Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

The sunny show-off hummingbirds love

Caesalpinia mexicana - Mexican Bird of Paradise

🌞 The sunny show-off hummingbirds love

🌞 Caesalpinia mexicana - Mexican Bird of Paradise - the sunny show-off you didn't know you needed. Many gardeners have popular and more common common Bird of Paradise Caesalpinia pulcherrima, with red flowers, but this one is rare in gardens.
🌞 While most Bird of Paradise plants rely on looks alone, this one ups the game with fragrant blooms. From spring through summer, it's covered in butter-yellow flowers that stand out against soft, feathery foliage. Hummingbirds love it, and when the blooms fade, it makes woody seed pods that snap open like nature's fireworks.
🌞 It's native to northern Mexico, which means it handles heat, sun, and dry conditions without a fuss. You can grow it as a compact shrub or let it stretch into a small tree. Either way, it’s easygoing, low-maintenance, and beautiful all season.

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Sclerochiton harveyanus - Mazabuka, Blue Lips

👄 Blue lips smell like violets

💙 Sclerochiton harveyanus - Mazabuka, or Blue Lips blooms with quirky blue-to-purple flowers that really do look like lips. And in the tropical plant world, blue flowers are rare. And they are lightly violet-lavender-fragrant!
💙 Even better? It's a total shade lover. No need for blazing sun - this beauty is happy to bloom in the cool, leafy spots of your garden.
💙 Loved by bees and birds, and just the right mix of weird and wonderful.

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Ipomoea sinuata - Alamo Vine

🌞 The morning glory that sleeps in? Alamo Vine - the noon-blooming mystery

💮 Ipomoea sinuata - Alamo Vine or Woodrose isn't your average morning glory.
💮It's a fast-growing, very fine vine with feathery, soft-textured leaves that look like they belong in a fairytale.
💮 And its white pretty blooms? They're a little rebellious! Opening around noon instead of morning, then closing again before sunset.
💮 Perfect for trellises, fences, or even a container if you want a vine with personality. Attracts butterflies and bees.
💮 It's fast, it's different, and it's ready to cover a small fence or trellis.

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🍒 Health benefits of a simple plant: Coral bean

Don't let the tough, thorny branches fool you - this native plant has a long history of traditional use. While the seeds are poisonous, the young leaves and flowers have been safely cooked and eaten in small amounts by various cultures.
Traditionally, Erythrina herbacea - Coral Bean has been used in folk remedies for calming the nerves, easing muscle pain, and even promoting better sleep.
Modern science hasn’t fully explored these uses yet, but the plant contains alkaloids that may have sedative and muscle-relaxing properties. It's a reminder that even rugged native plants can carry powerful natural potential.
As a bonus, Erythrina herbacea is also beautiful and beneficial in the garden, drawing in hummingbirds and butterflies with its vibrant pink flowers - hummingbirds can't resist this wild bloomer! It grows well in poor soil and dry conditions - low effort, high reward!

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