Top Tropicals Plants FAQ - Questions and Answers


FAQ contents:

The TOP frequently asked question

Most frequently asked questions

Orders

Shipping

Our products: Plants, Seeds and more

Cultivation


THE TOP FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

Q: Do you havethis plant/seeds for sale? How much does it cost?

A: If you see a price, we have it for sale. If you don't see the price, we don't have it for sale at the moment.
Click on link "notify me whan available", or use wish-list form and you will be immediately notified as soon as we have it in stock!

If you saw a plant in our Plant Finder Catalog but it is not listed in our store, then the plant profile is for information only.


MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When will you have this plant for sale?

Subscribe to our mailing list (Newsletter) to receive our new arrivals updates, website news and discount coupons. Use wish-list form and you will be immediately notified as soon as we have it in stock.

The plant is marked as poisonous. I have pets, is it dangerous for them?

Unlike humans, animals know better what is good or bad for them. Some plants that are poisonous for humans are harmless for animals. We have had cats, dogs, birds around our garden and nursery for years and never had a case of plant poisoning.

What does "blooming size" mean?

It means, the plant is mature enough for blooming. It doesn't mean the plant will be shipped to you with flowers, although some of them have flowers or buds.

Do you have bigger size plants?

Yes, we do! We can provide larger size plants (7 gal pot and bigger) for custom orders. Please contact us for a custom quote. Delivery and installation available within South Florida. For shipping outside of Florida, due to shipper regulations, we are limited by dimentions to ship plants under 4-5 ft tall (3-7 gal pot size)

When will it bloom?

See answer

When will it fruit?

See answer

Do you quarantee safe transportation?

Can I grow it outdoors in my area?

Most of our plants are tropical or subtropical, suitable for zones 10-11: most areas of FL and CA, as well as HI, PR. Some can be hardy to zone 8-9, and very few (like Mulberry, etc) - to colder zones. This means winter with no freeze. Check your USDA temperature zone.

Some tropical plants can tolerate light frost for a short period of time. They are marked with a "cool temperature" pictogram Subtropical, cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time. Those plants might be also grown in some areas of TX, AZ and other Southern States. Check with your Local Extension Service about specific area. Local Extension Service is FREE! We can not possibly know conditions of all areas outside of our own climate (South Florida). Your local specialists will be able to help.

If you have frost in winter - consideder moving pots indoors or build a greenhouse.
For more information on zone pushing and growing tropicals outside of tropics, check out our Tropical Treasures Magazine - Pushing the limits of tropical gardening.

Can I keep this plant in a pot?

Yes. Start your research with potting instructions.

Can I add item to my order?

Yes. Please contact us with your order #, we'll add items to your order.

Can I pay with a check?

No, we don't accept personal checks

Will you ship to my State/Country?

We ship Nationwide and Worldwide. See shipping destinations

When my order will be shipped?

Please include care instructions

General planting instructions are included with every order, plus you may download them now.

I have a plant business, can I get wholesale prices?

Yes. Please contact us with the list of plants you are interested. Since most of our plants are very rare and in limited quantities, we don't carry wholesale price list, but we offer wholesale discounts based on your order total.

I received my order, but the plant is stressed from shipping. What should I do?

How much water/light I need for this plant?

Refer to Catalog pictograms to determine gereral plant needs.
See Troubleshooting for most common questions and possible problems assossiated with water/ferilizer/humidity/pests.
Contact us if you still have questions and we will be happy to help!

I got a plant, but it died...

See our guarantees and ordering plants in mail information. We accept claims within 3 days after receipt of the plant, and we may request a picture in order to help you. Read Trobleshooting so next time you can make it right. Contact us for more advice.

I want citrus plants!

Due to quarantine in Florida, we are unable to ship citrus plants outside of Florida. Also, we can not ship other plants from Citrus family, such as Curry Leaf (Murraya).


OUR PRODUCTS: PLANTS, SEEDS AND MORE

Plants size

Seeds FAQ

SHIPPING


ORDERS


CULTIVATION



Plant catalog

Q: How do I search in your plant catalog?

A: Type plant name or part of plant name in search field. Common name will work but don't be surprised if search returns many plants with the same common name. If you don't know exact spelling try typing part of the name.

You can also go to main catalog search page, which gives you many advanced search options

Q: I was searching on Google and found picture "abcd12345.jpg". How do I find the plant name?

A: You can do it on image search page.

Q: You have plant XXXX in your catalog, but it's not offered for sale. Why do you put pictures if you don't sell plants? I just wasted my valuable time browsing your catalog!

A: Our online catalog was originally created in 2003 as an information project, a Tropical Plant Encyclopedia. It hasthousands of plantsand is extensively used by people who need information about tropical plants.This information is free.
Plants offered for sale can be found in our online store.


Plants size

Q: I am looking for the following plants in a decent size

A: All plants we sell are big and mature with well-developed root systems, most of them are blooming/fruiting size. Many plants are 1 gal pot size, some are 3 gal. Some plants are already in bloom. Be aware that flowers might drop during shipment, or we may cut them off due to AG regulations (for example shipments to CA). Please refer to Our Products page for more info about our plants.

Q: Are your plants really as big as on your pictures? I have ordered several plants from XXXXXX.com before which are smaller in size and do not have much fragrance. XXXXXX.com carries jasmine sambac. I have ordered this plant twice from them but it did not survive because the plant they sent was very small and not healthy.

A: Please refer to Our Products page for more info about our plants, including their size.

Q: Can you ship me plants with pots?

A: Some plants are shipped without pots because we're tossing off extra soil to save your money on shipping, which otherwise may become more expensive than the plant itself. We have some large plants! More info about shipping process - on Shipping Info Page. Another reason to remove pots is because the packaging is safer without a heavy pot which may result in stem base brake during transportation.
If you need a pot - let us know, we'll include it for free!


Prices and payments

Q: Why shipping is so expensive? What is shipping and handling charge?

A: The shipping and handling charge covers much more than just the cost of the postage. It is a rather long process to prepare plants for shipping so that you will receive them with a minimum of problems. Remember boxes and packing supplies also have cost. This S&H charge in the case of very large and heavy plants, is often not enough, especially when shipped to states like CA, WA, OR, etc - far from Florida where we are. Many customers in CA and other states have noticed that sometimes we lose on S&H.

Check out our FREE shipping options!

Q: I want to cancel my order I placed last week

A: There is a cancellation fee on all cancelled orders, which occurs because of transaction fees with our Merchant Provider. Besides, if your order is already packed, it will be extra handling/cancellation fee. If your order is shipped - sorry, we can't help you, too late. Please don't wait till last minute if you changed your mind to buy a plant. More info about cancellation fees - see order page.

Q: Please send me a total with shipping charges included

A: All information regarding prices and plant size provided in our store for each plant that is currently in stock. Use shopping car to add to see the total, including shipping/boxing charges.

Q: I found this plant in your Catalog and I want it. Please tell me the price including shipping charges and what is the the size of the plant.

A: All plants that are available for sale have price in our store. If the plant is not in store - that means, it's not for sale at the moment. Sometimes plant size may slightly differ from advertised, but most of the time - it's bigger. Our plants grow so fast!

Q: How much the shipping costs will be?

A: Add item to your shopping cart, and press "Add shipping" button to see charges. More info on Shipping Info Page.

Q: I would like to order plant and the $24.95 price is fine, but the $14.00 shipping seems a bit steep. Are there any other options?

A: If you live close by, you may pick up your order to avoid shipping charges and shipping stress.
Check out our FREE shipping options.
We don't "hide" shipping cost inside plant cost. It would be unfair to local customers who buy plants from us. S&H charges are to cover S&H expensces. We try everything to maintain shipping charges at the lowest level. Despite to what some people think we don't make money on shipping, we lose on shipping costs in general.
Consider cost of packaging supplies (and all supplies have to be delivered and these delivery charges are steep as well)
Consider time to pack every plant. They all "non-standard" sizes and can't just be pulled from warehouse shelves and put in a box. Every one has to be inspected and individually packed.


Availability

Q: If you have a color catalog, if you mail it I appreciate...

A: On our website we have the most complete and up-to-date selection

Q : If I email you a list of other plants I'm looking for would you be able to tell me if you can supply on of them?

A: If we have plant in stock, then you can find its price online. See this question as well: Do you have XXXXX plant for sale? How much does it cost?

Q : I am looking for a small tree or bush as a specimen plant that will bloom all year; what do you have???

A: The only plant which reliably blooms all year is a plastic one ;). Everything else blooming on and off. Some plants bloom on and off year around, others only during their specific blooming season. We sell rare plants. They require sometimes extra care (especially, if you want them to bloom) and we just don't want to disapoint you. If you are looking for a specimen plant, then, for example, you can consider Champaca. It has a wonderful frangrance, but it blooms only during summer period.
Brugmansia is another example. See this picture. It blooms on and off all year. Tecomaria Mango blooms probably 10 months out of the year! Also ccheck out our winter bloomers.

Q : Please make a picture of your plants, so I can choose one for shipping

A: We can make pictures of our plants, however, we have no way to to guarantee of shipping "the choosen one". You need to visit our Garden Center to pick it up.

Q : You came highly recommended. Please send me a total for: ... (followed by list of plants that we don't have for sale).

A: Our online store indicates the plants we have in stock. If you don't find a certain plant in our price list - that means, we don't have it for sale at the moment.

Q: I recieved email notification about a plant from my wish-list and I can't find it for sale.Why bother emailing with notification if there is not an adequate supply. You could always put a limit on amount ordered per person so that more customers are taken care of instead of having door shut in their faces!!!

A: We sell rare plants and often have very limited supply. We give everybody an equal opportunity to get a rare plant. Once it is listed on the website with a price - it is sold on first come, first serve vasis. We understand that you wanted that particular plant really bad. So, other people wantedit too. They just snapped itquick, sorry! After we email notification, the wish list record is removed, so make sure to add it to wishlist again and next timehopefully you will be the first one to get it! Add your email to our mail-list so you will be notified right away when we have it back in stock.


Shipping

Q: Do you have any idea what time mail usually arrives? Do I need to sign for the package?

A: We are unable to know when carrier schedules deliveries in you area. You have to ask at your local carrier (except for PayPal orders over $200). But we don't know regulations in your community - if they deliver to your door/house or appartment office, etc. Delivery time is 2-4 days to most destinations (average). We send you a shipping confirmation email with tracking number when the order is shipped.

Q: I sent you an order two days ago and have not had any email confirmation. Did it go through?

A: When you place an order online, both you and we receive order confirmation emails automatically. Please read online payment help for more info. The confirmation email includes a list of ordered plants, costs of plants and shipping, and total amount paid. If you use anti-spam software, make sure to incluse our address in your acceptance list, otherwise you may never receive a confirmation email.

Q: When should I expect my order delivered?

A: Our shipping days are Monday-Thursday. We ship via FedEx (and USPS for HI, PR, VI) which takes 2-3 days to most destinations, so Monday shipments most likely arrive on Wednesday or Thursday. In some states, more distant from Florida (like WA) our customers sometimes get their orders delivered on Friday. For more info - see Shipping Info Page.

Q: Can you ship my order via Express Mail?

A: Yes, we can. If you want your order "next day", please contact us for special arrangements.

Q: I live in Europe and need a small plant. Can you just ship it Fedex Express and don't declare it?

A: No, we can't. All plants have to be declared and proper paperwork (phytocertificate, etc) has to be obtained. All internationally shipped packages will be declared at full purchase price. No exceptions.

Q: Can you ship to APO and US Embassy addresses. These are standard USPS addresses and delivery doesn't cost more than usual mail?

A:We can't ship live plants to military APO address. The main reason is that we don't know where is located. If this is outside of the USA, then we have to comply with live plants export-import regulations, which is complicated and costy procedure. Also, we don't know how long does it take to deliver the plant and if the package will be opened, so we can't guarantee anything. Same is true for US Embassies. It's considered the US territory. However if a country, where the Embassy is located, prohibits importation of certain plantsthen you have to comply with regulations even if you want to grow it inside the Embassy and get it delivered by the diplomatic mail.

Q: I don't want to pay sales tax. I didn't put my state (Florida) in shipping address. Will you figure out correct address??

A: We are required by law to collect these taxes for all orders sent to Florida addresses. If you didn't provide proper state to calculate taxes, then we'll add taxes separately to your credit card. If you're tax exempt then contact us before placing an order and we'll help you.


Possible problems

Q: Do you have a replacement policy?

A: See Our Guarantees. We only can guarantee a good condition of a plant when it leaves our nursery.
If something happens in transportation, it is beyond our control. However, we may send you a replacement with yor next order so we can cover shipping cost. Please contact us in within 3 days of delivery if there is any problem with plants you received.

Q: The parcel was roughly handled by the carrier and some of the branches broke

A: When the package wasn't properly handled, it's beyond our control which is explained in our Guarantees section. We do our best for the best packaging and special labeling ("fragile" sticker). If the damage was not caused by our bad packaging, we can not be responsible for it. Please read more information about shipping procedure and possible problems. Package damage can be claimed with a carrier.

Q: Solanum leaves are not stiff and falling with weak folds

A: Solanums are heavy-drinkers, the plant needs plenty of water daily. It probably got over-dried in shipment. Water well, place in shade and the plant will survive, it's hard-to-kill one. It might drop leaves, but this won't be a fatal sign. Leaves will grow back.

Q: You did not mention what type of soil the jasmine needs, I used cactus soil for that... and the plant is kind of weak, one side is dying, I hope it will recover.

A: Jasmine is not a cactus so cactus mix is not good for it. In fact, we did mention about soil. We have soil recommendations on our website and encourage our customers to get more info before ordering. Soil recommendations are also included in planting instructions (see PDF) that comes with every shipment. You may order our professional potting mix along with your plants.

Q: I received my plant, but it was dead at the top

A: Cut off the dead part of the branch, the plant will grow back from side buds.

Q: About ten days ago I received delivery and one of the plants started showing yellow leaves. I would apreciate your sending me a replacement.

A: According to ourGuarantees Policy, we may replace plants that were badly broken or died during transportation if it was caused by improper packaging. You need to notify us within 3 days after delivery. Once you received a plant - this plant becomes yours. From the pictures provided, the plant looks like it was overwatered. Please refer to our Guarantees section for more information.

Q: What is this dusty or rusty residue on the leaves?

A: Irrigation water may contain calcium and iron. The residue should wash off with few drops of dish soap added water. You may use a very light solution of vinegar, too. After cleaning, rinse the leaves well with clean water.

Q: I received Cassia plant and leaves turn yellow and fall. What shopuld I do?

A: Many legume plants (Cassia, Delonix, Senna) and some other plants (Moringa is well know for it) drop leaves when in stress. Shipping is a big stress. Don't worry. Just make sure to keep it shade, in small pot. Water only when soil is somewhat dyr to touch. Plant will recover.

Q: The tracking page shows package as delivered but I didn't get it

A:It's very important for you to get our shipping confirmation email with tacking number. If your package status is "delivered", then the package was delivered. If you didn't receive it, then here what you should do:

  1. Stop panicking.
  2. Look around, maybe the package was left on your porch, or signed off by office manager. Sometimes, delivery driver idea about safe location is very different from yours.
  3. Contact the carrier right away. They will check with the driver.
  4. Check with your neighbours. Maybe the driver made a mistake. Especially, if you live at 45 Court and 45 Circle is the next street.
  5. If you still aren't able to locate the package, let us know and we'll file a cliam.

Plant cultivation

Q: No blooms but grows like crazy: Beaumontia grandiflora. The plant is doing just excellent in many respects: foliage is dark green and healthy, no visible pests, etc. Problem is that it has never bloomed or even set the firstbud, shows no signs of trying to bloom. It just continues to grow like crazy.

A: The Easter Lily Vine is considered to be a tropical plant, while some people say they are hardy to light frost. However, cold winter or lack of heat/light could be the reason why it doesn't want to bloom. Try to apply bloom-booster fertilizer during hot season (according to instructions, and do not over-fertilize!). Even here in subtropical Florida it is not easy to make it bloom. While in Thailand these plants are almost in every garden and bloom like crazy. We had the 1ft tall plants here blooming in spring, but not all of them. They came last fall from Thailand and overwintered here. One more thing - if it grows leaves/stems like crazy, this means, too much nitrogen. Make sure to use only blooming fertilizer like 10-50-10 First number - Nitrogen, must be low. Lawn (grass) fertilizer shouldn't reach the area where it grows. Try to plant something (ground covers, something heavy feeder and fast growing) underneath the vine. It might "eat" the nitrogen from the soil around...

Q: Can I grow your plants in Zone 7? Why you did not provide zone information in your online catalog?

A: We grow and sell tropical plants. Tropical plants grow in tropics. Tropics are the area with warm climate. Tropical plants won't grow outside of tropics and very limited areas of subtropical climate. Therefore, there is not much sense to provide zone information for tropical plants. Few exceptions are noted in our store as "relatively cold cardy" and have icon in our catalog. Still, these plants can only tolerate short periods of few degrees below freezing, not a "full-scale" snowy winter with a hard freeze. If you want to grow our plants in Zone 7, then you have to grow them in pots and bring indoors for winter.

Q: Can I grow tropical fruit trees in container up North?

A: Most of the indoor plants are tropical or subtropical - which means, they need warm temperature in range between 40-90F. Indoor conditions may be suitable then for almost any tropical plant. However, blooming reqiures lots of light (=energy) - make sure you can provide it. In order for fruit to form, the flowers must be pollinated by insects. Take the plant outside during warm season then move back indoors during the winter. Most tropical trees can not withstand temperatures below 32 degrees for long periods. If you are growing in a greenhouse or fully indoors you will need additional artificial lighting or very sunny window. You will also need to learn how to hand pollinate, although many fruit trees will still fruit without hand pollination.

Q: What specific nutrient breakdowns do sambac like? I have the the grand duke and the maid of orleans....and i use all purpose plant food which is a 16-4-2...

A: Fertilizer with high nitrogen content (first number) promotes growth. It's good for grass or foliage plants, but not for flowering plants. You should use something like 15-15-15 (or similar balanced fertilizer), preferably slow-release. Make sure fertilizer has microelements, especially iron. Alternatively, you can use Sunshine Superfood microelement booster. To promote blooming, use bloom booster soluble fertilizer with high phosphate and potassium content (something like, 15-50-30). Of course, the conditions must be rght for blooming - temperature, sun.

Q: If you have any information on maintaining all the plants that I purchased, please let me know. I live in Upstate NY. I'm hoping to keep them indoors or in a Greenhouse until next spring.

A: Check out our Online Catalog. You can grow our tropical plants indoors or in a green house during winter and treat them as regular house plants. Make sure to provide enough light and reduce watering during winter, and do not fertilize till spring.

Q: Please help! I purchased a Sunshine Tree (aka Erythrina indica-picta) from you which has done excellent until our last 2 hurricanes. Both times it fell to the side, but this time when I replanted and stood it up right, its just looking like its dying. The leave are brown and dry looking and those that aren't are looking droopy and just sad. It came back fine after hurricane, but maybe the pounding wind/rain for a much longer time frame killed it?? Please pass on any tips you can give for reviving - any local fertilizer you can recommend?

A: Erythrina is a very cold-sensitive plant, and what probably happened (besides bending from wind), the leaves got too stressed with chilly wind and the plant sensed it was time to go dormant. Erythrina drops leaves every time when it feels something's wrong. Last year my Erythrina tree was damaged with bugs, and it dropped all leaves overnight. It took it a few months to recover. Another example - now we have Bauhinia monandra tree in our backyard which was severely battered by Frances winds lately. All leaves turned brown. I'm sure it will recover in a while.
Recommendations:
1) Secure the tree with a rope and stakes/rebars (stretch 3-5 ropes in different directions from center of the tree) so it stands vertical.
2) Do not water. It's already too much water from rain. If sprinkler is near by - cap or cover its head. If the tree "decided" to go dormant - it doesn't want to stay wet.
3) Do not fertilize until you see new growth of leaves. Fertilizing of a sick plant may kill it.

Q: I recently purchased a large jasminum sambac and I noticed a tiny spider.

A: Sambacs are susceptible to spider mites. If you suspect your plant has spider mites (or any other unwanted bugs), rinse it off in a hose stream, and you may use any insecticide from Home Depot. Just remember - to keep your plants free of bugs, you have to spray on few times (usually every 10 days for each insecticide kind, according directions included).

Q: How do I get my Champaca tree to bloom?

A: You may try any bloom-booster fertilizer with high Phosphate, like 10-50-10. They sell it in Home Depot for roses, azaleas (doesn't matter). Water soluable is the best action, and we recommend to spray leaves (absorbs faster and better than through roots). But note that if you potted your Michelia in bigger pot or in ground, it needs some time to establish bigger root system. In this case wait for a while and give it a balanced ferlilizer (Osmocote 14-14-14 is my favorite). Sunshine Superfood microelement booster is good for general plant health, too.

Q: I received my plant, I have planted it in the soilless potting mix you recommended. I have watered it appropriately. However, it seems really stressed after the shipping. Do you have any recommendations?

A:

  • Place your plant in filtered light, no direct sun for a week or so - until you see it's stabilized, then you can move it to more sunny location.
  • Do not water until surface of the soil dries a bit.
  • Mist leaves several times a day.
  • Put a plastic bag over the plant, but leave opening for fresh air.
  • If there are yellow leaves, carefully remove them.
  • Even if the leaves drop, the plant should still sprout new growth under the proper care.
  • Talk to your plant and give it your love.

Q: Why do I need to put plants in small pots after shipping?

A: After shipping plantsare stressed; they may havedamaged root hairs from shaking during transit. Such plant can't "drink" as much water as actively grown plant. Stressed plant doesn't growand doesn't need extra soil for growing. A pot, which is much larger than root ball, holds too much water. It may cause root rot - the most common reason for stressed plants to die.

If youpull dead plant out of the pot you will notice plant doesn't have root. Don't rush to phone to call us complaining about shipping plant without root system. It had roots. They simply rot away in wet soil.

Small pot with very loose soil helps. It doesn't hold much water. It allows root system to breath (yes, root system needs air). It much easier to control watering in small pot: water only when soil is somewhat dry to touch. Provide high humidity. High humidity reduce evaporation, so root system doesn't need to work "hard" to supply plant with water. Please remember: more watering is not a substitution for a high humidity. Use plastic bags if necessary.

Again, the smaller is the better. When we recive bare-rooted plants ourselves, we put them in 4" small pots, even large plants. It helps to recover quciker. After you see new growth (leaves and roots) you can mmove plant into a bigger pot.

Q: Please let me know if these plants are suitable for zone 9b. I am on the coast in So Cal and I will be planting them in the ground.

A: All our plants are tropicals and 99% of them won't tolerate even light frost. However, every little area has it's specifics, so we always suggest our customers to contact their Local Extension Service for more agricultural advise about certain plants suitability in their area. We are not able to know every place climatic conditions nationwide... Zone number is a relative characteristic. Too many things must be considered, and every little detail is important: sometimes Southern exposure spot protected from winds in zone 8 is good enough if you cover your plant with a blanket during cooler nights; other times, your plant might die in an open windy spot with Northern exposure in zone 10. The only advice we can give you for sure - if you have freezing during winter, you plants must be moved indoors (in pots) during cold period. Also, duration of cool period is important. Even if it doesn't get below freezing, too long period of cooler temperature might kill the plant.

Q: What kind of soil do I need for potting Jasmine Sambacs and Cestrum Nocturnum?

A: Both Sambac and Cestrum are undemanding plants, so you can use any GOOD potting mix you find in nearest HomeDepot/Lowes/etc. By "good" I mean it has to be good peat-based soilless mix. Potting soil can't cost $2 for 30lb bag. It's something wrong. Expect to pay $10-12 for Scott/MiracleGro/etc names or order our Professional mix. General potting soil already has peat moss in it, so you can use is straight from the bag.
Never use heavy soils in pots. You don't need compost, manure, etc. The problem number one is overwatering and poor drainage, especially, when you use compost/manure.
Sometimes you can buy "soil conditioner" (we use "sta-green", but it your area other names could be available). Soil conditioner sells as "garden soil improvement" and this is very fine mix of bark pieces, pet moss, etc. You can use and mix with peat moss and perlite (use real perlite, not styrofoam imitation) and vermiculite. We make our own mix for all plants using soil conditioner, peat moss, perlite. It works great.
Sometimes you can get professional mixes, like pro-mix, metro-mix, etc. Their great too, however, we didn't find any big difference between "homemade" mix and professional one.
Instead peat-moss you can use Grow-coir (coco-based fiber), which is superior to traditional peat moss. We use it for our houseplants.
In pots, you should use slow-release fertilizer according to the manufacturer directions. Add it to the soil mix before you put plant in the pot. Use micro-elements. Jasminum likes lots of iron. If you're going to put plants in hot, sunny spot, you can increase dosage and use "shorter" fertilizer. When you get our plants you'll notice that we put a lot of fertilizer. Which is OK in our hot and humid climate.
It's beneficial to use water-soluble fertilizer like Peters, Miracle-gro, etc. Especially, if you want to induce blooming. You spray your plants with fertilizer solution. They'll love it. And it's better to use weaker solution more often than full blast once a month.
Of course, do not use liquid fertilizer right away. Plants need time to adjust after shipping to their new conditions.
Check your local "advise" to fertilize plants during winter. Do not overfertilize them, especially, when temperature is low (of course, you'll have to bring plants inside. They are tropical plants and won't survive cold) - you can easily destroy root system.
And, again, do not overwater. Jasmines like water but they hate having wet feet. That's why drainage is so important.

Q: Cananga Odorata cultivation questions...

Cananga odorata (Ylang-Ylang tree) is a rainforest tropical tree that thrives best in high humidity environment.
During shipment some leaves might drop or turn yellow/brown/black because of possible overheating and lack of humidity during transportation. Sometimes we trim the tree to fit shipping size and to decrease the burden for the plant.
Once your plant is arrived, pot it immediately in 3 gal pot or bigger with a well-drained potting mix. Water well and place the pot in a bright shade location. Placing a water tray with pebbles under the pot will be helpful to maintain higher level of humidity, as well as frequent misting. If you grow this plant indoors with air conditioning, it might die easily, no matter what humidity you have outside. The AC greatly reduced humidity (that's one of the purposes of it's use). Your indoor humidity might drop 30% and lower, which may be fatal for the plant.
It usually takes a week or two for Cananga to recover from transportation stress. If the stem got a little bend in the box, it will straighten up in a few days. If you provide the right conditions and proper care, Cananga tree will sprout new growth in a few weeks.
If you noticed leaves turning brown or black - that means, humidity level is too low.
Another important factor: avoid too big difference in day/night temperatures.
To encourage blooming, apply 1/2 doze of blooming grade water soluble fertilizer (12-50-14 or similar) once a month. Just keep in mind that it will take 1-2-3 years for the tree to bloom.
Growing Cananga odorata requires some experience, please be patient and careful with your plant.

Q: In my area temperature sometimes drops down to 30F for a few days. Can I still grow tropical plants in my garden?

Yes, you can grow them if you're ready to work with them. Most tropical and subtropical plants will not tolerate drops below 30 degrees while others will do fine for short periods. There are various things you can do to protect your trees such as X-mas lights to keep them warm, regular bulb inside a plastic protection tent, blankets (use fabric instead of plastic - under plastic a plant may "cook" in the morning sun). You can take large brown paper bags, sit a long cylinder glass candle inside (the bag protects the flame from wind). Another option - consider growing these plants in large containers which will be possible to move indoors, in garage or patio for winter. The most dangerous is not just a temperature drop, but a wind chill. If you keep your plant protected from wind, it might survive a few cold days in a row. Younger trees will damage the most. Older trees are more hardy.


Adenium (Desert Rose) plant

Q: What are the most popular adenium species?

If you are looking for an exotic and easy to grow container plant or something exciting to add to your garden, then adenium is an excellent choice. There are several species of Adenium: Adenium swazicum, Adenium somalense, Adenium arabicum, Adenium boehmianum, Adenium multiflorum, Adenium crispum, Adenium obesum.
Adeniums have many spectacular hybrids.

Q: How to grow adenium?

The basic culture is very similar to orchids. A small pot with excellent drainage is a must. Adeniums do not like both over-watering and drying-out. The swollen base will be formed only when the root stock plant is grown from seed.There is a little 'secret' how to create a curious shape of the base: just lift the plant a bit every time you re-pot it, so the upper part of roots will be a little exposed. The plant then will form more roots that will go down. To make your plant develop a large swollen base/caudex, you need a good quality fertilizer. Fetilizer requirement for swelling up trunks is also used to increase flowering. It shouldn't be too hight in nitrogen, the middle number should be the highest (example - 10-50-10). Never apply fertilizer directly on roots and do not liquid feed when a plant is thirsty: always water first slightly to avoid root burn and leaf drop.

Do not wet leaves. Adeniums need lots of light for heavy flowering. Most hybrids and species start blooming in the spring when the conditions are warm and days get longer, and continue blooming through the fall and winter in warmer climates. Adeniums like a neutral to hard water. Acidic water tends to sour the soil too fast and may cause root rot. Water plants preferably in the early morning, and allow them to drink up throughout the day. Watering can be done daily to every few days. Never allow your plants to sit in a saucer of water, neither allow them to dry out too often - this causes adeniums to go into early dormancy

Q: What soil should I use and how deep should I plant the adenium seed?

We recommend a well-drained germination mix. Cactus mix with additional peat moss may work for the purpose, or you can create a perfect mix yourself using peat-based potting soil (or coconut coir), perlite and vermiculite. The mix we use for our seeds has equal parts of those. Plant seeds 1/2" deep, keep slightly moist, in bright light and warmth (above 75F). During cooler season, bottom heat (warming mat) will encourage germination that usually occurs within 4-5 weeks, sometimes longer depending on conditions. During hot summer, you may place germination trays on hot surface (like black ground cover) in full sun, just watch the soil to stay moist and never dry out.

Q: Do all fancy adenium hybrids come true from seeds?

We have grown a few varieties from seeds in our nursery. Those came true colors. Of course it is not possible to test all new coming varieties simply because it takes such a long time (1-2 years) until seedlings start to flower. Based on other growers experience, the average percentage is close to 75% that flowers come exactly true to the kind. If you have a large collection of different varieties and they all bloom at the same time, cross-pollination may create some interesting hybrids, watch out for seeds and create your own named hybrids!

Q: How soon I will see the flowers? If I grow Adenium from cuttings, will they flower for me sooner than the seedlings?

It is possible to grow Adenium from cuttings, however only those plants grown from seed will form a showy caudex that is so valuable in this plant. Another disadvantage of propagation by cuttings: rooting an adenium cutting usually has a very low rate of success, especially with fancy varieties. This is why we grow grafted plants: a strong rootstock provided by vigorous Adenium obesum seedlings, and hybrid scions grafted on top of them. Growing Adeniums from seeds takes a bit longer, but is a very fun process!


Fragrant plants

Q: I live in Chicago area and want to grow Champaca. Will it bloom in a pot? Which one is better suited for my area??

A: You can successfully grow Michelia (Magnolia) champaca in a pot if you can provide proper conditions: warmth, high humidity and lots of sun. Move it outside during summer, fertilize often and you will be rewarded by pretty fragrant flowers. Champaca is very sensitive to over over-watering, so make sure to use potting mix, which provides good drainage.
We suggest to grow White champaca (Michelia alba). It's grafted plant and will readily bloom in 7-15 gal pot. Yellow (orange) champaca is usually grown from seeds and it will take ew years and a very large pot to make it bloom.

Q: I'm interested in purchasing the michelia alba. Is it guaranteed that it will flower and for what duration? Does it flower yearly or just once?

A: You can successfully grow Michelia (Magnolia) champaca in a pot if you can provide proper conditions: warmth, high humidity and lots of sun. Move it outside during summer, fertilize often and you will be rewarded by pretty fragrant flowers. Champaca is very sensitive to over over-watering, so make sure to use potting mix, which provides good drainage.
We suggest to grow White champaca (Michelia alba). It's a grafted plant and will readily bloom in 7-15 gal pot. Yellow (orange) champaca is usually grown from seeds and it will take few years and a very large pot to make it bloom.

Q: Any other suggestions for INTENSELY fragrant flowers?

A: Check out our Fragrant plants.

Q: I cook alot, and try to get rid the smells. (I did opened my windows while I'm cooking). Do you have any suggestion about fragrant plants for my apartment?

A: Amorphophallus... :-)

Q: Please help me to decide which kind of Jasmine Sambac I should order.

A: Please refer to our Jasminum Sambac page, section Which variety to order?

Q: It is my understanding from the article that michelia is really magnolia now. What about manglietia and parakmeria - are they still separate species? I bought seeds a few years ago of "manglietia yunnanensis". Is this the same as "magnolia yunnanensis" or are they different plants?

A: By Dick Figlar (Magnoliaceae taxonomist):
Yes, all the former genera you mentioned have now been placed (back) into genus magnolia. For a short taxonomic history on this please go to www.magnoliasociety.org and click on classification.
The former Michelia spp. are part of the group of magnolias called subgenus Yulania which includes the spectacular deciduous magnolias from Asia. Almost all are late winter / early spring bloomers and the stamens remain attached to the flower for several days.
The former genus Manglietia spp. are part of the group of magnolias called subgenus Magnolia which includes Florida natives such as Magnolia grandiflora and Magnolia virginiana. These magnolias are primarily late spring / early summer bloomers and the stamens detach from the flowers after one day.
That so-called Parakmeria genus has never been recognized outside of China. These are part of a group of Magnolias called subgenus Gynopodium. They are similar to subgenus Magnolia except that the new leaves are whole while in bud (instead of folded in half as in the other two subgenera). DNA studies place Gynopodium in between the other two subgenera. So one could say they are the "intermediate" between the two major subgenera.
Now, there really never was a Manglietia yunnanensis. There was a Manglietia yuyuanensis and it is often mis-spelled with "yunnanensis." So it could be that one. It has long narrow leaves which are somewhat thick.
Or it could be Magnolia yunnanensis which is a Subgenus Gynopodium species. It has nice thick rubbery leaves that may at first be reddish when they are first produced.
Or it could be the former Michelia yunnanensis which is now known as Magnolia dianica. This species has very small leaves with almost no leaf stalk. It produces pretty, but small, white flowers even as a young plant.

Edible plants and fruit trees

Q: I found your website while searching for Opuntia spineless. As we need this plant as one source of food for our Sulcata Tortosie I need to know if it is grown naturally without any type of chemical sprayed on it.

A: Our plants are grown naturally outdoors, so in order to keep them them free of insects here in S. Florida we spray them on regular basis, however, 2-3 weeks is enough for insecticide to "disappear". If you want to buy the plant and just feed it to your pet, then a grocery store is the better choice (they sell opuntia very often, however, we don't know if they guarantee pesticide-free plant. "Whole Food" will be even better choice). If you want to grow this plant, then it should be ok in a month to feed it.

Q: How long will it be before my fruit tree sets fruit?

Most of the fruit trees we sell will begin to flower and set fruit, especialy grafted varieties. Depending on the season they may even arrive with small fruit on them. When trees are young and not strong enough to support fruit you should pinch off the fruit; you may leave 1-2 fruits on for show. You don't need to do this with small fruits such as cherries. The grafted they should start normal fruiting within 1-2 years. The older the tree the more productive it will be. Production also depends on your growing conditions: if you meet the optimal requirements for the tree it will thrive.

Q: Will these trees fruit in containers?

Yes, if you provide them enough light and proper care. In our catalog you may see pictures of a small size trees blooming and fruiting in 1-3 galon containers. Look at these pictures: miracle fruit, black sapote, litchi, longan, white sapote, acerola, mango, naranjilla, pitaya (1 gal pots), guava, avocado, ambarella, mombin (3 gal pots), noni, mango, java apple (7 gal pots).

Q: I was wondering if Theobroma cacao, chocolate tree, is legal to have in the USA?

A: Theobroma Cacao is indeed legal. Cocaine is made out ofdifferent plant, Erythroxylum coca, which is illegal.


Jasminum Sambac FAQ

Q: Are your plants really as big as on your pictures?

A: We have several sizes available: The smallest size is about 6" tall with a well-developed root system. The biggest size we sell is 15-24" tall 3 gal pots. Bigger size available upon request.

Q: I'm ordering 10 of Jasminum Sambac 'Maid of Orleans' for my father's Birthday party. It's our national flower (Philippines). The party is in Queens, NY. Will the plants be safe to ship? Could you tell me if they will be in bloom?

A: We do ship Sambacs to NY, and they are OK. However, it's always recommended to monitor the weather.
Make sure the plants have at least a few days indoors to adjust from shipping stress before your party - for better bloom. In fact, 'Maid of Orleans' jasmines bloom all the time, it's just sometimes they have more flowers: they keep blooming heavily for 3-4 days, then it looks like they take a "rest" for a few days (less flowers), then again produce a "splash" of flowers. So it' really hard to guess their "mood". However, the big plants that we ship have both flowers and buds, so I hope they won't let you down. Of course it's better to ship them beforehand, I would suggest 1-2 weeks before the party. Just make sure in NY they keep them on windowsills - the more sun, the heavier the bloom. A sunny (southern) window exposure will be perfect. Filtered light is OK too, as long as it's bright.
The flower of 'Maid of Orleans' is very tender and fragile and lasts only a day or two, so for sure you'll lose most of opened flowers during the shipping. So you will have to wait till next bloom "splash".
So the sooner you get them to the destination location - the better, as long as the plants will have enough of SUNLIGHT to produce flowers before the party.

Q: Which of your three Sambacs are the best, easiest to care for with most production?

A: 'Maid of Orleans' is the easiest. Although it has single flowers, and the flower lasts just a day or two, but it blooms constantly, fragrance is wonderful. It's flowers are the best for jasmine tea (we make it all the time). Also, this variety tolerates shade the best (even deep shade!). Besides, it has more "climbing" habit (of course you may keep it shrubby if you trim it). We have this plant covered the wall by our window (plant on the left):

'Grand Duke' has beautiful double flowers, but they are only on tips of a branch. It needs more sun for more bloom, but also tolerates some shade.
'Belle of India' has long double petals, and it's also good for tea. Needs more sun, too.

Q: Does the Maid of Orleans need a trellis or will my courtyard wall alone do?

A: Maid of Orleans is the most fast growing Sambac, I like it myself the best, because it forms a very attractive shrub or vine. Flowers are not as fancy as other Sambacs, but also very fragrant, and they are what they make jasmine tea out of. It has the greenest and prettiest foliage, too. Maid of Orleans makes a vining shrub unless you prune it regularly (in that case it will be a nice dense shrub). The branches get as long as 10", but they are hard enough and don't need much support (unless they grow too long). We have it by the wall at our window (see picture above), and I just have attached couple branches to the wall - it was enough.

Q: Can you give me information on growing Sambacs? Should the Grand Duke be planted in a pot? I live in zone 9B.

A: All Sambacs are tropical plants and they might die if you have even a light frost in winter. So we recommend you just to plant them in 3 gal pots, that should be fine. Both full sun or shade is OK. Fertilize regularly, and make sure to use a good potting soil (with lots of organic matter like peat moss and humus). More information - Sambac Page.


Using Top Tropicals images

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