Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 21 Oct 2024

What is camphor made of?

Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)

Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)

🟢 What is camphor made of?

  • 🌱 Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) - is your aromatic ally in the garden!
  • 🌱 This charming relative of the cinnamon tree is known for its glossy oval leaves that can grow up to 5 inches long.
  • 🌱 Not only does it boast a lovely canopy, but it’s also the source of camphor, a fragrant compound used in medicines and mothballs.
  • 🌱 The leaves and branches can be used to create aromatic saunas and medicinal baths, filling your space with a soothing scent.
  • 🌱 This cold-hardy, slow-growing tree is tough enough to withstand various conditions while developing a dense canopy that provides excellent shade.
  • 🌱 Camphor Tree is a delightful addition that brings a touch of nature's fragrance to your home. While it's little known among gardeners, this underappreciated gem deserves a spot in every landscape for its unique qualities and benefits!


🛒 Plant your own Camphor tree

#Nature_Wonders #Perfume_Plants #Trees

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Date: 21 Oct 2024

How to make perfect ground cover: this colorful house plant thrives outdoors!

Iresine, Beefsteak Plant or Chicken Gizzard

Iresine, Beefsteak Plant or Chicken Gizzard

How to make perfect ground cover: this colorful house plant thrives outdoors!

🍀 How to make perfect ground cover: this colorful house plant thrives outdoors!

  • ✳️ Did you know that there is a showy houseplant that makes an excellent ground cover in southern gardens?
  • ✳️ The Iresine, also known as Beefsteak Plant or Chicken Gizzard, is an evergreen perennial that grows up to 3 feet tall. It showcases bright mauve, or variegated puckered foliage that adds a pop of color to any space.
  • ✳️ Perfect for both indoor gardening and warm climate gardens, it thrives in both shady or full sun areas and requires regular water when actively growing, with moderate watering afterward.
  • ✳️ Its striking "Blood Leaf" features purplish-red, oval-shaped leaves with notched tips on vibrant red-maroon stems, forming dense, bushy clumps. It grows fast and spreads fast, making a perfect ground cover.
  • ✳️ You'll find delightful varieties: the traditional Iresine herbstii Acuminata, with its sharply pointed blood-red leaves, and Iresine Aureo-Reticulata, or "Chicken Gizzard Plant," boasting bright yellow-veined, apple-green rounded leaves. And don't miss the Confetti variety, with its leaves sprinkled in green, red, and yellow!
  • ✳️ Whether used indoors or as a ground cover outdoors, Iresine is a colorful choice that deserves a spot in every garden!


🛒 Get Iresine ground cover

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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Date: 17 Oct 2024

Do you have a spot for pure white and elegant?

Bauhinia acuminata - Dwarf White Orchid Tree

🕊 Do you have a spot for pure white and elegant?

  • Bauhinia acuminata - Dwarf White Orchid Tree - is a true gem for any garden! This charming small tree flaunts pure white, orchid-like flowers that bring a delicate beauty to sunny or semi-shaded spaces.
  • Despite its smaller size, it's a standout with its lovely, five-petaled blooms and graceful, rounded leaves.
  • Ideal for compact gardens or even containers, the Dwarf White Orchid Tree creates a tropical, elegant atmosphere while being easy to care for.
  • With its bright, long-lasting blooms, this tree is sure to capture your heart!


📚 Learn more about Orchid trees from previous posts:

🛒 Shop Orchid Trees

#Hedges_with_benefits #Trees #Butterfly_Plants

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Date: 3 Nov 2024

Cat of the month: Persephone - the Queen of the Underworld

🐱 Cat of the month: Persephone - the Queen of the Underworld


  • 🔠ell, well, well... it seems we have a new purrsonality around here! A few days ago, we discovered a mysterious little purrrson living under the TopTropicals office.

  • 🔠id a customer leave her behind? Or was she simply drawn to our PeopleCats paradise? Who can say!

  • 🔠ither way, since she made her grand entrance from the underground, we decided to name her Persephone, after the Greek goddess and queen of the Underworld.

  • 🔠ersephone has come a long way - she finally let us pet her, and now she's taken over the office desk!

  • 🔠he even drools a little when she gets those precious head scratches. Persephone has officially joined our Nursery Team, adding her charm to Customer Service

  • 🔠ome and see our #PeopleCats (including the queen herself!) in purrrrson at our Garden Center in Ft Myers, Florida!

Share your cets in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

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Date: 12 Nov 2024

Why getting bigger plants in bigger pots are a better choice than smaller ones

Why getting bigger plants in bigger pots are a better choice than smaller ones

🏝 Why getting bigger plants in bigger pots are a better choice than smaller ones



Stronger Roots: Bigger pots give roots more room to spread, making them stronger and healthier.
Easier to Establish: These plants adjust more quickly when planted, making them easier to care for.
Faster Growth: Plants will grow faster once planted in your garden, as their larger root systems help them absorb nutrients and water more effectively.
Better Resilience: Larger plants can handle stress, like temperature changes or less watering, better than smaller ones.

🍀 Choosing a plant in 3-7 gallon pot means a healthier, faster-growing plant with less work needed, than for 1 gal plant.
#Trees #How_to

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