Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 7 Aug 2024

Florida native plants for Florida and beyond

Florida  Native  Plants

If you live in Florida community with HOA, you may need these plants!

Did you know that we carry Native Florida plants?

At Top Tropicals, we have the biggest selection of tropical plants from around the World, with a special selection of Florida Natives. If you are looking for a particular Florida Native plant, just let us know - we can get them for you, because... we are here in Florida and we know them all!

If your Florida yard is regulated by a Homeowners Association, you may be required to plant native plants or those species on approved list. Why? These policies aim to promote sustainable landscaping practices and protect Florida's unique ecosystems. Although this may seem to limit your choices, there are plenty of Florida-friendly plants to choose from!

In general, native plants are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, making them more resilient and requiring less water, fertilizer, and pesticides. This makes them easy to grow and great for beginners.

Native plants provide essential habitat and food sources for local wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. And Florida flora has a lot to offer for the wildlife!

If you live outside of Florida, our native plants may appear to you as much exotic and rare as those from Asia, S. America or Africa! Let's take a peak at some Natives...

Erythrina  herbacea  -  Coral  Bean

In the photo above: Erythrina herbacea - Coral Bean. Coral trees - Erythrinas are very showy, red-flowering small trees that are perfect for locations with poor soil and limited irrigation, very easy to grow, great butterfly and hummingbird attractors..

Acacia  farnesiana  -  Sweet  Mimosa

In the photo above: Acacia farnesiana - Sweet Mimosa. One of the most useful tropical plants that is very cold tolerant, blooms all winter through spring with honey-fragrant flowers - canary yellow powder puffs, attracting bees and butterflies. Fast growing bushy tree, tolerates poor soils and drought.

Date: 11 Mar 2025

NEW VIDEO:
What Fertilizer to Use and How?

It's springtime - your plants are growing and need more food! Now is the perfect time to fertilize. Our customers have been stocking up on fertilizers and asking lots of questions.
In addition to our recent article What Fertilizer to Use Now and How? Five important keys to healthy plants, we're excited to share this short video on how to use Sunshine Boosters.

Our PeopleCats actively participated in the production with real hands-on (paws-on) involvement. Enjoy the show - and your happy plants!

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Subscribe to Top Tropicals YouTube Channel and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!

Cat  with  fertilizers

Date: 5 Apr 2025

Go Bananas - up to 20% OFF Banana Trees!

Now through 4/15 - Limited Time Only!

Banana  varieties  collage

Banana Health Benefits

Bananas are a powerhouse of nutrition - rich in potassium for heart health, and packed with vitamins B6 and C to boost energy and immunity. They come from fast-growing, easy-care trees that thrive in warm climates or containers. Whether eaten fresh, blended, or baked, bananas are a naturally sweet and tasty treat you can grow yourself!

Ready to turn your garden into a tropical paradise and grow your own delicious bananas? Now's your chance - use our offer below!

A Banana for Every Space and Taste

At Top Tropicals, we've got over a dozen top banana varieties - from exotic ornamental beauties like Blood Leaf and Siam Ruby to edible showstoppers. Edible varieties range from popular, heavy-producing types like Double Mahoi to rare collector favorites like Ice Cream (Blue Java) - the kind you'll never find at the grocery store. We also carry dwarf varieties that grow just 4 feet tall but still produce full-sized fruit - perfect for containers, patios, and small spaces. Collect them all - edible, ornamental, dwarf, rare - and enjoy the fun, flavor, and beauty of growing your own banana grove.

From Collectors to Beginners - We've Got Your Banana

"Growing bananas is like growing sunshine. They bring energy, beauty, and fruit to your doorstep." - said Dr. Richard Campbell, tropical fruit expert and co-creator of the condo mango concept.

Growing bananas is easy, low-maintenance, and budget-friendly. With Sunshine Boosters plant food, these tropical favorites grow fast and can start producing as soon as next season! Whether you live in the South or up North, in a house or an apartment - you can grow your own bananas in the garden, on a balcony, patio, or lanai and enjoy the taste of the tropics at home.

Special Offer

Get instant 10% off all bananas for 1 week only, plus extra 10% OFF sitewide with code below for qualified orders.

Additional 10% off your entire purchase (including any other plants), saving total of 20% on your Banana trees:

GOBANANAS

Min order $150, excluding S/H. Exp. 4-15-25

Hurry, offer ends April 15th!

Banana  Truly  Tiny

Learn More About Banana Varieties:

- Top Ornamental Banana Varieties - Which One Belongs in Your Garden?
- Best Edible Bananas to Grow - Sweet, Unique, and Delicious!
- How Many Banana Varieties Can You Grow? (More Than You Think!)

Sunshine  Boosters  fertilizers  for  Banana  trees

In the photo above: Sunshine Boosters are the best fertilizers for ornamental (Sunshine Robusta) and edible bananas (Sunshine C-Cibus).

Date: 1 May 2025

🌸 Plumeria Power: The Signature Scent of the Tropics

Plumeria  collage

Q: What is the most fragrant variety of Plumeria? Are some colors more fragrant than others? How do you keep Plumeria blooming?

A: From Kristi, TopTropicals Flower Expert: At Top Tropicals, we used to think yellow Plumeria was the most fragrant. That was until we discovered multi-colored hybrids and stunning "rainbow" varieties! These rare beauties are prized not just for their sweet, strong fragrance but also for their dazzling mix of tropical colors.

We just received new arrivals of stunning new Plumeria varieties - but quantities are limited, so don't wait! Choose your favorite colors and bring home the irresistible scent of the tropics.

Plumerias are famous for their rich colors and unforgettable fragrance. With just a few simple steps, you can grow your own blooming tree and enjoy flowers just like in the pictures.

5 simple rules how to grow a fragrant Plumeria

1. Use well-drained soil. Choose a potting mix rich in perlite, bark, and coconut fiber. We recommend Sunshine Abundance professional soil mix for best results.

2. Choose the right container. Use a pot just slightly larger than the root ball to prevent water-logging. Plumeria prefers dry conditions - water only when the soil is slightly dry.

3. Give it full sun. Plumeria needs plenty of light to bloom. If grown indoors, place it in the brightest spot and bring it outside for sunbathing whenever possible.

4. Let it rest in winter. Plumeria drops its leaves and goes dormant during the cooler months. When this happens, reduce watering to a minimum and let the plant rest until new growth begins.

5. Feed it to bloom. Plumeria is a heavy feeder and needs fertilizer to flower well. Use a plant food high in phosphorus, like Sunsine Megaflor Bloom Booster liquid fertilizer. It's safe to use with every watering, all year round.

New Video of Exotic Plumeria Hybrids

Check out different varieties of Plumerias in full bloom. Just look at these colors in this short video !

Date: 10 Feb 2019

Featured plant. Capsicum frutescens - Wiri Wiri Pepper

TopTropicals.com

Capsicum frutescens - Wiri Wiri Pepper

A variety from Guyana, the Wiri Wiri pepper is the illustrious gem; hard sought and rarely found. This plant produces good yields of small 1/2"berry shaped hot peppers. Peppers grow upright, are very hot, and turn from green, to orange, to red when mature. What makes it so much different than any other hot pepper grown in the garden or bought at the store?
Hot? Yes, it is important that hot peppers are, but the people who really know, know that it is not just about heat, it is about flavor! And that is exactly what makes this little red gem so special. Guyanese dinners will only take one of those meals for you to never forget! The secret of their food is the flavor, and one of the cornerstone ingredients in many of their dishes is the Wiri pepper. The Guyanese population claim that it is not just a key ingredient to their diet, but also to why they are so good looking, live so long and have such great skin.

Read more about this plant...