Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date:
Top 5 favorite Mango varieties
and Top 10 Condo Mango trees
How to chose the right variety of a Mango tree?
Q: The most Frequently Asked Question about fruit trees: What is your favorite Mango variety? Which mango varieties are the best? Help me to make a choice!
A: As we mentioned on our Introduction to Mango Varieties page, there are thousands of named mango cultivars available. Similar to the classification of avocados (see our Avocado Variety Guide), mango trees can be selected based on your specific needs. These needs can include tree size and growth habit, disease resistance and hardiness, and most importantly, fruit characteristics such as taste, texture, size, color, storage ability, juice and sugar content.
We are currently working on a comprehensive Mango Variety Guide and will be sharing it
with you soon. In the meantime, below are a few tips on selecting the right mango tree.
NOTE: all of the Mango varieties we offer are FIBERLESS!
Top 5 Favorite Mango we just love!
1. Alphonso - the best Indian cultivar in terms of sweetness and
flavor. One of the rarest varieties and sought after - sweet large juice fruit. Coconut-like flavor.
2. Maha Chinook - Many
consider it the best mango had ever tasted. Very rare mango variety from Singapore. This variety is semi-dwarf and great for pot culture. Nam Doc Mai close relative.
3.
Fralan - Super reliable producer and hardy tree. Green fruit, sweet and
juicy. Fralan means "Thunder" - as the fruit cracks when peeled.
4. Fruit Cocktail -
Flavor is an amazing palette of different fruit, with citrus, pineapple, and guava notes.
5. Nam Doc Mai - It's not just us, everyone loves this Mango!
The most popular variety: semi-dwarf and great for pot culture. Eaten green or ripe, a Thailand favorite. It is hands down the most sought after of the Asian mangoes and for good
reason.
Top 10 Dwarf "Condo" Mango
1.
Mallika - condo mango native to India. Among the best of the new generation of Indian dessert mangos. Intensely sweet, rich and highly aromatic flavor with hints of citrus and melon.
2. Ice Cream - far and away the most popular of the "condo mangoes." Flavored like the name. The tree can easily be maintained at a height of just six feet (!) making it ideal for container growing.
3. Julie - the most popular variety in Jamaica and many other Caribbean islands because of
its rich, sweet, coconut/pineapple-like flavor. It is a dwarf cultivar, great for containers, but keep in mind it's very cold sensitive, don't plant it in the ground if you get freeze in winter.
4. Okrung - Thai compact cultivar,
fruit eaten while green. The fruit is traditionally served in Thailand in combination with sticky rice. One of the most popular varieties in Thailand. The fruit is very sweet, with the highest sugar content.
5. Pickering - great for pot culture. It has a bushy, compact growth habit, and can be maintained in a container at just six feet (!). The fruit has a firm
flesh with a fantastic coconut/mango flavor.
6. Nam Doc Mai - The most popular variety for pot culture, we already mentioned in our favorites above.
7. Cogshall - an ultra compact grower. Suitable for container growing on a balcony, or planting in a suburban backyard. It can easily be maintained at just eight feet tall, and it will still produce a good size crop year after year. The fruit is very colorful and has a mild, sweet flavor. It is also fungus resistant.
8. Carrie - the flavor
is by far the most outstanding. It has absolutely no fiber and extremely rich in flavor, sweet, aromatic and a pure pleasure to eat. You will savor every mouthful! Its compact size makes it an excellent dooryard tree.
9. Diamond - It has a great taste very similar to Nam Doc Mai. Very compact, of a dwarf habit, great as condo mango.
10. Keitt - the best all-around late mango. It is very productive, good-flavored, and disease resistant. It also has a very long and late season. The compact tree is semi dwarf that bears 4-5 pound goliath fruit!
Photo above: Pim Seng Mun mango tree is a reliable and heavy producer.
Top 5 recommended vigorous growers and reliable producers
1. Glenn - Excellent eating quality, consistent production, and effortless to grow.
2. Pim Seng Mun - extremely productive mango.
3. Sweet Tart - New patented variety - exclusive offer.
4. Fruit Punch - Multi fruit flavor, delicious!
5. Orange
Sherbet - One of the best new varieties for backyard growing. Flavor is sweet citrus-orange and less lemony than Lemon Meringue mango. The tree is moderately vigorous.
Top 5 exotic varieties for rare fruit collection
Now that you have decided to collect them all but have limited space, these are the top 5 of the most interesting rare cultivars:
1. Kar Lon Long -
rare and unusual, native to India. Fruits that can weigh up to 5 lbs each! The unique flavor that has been described as being a cross between a mango and a pineapple.
2. Mun Kun Si - similar to Nam Doc Mai but much bigger. Rare variety, very popular
among Thai and Vietnamese people. The fruit are extremely sweet, fiberless and somewhat crunchy ("Mun" means crunchy). Very late producer, fruit may still be on a tree as late as January.
3. Pina Colada - very sweet, has rich flavor with a hint of coconut and pineapple.
4. Ugly Betty - awesome mango, great sweet flavor, while the fruit is real ugly! Slightly mis-shaped at the top - hence the name.
5. Giselle - from Zill's breeding program and was a seedling of a mango called Tower. It was described as a juice mango and is named after Gary's wife.
Photo above: preparing mango seeds for planting - growing seedlings for future grafting.
Date:
🌳 Why Large Grafted Trees Are Better
These are not seedlings — they’re grafted trees, which means you get the true variety with known flavor, quality, and performance. Large grafted trees give you a real head start:
- Already mature with a strong root system.
- Handle transplanting and weather shifts with ease.
- Can bloom and fruit in the first or second season.
No guessing, no waiting years — you’ll get the exact fruit you want, sooner.
-
👉 Learn more: How long does it take for a mango tree to bear
fruit?
For Indoor and Patio Growers
No space for a full orchard? You can still grow your own tropical paradise! Our large grafted Condo Mango trees adapt beautifully to big containers on patios, balconies, and sunrooms. They stay compact, flower sooner, and can fruit even in pots when given good light and warmth.
-
👉 Learn more: What are the Condo Mangos?
Bring the tropics indoors — move your tree outside for summer sun, then back inside before frost. It’s the perfect way to enjoy homegrown fruit wherever you live.
Give your garden a smart start this season. Large grafted Mango trees are ready — but only for a short time before winter.
👉 Plant now, harvest sooner, and enjoy the true variety!
Plant Care Tips by Top Tropicals Plant
Expert Tatiana AndersonLarge grafted Mango trees are easy to establish.
- Soil: Well-drained, rich mix — avoid heavy clay.
- Water: Deeply once or twice a week after the tree is established; keep soil evenly moist during the first few weeks after planting.
- Light: Full sun or bright patio spot.
- Feeding: Use balanced fertilizer Sunshine Boosters Mango Tango with every watering and Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months for steady growth.
- Protection: Cover on cold nights for the first winter.
- 👉 Learn more: How to take care of a mango tree in winter.
Plant once, care lightly, and your tree will reward you with fast growth and early fruit.
🌳 Big Trees, Local Pickup Only
For our local gardeners, we have something special. Extra-large 15- and 25-gallon Mango trees. These are full, mature specimens that simply can’t be shipped, but they’re perfect for local pickup or delivery.
Instant Impact and Faster Fruit
These trees already have strong trunks, big root systems, and start blooming next Spring. Plant one in your yard and it instantly looks like it’s been there for years.
Delivery and Installation
We offer local delivery and professional installation for large trees in the nearby area. Our team can bring the tree to your garden, position it correctly, and help with planting and setup.
👉 Contact us to arrange delivery and installation for your 15- or 25-gallon tree.
Limited Availability: Quantities are small, and these big trees go fast — once sold, they won’t be available again until next growing season.
"Large grafted trees give you a head start — they’re stronger, settle in faster, and can reward you with fruit the very next season," says Tatiana Anderson
🎥 Watch Short Videos:
Date:
Top 5 butterfly attractors
"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,
it became a butterfly"
Chuang Tzu (Taoist philosopher)
In the photo: yesterday we watched a butterfly born on one of our Champaka trees!
Q: What are the best butterfly attracting plants for a Southern garden?
A: If you love butterflies and if you enjoy
having nature around your home, then plant a butterfly garden. Florida is a perfect place to create a year round and
fully functioning butterfly garden. Caterpillars, which transform into
butterflies, require special kinds of plants to feed upon and these plants grow
extremely well in the South Florida and other subtropical areas. Below are the
top five winners that butterflies appreciate the most. Besides, remember That
all yellow flowers are attractive to them, for example Cassias. Butterflies like the Sun and everything that looks like the
Sun!
1. Calotropis
gigantea - Giant milkweed, Arka
2. Odontonema
cuspidatum - Firespike
3. Plumbago
auriculata Imperial Blue
4. Rondeletia
leucophylla - Panama Rose
5. Asclepias
curassavica - Red Milkweed, Butterfly Weed
Read more about Butterfly garden:
The Milkweed and
the Monarch, how to raise your own
Musings of a butterfly gardener about the milkweed bug
Plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds
In the photo: Odontonema cuspidatum - Firespike
Date:
NEW
VIDEO:
ABC7 Fort Myers News:
Butterfly plants at Top Tropicals
Butterfly plants... what can be more romantic and sweet in your garden!
Watch the news segment by Rachel Anderson for ABC-7: Butterfly plants at Top Tropicals.
"...Spring has sprung, and if you're looking to spruce up your
garden, Top Tropicals in Fort Myers has you covered! They have hundreds of exotic
plants, fruit trees, fragrant flowers and plants that will attract
butterflies to your garden!
If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift, plants are gifts that keep
on giving!.."
In the photo: Butterfly plants display in Top Tropicals office. Come and see our large selection of butterfly attractors in the nursery!
Subscribe to our Channel:
Stay updated with TopTropicals Videos by subscribing to our channel at YouTube.com/TopTropicals and get our latest video news of what is fruiting and blooming!
In the photo: Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle - a garden favorite, hardy, fast growing vine. Jasmine-sweet scented flowers attract butterflies, and hummingbirds, and berries attract birds!
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Attracting butterflies
Q: How to attract more butterflies to my garden?
A: Attracting butterflies to your garden can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to help you create a butterfly-friendly environment.
1. Choose the right plants: Butterflies are attracted to nectar-producing flowers such as milkweeds, butterfly bushes. Plant lots of bright flowers, especially of yellow and pink colors like some cassias which seem to be the pleasant to butterfly's eye. Use a variety of flowers to attract different species of butterflies. This is a full list of butterfly-attracting plants.
2. Provide food for caterpillars: Butterflies lay their eggs on specific host plants that caterpillars will eat. For example, monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed. Passion flower is also a great butterfly host, but be prepared to sacrifice some leaves!
3. Provide a water source: Butterflies need a source of water to drink from. A shallow dish or birdbath with rocks in it will provide a place for butterflies to rest and drink.
4. Avoid using pesticides: Pesticides can harm butterflies and other beneficial insects. Try using natural methods to control pests in your garden, such as companion planting and hand-picking.
5. Create a sunny spot: Butterflies love warm, sunny spots. Plant your butterfly garden in an area that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
6. Add a butterfly house: A butterfly house can provide shelter for butterflies during bad weather and at night.
In the photo: Odontonema callistachyum - Lavender Butterfly Bush. Showy bright lavender flowers, butterfly attractor. Blooms in both sun or shade.
In the photo: Tecomaria capensis Apricot - Hammers Rose, Apricot Tecoma, Cape Honeysuckle. Very fast growing, it has attractive, light green foliage and frequent displays of long, tubular flowers that may be apricot or orange at the ends of the stems. Great for a privacy hedge that attracts butterflies!
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💞 Cassia or Bauhinia?
Looking for a small tree that blooms like fireworks but still fits on your patio? We hear this question all the time at Top Tropicals: Cassia or Bauhinia? Both are tropical showstoppers, but they shine in very different ways.
🌞 Cassias: Sunshine Fireworks
Cassia trees are some of the most rewarding tropical bloomers you can grow. Fast-growing, free-flowering, and surprisingly cold-tolerant, they thrive in full sun and summer heat. Their bright clusters come in shades of yellow, orange, pink, red, and even multicolor blends. The famous Rainbow Cassias show swirls of coral, gold, and rose on the same tree, creating a living fireworks display.
For gardeners in warm regions, these trees become spectacular focal points in the landscape. In containers, compact yellow forms like Cassia didymobotrya (Popcorn Cassia) and Senna alata (Empress Candles) stay manageable and bloom freely through summer.
Cassias can also be grown in pots with pruning and patience. Once mature, they reward you with breathtaking color that turns any patio or pool deck into a tropical show. Most showy cassias (numbers correspond to the photos in the collage above):
- Cassia bicapsularis (Butterfly Bush) - is a fast-growing, low-maintenance shrub covered in bright yellow, butterfly-like blooms from fall through winter.
- Cassia x natalensis (Rainbow Cassia)
- Cassia grandis (Red cassia) - a medium size tree having profuse blooms of dark pink to crimson flowers throughout the Spring.
- Cassia didymobotrya (Popcorn Cassia), small tree producing golden-yellow flowers with a distinct scent of peanut butter that open from brown buds in late summer and autumn. Similar to Senna alata (Empress Candles)
- Cassia roxburghii (Ceylon Senna) - graceful tree with spreading, drooping branches appearing to be overweighed by its wealth of clustering red blossoms.
- Cassia x nodosa (Pink Shower) - is a spectacular medium-sized, fast-growing tree with cascading clusters of fragrant pink-and-white appleblossom blooms in spring and summer.
- Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) - to many tropical gardeners, the most beautiful of cassias with masses of bright gold flower clusters appear on almost every branch.
- Cassia javanica (Apple Blossom) - dazzles with dense clusters of pink-to-white blossoms that change shades as they bloom, creating a spectacular display that lasts for months.
"Cassias love the heat and sunshine," says Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert. "They are perfect for anyone who wants big bursts of color and doesn’t mind giving them space and light to grow."
Bauhinia Magic: Orchid-Like Blooms in a Compact Size
Bauhinia orchid trees: top left – Bauhinia acuminata (Dwarf White Orchid Tree), middle left – Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree), bottom left – Bauhinia monandra (Napoleon’s Plume Orchid Tree), top right – Bauhinia madagascariensis (Red Dwarf Orchid Tree), and bottom right – Bauhinia tomentosa (Yellow Orchid Tree)
Bauhinia trees known as Orchid Trees, bring a touch of tropical luxury to any space. Their butterfly-shaped leaves and orchid-like blossoms appear in shades of red, pink, purple, white, and yellow, often lasting up to ten months a year. Bauhinias are ideal for gardeners who want nonstop color in a manageable size. Most species grow well in large pots and bloom young, often within the first season.
The following compact varieties stay neat and flower almost continuously in warm weather:
- Bauhinia madagascariensis (Red Butterfly Orchid Tree). Blooms from winter through fall, up to 10 months a year. The most cold-hardy of all.
- Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree). A large tree in the ground, but compact in pots if trimmed. Grafted trees flower right away. Winter bloomer, cold hardy to light frost.
- Bauhinia tomentosa (Yellow Orchid Tree). Flowers from Winter through Summer, cold hardy to light frost.
- Bauhinia acuminata (Dwarf White Orchid Tree). Blooms from summer through winter. Less cold hardy.
- Bauhinia monandra (Napoleon's Plume Orchid Tree). Almost everblooming with the longest flowering period. Less cold hardy.
The Hong Kong Orchid Tree is especially prized because it is sterile and produces no messy seed pods, keeping patios clean. Grafted Buhinia blakeana trees begin blooming while still small, making them perfect for containers or tight spaces.
"Bauhinias are generous bloomers," Tatiana explains. "They respond beautifully to regular feeding and full sun. If nights turn too cold, just move the pot to a sunny porch - they’ll keep their tropical charm most of the year."
Give them full sun, regular fertilizer, and a well-drained mix such as Sunshine Abundance, and they will reward you with months of vivid blooms. When nights turn too cold, simply move the pot to a sunny porch or bright window. Bauhinias adjust beautifully and keep their tropical grace year after year.
🎥 Watch Short Videos:
💲 Special Offer – 20% off Cassias and Bauhinias!
Get 20% OFF Cassias and Bauhinias with code
RAINBOW2025
Min order $100. Excluding S/H, valid online only, cannot be combined with other offers.
Hurry, offer expires October 30, 2025!
Mango Rainbow tasting table-2: whats the taste of that Mango variety?
Mango Rainbow tasting table
We've had another mango tasting table and asked participants to describe the taste in a few words. And this is what we got:
- 🟠 Haden - mild, melting, classic heavenly mango flavor,dark yellow flesh, almost fiberless.
- 🟠 Ugly Betty - opposite to the name, the taste is excellent , juicy, melting, sweet.
- 🟠 Cotton Candy - true candy, fiberless, sweet, melting.
- 🟠 Madame Fransis - dark orange pulp, slightly fibrous, robust, meaty like a steak, good with cognac. A little pulpy but unique flavor.
- 🟠 Diamond - bright yellow, fiberless, sugary, juicy, no pulp at all, classic mango taste, good with ice cream, "wow" taste!
- 🟠 Pickering - zesty, waterfall: all the flavors come at once, eat with White wine and/or a cake. Oval fruit somewhat flat, very large for a dwarf tree!
- 🟠 Baptiste - hint of citrus, melts in your mouth, dark orange flesh, crisp, eat with Red wine and cheese.
- 🟠 Florigon - creamy, buttery, spicy. Eat with Ice cream!
- 🟠 Tommy Atkins - has a bit zing to it, perfect consistency, perfect taste. Super colorful, crimson red to purple skin!
- 🟠 Nam Doc Mai - gold standard! Perfect every day.
- 🟠 Carry - tastes even better than all others, smooth buttery, lite!
❔ What Mango varieties have you tried this year?
Share in comments 👇
📝 Previous post: Mango Rainbow Tasting Table
🛒 Shop Mango varieties
#Food_Forest #Mango #Mango_Rainbow
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Date:
10 secrets of growing a perfect Mango tree
Grow Your Own Food
How to grow a healthy and productive mango tree?
1. Right variety. Select a vigorous grower for
in-ground planting, or a condo mango cultivar for growing in container. More info on varieties.
2. Soil must be well-drained. If planted in the ground, plant on a
little elevation (see How to plant a tree)
3. Full sun is a must. The more sun, the more flower and fruit.
4. Water. Keep mango tree on a dry side, water young trees regularly
but let top of the soil dry before next watering. Mango trees don't like wet
feet.
5. Air circulation is important for mango tree to eliminate
diseases. Allow enough space from other trees and buildings.
6. Fungicide. Mango leaves are very susceptible do fungal issues,
especially in humid climates likу Florida. Spray fungicide (Copper or similar)
according to the label, once a month.
7. Fertilize year around with every watering with liquid fertilizer
Sunshine
Boosters Mango Tango. Apply Micro-elements once a month and use other good supplements.
8. Shape. Check out Video:
">Tipping your mango tree - to shape the most vigorous and productive
tree.
9. Protect from hard freeze. Mango tree doesn't take freezing
temperatures well. In subtropical areas Mango can be protected. Alternatively, it can successfully produce in
container, if moved indoors during cold weather.
10. Fruit. Mango tree produces thousands of little flowers, many of
them can set fruit. Do not let a small, young tree to keep more than 1-2
fruit, remove extra, to avoid exhaustion. Allow 2-3 years for the tree to
establish until it produces a full crop. Apply Sunshine Honey supplement to your tree for sweeter fruit.
Top 10 Dwarf Condo Mango - great for container culture
Mango Cogshall
Mango Ice Cream
Mango Julie
Mango Okrung
Mango Pickering
Mango Nam Doc Mai
Mango Mallika
Mango Carrie
Mango Diamond
Mango Keitt
- 🟠 1. Cogshall - an ultra compact grower up to just eight feet tall, will still produce a good size crop. Very colorful and has a mild, sweet flavor. Fungus resistant.
- 🟠 2. Ice Cream - far and away the most popular of the "condo mangoes." Flavored like the name. Maintained at a height of just six feet (!) making it ideal for container growing.
- 🟠 3. Julie - the most popular variety in Jamaica and many other Caribbean islands because of its rich, sweet, coconut/pineapple-like flavor. Great for containers, but keep in mind it's very cold sensitive, don't plant it in the ground if you get freeze in winter.
- 🟠 4. Okrung - Thai compact cultivar, served in Thailand in combination with sticky rice. One of the most popular varieties in Thailand. The fruit is very sweet, with the highest sugar content.
- 🟠 5. Pickering - great for pot culture. It has a bushy, compact growth habit, maintained in a container at just six feet (!). The fruit has a firm flesh with a fantastic coconut/mango flavor.
- 🟠 6. Nam Doc Mai - The most popular variety for pot culture. Everyone loves it. Eaten green or ripe, a Thailand favorite.
- 🟠 7. Mallika - condo mango native to India. Among the best of the new generation of Indian dessert mangos. Intensely sweet, rich and highly aromatic flavor with hints of citrus and melon.
- 🟠 8. Carrie - the flavor is by far the most outstanding. It has absolutely no fiber and extremely rich in flavor, sweet, aromatic and a pure pleasure to eat. You will savor every mouthful! Its compact size makes it an excellent dooryard tree.
- 🟠 9. Diamond - It has a great taste very similar to Nam Doc Mai. Very compact, of a dwarf habit, great condo mango.
- 🟠 10. Keitt - the best all-around late mango. Very productive, good-flavored, and disease resistant. Has a very long and late season. The compact tree is semi dwarf that bears 4-5 pound goliath fruit!
📝 See also earlier post: 5 most Favorite Mango Varieties
🛒 Shop Mango Trees
#Food_Forest
🏵 TopTropicals
MANGO VARIETY CHEAT SHEET
How to pick the right mango tree for your yard, Quick Guide
- 🟠 Condo Mango - for containers and small spaces
1. Cogshall - Compact and colorful, with sweet flavor and fungus resistance.
2. Ice Cream - Stays under six feet with rich, dessert-like flavor.
3. Julie - Caribbean favorite with sweet tropical flavor, but very cold sensitive.
4. Mallika - Indian condo mango with rich, sweet flavor and hints of citrus and melon.
5. Carrie - Super sweet and fiberless, perfect for small yards.
📚 More: Top 10 Dwarf "Condo" Mango - great for container culture.
- 🟠 Most popular varieties everyone wants
- 🟠 Most vigorous reliable producers
1. Alphonso - Rich Indian mango with coconut-like flavor, highly prized.
2. Maha Chinook - Rare, ultra-sweet Singapore mango, good for pots.
3. Fralan - Hardy tree with sweet green fruit that cracks when peeled.
4. Fruit Cocktail - Tastes like a blend of pineapple, citrus, and guava.
5. Nam Doc Mai - Most beloved Asian mango, semi-dwarf and versatile.
1. Glenn - Easy to grow, consistently produces excellent fruit.
2. Pim Seng Mun - Super productive and reliable.
3. Sweet Tart - Intense flavor, new and exclusive variety.
4. Fruit Punch - Tastes like a medley of tropical fruits.
5. Orange Sherbet - Sweet citrus flavor on a moderately vigorous tree.
🛒 Select perfect Mango trees and enjoy your own treats
#Food_Forest #Mango #Discover
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