Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 3 Oct 2025

Plant for birds: feast for wildlife and people from a tiny vine!

Passiflora suberosa - Corkystem Passion Vine

Plant for birds: feast for wildlife and people from a tiny vine!



Passiflora suberosa - Corkystem Passion Flower: did you know this Florida native passion vine is more than just a butterfly host? Birds love it too - they’ll happily snack on the little fruits and sing you thank-you songs all day long!

And yes, the fruit is edible for people as well! The berries are small, but they make a fun and exotic treat.

The plants has a tiny flower and a tiny fruit – both only about half an inch – but together they create a mighty native habitat.

It's a triple win: butterflies, birds, and people can all enjoy something from this charming little plant. Plus, it’s the larval host for Gulf Fritillary, Zebra Longwing, and Julia butterflies, and its tiny greenish flowers provide nectar all year long. Fast-growing, easy, and full of life – a real gem for any Florida garden.

This vine is delicate and compact, perfect for a medium trellis or climbing a small tree. Unlike the big, aggressive passion vines that can cover a whole fence, this one stays manageable.

This Passion vine is not just charming and wildlife-friendly, it’s also tough as nails. Cold hardy and easy to grow, this native vine takes whatever Florida throws at it – heavy rains, long droughts and heat, poor sandy soils, even total neglect – and still thrives. A perfect choice if you want beauty, wildlife, and resilience all in one little plant.

🛒 Plant this small and tough vine with food and wildlife benefits

📚 Learn more:


What is the sweetest Passionfruit?
How big is Giant Granadilla?
Does Red Passion flower produce edible fruit?
The truth about Passion flower and Passion fruit
Top 20 plants for a Butterfly Haven
Top Eight irresistible vines for a hummingbird haven

#Food_Forest #Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants #How_to


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Date: 2 Oct 2024

Florida Native Plant Sale

Florida  Native  Plant  Sale

One Week Only: Instant 10% OFF

Take advantage of this limited time offer: 10% OFF Florida Native plants! With cooler weather on the way, these hardy plants are perfect for fall and winter planting. They're easy to establish and offer numerous benefits, especially for those in HOA communities.

Why choose Florida natives?

- HOA approved and welcomed
- Adapted to the local climate and soil
- Require less water, fertilizer, and fewer pesticides (if any, thanks to natural insect predators)
- Easy to grow - perfect for beginners - Provide essential habitat and food for local wildlife, including birds and butterflies

Go native and make your landscape thrive!

Florida  landscape

Date: 9 Oct 2023

NEW VIDEO:
Jamaican Hibiscus Tea: what's in it?

Ever wondered what's in your delicious Hibiscus tea? It's made from the flower bracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa, also known as Jamaica Tea flower, Flor de Jamaica, Karkade, or Roselle. To make it, pick ripe red seed pods with swollen calyces after the flowers fade. You can use the whole plant including leaves and flowers, but the best part is those flower bracts.
Enjoy this chilled summer drink, known as Agua de Jamaica, popular in Jamaica, the Caribbean, Central and South America. It's also used in Mexican sangria and as hot or cold tea in the US, with a tart cranberry-like flavor. Studies even show it can lower high blood pressure and has health benefits...
Learn more about Jamaican Hibiscus Tea from our new video...

Agua  de  Jamaica  Tea

Hibiscus  sabdariffa  -  Flor  de  Jamaica,  Karkade  Sorrel

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Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

Date: 16 Jun 2023

NEW VIDEO:
ABC7 Fort Myers News:
Avocado Varieties at Top Tropicals

We continue the series of ABC-7 News on Top Tropicals selections. Previously, we showed you segments about Butterfly Plants, Rare Fruit Trees, and Mango varieties. Today's video is about growing an Avocado tree in your home garden.

Growing your own avocado tree has many benefits. You can enjoy fresh, delicious avocados right from your garden. Avocado trees are attractive, provide shade, and enhance your landscape. There are many avocado varieties to choose from, offering unique flavors, sizes, and ripening times. You will find Avocado trees for sale online right here at TopTropicals.com. Our trees can be shipped to you!

Watch the news segment by Rachel Anderson for ABC-7:
Avocado Varieties at Top Tropicals.

Subscribe to our Channel:

Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

Avocado  trees  in  3  gal  pots

Date: 11 May 2023

Five reasons to give your mother a live plant

Hoya  kerrii  -  Sweetheart

In the photo: Hoya kerrii - Wax Hearts, Sweetheart Hoya, Heart leaf - makes an ideal houseplant. It has become increasingly popular in recent years because of its unusual "heart" shape leaves...

Q: What is the best Mother' Days present?

A: Buying a live plant for your mother is a thoughtful and meaningful Mother's Day gift for several reasons:

1. Growth and Nurturing: Just like a mother's love, a live plant symbolizes growth, nurturing, and the bond between a caregiver and their offspring. By gifting a live plant, you acknowledge and honor your mother's role in nurturing and supporting you throughout your life.

2. Long-lasting Beauty: While cut flowers may fade within days, a live plant has the potential to flourish and bloom for months or even years. It serves as a constant reminder of your love and appreciation, bringing beauty and vitality to your mother's living space.

3. Therapeutic and Relaxing: Gardening has been proven to have therapeutic benefits, reducing stress and promoting relaxation. By giving your mother a live plant, you provide her with an opportunity to engage in a fulfilling and calming hobby that can enhance her overall well-being.

4. Personalized and Thoughtful: Choosing a live plant allows you to select a specific type or variety that holds significance for your mother. You can consider her preferences, favorite colors, or even a plant that carries a special meaning. This personalized touch shows that you've put thought and effort into selecting a gift that resonates with her.

5. Symbol of Renewal and Hope: Plants have a natural cycle of growth, renewal, and resilience. By giving your mother a live plant, you convey a message of hope, renewal, and the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

Some suggestions of live plant gifts

Spice trees and plants - you don't need to wait until it fruits or blooms, the spice is with you right away!
Mango or Avocado tree - a classic present of a valuable tropical tree and a sign of respect
Fragrant plants - 100% success! Ladies love fragrances. Especially Jasmines.
Flowering butterfly attracting plants are so romantic!
Gingers and heliconias - are very tropical looking, exotic beauties.

Aphelandra  sinclairiana  -  Panama  Queen

In the photo: Panama Queen - a very rare, much wanted tropical plant with extremely tropical look, fragrant flowers of unusual color combination: orange and pink