Plant Facts

Botanical name: Persea americana, Persea gratissima
Also known as: Avocado, Alligator Pear, Aguacate, Abacate
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Large tree taller than 20 ftSmall tree 10-20 ftFull sunWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyEdible plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
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That is the part that sneaks up on you. Gardening stops being about having a pretty yard and starts becoming a way of living. Mango tacos taste different when you picked the mango yourself. Everything does.

Mango Plant Facts

Botanical name: Mangifera indica
Also known as: Mango
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Large tree taller than 20 ftSmall tree 10-20 ftFull sunWatering: Moderate. Water when top soil feels dryYellow, orange flowersPink flowersEdible plantSeaside, salt tolerant plant
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Four Kent mangoes with red, green, and yellow blush arranged on a plate.

Kent mango - classic late-season variety with smooth, fiberless flesh and rich, sweet flavor.

🍀Mexican Plants That Thrive With Minimal Effort

by Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Garden Expert

Close-up of Lippia dulcis (Aztec Sweet Herb) showing small white button-like flowers with pale green centers surrounded by serrated bright green leaves on a low-growing plant.

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb in bloom - a low-growing Mexican herb with tiny white flowers and remarkably sweet leaves that can be eaten fresh or added to fruit dishes, traditionally used since Aztec times for coughs and colds.

Aztec Sweet Herb Plant Facts

Botanical name: Phyla dulcis, Lippia dulcis, Phyla scaberrima, Lippia mexicana
Also known as: Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Groundcover and low-growing 2ft plantSmall plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeFull sunWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyOrnamental foliageWhite, off-white flowersEdible plantSpice or herb plantEthnomedical plant. Plants marked as ethnomedical and/or described as medicinal, are not offered as medicine but rather as ornamentals or plant collectibles. Ethnomedical statements / products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We urge all customers to consult a physician before using any supplements, herbals or medicines advertised here or elsewhere.Fragrant plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
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These Mexican plants are surprisingly easy to grow if you give them what they expect: sun, heat, and good drainage. Most of them are built for tough conditions and will grow fast with minimal care once established.

The one rule that matters: fill the planting hole with water. If it does not drain in 5-10 seconds, plant on a mound or use a container.

Flowering vines will take off quickly, edibles like peppers and sweetleaf lippia are very forgiving, and cactus types prefer to be left alone rather than overwatered.

For full, step-by-step growing tips and plant-specific advice, read our blog - we break everything down in practical, real-world terms.

📚 Top Tropicals Garden Blog

Large, dense Senecio confusus (Mexican Flame Vine) covered in clusters of bright red-orange daisy-like flowers climbing over a trellis against a blue sky.

Mexican Flame Vine in full bloom - a fast-growing, drought-tolerant climber that quickly covers fences with vivid red flowers, attracting pollinators and adding bold color with minimal care.

Mexican Flame Vine Plant Facts

Botanical name: Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides, Senecio confusus
Also known as: Mexican Flame Vine, Orangeglow Vine
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Groundcover and low-growing 2ft plantVine or creeper plantFull sunWater Requirement: Low. Allow soil to dry out between wateringsWatering: Moderate. Water when top soil feels dryYellow, orange flowersRed, crimson, vinous flowersInvasive plantPlant attracts butterflies, hummingbirdsSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short timeFlood tolerant plantSeaside, salt tolerant plant
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🛒 Shop heat tolerant plants

🌮 Sunshine’s Mango Taco 😺

Fresh mango tacos loaded with juicy chunks and bright toppings, surrounded by whole and sliced mangoes for that tropical feel.

Mango Tacos

This is not cooking. This is assembly.

What you need

  • Tortillas
  • 1 ripe mango (diced)
  • Something warm (sweet potato, chicken, or leftovers)
  • A little onion (optional)
  • Lime (or bottled lime juice)
  • Sour cream or yogurt
  • Salt and pepper

How Sunshine does it

  1. Heat whatever you have in a pan
  2. Put mango in a bowl, add lime and a pinch of salt
  3. Mix sour cream with lime (this is your sauce)
  4. Put everything into a tortilla
  5. Enjoy with a margarita

Sunshine's rules

  • No measuring
  • No recipes
  • If it tastes good, it is correct

Want this to be normal?
Start with a mango tree. That is usually how it begins.

🛒 Plant your own mango tree

💌 Mother's Day is one week away

Still deciding? A gift card is the easiest option. With our bonus, it is also the best value.

Mother’s Day themed Top Tropicals gift certificate with a pink decorative frame filled with jasmine, plumeria, magnolia, and champaka flowers, tropical fruits across the center, and a Happy Mothers Day banner at the top, with space for certificate details and message.

Mother’s Day Top Tropicals gift certificate

🎁 Get a Gift Card

Date: 6 Jan 2017

6 easiest fruit trees and 5 spices to grow in containers indoors

Q: This is why I want to move so that I can grow absolutely anything I want from your catalogue. Prefered Puerto Rico. Right now I live in New York and there is absolutely nothing I can grow there.

A: Of course living in Puerto Rico brings more opportunities to grow tropical species. However, you can create your unique tropical paradise even living in New York. We have many customers from up North who successfully grow tropical species (and get them to flower and fruit) in greenhouses, and even indoors.
Here are a few suggestions of tropical fruit trees that adapt well for container/indoor culture - for both beginners and advanced gardeners.

Top 6 fruit trees great for indoors / container culture / beginners
1. Mango (Mangifera indica). Select from one of smaller mango varieties
2. Sugar Apple (Annona squamosa)
3. Guanabana, Soursop (Annona muricata)
4. Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum)
5. June Plum (Spondias cytherea)
6. Guava (Psidium guajava)

5 top spice plants (the spice will be with you right away, you don't have to wait for it to grow)
1. Allspice (Pimenta dioica)
2. Cinnamomon or Campor tree
3. Bay Leaf (Laurus nobilis)
4. Mint Tree (Satureja vimenea)
5. Vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia)

See a brief article of growing tropicals outside of tropics.

Don't forget to get some SUNSHINE boosters for your plant collection - for both successful indoor culture and cold protection!

See also our magazine Tropical Treasures) - Pushing the Limits of Tropical Gardening, with list of issues.

Date: 26 Jul 2020

The best grafted Loquat varieties
at 15% OFF for 3 days!

Q: I have a nice Loquat tree started from seed. I understand it will not bear fruit unless grafted. Can you graft the tree in your nursery? If this is not possible let me know the cost of Loquat tree and I buy it from your nursery.

A: From our experience, Loquat trees grown from seed bear fruit much sooner (within 5-6 years) than seedlings of such trees as Mango and Avocado (8-15 years). Also, unlike Mango and Avocado, the fruit quality of a Loquat seedling is usually not too bad. However, in order to have a tree with a superior fruit, it is recommended to plant grafted variety for a guaranteed tasty crop. If your seedling is already a large plant (with a trunk diameter over 5 mm), it may be too late to graft it, because quality graft requires fresh wood.
If you have plenty of room in your yard with enough space for both grafted tree and a seedling, you may still plant the seedling in the ground and give it a chance to produce in a few years. If your garden space is limited, we recommend you to plant a grafted variety and enjoy fruit as soon as the next year.

The most popular grafted Loquat varieties, heavy producers:
Champagne
Christmas
Gold Nugget
Yehuda

SALE: 15% OFF now, no min. order!

- $20% OFF discount code PARENTS2020 for orders over $200
- 5% automatically off all orders over $100
= make it a steal!

Offer expires 7-28-20

If you are local, stop by our Garden Center and we will pick the biggest and the best tree for you. Or just order online and get it in just a few days to your doorstep!
See full list of Loquat varieties available at the moment.

Date: 8 Jul 2020

Grafted fruit trees for Hawaiian gardens

In the photo: Atemoya, one of the Annonas - fruit lover favorites.

Q: Aloha guys, I purchased a Diospyros digyna - Black Sapote grafted var. Black Beauty from you and am checking to make sure it will fruit by itself and not need both sexes. Also checking to see if the grafted atemoya I bought from you will fruit at sea level (where I'm at) or if I should give it to a friend who is above 1,000 so it will fruit? My grafted Maimi soursop is thriving! Looking at getting a grafted jackfruit from you all next.

A: Black sapote Black Beauty does not need a second plant to produce fruit. Grafted trees should be flowering and setting fruit right away, or sometimes on the second year.
Atemoya does not require high elevation for fruiting. It is a hybrid Annona squamosa x Annona cherimola (A. cherimola species prefers higher elevation) so Atemoya is usually is happy at sea level.
Congratulations with your Soursop! It should be really happy in your location.

As for grafted Jackfruits, this is the list of varieties we usually carry. Since many of them are very rare, they sell out quickly once we get new arrivals. If you are looking for a specific variety, I strongly recommend to add it to your wishlist (click on "Notify me when available") and you will receive email from us as soon as we have it in stock, so you will be the first one to know about it!

Our favorite Jackfruit varieties (and also hot sellers)

Black Gold
Borneo Red
Crispy
Dang Rasimi

We also suggest to get a Kwai Muk (while we still have it!) - the most delicious fruit, and it should do well in Hawaii.

In the photo: Black Sapote

In the photo: Jackfruit at TopTropicals Garden in Ft Myers, FL

Date: 24 Jun 2018

TopTropicals

Fruitful Fruit and SuperFood...

Q: I have a large fruit garden here in Florida with many mango trees, avocadoes, guavas, and other tropical fruit. Last year hurricane Irma and flooding killed a few avocado trees, but mangos and guavas survived OK, but the sad part is, very few flowers this year and almost no fruit setting. I noticed on your website your Superfood and Sunshine-Honey boosters that supposedly help fruiting? But I am afraid it is too late now as your instructions say first application must be in early Spring? I wish I discovered earlier that my trees wouldn't want to fruit this year...

A: First of all, it is never late to give the food! You may start applications of SUNSHINE products at any time of the year. The best results will be achieved once you treat your plants on regular basis throughout the whole year cycle of metabolism.
Couple weeks ago we started harvesting our 2 guava trees. These two are the same variety (Variegated Honeymoon), planted within 20 ft from each other and growing in the same conditions. The only difference was, one was treated with SUNSHINE-Honey and SUNSHINE-SuperFood, and another one didn't get any treats in order to have a control plant.
Results are very interesting, see the picture. Both trees were heavily covered with fruit. However the one with treatments developed fruit that is much larger, much sweeter and juicier, and the most interestingly - with less seeds, almost no seeds!
To answer your question: yes, you can start feeding your fruit trees right now. It is still a Springtime. Many mango varieties have late season; even early varieties may delay their fruiting if flowering triggered by miscro-elements. Guavas have very long season and most varieties can have multiple crops throughout Summer-Fall.
Here is a simple and affordable feeding schedule to help your fruit garden recover from last year hurricane stress, and establish reliable production:
1) SUNSHINE-E - for boosting metabolism - once a month
2) SUNSHINE-Honey - for bringing sugars to the heart of the tree and boosting fruit sweetness and quality - now and in 2 weeks
3) SUNSHINE-SuperFood - for overall health, recovering from hurricane and fixing root damage from flood - now and every 2 weeks throughout warm season.
4) You may apply regular balanced fertilizer NPK as usual (we apply once a month, a handful per in-ground tree)
It's that simple. Just try and watch your trees produce again!

Check out all SUNSHINE boosters... We offer FREE shipping on them, so you can make your plants happy!

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