Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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🐲 The taste you will never forget

Dragon fruit collage - yellow, red, purple, white varieties

If you only know dragon fruit from the grocery store, you probably think it looks pretty but tastes bland. That is because most commercial fruit is picked early, shipped far, and loses its sweetness. The truth? Homegrown dragon fruit is juicy, sweet, and full of flavor. The best of all is the yellow variety, Palora (Selenicereus megalanthus), a cactus fruit from Ecuador that bursts with tropical taste.

🌵 Pitaya or Dragon fruit – what is the difference?

Both names describe the same climbing cactus. In Latin America it is called Pitaya, while Asia and English speakers say Dragon fruit. There are three main kinds:

Some hybrids give purple or magenta flesh. All are beautiful, all are easy to grow at home.

⚡️ Do red, white, and yellow taste different?

Yes. White types are mild and refreshing. Reds are sweeter and juicier. Yellows are the sweetest of all.

⚡️ Flowers from a fairy tale

Close-up of a blooming dragon fruit pitaya flower with white petals and yellow center

Dragon fruit flowers are among the most spectacular in the plant world. They open at night, glowing under moonlight, with pale petals and a sweet fragrance. Each flower can be a foot wide. Seeing one bloom feels like stepping into another world.

⚡️ Top Dragon Fruit Health Benefits

  • High in fiber for digestion and gut health
  • Low in calories but full of vitamins
  • Great for weight management
  • Adds color and freshness to smoothies and salads

🍹 Dragon Fruit Smoothie recipe

Glass of dragon fruit pitaya smoothie with fresh dragon fruit, banana, mango, lime, sugar, and ice cubes

Blend together:

  • 2 dragon fruits, peeled
  • 1/2 cup mango pulp
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup milk of your choice
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lime juice
  • Ice cubes to taste

Top with mint for a refreshing tropical treat.

Watch Dragon Fruit short videos:

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💲 Special Offer – 25% off Dragon Fruit Pitaya Plants!

Get 25% OFF Pitaya plants with code

DRAGON2025

Min order $100. Excluding S/H, valid online only, cannot be combined with other offers.

Hurry, offer expires September 29, 2025!

Explore Dragon Fruit varieties

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Happy Birthday to our lone wolf Macaron! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cat Macaron is singing a song

Cat Macaron is singing a song

Cat Macaron first trip in a car

Cat Macaron first trip in a car

Cat Macaron in laundry basket

Cat Macaron in laundry basket

Cat Macaron in a tree

Cat Macaron in a tree

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When do I get the fruit from my Dragon Fruit? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Dragon fruit varieties

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Shana Tova from TopTropicals PeopleCats! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cat Macaron in Jewish hat

Cat Macaron in Jewish hat

Cat Jim II in Jewish hat

Cat Jim II in Jewish hat

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Shana Tova! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Shana Tova! Today marks Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year 5786.

Shana Tova! Today marks Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year 5786.

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Ackee breakfast scramble: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Ackee breakfast scramble

Ackee breakfast scramble

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One sniff of wine and this cat was never the same! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cat Niki is tasting Mulberry Wine

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Why Desmos - a cousin of Ylang Ylang - is every gardener's dream. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Desmos chinensis - Ylang Ylang Shrub

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The more you learn - the more treats you earn. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Cat Macaron and the Books at TopTropicals

Cat Macaron and the Books at TopTropicals

Cat Macaron on a sunny window

Cat Macaron on a sunny window

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How to make lots of Insulin Ginger plants quickly and get more health benefits. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Costus igneus (Chamaecostus cuspidatus) - Fiery Costus or Spiral Flag

💚 How to make lots of Insulin Ginger plants quickly and get more health benefits
  • Costus igneus (Chamaecostus cuspidatus) - Fiery Costus or Spiral Flag is believed to help lower blood glucose levels naturally and managing diabetes.
  • Have you heard of Insulin Ginger? Everyone wants to have it in the garden!
  • Gardeners in India grow it not just for its pretty spiral leaves, but for what those leaves do. People with diabetes often chew them fresh or brew them into tea, saying it helps keep their blood sugar under control.
  • Researchers have found something interesting: the leaves contain an insulin-like compound, along with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. In animal studies, extracts from the plant lowered blood sugar, protected the liver and kidneys, and even made the body more sensitive to insulin.
  • The way folks use it is simple. You can chew a leaf right off the plant, steep dried leaves for tea, or find it in powders and capsules. It's one of those plants that shows how tradition and science sometimes meet in the garden.
  • Its lush, turmeric-like leaves spiral around upright stems, with a glossy dark green top and a striking light purple underside. In warm months, it produces bright orange, cone-like flowers that stand out beautifully in the garden.
  • Beyond its beauty and natural insulin effects, the insulin plant is credited with aiding digestion, reducing cholesterol, boosting energy, improving skin health, supporting weight loss, relieving stress, and promoting heart wellness. A real botanical multitasker!


🎥 In this video, we’ll show you how to multiply Insulin Ginger fast, so you’ll have plenty of plants for yourself and even extras to share with friends and family.

✅ Don’t forget to use Green Magic fertilizer for the best results. Gingers absolutely love this plant food - they thrive on it and respond better than any other plant, with vigorous growth, lush foliage and loads of leaves you’ll need for all the benefits.

🛒 Grow your own sugar-fighter - the Insulin Ginger

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Shade_Garden #Discover

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
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