Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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What is coffee made of? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What is coffee made of?

Coffee berries (Coffea arabica)

Coffee berries (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

Coffee beans (Coffea arabica)

☕️ What is coffee made of?

☕️ Coffee beans are actually the seeds of red or purple cherries that grow on Coffee Trees (Coffea arabica). Once harvested, the beans are dried, roasted, and ground to make the coffee we drink. The roasting process brings out the rich, aromatic flavors that coffee lovers enjoy!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Coffee tree is the best gift
Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #2. Coffee Tree
The best Gift plant
The most popular and the easiest tropical fruit tree grown as a house plant

📱GROW your own COFFEE plant - Free Coffee Everyday

🛍 Shop Coffee trees

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts

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Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii

Clerodendrum wallichii

Clerodendrum wallichii

Clerodendrum schmitii

Clerodendrum schmitii

🎈 Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii

📸 Clerodendrum wallichii (left) and Clerodendrum schmitii (right)

🛍 Shop Clerodendrums

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What is the difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What is the difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii?

What is the difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii?

  • ⭐️ The main difference between Clerodendrum schmitii and Clerodendrum wallichii lies in the color of their flower stalk and a slight variation in their growth habits, though both share similar overall characteristics.

  • ⭐️ Clerodendrum schmitii - also known as Chains of Glory or Light Bulb Flower, is a rare species that features elegant white, fragrant flowers held in loose, pendulous panicles. These blooms are showy against the plant's dark green foliage and typically hang down a foot and a half or more. This winter bloomer often has two flowering periods during the season and is distinguished by its striking red stems, adding a touch of drama to its graceful form.

  • ⭐️ Clerodendrum wallichiii, also known as Bridal Veil, has a similar cascading growth habit with fragrant white flowers in loose panicles, which appear around Thanksgiving. The flowers are beautiful, but the key difference is in its green stems. This plant grows up to 7 feet tall and has narrow, pointed leaves. It blooms from fall to spring, preferring to be protected from wind and hot afternoon sun.

  • ⭐️ While both plants feature fountain-like shapes and are covered in flowers during the winter to spring season, the red flower stalks of Clerodendrum schmitii and the green ones of Clerodendrum wallichii set them apart.


🎥 Clerodendrum schmitii - Chains of Glory, Light Bulb Flower.
More pictures in next post ⬇️

📚 More about Clerodendrums in previous posts:

🛍 Shop Clerodendrums

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You need this Cotton Candy. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

You need this Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy

🌺 You need this Cotton Candy

Hibiscus mutabilis Cotton Candy: blooms start as pure white flowers and change color over three days, from white to deep pink, and finally to a dark "blue-pink" hue. The large blossoms, up to 5 inches across, are unique because their color cycle occurs independently on each bloom, creating a stunning display of all three colors on the bush at once!

🛍 Plant Cotton Candy Hibiscus

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Why this plant is called Bird of Paradise. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why this plant is called Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae - Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae - Bird of Paradise

🌈 Why this plant is called Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae
- Bird of Paradise - is known for its striking, bird-like flowers that resemble a vibrant bird in flight. Native to South Africa, it's a popular ornamental plant that thrives in sunny, tropical gardens.

🛍 Plant Bird of Paradise

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Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - Flower

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) - tree

Why Rosita de Cacao is called the Funeral Tree? For how long does its fragrance last?
  • 😇 The Legendary Funeral Tree - Quararibea funebris (also called Rosita de Cacao, Flor de Cacao) got its name from the flower's extraordinary ability to retain its spicy, sweet fragrance for centuries.
  • 😇 These flowers were used in ancient funeral ceremonies, placed in crypts to preserve their aroma for generations. Even today, dried Rosita de Cacao flowers can hold their scent for decades, a testament to their remarkable endurance.


  • History and Legends

    Aztec names: Poyomatli, Xochicacaohuatl, Flor Cacahuaxochitl, Cacaoxochitl.
  • 😇 The species was at one time widespread and growing wild throughout the Oaxaca region of Mexico known for plants used in Shamanism.
  • 😇 Cherished by the Aztecs, the Rosita de Cacao was deeply intertwined with their rituals and daily life.
  • 😇 The flowers, known as Cacaoxochitl or "cacao flower," were blended with chocolate drinks like Tejate, a sacred, energy-rich beverage reserved for royalty and religious ceremonies. This frothy drink combined Cacaoxochitl with other ingredients like cacao, vanilla, and chili peppers to create what the Aztecs called the "drink of the gods."
  • 😇 Legend has it that Emperor Montezuma consumed up to 50 cups of xocolatl daily, infused with Rosita de Cacao, to fuel his energy and passion.


  • Medicinal and Spiritual Uses
  • 😇 The flowers of this tree were not just for flavor - they were also prized for their calming and medicinal properties. Natives used them to treat anxiety, fevers, and coughs, often mixing them with cacao for enhanced effects.
  • 😇 Modern studies suggest the flowers contain lactone alkaloids like funebradiol, which are known for their relaxing properties and are now being investigated for potential medicinal applications.
  • 😇 Beyond its rich history, Rosita de Cacao is an evergreen beauty with creamy white, aromatic flowers and large, leathery leaves. It's a perfect addition to any garden for those who want a piece of history, an enduring fragrance, and a touch of ancient legend.


📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Fruit of Money and Love
Fun Facts: Cacao beans

🛒 Shop Tropical Fruit Trees

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What is the best fruit tree producing in winter. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What is the best fruit tree producing in winter

Loquat flowers

😇 What is the best fruit tree producing in winter
  • 🍑 If you answered the quiz What makes loquats different from other fruits - then you know that Loquat trees flower and produce fruit during the winter months, making them a rare source of fresh fruit when most other trees are dormant.
  • 🍑 Loquat flowers are very pretty! Loquats are relatives of Apples, Peaches, Plums and Pears - they belong to Rosaceae family.


🎥 Loquats are in full bloom in our garden now. The fruit will ripen by April

📚 More about Loquat from previous posts:

🛒 Plant a Loquat Tree

#Food_Forest #Fun_Facts #Loquat

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What are these beautiful trees blooming right now? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What are these beautiful trees blooming right now?

Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree, flowers

💌 What are these beautiful trees blooming right now?

🎈 If you happen to be in Florida during Winter months, you must have noticed Orchid trees in full bloom, and the most beautiful of them - Bauhinia blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree.

📚 More from previous posts:
The best shade tree
The most beautiful of all orchid trees
📱 How to grow Hong Kong Orchid Tree

🛒 Order Hong Kong Orchid Tree

#Trees #Fun_Facts

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How to increase libido? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to increase libido?

Cinnamon - Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Cinnamon - Cinnamomum zeylanicum

💋 How to increase libido?
  • Cinnamon helps increase libido and reduce anxiety, - says the Nutritionist.
  • This spice also has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it is widely used in cosmetology for hair care, enhancing shine and radiance while adding elasticity.


📚 Lean more from previous post:
What is Cinnamon made of?
About Cinnamon
Plants of Love: Aphrodisiacs of the plant world

🛒Grow your own Cinnamon tree

#Food_Forest #Perfume_Plants #Trees #Fun_Facts

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When is the season for the Bleeding Hearts. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

When is the season for the Bleeding Hearts

Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

💔 When is the season for the Bleeding Hearts
  • ❣️ Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) is named for its red and white flowers that look like dangling hearts.
  • ❣️ Native to tropical West Africa, this climber thrives in bright light and can be grown as a houseplant or trained on a trellis.
  • ❣️ It shows off its most spectacular blooms in winter, but with enough light, it'll happily flower year-round.


📚 More about Clerodendrums in previous posts:

🛒Get your own Bleeding Heart

#Butterfly_Plants #Shade_Garden #Fun_Facts #Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden

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