Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 11 Jul 2024

Avocado  fruit  on  a  tree

Five most popular Avocado varieties

Food Forest

"What is the best variety of Avocado?"
"Do you have the one with small black fruit and bumpy skin?"
"I have avocado with very large green fruit, what variety is it?"

These are frequently asked questions we get from our customers. This basic "classification" by black/green doesn't encompass all the wonderful qualities avocados have to offer. There are numerous hybrids in cultivation, and once you plant your first tree and taste the REAL fruit (not from the grocery store), you'll be eager to explore other varieties. While it's true that avocado fruit can vary in "butter" content, most superior varieties are equally delicious. First comes first -

The most popular Avocado varieties this year are:

1. Brogdon - red-purple pear-shaped fruit, 7-15 oz. Skin is very thin, yellow buttery flesh. Fruit ripens in late summer-fall. Very cold hardy.

2. Hass - probably the most popular, but this tree prefers drier climate (Florida is humid, so we plant adaptable Florida Hass here). The fruit is dark-colored with a rough and bumpy skin, turns black when ripe.

3. Fuerte - a dwarf and a very cold hardy variety. Everybody's favorite "Condo Avocado": perfect for container culture and small yards. The mature tree in the ground is under 15 ft; 6-7 ft in containers.

4. Oro Negro - Oro Negro means "black gold" in Spanish, which is an incredibly appropriate name for this fruit. This Monroe hybrid (with big size fruit) is crossed with a Mexican type which would explain the black skin. The flesh is rich and buttery with a creamy texture.

5. Winter Mexican - one of most cold hardy varieties, Guatemalan x Mexican origin. Mature trees may withstand temperatures in the mid 20s. Oblong fruit, 12-18 oz, thick green skin. Very vigorous tree, bears heavily and regularly in December-January.

Learn more: Avocado Variety Guide - check this out for interactive chart of Avocado varieties and sort them by flower type A or B, tree habit, fruit shape and quality, cold hardiness, origin, season and more!

Avocado  Hass

Photo above: Avocado Hass

Avocado  Fuerte

Photo above: Avocado Fuerte

Avocado  Oro  Negro

Photo above: Avocado Oro-Negro

Avocado  Winter  Mexican

Photo above: Avocado Winter-Mexican

Date: 3 Jul 2024

American  flag

Celebrate Freedom on Happy 4th!
- Independence Day Sale ending soon -

Feel Free to Fill Your Yard!

Independence  Sale  plants  collage

Feel FREE to fill your yard with plants you ever wanted for your garden - at the lowest prices. Hurry up, only one day left! Choose from over 100 varieties of rare tropical plants specially priced for this Independence Day:

BLUE TAG SALE $9.95 >> SHOP

RED TAG SALE $14.95 >> SHOP

Check out our BOGO DEALS and Shipping discounts and make it a steal!

While supply lasts
Deals expire July 4, 2024
No minimum order
Max order: 2 plants per variety per order (for shipped orders)
Local pick up - no limit!

Independence  Sale  plants  collage

Independence  Sale  plants  collage

Date: 27 Jun 2024

Celebrate America with
Independence Week Sale!

Independence  Week  Sale  Cat

Celebrate the birthday of our great Country with Top Tropicals Independence Week Sale! Finally get all the plants you ever wanted for your garden - at amazing prices! Choose from over 100 varieties of rare tropical plants specially priced for this week:

BLUE TAG SALE $9.95 >> SHOP

RED TAG SALE $14.95 >> SHOP

Feel FREE to shop away! Take advantage of this unique opportunity to enhance your garden with tropical beauty. But remember, this sale lasts only ONE WEEK, so hurry to get your plants and plant them during the best time of the year - hot summer! This is the ideal time to establish your plants quickly and ensure they become strong before winter arrives.

Check out our BOGO DEALS and Shipping discounts and make it a steal!

While supply lasts
Deals expire July 4, 2024
No minimum order
Max order: 2 plants per variety per order (for shipped orders)
Local pick up - no limit!

Eranthemum  pulchellum  -  Blue  Sage,  Lead  Flower

Eranthemum pulchellum - Blue Sage, Lead Flower
See more $9.95 deals

Malvaviscus  x  penduliflorus  Variegata  -  Summer  Snow

Malvaviscus x penduliflorus Variegata - Summer Snow
See more $14.95 deals

Tithonia  diversifolia  -  Sunflower  tree

Tithonia diversifolia - Sunflower tree - only $9.95!
See more $9.95 deals

Independence  Week  Sale  Cat

Tabernaemontana Flore Pleno, Crape Jasmine - only $14.95!
See more $14.95 deals

Date: 22 Jun 2024

Pineapple Season started!
The most luscious Hospitality Fruit

Pineapples

Pineapple plant (Ananas comosus) produces a delicious fruit treat and is a fascinating plant to grow.

King of fruits. Pineapple is often referred to as the "king of fruits" (along with Durian and Mango). It is cherished for its sweet and tangy taste, refreshing qualities, culinary uses, and health benefits, including high vitamin C content and digestive enzymes.

Bromelain for healthy guts: pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain that can break down proteins and is often used as a meat tenderizer. It's great for digestion; eat 1 slice of pineapple after every meal to maintain healthy digestive system.

Single fruit per plant: each pineapple plant produces just one pineapple per year.

Growth time: It takes about 18-24 months for a pineapple to mature and be ready for harvest.

Symbol of Hospitality: in many cultures, pineapples are a symbol of hospitality and welcome.

Those are berries! A pineapple is formed from many individual single fruit (technically, berries), which fuse together around the core.

Cultivation. Pineapples are easy to grow. They need very little water to thrive, and take full sun, shade, semi-shade. For faster production, fertilize with SUNSHINE boosters Ananas - Pineapple and Bromeliad Booster. Perfect container plant, Pineapple can be grown indoors as a houseplant. Many superior varieties are available in selection.

Learn more: The most luscious Hospitality Fruit - Pineapple.

Sunshine  Boosters  Ananas

Pineapple