Caught on camera: found this on the Flower of Caipora. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
Caught on camera: found this on the Flower of Caipora
Ruellia affinis - Flower of Caipora
🌺 Caught on camera: found this on the Flower of Caipora.
🍁 Ruellia affinis, the Flower of Caipora - is a rare tropical gem from the forests of Brazil, with tropical red blooms when you need them most!
🍁 This isn't your typical Ruellia. It's a climbing, vining shrub that puts out blazing red flowers in winter when most plants are taking a nap especially during Fall-Winter holidays.
🍁 You can let it vine up a trellis or pinch it back to make a bushy, compact shape. Either way, those scarlet blooms will pop once the older stems mature.
🍁 Just give it light shade, warmth, and moisture - and it'll reward your patience with color when you least expect it!
Coffee is shade-loving and easy to grow with regular water
It grows into a dark green shrub or small tree (about 3 to 5 feet tall
in a pot)
Its fragrant, star-shaped flowers resemble gardenias
The whole fruit is edible and turns green to yellow to red
The seeds are real "coffee beans" that can be dried, roasted, and ground at home.
Five Reasons to Grow a Coffee Plant
Perfect Indoor Fruit Tree: Thrives in filtered light and stays compact
Low Maintenance: Forgiving, adaptable, and ideal for new
gardeners
Aesthetic Appeal: Glossy green leaves and clusters of white blooms
Homegrown Coffee: Yes, you can roast your own beans.
Year-Round Beauty: Evergreen with seasonal fragrance
Coffee Plant Care Tips
Light: Bright, indirect light is best. Avoid harsh afternoon
sun.
Water: Keep soil lightly moist but not soggy. Let the top inch dry out before watering again.
Humidity: Loves higher humidity. Mist regularly or place on a pebble tray.
Fertilizer: Use a balanced, gentle fertilizer like Sunshine Boosters C-Cibus every few weeks during growing season.
Soil: Loose, rich, and well-drained. High in organic matter and slightly acidic. For potted plants, use a quality indoor tropical mix, such as Top Tropicals Abundance mix
Repotting: Refresh soil and size up the pot every 1–2 years to keep roots healthy.
Can I grow it outdoors?:
Yes - bring it outside in warm months and back indoors before frost. It's best suited for USDA zones 10-11, but container growing gives you flexibility in cooler climates.
How long until I get beans?:
Expect flowers and fruit within 3 to 4 years from seedling stage - often sooner if you start with a young tree.
What does the fruit taste like?:
Mild and sweet-tart, like a mix between a cherry and a cranberry. You can eat it fresh.
How to Make Coffee from Your Own Tree
Harvest: Pick the ripe red cherries
Pop and Soak: Squeeze out the beans and ferment 1-2 days to remove pulp
Dry: Spread out to dry for 1-2 weeks until hard and papery
Let's be honest - coffee prices are climbing, supplies are tightening, and that morning cup isn't getting any cheaper. But right now, our Coffea arabica trees are covered in green berries, quietly ripening toward harvest time. Soon, they'll turn red - and that's when it's go
time.
This isn't just a pretty plant. It's a compact, shade-loving fruit tree that thrives indoors and adds year-round tropical beauty to any space. Even your cat will approve
🐱🐾.
We Cut Open a 37 lb Jackfruit - You Won't Believe What's Inside! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
We Cut Open a 37 lb Jackfruit - You Wont Believe Whats Inside!
🍈 We Cut Open a 37 lb Jackfruit - You Won't Believe What's Inside!
📱
🍈 Cutting into a 37-pound Jackedak Jackfruit with Chiane and Ashley!
🍈 Join us at Top Tropicals as we explore one of the largest fruits on Earth - the mighty Jackfruit. From sweet, tropical fruit to edible seeds and even a meat substitute known as the "rag" - this fruit does it all!
✔️Learn how to cut and clean a jackfruit
✔️See which parts are edible (you might be surprised!)
✔️Discover why it's a favorite for vegan pulled pork
These aren't your typical tropicals - they're collector-grade Anthuriums grown for foliage and texture. Each one brings something
different, but they all thrive in the same kind of setting: shade or filtered
light, warmth, and humidity. Perfect for growing in containers indoors or
out.
Anthurium Black Dragon
This is the most dramatic of the trio. Upright, leathery leaves shift
from dark green to nearly black depending on light. Instead of bright flowers,
it produces a dark brown spadix and glowing red berries. A hybrid not found
in the wild, it's grown from seed - no two are exactly alike.
Best for: Indoor focal plant, shaded patio, black ceramic pot
This one's about scale. Broad, crinkled leaves with a cardboard-like
texture form a bold rosette. It can get huge with time - up to 6 feet across.
Perfect for gardeners who want the "instant jungle" look.
Graceful and rare, this species sends out narrow strap-like leaves that can
reach 5–6 ft long. Ideal for hanging baskets or mounting. Bonus: it
produces small pink fruit against deep green foliage.
Best for: Hanging displays, vertical planters, bright bathrooms
Height: Leaf length, not upright height - up to 6 ft
Light:
Bright, indirect light is best. Avoid direct sun, especially mid-day. These
plants evolved in rainforest understory - think "dappled light under
trees."
Water:
Keep the soil lightly moist but not soggy. Let the top inch dry before
watering. They hate wet feet.
Humidity:
These are tropicals - they'll do fine in 50-60% humidity, but thrive at
70%+. Use pebble trays or place near other plants. Bathrooms with windows work
great.
Soil:
Use an airy mix: orchid bark + perlite + peat or coco coir. Drainage is
key. Never use plain potting soil.
Fertilizer:
Feed with SUNSHINE Robusta every 2–4 weeks during warm seasons. It's
formulated for aroids and won't burn roots.
Potting:
Use shallow, wide containers. Repot only every 2–3 years, or when
roots crowd the pot. They don't like frequent disruption.
Temperature:
Ideal: 65–85 F. Short dips to the 30s F are tolerated by mature
plants, but avoid cold drafts.
Coffee Plant Care Tips
Anthurium Black Dragon
Anthurium hookeri – Giant Bird's
Nest
Anthurium vittarifolium – Long
Leaf Anthurium