Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 1 May 2024

What is the flower of the most expensive perfume?

Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca

Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca - white flower Alba

Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca - white flower Alba

Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca

Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca

Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca

Champaka, Joy Perfume Tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca

🏵 What is the flower of the most expensive perfume? Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree. It is the fragrance the most expensive perfume Joy is made of, and our signature flower!

The flowers from this tree - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca - are used to make the world's most expensive perfume 'Joy' and smell like fruity bubble gum 🎀... you can't stop sticking your nose in this flower!

👼 Sacred tree of India and SE Asia
flowers exude a divine fragrance that is exceedingly pleasing to the Gods... and women

🌳 Perfect small landscape tree of a columnar shape. Ideal for containers.

🌡 Relatively cold hardy

💎 Rare collectible, a gem of any plant collection!

📚 Learn more about Champaka

🛒 Shop Champaka - Joy Perfume Tree

#Perfume_Plants #Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Trees

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 29 Apr 2024

How to grow the biggest fruit on Earth

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

🍐 How to grow the biggest fruit on Earth.



Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is one of the most fascinating tropical fruit, as we showed earlier.
  • 👉 In spite of reputation being ultra tropical, the tree is not as cold sensitive as everyone believes. Mature trees can withstand light frost for a few hours without significant damage. Keeping Jackfruit in a pot is also an option in colder areas.
  • 👉 The fruit is so large and heavy that the tree has a smart feature to produce only at the base of the trunk. This makes it possible to keep Jackfruit tree at very short height - 6-7 ft tall. It can be grown in containers considering regular topping/pruning.


🔻 Secrets of Jackfruit successful production:
  • 📍 Frost free temperatures
  • 📍 Soil rich of organic matter (compost, manure, peat moss)
  • 📍 Moist soil and regular watering
  • 📍 Constant pruning and keeping under 7-10 ft
  • 📍Regular application of fertilizer, microelements and SUNSHINE-Honey supplement for better quality fruit.


🎥 Videos: of the fruit and of the

🛒 Shop Jackfruit trees

#Food_Forest #How_to #Nature_Wonders

JOIN 👉 @TopTropicals

Date: 19 Apr 2024

How to grow your own Olive Oil

Olive Tree - Olea europea

Olive Tree - Olea europea

How to grow your own Olive Oil



Olive trees are:
  • 🔹 Easy to grow
  • 🔹 Heat- and drought-tolerant
  • 🔹 Beautiful in landscape
  • 🔹 Symbol of Prosperity
  • 🔹 Source of excellent superfood - Healthy Olive Oil


📚 Learn how to grow your own olive tree

🛒 Shop Olive trees

#Food_Forest #How_to

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 28 Dec 2024

How to eat a papaya?

🍴 How to eat a papaya?



😂 Cut it open, scoop out the seeds (they're not part of the fun), peel off the skin, and chop it up. Now enjoy the tropical sweetness – no passport required!

🎥 Or, if you are desperate and have no time for prep – do it like Cash in the video!

📚 More from previous posts:


Why do we love Papaya?
How easy to grow is Papaya tree?
Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #4 Papaya
Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #6. Papaya
How to have fresh Papaya fruit year around
Top 3 most wanted Papaya varieties
The truth about Papaya
Papayas contain a secret enzyme

🛒 Shop Papaya trees

#Food_Forest #PeopleCats #How_to #Papaya

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 12 Jan 2025

How to protect tropical plants in Winter

Winter tips and podcast

Photo above: wrapping plants with frost cloth

Winter can be tough on plants, especially on tropical varieties. But with a little preparation, you can protect your garden and keep your plants safe from the cold. Here's how:

Winter Care Tips for Tropical Plants

Cut watering: Reduce watering to prevent root rot. Cold + wet = dead roots.
Water before frost: Thirsty plants are more vulnerable. Water them before a cold night to prevent damage.
Wind protection: Wind is more harmful than temperature drops. Plant near structures like houses or trees for shelter.
Prepare for long cold periods: If cold weather lasts for hours, use all available protection, including Christmas lights and propane heaters.
Don't use dry fertilizer in winter: Heavy fertilizing encourages tender growth, which is more susceptible to cold damage. Sunshine Boosters liquid fertilizers are safe to use year around as their intake is controlled by reduced watering.
Use fabric covers, not plastic: Plastic can cook plants in the sun, while fabric allows better ventilation.

Protecting  tropical  plants  in  winter  with  covers

Photo above: we cover our plants in the nursery with a thin synthetic fabric (sintepon) called "frost cloth" or "strawberry cloth". It is light, breathable and allows light and water to go through unlike plastic that creates heavy water pockets.

Prepare for Cold Nights

Wrap plants: On cold nights, cover individual plants or trees with sheets or blankets to shield them from wind chill.
Use Christmas lights: A simple string of lights can add extra warmth, protecting your plants during frosty nights.
Use propane heaters: For added warmth in a larger area, place a propane heater near your plants. Make sure to follow safety guidelines and keep the heater at a safe distance from flammable materials. This can help maintain a few extra degrees of warmth, especially in more open garden spaces or temporary greenhouses. Always ensure proper ventilation to avoid harmful gas buildup.

Protecting  tropical  plants  in  winter  with  heaters

Photo above: we use both propane and kerosene heaters at the nursery

Large Collections? Build a Temporary Greenhouse

Affordable winter greenhouse: For large plant collections, you don't need an expensive greenhouse. A mobile carport with plastic or fabric covering, costing around $200, can house up to 100 plants!

Protecting  tropical  plants  with  temporary  greenhouse

Photo above: Temporary wrapping around plant collection with a plastic or frost cloth protects from a windchill. It may also win you a few degrees even without a heater. In this particular case, according to our temp sensors, with 30F outside, it was 41F inside this "dome", no heaters used.

Southern Exposure and Garage Storage

Southern windowsills: Compact tropicals can thrive on southern-facing windowsills, getting plenty of sunlight during the day.
Move plants inside: If you have larger collections, move them into a well-lit garage for the colder nights or longer periods.

Protecting  tropical  plants  in  winter  with  Christmas  lights

Photo above: using Christmas lights around plants while wrapping with frost cloth.

Key Factors for Survival

Cold duration: Tropical plants can survive brief cold spells but long durations, even above freezing, can be deadly.
Wind-chill: Wind chill can be harsher than the temperature itself.
Exposure: Southern-facing slopes hold heat longer, making them ideal for your plants.
Humidity: Proximity to lakes or oceans can create a milder micro-climate.
Gradual temperature Drops are safer. Plants adjust better to slow temperature changes than sudden cold blasts. Gradual cooling allows plants to prepare, reducing the risk of damage.

Protecting  tropical  plants  in  winter  with  plastic  greenhouse

Strengthen Plant Hardiness

Health and maturity: Well-established, healthy plants are more cold-hardy.
Boost plant immunity: Use products like SUNSHINE-Epi to improve cold resistance. Apply it before and during cold snaps to protect your plants.
Healthy plant is hardy. Make sure to fertilize your plants on regular basis - healthier and stronger plants are more cold hardy.

With these steps, you can protect your plants and help them survive the winter months. Stay warm and keep your garden thriving!

Podcast with Horticulturist Mark Hooten:
How to Protect Tropical Plants in Winter

Protect  plants  in  winter  podcast