Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 6 Sep 2025

What is Neem and why do millions use it daily? The tree that makes toothpaste and bug spray

Neem Tree - Azadirachta indica

Neem Tree - Azadirachta indica

🌿 What is Neem and why do millions use it daily? The tree that makes toothpaste and bug spray.

  • 💚 Ever notice Neem listed in toothpaste or skin cream? Or even in natural insecticides and garden treatments? What is this tree and why is it everywhere? Neem products come from the Neem Tree - Azadirachta indica, native to India. It's been used for thousands of years in medicine, farming, and daily life.
  • 💚 How can you use Neem?


    Almost every part of the tree has a purpose.

The leaves are brewed as tea, applied to skin for soothing, and used in villages to ward off mosquitoes or protect stored clothes from insects. They are bitter but medicinal, valued for treating malaria and even for lowering blood sugar in diabetics.
  • Dental cure. Neem twigs, thin and pencil-sized, are chewed and used as toothbrushes to strengthen gums and fight bacteria. Today, toothpicks and dental sticks are still made from them.
  • Neem oil for your Garden. The seeds produce neem oil, a natural insect repellent and fungicide for the garden that doesn’t harm bees or butterflies.
  • Bark extracts are used in medicine
  • Ripe fruits are eaten fresh and considered beneficial too.


💚 Why do people plant Neem?


It’s more than a medicine chest. In India, Neem is planted along streets and in villages as a source of shade, air purifier, and natural pest control. One tree supports health, provides garden protection, and even supplies food.

💚 Is it easy to grow?


Yes. Neem tree thrives in hot, dry conditions and needs little care. Once established, it only needs low to medium water and grows well even without irrigation. It can be grown as a street tree, in the yard for shade, or in poor soils where other trees struggle. Hardy, fast-growing, and evergreen, Neem is one of the most practical trees you can add to a tropical or subtropical garden.

🛒 Plant a Neem Tree and Explore Neem benefits

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

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Date: 15 Oct 2025

There is always the garden

There is always the garden

🌳 There is always the garden



"When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden"... [and cats!] - Minnie Aumonier

🐈📸 Cats Timo and Matilda at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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Date: 4 Jul 2019

Super RARE: the Honduran Moon-Torch Cactus

by Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc

The most wonderful, easily growing, giant flowering, fragrant, and floriferous species of Selenicereus I have grown is an almost unknown species called Selenicerius hondurensis.  While its climbing stems are rarely thicker than a Sharpie marker, it's flowers measure 12 to 14 inches across (!), open as the sun is setting, and produce a most incredible fragrance... very rich and spreading thru the area. It smells like a combination of both white chocolate and vanilla. S. hondurensis also develops the most richly colored flowers of the Selenicerei, the outermost petals being a glowing orangey-gold. It's very stunning and provocative!  It flowers magnificently, several times during the summer... Continue reading...

Recommended fertilizers:

Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster
Tropical Allure - Smart-Release Booster

Picture of the actual plants for sale:

Date: 23 Dec 2023

Butterfly Bush: Fast, Pretty, Low Maintenance...

Cassia  (Senna)  bicapsularis  -  Butterfly  Bush

Five unbeatable reasons to plant Butterfly Cassia

Q: I am trying to find some easy flowering shrub to screen the ugly corner of my neighbor's yard, can you suggest something fast growing and pretty?

A: One of our favorite flowering shrubs in Florida is the Cassia bicapsularis, commonly known as Scrambled Egg Bush or Butterfly Bush. It is one of the most desirable plants for the southern landscape. It has all the benefits any gardener may dream of, whether a beginner or an expert:

1. Very fast growing, can screen unwanted views and create a beautiful flowering hedge. Cassia bicapsularis is known for its rapid growth, making it an excellent choice for quickly transforming an unsightly corner into a vibrant and lush area. Its dense foliage and attractive yellow blooms add both beauty and privacy to your outdoor space.

2. Easy to grow, not fussy about soil or water, drought and flood tolerant, cold tolerant. Butterfly Bush is incredibly adaptable and resilient. It thrives in a variety of soil types, is not demanding when it comes to water, and can withstand both drought and occasional flooding. Additionally, it is cold tolerant and can withstand occasional frosts once established.

3. Blooms for many months, featuring especially in winter flowers from Fall to spring. Very pretty, large "sunny" flowers resembling bright yellow butterflies, hence the name. It is a generous bloomer, gracing your garden with vibrant yellow flowers for an extended period, particularly from fall to spring. The large, sunny blooms not only add visual appeal but also attract pollinators, enhancing the ecological balance of your garden.

4. Attracts lots of butterflies. As the common name suggests, the Butterfly Bush is a magnet for butterflies. If you enjoy the presence of these beautiful winged creatures in your garden, planting Cassia bicapsularis is an excellent way to encourage and support butterfly populations.

5. Low maintenance. Butterfly Bush can be trimmed and controlled at the desired shape if needed, but if you have room for a big bush in a full sun area - just let it go and it will form a nice dense bush without any pruning: this shrub is a low-maintenance delight. While it can be pruned and shaped according to your preferences, it also flourishes when left to grow naturally. Its ability to form a dense and attractive bush without constant pruning makes it an ideal choice for those seeking a fuss-free gardening experience.

If you're looking for a fast-growing, low-maintenance, and aesthetically pleasing solution to screen an unsightly corner, Cassia bicapsularis is an unbeatable choice. It ticks all the boxes for a beautiful and resilient flowering shrub in the southern landscape.

A  lady  standing  next  to  Cassia  (Senna)  bicapsularis  -  Butterfly  Bush

"...Without a doubt, Butterfly Cassia became one of my favorite plants during my visit to Florida for Christmas a few years ago. I only wish I could have taken it back home with me to Latvia. If only my windowsill hadn't already reached its greenhouse capacity!.." - Alex Butova.

To see more options for flowering shrubs, check out the reference chart Hedges with Benefits Chart.

See all Hedges with Benefits

Date: 6 Sep 2023

Event Mementos (September 2)

Kristi's  Birthday  Bash  and  Plant  Market  at  Top  Tropicals

Thank you all for making this happen!

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for making our garden event in celebration of our manager Kristi's birthday such a resounding success!

To our wonderful guests, thank you for joining us on that beautiful Saturday and making the day special for Kristi and all of us at Top Tropicals. We hope you enjoyed reconnecting with nature and finding the perfect plants to adorn your gardens. Your presence and the efforts of our amazing Team combined to create a memorable day filled with tropical beauty and inspiration for all.

Top  Tropicals  nursery

A heartfelt shout-out goes to our exceptional Top Tropicals Team, the true heroes behind the scenes. Our dedicated People and PeopleCats , who generously shared their knowledge and passion, guided you through the nursery, and helped you select the perfect plants. They are the ones who work tirelessly to ensure every plant thrives, nurturing our garden with love and care. Their unwavering dedication was particularly evident in the incredible recovery of our garden after Hurricane Ian last year. Today, you witness its beauty once again, renewed and flourishing, thanks to their hard work and commitment.
These People are: Kristi, Jamie, Onika, Tony, Chiane, Mark H, Mark M, Ed, Beatriz, Aurelio, Mick... (see Our Team).
The PeopleCats are: King, Snitch, Sushi, Loki, Paisley, Josephine... (+10 more at Garden Center and 9 more at B-Farm! See all PeopleCats)

Here are a few pictures from the past event, and please visit Event Mementos page to see all of them!

Kristi's  Birthday  Bash  and  Plant  Market  at  Top  Tropicals

Kristi's  Birthday  Bash  and  Plant  Market  at  Top  Tropicals

Kristi's  Birthday  Bash  and  Plant  Market  at  Top  Tropicals

Kristi's  Birthday  Bash  and  Plant  Market  at  Top  Tropicals

The  Robuster  and  a  cat

Top  Tropicals  Garden  Event