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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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

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#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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What's that fragrance in the dark? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Whats that fragrance in the dark?

Brunfelsia - Lady of the Night

🌠 What's that fragrance in the dark?
  • 💐 Brunfelsia? People often ask: what can you plant in a shady spot that blooms year-round and smells amazing? The answer is Brunfelsia, known as Lady of the Night.
  • 💐 This Brazilian beauty is a compact, shade-loving shrub that thrives in low light and rewards you with creamy white flowers. As the sun sets, the blooms release a sweet, unforgettable perfume that lingers through the night. It’s like nature’s way of setting the mood for evening strolls.
  • 💐 Brunfelsia is more than just fragrance. Its flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds, turning shaded corners into lively little stages. Low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly, and elegant, it’s the answer to your prayers: shade, flowers, and fragrance all in one plant.
  • 💐 The most fragrant Brunfelsias are the creamy-white varieties, often called Lady of the Night.

Popular species include: B. americana, B. isola, B. nitida, B. lactea, B. manaca, B. densifolia, B. gigantea.

Do you already grow Brunfelsia? What kind do you have in your garden?

🛒 Experience Brunfelsia fragrance

📚 Learn more about Brunfelsias:

#Perfume_Plants #Hedges_with_benefits #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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

How to make lots of Insulin Ginger plants quickly and get more health benefits

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

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Free natural shampoo: squeeze it and see what comes out! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Free natural shampoo: squeeze it and see what comes out!

Pine Cone Ginger - Zingiber Zerumbet, Shampoo Ginger

💄 Free natural shampoo: squeeze it and see what comes out!
  • 💄Pine Cone Ginger (Zingiber Zerumbet), is called Shampoo Ginger due to its unique, milky substance found in the cones. If you squeeze these bright red cones, a fragrant, milky liquid seeps out - traditionally used in Asia and Hawaii as a natural shampoo. Even today, you’ll find it in commercial shampoos.
  • 💄 But there's more to it than hair care. All parts of the plant carry a spicy fragrance, the cones make striking, long-lasting cut flowers, and the whole plant adds a tropical vibe to your garden.
  • 💄 And here's a fun history twist: Pine Cone Ginger is a "canoe plant", carried across the Pacific by ancient Polynesian voyagers. Imagine - this little shampoo factory traveled the ocean in canoes centuries ago!


Would you try washing your hair with this tropical ginger?

🛒 Grow your own Natural Shampoo Ginger

📚 Learn more:

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Remedies #Food_Forest

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How to grow ground orchids. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

How to grow ground orchids

💮 How to grow ground orchids

📱

📚Learn more:

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #How_to

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Ballistic buttons shooting from the mattress like popcorn! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Ballistic buttons shooting from the mattress like popcorn!

Dorstenia bahiensis - Mattress Button Plant

🚀 Ballistic buttons shooting from the mattress like popcorn!
  • 🔘Dorstenia bahiensis - Mattress Button Plant is a shade-loving oddball. Its glossy green leaves are topped with flat, wavy discs that really do look like old-fashioned upholstery buttons scattered across the garden floor. But these button heads aren't just for show - on their surface are tiny clusters of male and female blooms, all crammed together like a mini city of flowers.
  • 🔘The real fun begins when those button heads ripen. Instead of quietly dropping seeds like most plants, Dorstenia goes full popcorn mode. With a little "pop!" the seeds are catapulted yards away, just like squeezing a watermelon seed between your fingers. One moment it's calm, the next it's launching its offspring across the yard!
  • 🔘At only 6-12 inches tall, this little understory dweller doesn't take up much space, but it makes up for it with personality. Content in the shade, thriving in any soil, and ready to surprise you with its seed-shooting tricks. Grow it in a pot, use it as quirky groundcover, or just keep it around as a party fun.


🛒 Get your own Mattress Button Plant

📚 Learn more:
How many buttons in this ballistic mattress?

#Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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What's inside the Devils Tongue that smells like trouble? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Whats inside the Devils Tongue that smells like trouble?

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (campanulatus) - Voodoo lily

👅 What's inside the Devils Tongue that smells like trouble?
  • 👹 Amorphophallus plants - the Voodoo Lilies - are also known as Devil's tongue, Snake Palm, or Elephant Foot Yam, Corpse flower. This plant has a reputation as wicked as its name!
  • 👹 Amorphophallus is the largest flower in the world and one of the most exotic bizarre flowers. Amorphophallus titanum is known for its massive size, its flower can reach heights of over 10 feet and blooms only once every few years.
  • 👹 Why Corpse flower? Because of the smell that the flower omits, but for only a few hours - just long enough to summon its pollinators, the flies 🐱

    • After that, the air clears, leaving only the memory of the spectacle.
  • 👹 The titan of the group, Amorphophallus titanum, can soar over 10 feet tall. But its cousin in this video, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, is just as fascinating. It rises from a giant underground corm (which is actually edible in Asia), then sends up either one surreal flower or one umbrella-like leaf as big as a small tree.
  • 👹 Season after season, it alternates between leaf and bloom, keeping its mysterious cycle alive. Hardy enough to rest through winter dormancy, it can even be grown in a pot at home.


🎥 Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (campanulatus) - Voodoo lily

🛒 Discover more of Amorphophallus - rare and enigmatic plants

📚 Learn more:

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden
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Before eating ice cream, try this fruit from a house plant. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Before eating ice cream, try this fruit from a house plant

Swiss Cheese Plant - Monstera deliciosa

🍨 Before eating ice cream, try this fruit growing on a house plant!
  • 🍨 Most people know Swiss Cheese Plant - Monstera deliciosa - for its big holey leaves, but here’s the wild part: this jungle climber also makes fruit. Real fruit. And it tastes like pineapple mixed with ice cream.
  • 🍨 Have you tried Monstera fruit? Will you eat it again?
  • 🍨 This plant grows in the rainforests of Mexico and Guatemala, where young seedlings crawl toward the shade until they find a tree to climb. Yes, they grow in the direction of the darkest area, not just merely away from light. Interesting, ah?
  • 🍨 In time, it sends out a green, cone-like fruit nearly a foot long. It takes a while to ripen - about a year - and only when the scales start to lift can you peel them back and find the creamy pulp inside. Ice-cream sweet and tropical.
  • 🍨 One catch though: never eat the fruit unripe. The pulp contains oxalic acid that is generally harmless but will burn your mouth. Best trick is to let it wrinkle a little, wrap it up, and wait until the scales loosen on their own. Then it's ready.
  • 🍨 And for collectors? The Thai Constellation, with its cream-splashed leaves, is the crown jewel. Some specimens sell for thousands. Not bad for a "Swiss Cheese Plant"!


🛒 Shop Monstera plants

📚 Learn more:
How to harvest and eat Monstera Ice Cream

#Food_Forest #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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When plants cross into the Gothic: the Darker Bat Lily. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

When plants cross into the Gothic: the Darker Bat Lily

Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri)

When plants cross into the Gothic: the Darker Bat Lily
  • 🖤 Here’s a striking look at the Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) - its dramatic dark bracts resembling bat wings, trailing whiskers, and tropical elegance all in one. If you met its cousin, the White Bat Head Lily (Tacca nivea) in earlier video, you'll notice the family resemblance - same dramatic whiskers and wing-like bracts, but this one leans fully into the dark side.
  • 🖤 The Black Bat Flower isn’t just a bloom - it's a full performance. Giant black-maroon"wings" stretch out like a bat in flight, while long, drooping filaments dangle like eerie whiskers or jungle jewelry - some over a foot long!
  • 🖤 Those weird, wild whiskers aren't just for show either. They're thought to mimic the look (and no, not the smell!) of decaying matter, luring in pollinators like flies. Creepy? Yes. Clever? Absolutely.
  • 🖤 The Black Bat Flower blooms best when it feels pampered: filtered light, steady warmth, and spa-level humidity. It’s a smart exotic for a greenhouse or even a bright bathroom with a skylight.
  • 🖤 It grows from a rhizome, and while Tacca chantrieri is prized for its gothic looks, its green cousin Tacca leontopetaloides is actually used in the tropics to make arrowroot starch.
  • 🖤 Patience is part of the package - sometimes it takes months to bloom. But when it does, it becomes the crown jewel of the collection. People will ask if it's real. You'll just smile and say, "Yes - and it lives here."


🛒 Add this gothic gem to your collection - Black Tacca

Tacca colors: Black, White, Green:
Tacca nivea - White Tacca
Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca
Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca

📚 Learn more:

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

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