Date: 4 Dec 2020
Musa ensete Maurelli - Red Abyssinian Banana
by Onika Amell, tropical plant expert
Q: I am looking for a colorful, tropical plant with in particular, coarser texture, to add to planting beds next to my decks and around my swimming pool. Any suggestions? I am located in St. Petersburg, FL.
A: Consider incorporating some fast growing Red Abyssinian Banana, also known as wild banana or Ethiopian banana. This is a fantastic ornamental from East Africa and an excellent choice to create a tropical feel and to add coarse-textured foliage. This plant is not a true banana and therefore does not produce any edible fruit. American gardeners were rather slow to discover this enormous perennial, but finally woke up to them over the last decade to a point where they now are considered to be one the most beautiful ornamental banana plants for the landscape and for good reason...
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Date: 13 Jun 2024
June 15: join us for our
Summer Plant Market Extravaganza!
Saturday, June 15, 9 am - 4 pm
Hi there! Rain or shine, we're ready to make it a day to remember with fantastic deals just for you:
30% OFF online prices, one day only!
(excluding those in 15 gallon sizes or larger).
Gift bags - arrive early! The first 25 customers will receive a
special gift bag!
Secret Garden: Super savings area 50-70% off
$5 and $10: Discover many plants available at just $5 and $10.
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation
Reminder: Father's Day June 16
Bring your Father with you and load up with presents of garden goodness!
Event discounts valid at both locations:
Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL
Don't miss out on this opportunity to transform your garden and stay cool this summer. We can't wait to see you there!
Kristi @ Top Tropicals
Date: 8 Nov 2024
Mark your calendars: December 14, 2024
Holiday Plant Market
Saturday, December 14, 9 am - 4 pm
Save the date! Join us on December 14 for our Holiday Plant Market!
It's the perfect time to find unique holiday gifts in our Tropical Wonderland, where lush greenery and vibrant blooms replace snow. Discover a stunning variety of tropical plants, from fragrant flowering shrubs and rare vines to fruit trees and spice plants - ideal for holiday giving!
Enjoy amazing deals with plants starting at just $5 and $10, plus receive a free plant with every purchase. Our plants have grown big and beautiful over the summer. Bring friends and family to explore, and let our friendly PeopleCats help you find the perfect plants. Celebrate the season with us in full tropical style - we can't wait to see you there!
Highlights of the event:
30% OFF online prices, one day only!
(excluding 15 gallon material and rare plants)
$5 and $10 plants
Raffle
Free plant with any purchase as a token of our appreciation
Event discounts valid at both locations:
Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm: 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL
Date: 20 Oct 2025
11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement
🍑 11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement
- When we think of tropical fruit, we picture sweetness, sunshine, and exotic flavors packed with vitamin C. But beneath all that juicy goodness lies another gift: dietary fiber - quietly working to support digestion, feed the gut microbiome, and help keep blood sugar steady.
- Avocado leads the pack among tropical fruits for fiber content. One creamy, ripe fruit can provide around 10 grams of fiber, roughly a third of an adult’s daily need. And there’s more to avocado than fiber - it’s also rich in healthy fats, micronutrients, and that silky texture everyone loves.
- Other tropical fruits bring their own kind of fiber strength. Guava delivers up to 9 grams per cup, plus a burst of vitamin C.
- Mango offers about 3 grams in half a fruit, especially when eaten with some of the skin.
- Pineapple, though not always seen as a fiber powerhouse, still contributes around 2 grams per cup, along with bromelain, the enzyme that helps digestion.
- Jackfruit’s fibrous pulp makes it another standout - it’s so meaty, it’s even used as a plant-based substitute in savory dishes.
- Sapote fruit (Mamey, Canistel) and Sapodilla add fiber with a smooth, custard-like texture.
- Adventurous tropical varieties like Annona (custard apple, soursop) may not top the charts in fiber numbers, but their soft, fibrous flesh still adds value: about 1.3 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit.
- Bananas contain both soluble and insoluble fiber; the soluble part (mainly pectin) helps control blood sugar and appetite, while the insoluble fiber aids regularity.
- Mulberries are rich in insoluble fiber, especially in their skin, supporting digestion and promoting healthy bowel movements.
- Dragon fruit offers a mix of soluble fiber in its juicy flesh and insoluble fiber from its tiny edible seeds, which help support gut health and feed good bacteria.
These fruits aren’t just delicious - they help you meet your daily fiber needs in ways that are far more enjoyable (and sustainable) than taking supplements. And when home gardeners, farmers, or tropical communities grow and share them, it’s a double win: nutrition and tradition hand in hand.
✔️ Tropical fiber power: tips for getting more fiber from tropical fruits
- ⏺Eat whole, not juiced. Most of the fiber is in the pulp, skin, and seeds. Juicing removes much of that goodness.
- ⏺Mix it up. Tropical fruits are great, but balance them with legumes, whole grains, nuts, and veggies for a full fiber range.
- ⏺Take it slow. If your diet is low in fiber, increase gradually to avoid bloating or discomfort.
- ⏺Drink plenty of water. Fiber works best when paired with hydration.
- ⏺Mind the ripeness. Unripe fruits can have more resistant starch, another form of fiber.
- ⏺Get creative. Toss tropical fruits into smoothies, salsas, breakfast bowls, or even desserts - a tasty stealth-fiber strategy.
🛒 Plant a fruit tree to harvest your fruit tomorrow
📚 Learn more:
Tropical fruit health benefits guide - what fruit and edibles can help with health issues and vitamin deficiencies, Part 1 and Part 2.
#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover #How_to
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
Date: 24 Oct 2025
Guava beats banana in the potassium game
🍉 Guava beats banana in the potassium game
- 🍉Everyone talks about bananas when it comes to potassium, but guava (Tropical Guava - Psidium guajava) quietly beats them! One cup of guava packs around 688 milligrams of potassium, compared to about 450 in a banana!
- 🍉Potassium is essential for strong bones, steady blood pressure, muscle function, and a healthy nervous system. Adults need between 2,600 and 3,400 mg daily, according to the National Institute of Health - so adding guava to your fruit bowl is a smart move.
- 🍉Guavas are common across the tropics - from Mexico to the Caribbean - with green or yellow skin and beautiful pink or off-white flesh. Sweet, aromatic, and easy to grow in warm climates, guava is one tropical fruit that truly earns its place in the garden and on your plate.
🛒 Your body needs potassium - your garden grows it on guava tree!
📚 Learn more:
- Six guava varieties that will keep you picking year-round
- How to grow a Guava Tree: Practical Guide to Growing Guava
- More about #Guava
#Food_Forest #Guava #Discover
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals











