The secret to abundant dragon fruit harvests. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
The secret to abundant dragon fruit harvests
✍️The secret to abundant dragon fruit harvests
🔴 Dragon fruit (Pitaya) thrives when it's fed regularly. For the best results, use Sunshine C-Cibus, a complete liquid fertilizer made for fruit trees. It is gentle enough to apply with every watering, all year long, and it gives your plants the steady nutrition they need to set more flowers and produce bigger harvests.
Both names refer to climbing cacti in the genus Hylocereus. The word pitaya is more common in Latin America, while dragon fruit is the name used in Asia and English-speaking countries. They come in different types: white-fleshed (Hylocereus undatus), red-fleshed (Hylocereus costaricensis), and yellow-skinned (Hylocereus, or Selenicereusmegalanthus). All share the same growth habit and care needs. Pitaya or dragon fruit - whichever name you use, it's one of the easiest exotic fruits to grow at home.
🍉 How to grow Dragon Fruit
▫️Get a desired variety or start from a cutting - let the cut end dry for a few days before planting to prevent rot.
▫️Plant in well-draining soil with lots of sun.
▫️Give it a strong support to climb on - it's a vining cactus.
▫️Water deeply but let the soil dry between waterings.
▫️Flowers open at night and need pollination - some types are self-fertile, others need cross-pollination.
▫️With care, you can enjoy fruit in 1-2 years. Remember to ferilize!
🍉 Dragon fruit varieties
🔴 ⚪️ Red skin, white flesh(Hylocereus undatus) - The most popular type, and the biggest fruit. Mildly sweet, refreshing, and often compared to a kiwi crossed with a pear.
Varieties:David Bowie, Delight, Hana, Lake Atitlan, Seoul Kitchen, Vietnamese Jaina, Hana
🔴🔴 Red skin, red flesh(Hylocereus costaricensis) - Sweeter, juicier, and more intense in flavor. The deep red juice can stain, but it’s loaded with antioxidants.
Varieties:American Beauty, Bloody Mary, Eureka Red, Costa Rican Sunset, Mac Edwin, Halleys Comet, Mac Edwin, Makisupa, Mega Red, Physical Graffiti, Sweet Red
🔴🟣 Red flesh, purple/magenta flesh(Hylocereus x costaricensis) - Hybrids, usually between red and white varieties.
🟡⚪️ Yellow skin, white flesh (Hylocereus, or Selenicereusmegalanthus) - Smaller fruit, but the sweetest of all. Crisp, juicy, and tropical with notes of pineapple or honey. Varieties:Amarilla (Kirin), Colimbiana, Godlen Dragon, Palora, Thai Gold (Hawaiian)
Each type looks stunning and tastes slightly different, but all are easy to grow once you give them sun, support, and patience.
Night jasmine that disappears with sunrise: Parijat. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
Night jasmine that disappears with sunrise: Parijat
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis - Parijat, Night Jasmine, Sad Tree, Tree of Sorrow
💔 Night jasmine that disappears with sunrise: Parijat
💔Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Parijat, Night Jasmine, Sad Tree or Tree of Sorrow... What secret is hidden in this flower?
💔 Parijat is a small tree or shrub from South Asia known for its intensely perfumed white flowers with bright orange centers that open at dusk and fall by dawn.
Mostly for its scent and stories - but locals also use it in traditional remedies. The flowers are beloved in temple garlands and perfumery. Leaves, flowers, bark, and seeds are used in Ayurveda for treating fevers, sciatica, arthritis, and more. Extracts also show anti-inflammatory and liver-protective effects in modern studies.
It’s both fragrant and spiritual. Parijat is sacred in Hindu myth - some say Krishna brought it from heaven, others that it sprang from a grieving princess’s ashes. People plant it near temples or in small gardens not just for the scent, but for its cultural symbolism and graceful beauty.
Yes - if your climate cooperates. Parijat grows up to 10 feet tall, handles full sun or light shade, and thrives in well-drained soil with regular, moderate watering. It blooms best with monthly fertilizer and tolerates light cold (into the 30s F). In cooler areas, grow it in a container. Regular pruning helps it stay compact and flower more.
Four best low-growing perennials that bloom all summer. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.
Four best low-growing perennials that bloom all summer
Crossandra, Heliconia Lady Di, Plumbago, and Spathoglottis ground orchids.
🌷 Four best low-growing perennials that bloom all summer
🌼 1. Crossandra
Crossandra is one of those plants that never really takes a break. Its ruffled orange blooms pop almost nonstop in warm weather, making it a reliable color source for borders, pots, or even as a filler around taller shrubs. Unlike many flowering plants that fade in midsummer, Crossandra keeps going through heat and humidity, thriving where others give up. It's compact, easy to trim, and works beautifully in small gardens or patios.
🌼 2. Heliconia psittacorum Lady Di
Heliconia Lady Di adds a tropical accent with its upright, torch-like blooms in fiery orange and yellow. What makes this variety practical is its manageable size compared to giant heliconias - it fits well in small gardens and large pots. Its flowers last long, both on the plant and as cut flowers, making it popular for summer arrangements. Once established, it keeps sending up flower stalks all season, giving a steady display of color and drama.
🌼 3. Plumbago
Plumbago is a gardener's friend in hot climates because it covers a lot of ground and throws out flower clusters all summer (sky-blue, white or red). It's versatile - train it as a shrub, hedge, or let it spill over walls and trellises. The flowers attract butterflies, and the plant is low-maintenance, tolerating pruning, sandy soil, and neglect. If you need a reliable plant to soften fences or add a cool color contrast to reds and oranges in the garden, plumbago is a winner.
🌼 4. Spathoglottis ground orchids
Ground orchids like Spathoglottis are practical because they give you the exotic look of orchids without the fuss. These hardy, clumping perennials send up spikes of purple, pink, or yellow blooms that last for weeks, repeating through summer in warm climates. They’re perfect for edging walkways or filling beds where you want constant color with minimal care. Unlike potted orchids that bloom once and rest, Spathoglottis keeps producing flowers right in the ground, almost year-round in frost-free areas.
