Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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You won't believe what glows in the shade: the rare blue ginger. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

You wont believe what glows in the shade: the rare blue ginger

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger

💎You won't believe what glows in the shade: the rare blue ginger
  • 💎 If you ever spot a flash of electric blue in the tropical shade, you might think your eyes are playing tricks on you, but that vivid color belongs to a rare Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger.
  • 💎 Despite its name, this isn’t a true ginger at all. It’s actually related to Tradescantia, the same family as familiar houseplants like the Wandering Jew and Spiderwort. Native to Brazil, Blue Ginger thrives in warm, humid shade, making it a perfect choice for patios, screened porches, garden corners, or indoor collections.
  • 💎 Its glossy leaves and tall stems topped with clusters of sapphire-blue blooms create a tropical jewel effect. The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, adding life and motion to shady areas where few other plants bloom so brightly.
  • 💎 Give it rich, well-drained soil, steady moisture, and partial shade - and enjoy one of the rarest colors in the tropical plant world.


🛒 Get your own exotic Blue Ginger

📚 Learn more:
Is Sapphire Gem really a ginger?

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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Sweetleaf tea: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Sweetleaf tea: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Sweetleaf tea with Mexican Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis)

Sweetleaf tea with Mexican Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis)

🍴 Sweetleaf tea: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
  • 🟢Delicious Sweetleaf tea can be made with Mexican Aztec sweet herb (Lippia dulcis).
  • 🟢Steep Aztec sweet herb leaves in hot water with lime peel.
  • 🟢Naturally sweet, no sugar needed!


🛒 Add sugar-free Mexican Sweetleaf (Lippia dulcis) to your herb garden

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Joyful eyes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Joyful eyes

James Coconuts the Cat

James Coconuts the Cat

👏 Joyful eyes

"A flower is a weed seen through joyful eyes." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie

🐈📸 James Coconuts the Cat loves flowers at TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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What fruit contains an enzyme that is used as a meet tenderizer? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What fruit contains an enzyme that is used as a meet tenderizer?

Papaya - Carica papaya

🍊What fruit contains an enzyme that is used as a meet tenderizer?
  • ✔️ Papaya (Carica papaya) is more than just a tropical treat - it's a natural digestive aid packed with powerful enzymes. The most famous one, papain, is so effective at breaking down proteins that it's actually used as a meat tenderizer! That same enzyme helps your body digest food more efficiently, easing bloating and supporting gut health.
  • ✔️ Beyond its digestive superpowers, papaya is rich in vitamins A and C, making it a strong ally for your immune system and skin. It’s a fast-growing, space-saving tree that starts producing fruit within a year, and dwarf varieties can fit even in small gardens or containers.
  • ✔️ For home gardeners, dwarf papayas are quickly becoming favorites. These compact varieties grow beautifully in containers, making them perfect for patios, greenhouses, or small yards. Even in cooler climates, they can thrive with a bit of protection. This season’s top picks are TR Hovey, Lady Red, and Wang Deng.
  • ✔️ Papayas are endlessly versatile in the kitchen - enjoy them fresh as a dessert, blended into smoothies, tossed into salads, or even used in cooking.
  • ✔️ Fun fact: the fruit and even the leaves can be used to tenderize meat naturally. Sweet fruit, strong plant, easy to grow - papaya really does it all!


📚 Learn more:

🛒 Grow your own meat tenderizer - Papaya

#Food_Forest #Papaya
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Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year

Alocasia macrorrhiza Variegata - Variegated Elephant Ears

Why this Elephant Ear is breaking the internet: the hottest houseplant of the year
  • 🍀 This is Alocasia macrorrhiza Variegata - Variegated Elephant Ears - the tropical showstopper that collectors can’t stop talking about.
  • 🍀 One look at those giant leaves splashed with creamy white and deep green, and you'll see why it's always sold out. Every leaf is different - some half white, some marbled like abstract art. Some leaves can be completely white!
  • 🍀 Unlike most elephant ears, this one stays a bit more compact, which makes it perfect for a big decorative pot on a patio or shady corner. It still has that bold, jungle look but behaves better in containers.
  • 🍀 Give it bright, filtered light, warmth, and humidity. Keep the soil moist but never soggy. The white parts of the leaves can burn easily, so skip harsh direct sun.
  • 🍀 Here's a tip: if you see a solid green shoot, cut it off - it can take over and make the plant lose its variegation. That’s because this plant’s variegation is a chimera, meaning it can shift from leaf to leaf.
  • 🍀 Feed it lightly during the growing season. The white parts can’t make food for the plant, so it relies on the green sections to do all the work. A little boost with Sunshine Robusta or Green Magic controlled release fertilizer help it stay balanced without overloading the roots.
  • 🍀 This plant’s got everything: beauty, rarity, and a bit of mystery. No wonder it’s the one everyone wants to show off!


🛒 Get yours before it’s gone or add to wishlist

📚 Learn more:

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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Surinam cherry salsa: quick-n-fun exotic recipes. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Surinam cherry salsa: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Surinam cherry salsa

Surinam cherry salsa

🍴 Surinam cherry salsa: quick-n-fun exotic recipes
  • 🔴Dice Surinam cherries (Eugenia uniflora) with red onion, cilantro, and lime 🍒
  • 🔴Sweet, tart, and perfect for grilled fish 🐟


🛒Plant Surinam Cherry: Red and Black (Lolita)

#Food_Forest #Recipes

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Is it a tree dog or a flying alien? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Is it a tree dog or a flying alien?

Pelmen a hairless Sphynx cat

👽 Is it a tree dog or a flying alien?

Pelmen - a hairless Sphynx cat, with his famous "alien" look - is playing fetch.
Did you know that some cats actually play fetch too? Though usually on their own terms!

🐈📸 Cat Pelmen is a friend of TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats

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Surprising Miniature Gardenia. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Surprising Miniature Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia

💮 Surprising Miniature Gardenia
  • Gardenia radicans - Dwarf Miniature Creeping Gardenia - can surprise even longtime gardenia fans. It has all the charm of the classic shrub - glossy green leaves, pure white flowers, and that unforgettable fragrance - but in a smaller, easier form.
  • Natural bonsai. This little plant grows low and wide, staying under 1-2 feet tall and spreading up to 3-4 feet. It forms a dense mound or creeping groundcover that looks great along walkways or spilling from a pot. The leaves are tiny and shiny, giving it a neat, polished look all year.
  • The flowers are about an inch across, double or semi-double, and smell just like the full-size gardenia. They bloom in spring and often return through summer, filling the air with perfume.
  • Easier than other gardenias. Gardenia radicans isn’t as fussy as most gardenias. It can handle clay, sandy, or loamy soil as long as it drains well. Once established, it’s fairly drought-tolerant and can even handle some cold, down to around 15F in protected spots.
  • Where to plant. It's perfect for small gardens, patios, or as a bonsai. You get the luxury fragrance of a gardenia without needing a big space. Use it as a groundcover, edging plant, or container specimen. It's one of those plants that stays tidy, looks refined, and keeps blooming. For anyone who loves gardenias but wants something compact and low-maintenance, Gardenia radicans is a great find.


🛒 Add unique Mini-Gardenia to your collection

#Perfume_Plants #Container_Garden

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King of Fruits that makes you healthy and happy. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

King of Fruits that makes you healthy and happy

🍍King of Fruits that makes you healthy and happy

🍍 Everybody loves the Pineapple, but not everyone knows that this exotic fruit actually grows on a plant, Ananas comosus, a member of the Bromeliad family. Growing pineapple is easier than you may think, and sure to grab attention.
Pineapple can make you healthier.... and happy! Watch the video:

📱

🛒 Explore Pineapple varieties

#Food_Forest

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The eyes shout. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

The eyes shout

Cat Georgie

Cat Georgie

🔍 The eyes shout

"The eyes shout what the lips fear to say." - William Henry

🐈📸 Cat Georgie has impressive sea-green eyes. TopTropicals PeopleCats.Garden.

#PeopleCats #Quotes

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