Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 6 Nov 2018

Elephant Foot Yam seed production

TopTropicals.com

Q: Very interesting information about Amorphophallus in your recent newsletter! (which I always enjoy BTW). I would like to purchase those fresh seeds, and I have a couple of questions. Did you have to hand pollinate that flower? I've heard it is not easy to set a fruit. Also, is this an edible variety?

A: From Mark Hooten, the Garden Whiz. These Elephant Yam seeds were produced as a result of hand pollination between two different Amorphophallus paeoniifolius plants grown from entirely different sources. Both plants over ten years old. One corm originated from a traditional Chinese market here in Ft. Myers, while the other came from a Hindu market in Naples. As both were being sold for eating (the prepared corms of the sweet types are a popular Asian vegetable), we know they are of the "sweet" type, not the acrid type which is the commonest in cultivation. The flowering occurred this last April, with the fruit spike maturing in October which is very fast considering it may take up to a year to mature this fruit!
The flowering image shows three different flowers all emerging from a single clump of the Chinese plant which has developed over the years, each flower being a couple of days apart. This is the plant which made the fruit-spike, one of its flowers having been hand pollinated by the Hindu store plant on the other side of the property. Notice all of the large blue flies swarming the fully mature and very stinky flower!

Check out Fresh seeds of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius. Only a few packs left!

Date: 3 Aug 2018

Featured Plant. Monstera deliciosa - Swiss cheese plant

TopTropicals

Monstera deliciosa - Swiss cheese plant

Swiss cheese plant is a jungle climbing relative of the philodendron from Mexico and Guatemala. It is seen in gardens in tropical and subtropical areas, growing well in partial sun or shade. The plant begins bearing fruit after three years. The large deep green, cone-like fruit is actually an unripened flower spike, covered with hexagonal scales that dry out and separate as the fruit ripens from the base upwards, revealing the white pulp. It takes a little longer than a year to mature to an edible stage. The fruit tastes kind of like a cross between a sugar apple and a pineapple. Very perfuming smell and taste! It's so amazing, can't figure the consistency, but totally a pineapple sugar apple cross... But wash the black specks off before eating - they will sting your tongue.

Check out this plant...

Date: 19 Oct 2025

Much more than fancy flowers: discover the many faces of hibiscus

Hibiscus varieties

🌺 Much more than fancy flowers: discover the many faces of hibiscus

  • 🌺 When people think of hibiscus, they usually picture the "fancy hibiscus" - those dazzling hybrids of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis with wild color blends and exotic shapes. These varieties, often grown in pots or as showy houseplants, are famous for their tropical flair. But while they steal attention, there's far more to the hibiscus world than the exotic hybrids alone.
  • 🌺 The fancy hibiscus types can be a bit demanding: they prefer full sun but dislike extremes, need consistent feeding with liquid fertilizer and microelements, and require close watch for pests like mealybugs. Growing them in containers makes it easier to manage water, soil, and weather. With the right care, they’ll reward you with spectacular blooms, though not every variety flowers year-round.
  • 🌺 Beyond the showy hybrids lies a whole family of hibiscus species that deserve just as much admiration - if not more. These include tough, easy-growing, and even edible types that thrive in the landscape with minimal care. Many are cold-hardy, pest-resistant, and bloom for months. Some are used for teas and salads, adding both flavor and color to your kitchen.
  • 🌺 This season, several flowering standouts worth discovering include:



❓ What is your favorite Hibiscus plant?

🛒 Explore Hibiscus species and varieties

📚 Learn more:


#Hedges_with_benefits

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 1 Jan 2022

Easy Sunday Morning Deals: Five Tropical Garden favorites for 2022

Saving on your favorite plants is Easy. Easy like Sunday Morning...

"...The ticking of the hands of your watch are telling you how time is passing away, never to return. Listen to it..."
Ryan Holiday, Daily Stoic

Tropical Colors for the New Year

This New Year, resolve to add color into your garden and into your life.

Today we feature five Tropical Garden favorites for 2022.

1. Bolivian Sunset

Gloxinia sylvatica - Bolivian Sunset. Low growing perennial that will always surprise you with a sudden burst of scarlet blooms in Fall-Winter.

2. Dwarf Tibouchina

Tibouchina lepidota - Jules Dwarf. So much purple for such a small compact plant! Relatively cold tolerant.

3. Tropical Hydrangea

Dombeya seminole - Tropical Rose Hydrangea. All time favorite that blooms for several months from Fall through Winter.

4. Cranberry Hibiscus

Hibiscus acetosella - African Cranberry Hibiscus. Super fast growing colorful shrub with beautiful flowers and edible leaves.

5. Burgundy Thread

Alternanthera dentata - Red Thread Burgundy. Ultimate fast growing groundcover for sun or shade, any soil and any water, any size of garden, cold- and heat-tolerant.

The Easy New Year Deal expires at midnight Sunday, January 2nd, 2022.
Enjoy your Hot Deal!

Date: 20 Oct 2025

11 tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement

Tropical fruits to eat instead of taking a fiber supplement

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