Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 18 Mar 2025

What is in bloom right now?

Bauhinia alba (candida) - White Orchid Tree

Bauhinia alba (candida) - White Orchid Tree

What is in bloom right now?



😡 Orchid trees are among the most spectacular trees in Florida, flowering from late winter through spring. They are fast-growing, not fussy about soil or water, and bloom for several weeks in a stunning display of white, purple, pink, or red flowers.

📸 Bauhinia alba (candida) - White Orchid Tree - the most cold-hardy of all Bauhinias, tolerating temperatures as low as 26F. You can see them in full bloom across Florida right now!

📚 Orchid trees from previous posts:

🛍 Shop Orchid Trees

#Hedges_with_benefits #Trees #Butterfly_Plants

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Date: 1 Jun 2025

Which Champaka tree is better - White or Golden?

✍️ Which Champaka tree is better - White or Golden?



🏆 Golden or White Champaka - Which Tree Should You Choose?
Both the White and Golden Champaka trees are prized for their intoxicating, fruity fragrance - often described as smelling like sweet bubble gum. Their blooms are famously used in the creation of Joy, one of the world's most expensive perfumes. While they share many similarities in scent and beauty, there are key differences between the two.

  • ⚪️ White Champaka - Magnolia (Michelia) x alba (in the video) is a sterile hybrid between Magnolia champaca and Magnolia montana. Because it does not produce seeds, this variety is always propagated through grafting or air layering. One major benefit of this is that grafted White Champaka trees begin blooming right away, even when they are still small. This makes Magnolia alba a more reliable and consistent bloomer from a young age.

  • ⚪️ White Champaka is also more compact and slower-growing than the Golden variety, making it especially suitable for container growing and smaller garden spaces.

  • 🟡 Golden Champaka - Magnolia (Michelia) champaca is the original species and grows from seed, which means it typically takes a few years to start blooming. However, it has an edge in cold hardiness and is more tolerant of cooler temperatures compared to the White Champaka.

  • 🟡 Golden Champaka tends to be more vigorous and taller, making it a better fit for larger landscape plantings where space and height are not limiting factors.


✍️ In Summary:


  • ✔️ Fragrance: Both smell similar - like fruity bubble gum - and are used for perfume.
  • ✔️ White Champaka: Grafted, blooms sooner, compact growth, ideal for pots.
  • ✔️ Golden Champaka: Grown from seed, blooms later, more cold tolerant, vigorous growth.
  • ✔️ Both trees are exceptional choices for Southern gardens. Whether you choose the early-blooming, compact White Champaka or the hardy, golden-flowered original, you'll be adding one of the most enchanting perfume trees to your landscape. Plant both!

See side-by-side comparison of the 2 varieties of Champaka trees in the next post👇

🛒 Plant Champaka trees and always have your own Joy Perfume

🎥 Magnolia (Michelia) x alba, White Champaka
Golden Champaka: video 1 and video 2

📚 Learn more about White and Golden Champakas:


#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden #Trees

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Date: 18 Apr 2020

Fast-fruiting trees

Grafted trees, including Mango and Avocado, will start flowering and fruiting right away

Q: It would be easier for us buyers, if we could search for plants that produce fruit in 2 years or less... I don't have the patience to wait longer than that for fruit. I'm trying to buy for a fairly good sized garden but want some fast growers and fruit produced in 2 yrs. Can you help me out?

A: Fruiting time depends on many factors (growing conditions, fertilizing, and even specific variety), this is why we can not just put a simple icon "will fruit within 2 years". However, most grafted and air-layered fruit trees, including all Mango, Avocado, Loquat, Sapote, Sapodilla, Longan, Peaches and Nectarines - will fruit right away.
If you see in our store "grafted" or "air-layered" in plant description - these trees will fruit soon. Some of them are already flowering and fruiting!

Some non-grafted trees will fruit within a couple of years or even sooner (those from cuttings, root division or even seedlings) - such as: Annona, Artocarpus (Jackfruit), Eugenia, Guava, Banana, Dragon fruit, Mulberry, Blackberry/Raspberry. Banana, Mulberry, Dragon fruit, Blackberry-Raspberry - usually fruit within a year. You may refer to our store directory page for fruit specials.

Also, all spice trees like Bay Leaf, Bay Rum, Allspice and many more - will produce spice for you right away, so you don't need to wait at all!

Annonas start fruiting within 3 years from seed and are the most popular fruit trees for both container culture and small gardens.

This Jackfruit started fruiting on the second year after planting in the ground.

Carambola - Start Fruit - will start producing fruit the same year or next year. We have them fruiting in pots, sometimes as small as 1 gal pots!

Date: 3 Mar 2020

Tu BiShvat - New Year for Trees

By Alex Butova

Tu BiShvat is the Israeli Arbor Day, and it is often referred to by that name in international media. Ecological organizations have adopted the holiday to further environmental-awareness programs. The modern practices and interpretations of Tu BiShvat often revolve around the earth and environment. This holiday is a celebration of nature and appreciation for creating the natural world. In Israel, Tu BiShvat is celebrated as an agricultural holiday. The 15th of Tu BiShvat was celebrated this year on February 10, 2020. This day marked the beginning of a new year for trees. This day marks the season in which the earliest-blooming trees emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. Often the date of Tu BiShvat is used for determining the age of fruit baring trees and therefore establishes their birth dates. Therefore, Tu BiShvat is the "birthday" of trees!

The traditions and customs of Tu BiShvat vary, however, the most common include planting trees and gathering with family and friends for a meal. It is celebrated by eating fruit, particularly the kinds that praise the bounty of the Holy Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, almonds, dates, olives and others. It reminds people that "a man is a tree of the field", and reflects on the lessons we can derive from the botanical analogue.

Check out fruit trees and nuts:

Persimmon tree

Loquat tree

Date: 6 Feb 2025

How to get mango trees to bloom and set fruit

Cat with mango fruit

Q: Is there any way to make a mango tree set more fruit? My mango trees bloomed like crazy last year but most of the flowers dropped and I had only a few fruit. What do I need to do to get more fruit?

A: Mango trees flower from late Winter to Spring, with the peak blooming season varying based on variety. During this time, mango trees produce hundreds of small, fragrant flowers in large panicles. A healthy mango tree can produce anywhere from 500 to 2,000 flowers per panicle. However, only a small fraction of the flowers will be successfully pollinated and develop into fruit, depending on the tree's size and health.

To support healthy flowering and fruit set, mango trees need dry weather, as excessive moisture can inhibit pollination and fruit development. During flowering period, it's important not to overwater, as the tree is less active in water uptake.

Avoid dry fertilizers during flowering since the tree is focused on reproduction rather than vegetative growth. Continue applying Sunshine Boosters Mango Tango liquid fertilizer to support the tree's overall health and vigor which will encourage fruit quantity and quality. Sunshine Boosters deliver essential nutrients in optimum amounts, proportionally to water intake.

Ensuring a dry, sunny environment and mild fertilizer Mango Tango will help the tree set fruit successfully.

Shop Mango Trees

Mango tree flowering

Photo above: Our Mango garden in Sebring, FL is in full bloom now! Early spring in Florida started in January 2025. Surprisingly, all our mango varieties decided to start blooming: - early, mid- and late- season cultivars. It's a stunning view! Check out a short Video.

Photo below: 2024 fruiting trees. We use Sunshine Mango Tango year around.

Mango tree fruiting

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