Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 5 Jul 2025

What is the difference between Brunfelsia americana and nitida?

Brunfelsia americana - Lady of the Night

⭐️ What is the difference between Brunfelsia americana and nitida?

  • ⭐️ Brunfelsia americana and Brunfelsia nitida are very similar and both are commonly called Lady of the Night, They are night-fragrant shrubs that bloom with creamy white flowers, but they differ slightly in form and character.
  • ⭐️ Brunfelsia americana grows taller and more upright, reaching up to 12 feet in favorable conditions, with creamy white tubular flowers that release a rich, sweet fragrance after dusk - filling the garden with magic scent.
  • ⭐️ Brunfelsia nitida has a more compact, bushy growth habit, making it better suited for smaller spaces or containers. Its star-shaped white flowers are also fragrant at night, though the scent is typically lighter or spicier than that of B. americana. The foliage of B. nitida is glossier and more refined, adding to its neat, ornamental appearance.
  • ⭐️ While both offer evening blooms and fragrance, B. nitida stands out for its tidy size and formal appeal, whereas B. americana impresses with its height and intense perfume.


📚 Learn more:



🛒 Choose your perfect night-fragrant Brunfelsia

#Perfume_Plants #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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Date: 5 Jul 2025

Bug off! Simple and safe ways to clean your plants

Simple and safe way to clean plants

🕷 Bug off! Simple and safe way to clean your plants

    • 🕷 Got pests? Try this quick, organic fix:


1 cup warm water
  • 1 tsp cooking oil
  • A few drops of dish soap
Mix it up and wipe leaves with a soft cloth or paper towel. Works great for aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and whiteflies.
  • 🕷For sucking insects like scale, you may need a stronger solution, like a systemic insecticide from local garden center. Try products containing Imidacloprid (also safe and found in flea shampoos).
  • 🕷Got sooty mold on leaves? Wipe with household hydrogen peroxide, then rinse.
  • 🕷 SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector works for all kinds of bugs! Fast. Easy. No bugs!


🛒 Stay bug-free with SUNSHINE NoBug - Natural Plant Protector

📚 Learn more:


️How to get rid of pests on Hibiscus?

#How_to

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Date: 6 Jul 2025

Who is Percephone?

Persephone Cat

💻 Who is Percephone?



Meet the PeopleCats of TopTropicals, your guides through our gardens and plant nursery! We have 14 cats at Ft Myers and 12 cats at Sebring location.

Today's guest in the studio is Percephone, who already made an appearance in our earlier posts.

🐈📸 Persephone - the Queen of the Underworld at PeopleCats.Garden 

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Date: 8 Jul 2025

How to grow Dragon Fruit from a cutting - Quick Guide

Dragon fruit, Pitaya - Hylocereus sp.

🌵 How to grow Dragon Fruit from a cutting - Quick Guide

    • 🐉 Get a healthy cutting


    Use a 6-10 inch long stem cutting from a mature dragon fruit plant. Let the cut end dry in the shade for 2-5 days so it forms a callus. This also helps prevent rot and fungus.

    • 🐉 Prepare the soil


    Use well-draining soil - well drained potting mix, Adenium mix, or cactus mix is ideal. Dragon fruit hates wet feet!

    • 🐉 Plant the cutting


    Stick the callused end about 2-3 inches deep into the soil. Make sure it's planted upright (the way it grew on the parent plant).

    • 🐉 Support it


    Add a trellis or post. Dragon fruit is a climbing cactus and needs something to grow on.

    • 🐉 Water lightly


    Water once after planting, then wait until the soil dries before watering again. Overwatering can rot the cutting.

    • 🐉 Give it sun and warmth


    Place in bright, indirect sunlight while it roots. Once established, it can handle full sun.

    • 🐉 Watch it grow!


    Roots usually form in 2-4 weeks. New growth means it's taking off! This is the time to Ferilize it!


🛒Shop Dragon Fruit plants and cuttings

📚 Learn more:


#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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Date: 15 Jul 2025

🔥 Featured: 7-Gal Royal Poinciana

Delonix regia

Bigger Tree, Bolder Start

Our 7-gal Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) is the real deal. Carefully trimmed for strong branching, and ready to burst with tropical growth. Unlike smaller 3-gal plants, this tree already has a well-developed root system, woody trunk, and structural shape. It's ready to anchor your landscape or patio with presence.

While we trim it for safe shipping, this does not set the tree back — in fact, it encourages new lateral growth and canopy development. You’ll see fast recovery and faster flowering in the seasons ahead.

This tree is perfect for:

  • Creating instant tropical curb appeal
  • Adding shade and structure in a small space
  • Getting a head start on future blooms — it matures faster than small plants

Even if you're not in Florida, this 7-gal size brings the bold look of the Tropics — and yes, we'll ship it to you!

Order Royal Poinciana
Royal poinciana flower close up
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