TopTropicals Plant Catalog

This catalog is for information only. If you don't see the price - the plant is not for sale.

click on image to enlarge

Pictogram Guide you may also see symbol definition in a pop-up window by mouse-pointing on pictogram

A very fast growing evergreen tree native to Queensland, Australia. Leaves have a strong lemony scent when crushed. Leaves yield lemon-scented oil used in perfumery. The trunks and branches of this species are powdery white to pinkish and the trunks are usually very straight. In nature the trees will reach 75-100 ft. While this species get very big in nature, its size is easily control with selective pruning and container size when grown in the greenhouse setting. The white blooms are not very distinctive. The blooms are followed by woody urn-shaped capsules about 1/2 inch wide. Eucalyptus citriodora need full sun with a well-drained soil mix for container growing. In the landscape, trees are pretty hardy and tolerate some frost.

Eucalyptus deglupta (Rainbow Eucalyptus) originates from the rainforests of Mindanao, which is the southernmost and easternmost island in the Philippine island group. It is a gorgeous, columnar, tall tree with peeling bark that displays a rainbow of colors. In nature, it can reach 220ft, however normally averages around 80 ft tall. It is a fast grower, though it can be kept to a much smaller size if desired. Generally likes a lot of water and naturally grows in a rain-forest environment. Prefers a humid, cooler tropical climate, unlike Eucalyptus species native to Australia.

This species is hardy to 26-28F, but only for brief periods; will not stand intense or prolonged frosts. This means that the tree is a tropical grower and as such can be grown outdoors only in Florida and perhaps southern Texas and southern California.

Planted as an ornamental street tree in tropical regions for its beautiful bark and stately appearance. The heartwood is red and is used as a timber and ornamental wood. Leaves have pleasant spicy aroma provided by essential oils, like most eucalyptus plants; however it is not as strong in this species.

Eucalyptus is an enormous and fascinating genus that accounts for more than two-thirds of Australia’s vegetation. The only major environment where they are absent is rainforest. There are about 12 species which occur naturally outside of Australia, while around 700 are Australian endemics. Only 2 species are not found in Australia. One of these, Eucalyptus deglupta, is the only eucalyptus to be found growing naturally in the northern hemisphere, occurring in the southern Phillipines, New Guinea and Indonesia.

Essential oils from the leaves of Eucalyptus have attracted interest since the earliest days of settlement in Australia. One of the first articles of export from the newly established colony of New South Wales in 1788 was a quarter of a gallon of an essential oil steam-distilled from the leaves of Eucalyptus piperita growing on the shores of Port Jackson. Eucalyptus therapeutic properties attracted interest of the botanist Baron Ferdinand von Mueller so he prompted a Victorian pharmacist colleague, Joseph Bosisto, to investigate the commercial production of its essential oil. In 1852 operations were started. This was the beginning of the Australian essential oil industry. By 1900 the industry was firmly established, and for the next fifty years Australia remained the world's largest supplier of eucalyptus oil.

Most species of Eucalyptus go through a change from round and stem-clasping juvenile foliage to long and willowy mature foliage. Some people think of Eucalyptus as those large trees in Australia with willowy leaves that Koalas eat, and others imagine cute little silvery stems used in floral bouquets. Indeed, they are both Eucalyptus: the smaller stems and leaves represent the young plants, and the long willowy leaves come from mature trees.

Many eucalyptus species from desert or subtropical regions have showy flowers, those are usually a bit more cold sensitive. Very often Eucalyptus is regarded as not being hardy outside of the subtropics, which discourages people from planting them in cooler areas. However, most of the species are cold hardy. Practically all of them can withstand some frost. A large number of species are very hardy, withstanding hard freeze for many hours. Some of them can be grown in real cold areas with snowy winters (USDA zone 8 or colder). Eucalyptus hardiness makes this tree very desirable for exotic gardeners in different types of climates.

Besides cold hardiness, these trees have many other advantages: they help to control aphids and other insects, most of them will grow rapidly even in poor soil (as fast as 12 ft per year), and they are very attractive. Eucalyptus foliage is excellent for cut foliage in floral arrangements.

Eucalyptus is much faster growing than most other trees in cultivation and once planted in the ground, can be expected to grow 6 - 12 ft each year, as long as the young tree is healthy and not root-bounded (this is why it is recommended to go with a smaller size eucalyptus plant – it will grow much faster and better than its bigger root-bounded sister). They never go dormant and are able to grow whenever they have access to water and a little warmth, regardless of time of the year. They do better in cultivation than they in their natural habitat in Australia as most gardens and landscap­es offer good soil, and freedom from competition - neither of which they usually get in their homeland. A good heavy mulch around the base of the tree will be a big plus.

For more information on hardy Eucalyptus, complete list of species and cultivation tips, you may visit this informative website.

See Eucalyptus Gallery.

Meadowsweet has delicate, graceful, creamy-white flowers clustered close together in handsome irregularly-branched cymes, having a very strong, sweet smell.

Very bushy and dense aromatic shrub up to 3 m in height. It is slightly succulent and has an irregular branch pattern. The stems are brown and smooth, except for the younger portions which are covered with glandular hairs and have a ruby tinge. The glandular hairs also cover both surfaces of the leaves and make them slightly sticky to the touch. The leaves are a bright green and are slightly heart shaped with the margin irregularly and bluntly toothed. The flowers range from white to lilac including some with pink flowers. The type of display which you will get depends on whether you have a male or female plant! Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants in spikes which differ in size and shape. The male flower spikes in profusion create more of the "mist" effect than the female flowers which tend to be more compact. The flowers usually appear when the plants are bare and are carried in the top section of the branches. The name ibosa was derived from the Zulu word referring to the aromatic leaves - they use this plant medicinally. The Zulu people have many uses for the plant including the relief of chest complaints, stomach ache and malaria. Inhaling the scent of the crushed leaves apparently also relieves headaches. They also used it as a hallucinogenic herb (used like tobacco). The plant is frost tender and best suited to pot culture in colder regions. This is a rewarding garden plant which is fast growing - up to 80cm per year and which will flower in its first year. It grows easily in light, well drained and well composted soil. It prefers water in summer but not as much in winter, thus making it is a good water wise plant for summer rainfall areas. It should be pruned back hard after flowering to keep it neat and promote flowering. Plant in full sun, except in very hot areas where midday shade or light shade will be beneficial. The ginger bush is associated with a moth (Trichoplusia molybdina) of the predominately night-flying Noctuid family, but the flowers also attract other insects which are necessary to bring insect-feeding birds into your garden. See pictures of flowers.