RARE Featured plant, finally in stock!

Vanilla dilloniana - Leafless Vanilla Orchid

Very rare, collectible and extinct species! This plant propagated at TopTropicals nursery from Robert Riefer's unique specimen, the biggest potted specimen in the World, grown in 100 gal pot, originated in 1927, awarded in 2011 with CHM certificate of Horticultural Merit by American Orchid Society. Leafless Vanilla Orchid is amazing exotic vanilla that forms a multi-branched, leafless vine reaching lengths up to 15 ft. The light green flowers are similar to Vanilla barbellata but the petals and sepals are longer and the fluted lip is a deep reddish-purple with a yellow crest. Vanilla dilloniana is distributed throughout the West Indies and had been reported on the banks of the Miami River in South Florida. Vanilla dilloniana is a very rare species and considered vulnerable, endangered across its range. Pieces of plants from the original colony have been shared and may be found in local collections.

See the Video of the original specimen.

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Champaca tree during Spring

Q: The Joy Tree that I purchased from you is going fine but the leaves have brown tips that shriveled up. How can I avoid this?

A: All Magnolias prefer rich and moist soils. These are some useful tips for growing Magnolia champaca:
- when planting in the ground, dig a big hole and replace sandy old soil with a rich organic mix containing compost and lots of peat moss to retain moisture.
- water daily for the first few months until the tree is well-established and root system is large and strong.
- use a large amount of mulch around planting
- remember that during springtime (especially March through May) champacas go through the semi-deciduous stage and lose a lot of leaves. Sometimes the tree may start looking drying out - all the sudden, overnight. Give it a few weeks and you will notice new light green re-leafing that will dress up your tree when the time comes.

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Featured plant. Mango Hoaloc, Cat Hoa Loc

Cat Hoa Loc Mango

Grafted Mango (Mangifera indica) - Hoaloc, Cat Hoa Loc... It is very rare, Exotic mango variety from Vietnam. The fruit is fiberless, oval yellow, with very thin seed. It is a rare, collectible variety.
Among Vietnamese mango cultivars, Cat Hoa Loc is the most popular cultivar because of good appearance, texture, taste, and flavor. Its production ranks the first among commercial mango cultivars in Vietnam.
It is known as one kind of the most famous mango in the Mekong Delta and one of the favorite fruit by appealing color, taste and high nutritional value. Hoa Loc mango became the reputation brand not only in Vietnam but also in the world. With elongated shape, bright yellow skin when ripe, bright yellow flesh, flesh architecture firm, smooth and low in fiber, are very tasty and fragrant.
The Vietnamese Government supports the expanding of the production area for Cat Hoa Loc mango. At the mature green stage, Cat Hoa Loc mango fruits usually turn to full ripening within 4-5 days thereby limiting distribution and marketing options. So the best way to taste this delicious rare variety is to grow your own!

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Surprising Violet fragrance of the Blue Lips

By Mark Hooten, the Garden Doc

A few months ago while working among the bewildering array of great plants we grow, I began to notice wafts of a very unique fragrance. The scent seemed somehow familiar, yet for the longest time, I was unable to determine what kind of plant it was emanating from. I knew it was somewhere toward the back of the growing houses but just couldn't determine its source. The fragrance is very distinct and wonderful and could be detected over a large area... That scent is hard to describe, however, I would suggest a mixture of Lavender and old-fashioned florist violets...

Then, a few weeks later, I happened to lean over a grouping of Sclerochiton plants, and THERE IT WAS!!! This might be the first flowering plant I have encountered which I might rate a full 10...

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Pisces Zodiac lucky plants

Pisces- 2/19 - 3/20. As a WATER sign ruled by both Jupiter and Moon (and Neptune, that was not discovered until 1846, after the plant correspondences were established; Neptune is considered a "higher octave" of the Moon), Pisces plants are often large but hard to find, and may grow near the ocean. The most healing plants for Pisces are those that strengthen the immune system or have an antibacterial effect. Pisces plants may also catalyze expanded states of awareness and be helpful in dream work.
Herbs connected to Pisces are ruled by its former ruler, the Moon (Neptune, the current ruler, was not discovered until 1846, after the plant correspondences were established; Neptune is considered a “higher octave” of the Moon). Diseases of Pisces have traditionally included psychotic disorders, various forms of substance addiction, lung diseases such as tuberculosis, and ailments of the foot; contemporary herbalists also add immune system diseases. Pisces is strengthened by rosemary's ability to promote an aura of centered grounding. This protective herb helps strengthen boundaries and cultivate a closer connection to the physical realm.

Pisces Zodiac lucky plants: Water lily, Lotus, Clematis, Wisteria, Lisianthus, Brunfelsia, Echinacea, English Lavender, Rosemary, Coconut palm, Cranberry, Clove, Coccoloba, Sea Oats, Mangroves, Ochrosia, Aquatic plants, Colocasia, Alocasia, Aralia, Ficus trees, Banyan, Peepal, Banana, Mango, Mimosa, Olive, Anise, Vilca and Yopo, Kava-kava, Nutmeg, Anthuriums, Eucalyptus, Bauhinia, Clusia, Caesalpinia, Callistemon, Bucida, Cassia fistula, Cordia, Calabash, Lipstick palm, Delonix, Elaeocarpus, Erythrina, Fatsia, Guaiacum, Mahoe, Koelreuteria, Kopsia, Macaranga, Pandanus, Peltophorum, Psychotria, Banesteriopsis, Tabebuia.

For other signs information, see Plant Horoscope Page.

To prune or not to prune?

Q: We had a few nights with light frost and some of my tropical plants look sad, lost all leaves. I scratched the bark and it is green inside. Should I prune back all branches that look dead?

A: Never prune during winter time, even if some branches look dead. There is a chance you will be surprised by Spring when they sprout new leaves. Be patient and postpone all pruning until active growth starts, then cut off only damaged part, approximately 2" above new growth.

See list of deciduous plants.

Featured plant. Acalypha pendula, Dwarf Chenille Plant

Strawberry Firetails, Dwarf Cat Tails, Kittens Tail...

Everybody wants this plant! Acalypha pendula, Dwarf Chenille Plant gets its common name from the fuzzy plumes of tiny, foxtail-shaped bright red flowers that trail above a thick mound of small, serrated leaves. Given enough light, this plant blooms nearly year-round! The blossoms that begin as wispy buttons and elongate into fuzzy cones. At maturity, they become 3-4" long streamers.
A spectacular plant for a hanging basket, container or ground cover, it is heat tolerant, great for both hot Southern landscapes or as an easy houseplant, providing bright light. Place this unusual house plant on a pedestal stand or pot it in a hanging basket to show off those eye-catching fuzzy blooms.
This is a dwarf plant that stays small and doesn't need pruning. It's naturally bushy, so you don't have to pinch its growing tips to get it to branch out. A favorite with children, and cats too!

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Australia Planting 1 Billion Trees To Fight Climate Change

Australia plans to plant 1 billion new trees to fight climate change, by the year 2050. That is a lot of trees and is the first real effort the country has made toward combating climate change. The only real problem is finding enough space to plant that many trees...
A billion trees is a billion trees, and even with a team of 30,000 people planting a tree per day for the next 31 years, the final tally would still only be 339,450,000 trees. Australia will need a tree army to get that many trees planted by 2050... Read the whole story...

How about planting just one tree today and save the World one step at a time?

On the photo: Callistemon, Australian native tree.

Featured plant. Randia formosa - Blackberry jam fruit

Randia formosa - Blackberry jam fruit

This unique compact plant, perfect for container culture, combines features of a fragrant flower and tasty desert fruit. Kids love it! Originally from Central and South America, this rare tropical small evergreen tree bears fruit which tastes like fresh Blackberry jam. Many claim that it's even better than preserves. Closely related to the gardenia, its flowers are sweetly fragrant. This relatively hardy tropical has attractive foliage and can be grown in a container as well as in the ground. The Randia formosa (or Rosenbergiodendron formosum) produces as many as 25 to 30 fruits at a time. Since it blooms for a few months in the fall and winter, fruiting and flowering can be enjoyed when many other plants are dormant. Large tubular white flowers that attract nocturnal moths... Read more about this plant...

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Deciduous plants soon sprouting

Many people believe that living in a warm climate will dissuade a plant from its deciduous nature. However, deciduous plants react to not only temperate but also shortened hours of daylight and changes in precipitation. Additionally, some plants will drop foliage in phases between new growth, and others use abscission to aid in pollination; blooming without wind-blocking leaves and making flowers more visible for insects.

When pruning a deciduous tree or shrub, it's generally best to wait until late winter or early spring, before the plant begins to leaf out. Avoid pruning during periods of new growth; during this time, the plant is weakened by the struggle to reestablish its growth process. Before pruning your deciduous plant, first research the specific plant, as there will always be exceptions to general instruction. For example, many Rubus varieties desire to prune in late fall, as their buds are developed during the dormant winter season. Some trees may have flower or fruit during winter while having no leaves, give them a chance to flower before pruning.

On the photo: Winter flowering Bombax ceiba in full bloom.