Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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Anthurium Collector Set

Giant Bird's Nest, Long Leaf, and Black Dragon Anthuriums side by 
side, showcasing their dramatic foliage and size

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
  • Height: 2–4 ft in container
  • Texture: Thick, architectural leaves
  • Highlight: Color shifts with light intensity

Grow Your Own Black Dragon

Read more about Black Dragon Anthurium

Anthurium hookeri – Giant Bird's Nest

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.

  • Best for: Shaded garden, large pots on porches
  • Height: Up to 5 ft; width even more
  • Texture: Wrinkled and leathery
  • Highlight: Bright red berries in maturity

Buy Giant Bird's Nest Anthurium

Read more about Giant Bird's Nest Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium – Long Leaf Anthurium

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
  • Texture: Smooth, ribbon-like
  • Highlight: Cascading growth and color contrast

Buy Long Leaf Anthurium

Read more about Long Leaf Anthurium

✅ How to Care for Anthuriums

  • 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.

Shop All Anthuriums

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Why every collector wants the Gothic Black Dragon Anthurium. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Why every collector wants the Gothic Black Dragon Anthurium

Black Dragon Anthurium

🐉 Why every collector wants the Gothic Black Dragon Anthurium
  • 🌑 A living shadow

  • Anthurium Black Dragon is one of the most prized centerpieces of the Top Tropicals plant collection. This rare and exotic hybrid is celebrated for its deep, dark foliage that looks as if it were painted with charcoal or ink. It belongs to the coveted "dark foliage" group of anthuriums - a favorite among collectors for its dramatic, gothic elegance.
  • 🌑 It changes color with light

  • This plant changes color like magic! What sets Black Dragon apart is its ability to transform. In bright filtered light, the leaves darken dramatically - almost jet black. But in lower light, they fade to a mysterious greenish-maroon. It's like having two plants in one, depending on how you position it.
  • 🌑 Its spadix and spathe are weapons of style

  • Unlike many anthuriums that flaunt bright reds or whites, Black Dragon keeps it sleek and sinister with a brown spadix and dark-brown spathe - adding a sense of surreal drama when it flowers. But wait to see the real show when is sets fruit - cascades of bright red berries!
  • 🌑 Tropical but tough

  • Though exotic-looking, it's surprisingly resilient. With the right humidity and warmth (typical of most anthuriums), it's a slow but steady grower - ideal for collectors who want something dramatic yet manageable indoors.
  • 🌑 A collector's hybrid, not found in the wild

Black Dragon is likely a man-made hybrid created by crossbreeding dark-leaved species like Anthurium watermaliense or Anthurium forgetii. It doesn’t grow in the wild, which makes it even more of a sought-after trophy in aroids circles.

🛒 Get your own Black Dragon

📚 Learn more:
The most unique plant in your collection

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders
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What to do with a Dragon fruit?

Cat with dragon fruit

Q: What can you do with Dragon Fruit? I bought some from the grocery store, but they don't have much flavor.

A: Dragon fruit, or Pitaya, comes in many varieties that differ in flavor, sweetness, and texture. In the store they usually carry simple varieties that are easy to ship and store but have very little flavor. This is why we prefer grow our own Dragon Fruit, same way like we grow many varieties of Mango - to enjoy their excellent flavors that you can't find in a store. Our favorite is the Yellow Dragon Fruit that is not only the sweetest of all but also have the best flavor, with pineapple-mango hint. It is best enjoyed fresh out of hand.

Pitaya Yellow Dragon Fruit, Selenicereus megalanthus Equador Golden

Yellow Dragon Fruit - Selenicereus megalanthus Equador Golden

Dragon Fruit Smoothie: simple and tasty recipe

Dragon fruit, regardless of variety, makes excellent smoothies. A perfect Dragon Fruit Smoothie can be made with a creamy blend of dragon fruit, mango, and banana. The tropical flavor is played up with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Dragon fruit pink smoothie with lime, mint, mango and banana

Ingredients

Mix in a blender:
2 dragon fruit, peeled
1/2 cup of mango pulp

  1. banana
    1 cup of milk of your preference
  2. tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp Lime juce
Some Ice
-
Mint for decoration

Dragon fruit smoothie ingredients: lime, mint, mango and banana

Dragon fruit contains lots of of nutrients, most notably high vitamin C and iron. Its low calorie content helps give it superfood status because of high nutrient density. Try it today, even from the grocery store! Although these fruit can be quite costly. So, plant your own Dragon Fruit variety collection and enjoy an endless palette of deliciousness!

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

When do I get the fruit from my Dragon Fruit?

Dragon fruit varieties

🍉 When do I get the fruit from my Dragon Fruit?
  • 🌵Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) is one of the most rewarding exotic fruits to grow. Sweet pulp, striking looks, and plenty of health benefits make it a favorite. You'll see it in three main types: white-fleshed (Hylocereus undatus), red-fleshed (Hylocereus costaricensis), and yellow-skinned (Hylocereus, or Selenicereus megalanthus).
  • 🌵Don't want to wait years for fruit? Here’s the good news: unlike many tropical trees that test your patience, dragon fruit is a fast-fruiting, easy-going cactus. With the right care, you can harvest in just 1-2 years from a cutting - or even the same season if you plant a well-established specimen.
  • 🌵 How to get Dragon Fruit faster

  • ▫️Give it strong support - trellis, fence, or post. This cactus loves to climb.
  • ▫️Full sun and good drainage - sandy or well-draining soil works best.
  • ▫️Smart watering - water deeply in hot weather, then let the soil dry. Dragon fruit loves water during active summer growth, but remember it's still a cactus - don’t keep soil soggy.
  • ▫️Pollination matters - flowers open at night. Some varieties are self-fertile, but planting a few different types boosts fruit set. This is why it helps to keep several varieties close together.
  • ▫️Feed well - use organic liquid fertilizers like Sunshine Boosters C-Cibus with every watering, or Green Magic controlled-release fertilizer every 6 months.


With these steps, dragon fruit quickly rewards you with flowers, followed by colorful, delicious fruit. Few exotics are this easy - or this fast!

🛒 Start your fast-growing Dragon Fruit production


📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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Fun Fact: Long Leaf Anthurium. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Fun Fact: Long Leaf Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium

Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium

🔍 Fun Fact: Long Leaf Anthurium

💎 Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium. This rare rainforest gem flaunts leaves that can stretch up to 6 feet long, creating a stunning cascading effect when grown in hanging baskets. Plus, it surprises with bright pink, showy fruits that add a vibrant splash of color to its dramatic foliage!

#Fun_Facts #Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

🛒 Order Anthurium veitchii

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Fun Fact: King Anthurium. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Fun Fact: King Anthurium

Anthurium veitchii - King Anthurium

Anthurium veitchii - King Anthurium

Anthurium veitchii - King Anthurium

Anthurium veitchii - King Anthurium

Anthurium veitchii - King Anthurium

Anthurium veitchii - King Anthurium

👑 Fun Fact: King Anthurium

🔖 Crowning its title, Anthurium veitchii - King Anthurium - boasts leaves up to 3 feet long! Majestic houseplant! Very hard to find, rare plant.

#Fun_Facts #Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

🛒 Order Anthurium veitchii

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Anthurium with leaves longer than you! A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Anthurium with leaves longer than you!

Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium

🍃 Anthurium with leaves longer than you!
  • 🌿 Ever seen an Anthurium with leaves longer than you are tall? Anthurium vittarifolium - Long Leaf Anthurium - is a true rainforest treasure from South America. Its strap-like leaves can reach an incredible 6 feet in length but stay only about 2 inches wide, creating elegant green ribbons that drape down like a waterfall.
  • 🌿 Grow it in a hanging basket and you’ll get a cascading curtain of foliage that instantly turns any space into a jungle hideaway.
  • 🌿 As if the leaves weren’t enough, this rare beauty produces clusters of bright pink berries that pop against the deep green leaves, adding an unexpected splash of color!
  • 🌿 It's rare, it's dramatic, and it's the kind of plant that makes people stop and ask, “What on earth is THAT?”


🛒 Grow the 6-foot leaf Anthurium

📚
Learn more:

#Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden
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Pitaya vs Dragon fruit - what is the difference and how to grow it? A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Pitaya vs Dragon fruit - what is the difference and how to grow it?

Pitaya vs Dragon fruit - what is the difference and how to grow it?
🌵 Pitaya vs Dragon fruit - what is the difference and how to grow it?

  • 🍉 Pitaya and Dragon Fruit are the same plant!

  • 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 Selenicereus megalanthus). 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.

Varieties: Cosmic Charlie, Edgar's Baby, Halleys Comet, Natural Mystic, Physical Graffiti, Purple Haze, Tricia, Voodoo Child, Zamorano

🟡⚪️ Yellow skin, white flesh (Hylocereus, or Selenicereus megalanthus) - 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.

🛒 Explore and collect Dragon Fruit varieties

📚 Learn more:

#Food_Forest #How_to #Dragon_Fruit

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Black-black-black plant! It's totally black, that's right. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

Black-black-black plant! Its totally black, thats right

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

Black ZZ Plant, Zamioculcas x Black Dragon

♣️ Black-black-black plant! It's totally black, that's right.
  • ▪️ Meet the elusive Black ZZ Plant, where the leaves of this dragon truly live up to its name with their mesmerizing black hue.

  • Zamioculcas x Black Dragon - yes, the leaves of this Dragon are absolutely black!
  • ▪️Indoor plant enthusiasts may be familiar with its green counterpart, but this rare black variety is a collector's dream come true! You can see both green and black varieties on one of the photos.
  • ▪️The Black ZZ Plant is a succulent marvel, boasting dark glossy foliage thanks to its high chlorophyll concentration - a rarity in the plant kingdom.
  • ▪️With its exceptional ability to store water, the ZZ Plant can endure long periods without watering, earning its title as one of the most drought-tolerant plants on the planet.
  • ▪️Sometimes referred to as the Aroid Palm, this ancient relic shares a unique characteristic with Gonatopus: its leaflets can detach, root, and form bulblets, a trait unseen in other aroids outside the Zamioculcadeae family.
  • ▪️Witness the magic as juvenile leaves emerge green and transform into striking black as they mature, adding a touch of mystery and elegance to any indoor oasis.


🛒 Get the Black ZZ and surprise your friends

#Nature_Wonders #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

🏵 TopTropicals

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What does a dragon taste like? Does Dragon Fruit come from a monster cactus? Learn why you need to grow your own. A Top Tropicals Garden Blog post.

What does a dragon taste like? Does Dragon Fruit come from a monster cactus? Learn why you need to grow your own

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya trees on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya trees on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya on trellis

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya red fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya red fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya purple fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya purple fruit

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya Yellow Parlora

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya Yellow Parlora

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya flower

Hylocereus and Selenicereus Dragon Fruit or Pitaya flower

🐲 What does a dragon taste like? Does Dragon Fruit come from a monster cactus? Learn why you need to grow your own. 🌵
  • 🔴 You may have tried a Dragon fruit from the store l, but do you know how it grows? On a cactus tree!
  • 🔴 Names: varieties of Hylocereus and Selenicereus - these fruit bearing cactus plants are also called Dragon Fruit or Pitaya.
  • 🔴 Commercially grown fruit sold in a grocery store may be tasteless. You need to grow your own good variety to have tasty, sweet, flavorful fruit!
  • 🔴 Dragon fruit comes in many varieties. Colors of flesh differ: white, pink, dark red and even purple. The outside of the fruit can be red/pink or yellow.
  • 🔴 In commercial groves, Pitayas grow like cactus trees, over a strong support - big "umbrella frames" ☂️
  • 🔴 It is an easy plant, with low water needs, takes both sun and semi-shade.
  • 🔴 Our favorite variety is Yellow Dragon Fruit Palora, (Selenicereus megalanthus). It is the sweetest and has the most flavor of all. We shared some recipes earlier.
  • 🔴 Can be grown in container with a wooden trellis. And the flower is beautiful, too!


📚 Learn more about Dragon Fruit
🍹 Recipe: What to do with a Dragon fruit?

🛒Grow your own Tasty Dragon Fruits

#Food_Forest #Recipes #Nature_Wonders

🏵 TopTropicals