Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 11 Mar 2026

📅 Do Not Miss: March 21 - Spring Equinox Plant Market

🍩 Saturday, March 21, 2026: 9 am - 4 pm

Smokey  the  tuxedo  cat  in  work  clothes  studies  the  Spring  Equinox  Plant 
 Market  poster  at  the  Top  Tropicals  nursery  entrance  while  Sunshine  the 
 ginger  tabby  cat  rides  a  bicycle  balancing  coffee  and 
 donuts.
Sunshine: Smokey, look at me! See what I can do on my bike? I'm practicing to give people what they like: coffee and donuts.

Smokey: You'd be perfect for a Gulf beach cafe. But gardeners don't come here for donuts.

Sunshine: Really? Then why do they come?

Smokey: Some gardeners lost plants to the freeze. Others want trees that will handle winter better. Cold-hardy avocados. Macadamia. Grumichama. And some just come for fun - to see the PeopleCats.


Sunshine: And my charm... and my donuts will make it more fun.

Read more about Smokey & Sunshine

Ft Myers Garden Center: 13890 Orange River, Ft Myers, FL
Sebring B-Farm : 9100 McRoy Rd, Sebring, FL

More Spring Equinox Plant Market details

🌞 Welcome to our Spring Equinox Plant Market, proudly hosted by the PeopleCats of Top Tropicals.

This one feels different.

After Florida’s record freeze, many gardens are brown, trimmed back, or missing a few old friends. We felt it too. And now - we rebuild.

The equinox marks equal day and night. More light ahead. New growth beginning.

And the PeopleCats are ready🐾.

  • 🐱King is back on gate duty - inspecting every vehicle for proper plant-hauling capacity.
  • 😺Paisley is rearranging freeze survivors and new arrivals like a design consultant.
  • 😼Snitch is supervising recovery efforts from a comfortable chair.
  • 😸Persephone is checking under tables for "hidden spring energy."
  • 😻Sushi and Loki are preparing for guided garden tours - recovery edition.

This is not just a plant market. This is the spring reset.

👍 Why You Should Come

It is finally warm in Florida. After several nights of hard freeze, some plants survived - and some didn’t. This event is your chance to see real freeze champions in person.

If you lost plants, you are not alone. If you are ready to plant smarter, this is your moment.

Walk the gardens. See proven winter survivors. Discover cold-hardy fruit trees and resilient ornamentals. Get practical advice about replanting after freeze. This is rebuilding - Florida style.

♥️ What Makes This Event Special

We are featuring:

  • Verified freeze survivors
  • Cold-hardy fruit trees
  • Tough flowering trees and shrubs
  • Replacement plants for damaged landscapes
  • Smart layering ideas for frost-resilient gardens
  • You will see which species handled 25F with wind and multiple nights of freeze - with no protection.

Real-world test. Real results.

Cold hardy fruit favorites include:

Avocado Plant Facts

Botanical name: Persea americana, Persea gratissima
Also known as: Avocado, Alligator Pear, Aguacate, Abacate
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Large tree taller than 20 ftSmall tree 10-20 ftFull sunWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyEdible plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
Get personalized tips for your region

🌸 Cold hardy subtropical flowering trees including:

And many other cold hardy plants

Mexican Bird of Paradise Plant Facts

Botanical name: Caesalpinia mexicana
Also known as: Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Poinciana
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Small tree 10-20 ftSemi-shadeFull sunWatering: Moderate. Water when top soil feels dryYellow, orange flowersIrritating plantFragrant plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short timeSeaside, salt tolerant plant
Get personalized tips for your region

🎉Event Highlights

  • 30% OFF online prices
  • FREE plants with purchase
  • $5-10 specials
  • Exciting raffle prizes

🌳Don't just mow - grow!

Start your food forest, beat rising prices, and plant a future your family will thank you for.

🌿 Friendly Reminder
Just a quick reminder before we go: Sunshine Boosters are still shipping free. If you were thinking about stocking up for the season, now is a great time to do it while the offer is still active.

🛒 Feed your plants

Date: 15 Jan 2021

Healthy Plants: Q&A from Mr Booster

New Boosters for the New Year!
Sunshine Total Feed: Orchidasm and Citron

How to grow everblooming orchids?

Q: I ended up with a large collection of orchids that I was given as presents... They grow well but unfortunately after the showy blooms were gone, I don't see any more flowers, just green leaves. What do I need to do to make them bloom again? Should I fertilize them with Azalea bloom booster?

A: Orchids culture is different from garden ornamental plants. First big difference, they are epiphytes, growing in a loose bark medium rather than soil, and benefit from daily mist. Second difference is a type of fertilizer. You can not use a regular garden fertilizer on orchids, because they are very sensitive to salts. Orchids need special, acidic type of fertilizer, very mild in action.
Luckily, Sunshine Boosters formulas are exactly what orchids need! They are amino-acid based, have very mild formulas, and do not create nutrient lock up (building up salts is one of the biggest enemies of tender orchids).
A new Sunshine Boosters Orchidasm TotalFeed is scientifically balanced orchid food that contains all necessary nutrients, including micro-elements, for healthy, happy, vigorous orchids. It can be used as often as daily with every foliage spray. From our testing experience, after using Orchidasm Booster, orchids not only got happy and thriving - they also bloom more often - up to several times a year, shooting new flower spikes one after another! (while normal blooming cycle for most orchids is once a year). It gets even better - the flower display lasts twice longer!
To enjoy these beautiful flowers year around - treat them with Love, give them some Orchidasm!

See more information with pictures in Sunshine Boosters Orchid Blog

Secrets of a healthy Citrus tree

Q: We planted several citrus trees in our yard - Meyer Lemon, Grapefruit and Blood Orange. The trees came from the store full of flowers and even had a few fruit, but a year after planting - no more flowers! The old leaves are green, but new growth doesn't look healthy, leaves are yellowish and have spots, maybe eaten by bugs (?), and how do we get them to fruit?

A: Citrus plants are not the easiest trees to grow; they are susceptible to various diseases, pests, and deficiencies, especially in areas with high humidity/rainfall like Florida. Fungi, viruses, leaf minors, chlorosis - this is not a complete list of citrus common problems. In commercial groves, these conditions are kept under control by using harsh chemicals on solid schedule.
For home gardeners, growing citrus trees may become a challenge. Many people don't want to use harsh chemicals on their edibles; and those who do, may not always have time to apply treatments on a professional schedule. So as much as we all love a fresh juicy orange, growing your own may become quite a pain!
Sunshine Citron TotalFeed is your simple, eco-safe solution to a healthy looking, productive citrus tree with organic fruit! Amino-acid based formula provides all necessary elements to strengthen the tree and make it resistant to possible problems.
Did you know that treatment of leaf chlorosis (yellow leaves with dark green veins), commonly treated with iron supplements, in fact requires a complex combination of nutrients - both balanced NPK and micro-elements?
Use Sunshine Citron in combination with Sunshine GreenLeaf and Sunshine SuperFood and never see yellow chlorotic leaves again!
Apply Sunshine Epi on regular basis (every 2 weeks) and help your tree boost its immune system and stay virus-free.
Add Sunshine Honey, and you will have large, juicy fruit that are much sweeter and more flavorful than those from the store! All these boosters are compatible with each other, and perfectly natural. Eat your fruit safely and enjoy...

Read more about treating citrus tree defficiencies in Sunshine Boosters Citrus Blog.

Date: 16 Feb 2019

Featured plant. Randia formosa - Blackberry jam fruit

TopTropicals.com

Randia formosa - Blackberry jam fruit

This unique compact plant, perfect for container culture, combines features of a fragrant flower and tasty desert fruit. Kids love it! Originally from Central and South America, this rare tropical small evergreen tree bears fruit which tastes like fresh Blackberry jam. Many claim that it's even better than preserves. Closely related to the gardenia, its flowers are sweetly fragrant. This relatively hardy tropical has attractive foliage and can be grown in a container as well as in the ground. The Randia formosa (or Rosenbergiodendron formosum) produces as many as 25 to 30 fruits at a time. Since it blooms for a few months in the fall and winter, fruiting and flowering can be enjoyed when many other plants are dormant. Large tubular white flowers that attract nocturnal moths... Read more about this plant...

Get it from our store... Limited quanity!

Date: 10 May 2024

5 best plant gift ideas for any occasion

These plants are large, developed and beautiful NOW!

Chonemorpha  fragrans  -  Frangipani  vine

The Chonemorpha fragrans, also known as the Frangipani vine, is truly a botanical marvel. With its exquisite clusters of perfume-fragrant, large flowers and lush green foliage, this vine captivates with its beauty and charm. Not only does it adorn gardens with its elegant presence, but its intoxicating scent also fills the air, creating a sensory delight for anyone nearby. The leaves, reaching up to 12 inches in size, further enhance its appeal. As a large, woody vine, it requires sturdy support such as a fence or robust structure to thrive, adding to its majestic presence in any garden landscape or indoor setting.


Bunchosia  argentea  -  Peanut  Butter  Tree

Bunchosia argentea - Peanut Butter Tree - gets its name because its small fruits taste like peanut butter. Isn't that cool? This attractive small tree has clusters of yellow flowers that are followed by an abundance of dark red fruit. The rich, sweet flesh has a texture very similar to peanut butter. Yes, it tastes exactly like peanut butter! Sweet, soft pulp with a peanut flavor. One of the most fascinating exotic fruits, as amazing as Miracle fruit, Peanut Butter Fruit is loved by both kids and adults. The tree is small in size, grows only 10-15 ft, or can be kept as a bush. It starts fruiting within 2-3 years from seed! Keep it in a pot if you have limited space; it can be grown indoors, too. Very rare in cultivation.


Magnolia  Michelia  figo  -  Banana  Magnolia

Magnolia figo commonly known as the Banana Magnolia, is a botanical wonder. Its creamy yellow, banana-shaped flowers release a sweet, fruity fragrance that fills the air with a delightful aroma (slightly resembling banana), making it a standout among flowering shrubs. The glossy, deep green foliage provides an elegant backdrop to the striking blooms, further enhancing its visual appeal. Growing up to 10 feet tall, this dense and bushy evergreen shrub or a small tree adds a touch of sophistication to any landscape, whether as a focal point in a garden bed or a graceful accent in a container. As a very cold-hardy tropical plant, it thrives in zones as low as zone 8. Great container plant.


Cattley  Guava  tree,  Psidium  littorale

The Cattley Guava, scientifically known as Psidium littorale, is a delightful small tropical fruit tree that adds both beauty and flavor to any landscape. With its pretty round fruits - miniature guavas - this tree offers a unique culinary experience. The fruits boast a sweet and tangy flavor, making them perfect for jams, jellies, and desserts. You can make lots of guava juice just out of one tree! Cattley Guava is not only a tropical delight but also surprisingly cold-hardy plant. Great container fruit tree.


Gardenia  (Kailarsenia)  vietnamensis  -  Vietnamese  Gardenia

Kailarsenia vietnamensis - Vietnamese Gardenia, is a stunning botanical treasure. It stands out for its large, fragrant flowers and remarkable ease of cultivation. Unlike most gardenias that can be not easy to grow, this variety demonstrates resilience, tolerating overwatering, poor soils, and showcasing exceptional cold hardiness. The flowers are like beautiful artworks, and they give off a lovely smell that fills the air. Whether grown in containers or planted directly in the ground, this bushy beauty thrives, offering versatility and charm to any garden or indoor setting. Learn more about Vietnamese Gardenia.

Date: 27 May 2024

A story about John and Kayla and their little fruit tree

👫 🌳 A story about John and Kayla and their little fruit tree.

🍊 What is the best fertilizer for fruit trees?

SUNSHINE C-Cibus:



🔸 helps to produce strong growth, high yield, larger fruit size.

🔸 improves plant health and vigor, and increases crop yield.

🔸 eco-friendly and natural, can be used for edibles and organic gardens. Pollinating insects friendly.

🔸 safe to use in daily feeding with every watering.

🔸 does not affect crop taste.

🛒 Get SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Booster for your fruit garden

#How_to #Fertilizers

🏵 @TopTropicals