Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 29 May 2024

How to grow a happy

How to grow a happy Adenium.

What you need for successful growing Adeniums:

1️⃣ A small pot with excellent drainage, size of root system.

2️⃣ Adenium soil mix. Use only well-drained soil. We suggest this Adenium mix.

3️⃣ Lots of light for heavy flowering. However, in super hot climates, they look healthier in filtered bright light.

4️⃣ Little water. Adeniums like a neutral to hard water. Acidic water tends to sour the soil too fast and may cause root rot.
Water plants preferably in the early morning, and allow them to drink up throughout the day.
Do not water again until soil dries on surface. Never allow your plants to sit in a saucer of water, but don't let them to dry out too often - this causes adeniums to go into early dormancy. Adeniums do not like both over-watering or drying-out.

5️⃣ Fertilizer. To make your plant develop a large swollen base/trunk, you'll need a good quality fertilizer. Sunshine Megaflor provides all the nutrients responsible for both Caudex growth and profuse flowering.

🛒 Shop Adenium colors and hybrids

#Container_Garden #How_to #Adenium

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 13 May 2025

What flower smells like lemons?

Aglaia odorata - Chinese Perfume Plant, Chinese Rice Flower

💐 What flower smells like lemons?

  • 🍋 Aglaia odorata, also known as Chinese Perfume Plant or Chinese Rice Flower, is in full bloom at TopTropicals, filling the air with its pleasant lemony fragrance virtually year-round!
  • 🍋 This tough, low-maintenance plant adds a touch of enchanted magic and delightful scent to your garden.
  • 🍋 Beyond its beauty, Aglaia boasts medicinal properties thanks to compounds like odorine and odorinol.
  • 🍋 It grows into a dense bush without the need for pruning, making it the perfect, cold-tolerant tropical hedge.


🛒
Get ever-blooming, fragrant delight - Aglaia

📚 Learn more:


Replacing a boring hedge witth Chinese Rice Flower: lemony fragrance year around

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits #Remedies

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Date: 10 May 2025

Is Blue Java Banana really blue? Great question!

Ice Cream (Blue Java) Banana - Musa balbisiana x Musa acuminata

🍌 Is Blue Java Banana really blue? Great question!

  • 🔵 The Blue Java Banana, also known as the Ice Cream Banana, really does have a blueish tint when the fruit is unripe.
  • 🔵 It's not bright neon blue, but more of a silvery blue-green or frosty blue tone.
  • 🔵 This cool color is especially noticeable under sunlight and is one of the reasons the variety is so eye-catching.
  • 🔵 Once ripe, the fruit turns pale yellow and has a creamy texture with a vanilla-like flavor, hence the nickname "ice cream banana."


🍌 Ice Cream (Blue Java) is a cold-tolerant hybrid of Musa balbisiana and Musa acuminata, vigorous banana growing 10-15 feet tall and producing 40-60 lb bunches of stout, bluish-skinned fruit with sweet, vanilla-flavored, cream-like flesh that can be eaten raw or cooked.

🆒 Banana #Fun_Facts
  • 🟡Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and supports heart health.
  • 🟡They provide a quick source of energy and are great for post-workout recovery.
  • 🟡The fiber in bananas aids digestion and promotes gut health.
  • 🟡Eat them fresh, add to smoothies, bake into breads and desserts, or use in various savory dishes.
  • 🟡Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.


🛒 Blue bananas exist - and you can grow them!

📚 Learn more:


About #Bananas
What are the best varieties of edible Banana and which one should I plant?

#Food_Forest #Bananas

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Date: 5 May 2025

Is the Sausage Tree from Africa edible?

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata, fruit

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata, fruit

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata, fruit

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata, fruit

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata, fruit

Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata, fruit

🌭 Is the Sausage Tree from Africa edible?



Despite the tempting name, the sausages that grow on the Sausage Tree don't actually taste like the sausages you're thinking of, but... in a nutshell, they are still edible! Let's dive into the details...
  • 🌭The Sausage Tree (Kigelia pinnata, also known as Kigelia africana) is a striking tropical tree native to sub-Saharan Africa, renowned for its large, sausage-shaped fruits that can grow up to 2 feet long and weigh up to 15 pounds.
  • 🌭While the Sausage Tree's fruit is technically edible, it is toxic when raw. To safely consume the fruit, it must undergo specific processing methods:

  • Drying: The fruit is dried thoroughly to reduce toxicity.
    Roasting or Baking: These methods help neutralize harmful compounds.
    Fermentation: In some cultures, the fruit is fermented, often with sugarcane juice or honey, to create traditional beverages like muratina in Kenya.
  • 🌭Even with these preparations, caution is advised. It's essential to consult with local experts or traditional practitioners before attempting to consume Sausage Tree fruit.
  • 🌭Various parts of the tree, including the fruit, bark, and leaves, have been used to treat ailments such as ulcers, skin infections.
  • 🌭In some African cultures, the fruit is associated with fertility and is used in rituals. The tree's presence is often considered auspicious.
  • 🌭Although the Sausage Tree might not be winning any awards for your dinner table, it's definitely a showstopper in the yard. Think of it as the ultimate conversation starter and the weirdest, most fascinating collectible you'll ever grow!


🛒 Grab your Sausage Tree now - impress your guests!

📚 Learn more about Sausage Tree:


Meet the tree everyone's talking about: sausages growing on a tree!

#Nature_Wonders #Trees #Discover

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 4 May 2025

Top irresistible vines for a hummingbird haven

Thunbergia mysorensis - Clock Vine

Thunbergia mysorensis - Clock Vine

Bignonia capreolata - Crossvine

Bignonia capreolata - Crossvine

Tecomaria capensis - Cape Honeysuckle

Tecomaria capensis - Cape Honeysuckle

Passiflora coccinea - Passion Flower

Passiflora coccinea - Passion Flower

Ipomoea - Prince Kuhio Vine

Ipomoea - Prince Kuhio Vine

Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle

Antigonon leptopus - Mexican Coral Vine

Antigonon leptopus - Mexican Coral Vine

Pyrostegia venusta - Flame Vine

Pyrostegia venusta - Flame Vine

🕊 Top irresistible vines for a hummingbird haven. Part 2.



Full list of Hummingbird favorite vines for the previous post
⤴️

Antigonon leptopus - Mexican Coral Vine 📸
Aristolochia - Dutchman's Pipe
Bignonia capreolata - Crossvine 📸
Camptosema - Dwarf Red Jade Vine
Chonemorpha fragrans - Frangipani Vine
Clerodendrums - Bleeding Heart and others
Clitoria ternatea - Butterfly Pea
Combretum aubletii - Monkey Brush Vine
Dipladenia (Mandevilla)
Faradaya splendida - Glory Vine
Gmelina philippensis - Parrot's Beak
Hiptage benghalensis - Helicopter Flower
Ipomoea - Prince Kuhio Vine 📸
Lonicera - Honeysuckle 📸
Mansoa alliacea - Garlic Vine
Pandorea jasminoides - Pandora Vine
Passiflora - Passion Flower 📸
Petrea volubilis - Queen's Wreath
Pyrostegia venusta - Flame Vine 📸
Quisqualis indica - Rangoon Creeper
Senecio confusus - Mexican Flame Vine
Solandra - Butter Cup
Stephanotis floribunda - Bridal Bouquet
Tecomanthe dendrophylla - New Guinea Creeper vine
Tecomaria capensis - Cape Honeysuckle 📸
Thunbergia - Sky Vine, Clock Vine 📸
Turn Your Garden Into a Hummingbird Paradise!

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants #How_to

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