Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 14 Jan 2026

Did you know that Tacca is a cat?

Tacca plants and Cats

Tacca plants and Cats

🐈 Did you know that Tacca is a cat?



That’s probably the real evolutionary secret no botanist will admit! Those whiskers? Pure marketing genius from nature.
Cats had it figured out first — look mysterious, add long elegant whiskers, and everyone falls in love.
Tacca just took notes and said, “Alright, I can work with that!”
Continue reading: Tacca wants to be a cat! - and everyone loves cats!

Tacca colors: Black, White, Green:


Tacca nivea - White Tacca
Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca
Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca

🛒 Add Get your own Bat Head Lily Tacca

📚 Learn more:

Plant Facts

Tacca chantrieri
Bat Head Lily, Bat Flower, Devil Flower, Black Tacca
USDA Zone: 9-11
Small plant 2-5 ftShadeRegular waterOrnamental foliageUnusual color

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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Date: 16 Jan 2026

The most asked-about tree in the Sunshine State: Bauhinia

Purple Orchid tree - Bauhinia purpurea

🌸 The most asked-about tree in the Sunshine State: Bauhinia

  • 🌸 If you visit Florida in winter, chances are you will notice a tree covered in orchid-like flowers and wonder what it is. That tree is often an orchid tree, most commonly Bauhinia purpurea. It is fast growing, wide spreading, and blooms from late winter through spring, sometimes with a second round in summer. The flowers range from magenta to lavender, are lightly fragrant, and stand out even from a distance. The leaves are just as distinctive - split into two halves like butterfly wings, which is why these trees are also called butterfly trees.
  • 🌸 Orchid trees are easygoing and practical. They thrive in full sun, tolerate many soil types as long as drainage is good, and need little water once established. Growth is quick, often 2–3 feet per year, making them excellent shade trees for hot climates. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, and in some cultures the buds and blossoms are used in cooking, while the bark has a long history in folk remedies. Beautiful, useful, and low maintenance, orchid trees are a perfect fit for Southern landscapes.


🛒 Discover Bauhinias - Orchid trees

📚 Learn more:

Plant Facts

Bauhinia acuminata
Dwarf White Orchid Tree, White Bauhinia, Kaa-long, Snowy Orchid
USDA Zone: 9-11
Large shrub 5-10 ft tallSmall tree 10-20 ftFull sunModerate waterWhite, off-white flowersDeciduous plant

#Trees

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Date: 20 Jan 2026

7 steps for a care-free Spanish Tamarind - the easiest rare fruit to grow

Vangueria infausta (Spanish Tamarind, Wild Medlar)

Vangueria infausta (Spanish Tamarind, Wild Medlar)

🍊 7 steps for a care-free Spanish Tamarind - the easiest rare fruit to grow



Yes, it can handle light frost - Vangueria infausta (Spanish Tamarind, Wild Medlar) - we just discovered it can handle cold snaps! After a few cold nights in January, our young tree planted just a few months ago, still looks happy and strong!
If you are looking for a tough little fruit tree that thrives on neglect but gives you something truly special in return - try this rare, compact fruit tree. Spanish Tamarind is native to southern Africa, it is drought-tolerant, pest-resistant, and surprisingly cold-hardy once established - making it a great choice even for gardeners in borderline zones.

Here’s how to grow this resilient gem:

🌞 Sun and soil



Spanish Tamarind loves full sun, but will tolerate light shade. It isn’t picky about soil as long as it drains well - sandy, rocky, or loamy, it will grow just fine. No special amendments needed.

💧 Watering



Once established, it's very drought tolerant, but young trees need regular watering to develop a deep root system. In containers, water when the top inch of soil is dry. In the ground, water deeply but infrequently.

❄️ Cold tolerance



Now for the surprise: while it’s considered a tropical fruit, Wild Medlar can handle brief dips into the mid-30s F without damage, especially when mature and dormant. In Sebring, FL, we’ve seen this tree shrug off light frosts with no protection!
And what makes this even more impressive? The tree has beautiful, lush velvet leaves - soft to the touch and tropical in appearance - yet surprisingly hardy for such large, tender-looking foliage.
  • · Young plants should be protected the first couple winters
  • · Grow in containers if you’re in USDA zone 8 or lower
  • · A little mulch around the base helps stabilize soil temps in winter


Growing in pots



This tree is very compact and does well in containers. Use a large, well-drained pot and a loose soil mix. Keep it outside in spring through fall, then bring it indoors before a hard frost. It grows slowly and stays compact for years, making it a great fit for patios or balconies.

🍊 When to expect fruit



With enough sun and time, your tree can start fruiting in 2-3 years. Mature trees can bear 20-40 small round fruits per season, ripening to a golden-brown with a tangy-sweet flavor. The fruiting season may vary depending on your local climate, but typically occurs in late summer to fall.

🛠 Maintenance? Almost none.

  • · No special pruning needed (except to shape)
  • · No major pests or diseases reported
  • · Tough and low-maintenance in the landscape


🏆 Final thought: grow it for the surprise



Spanish Tamarind - Wild Medlar - is a tree that rewards patience. It's unusual, beautiful in its own scruffy way, and packs a punch with cold tolerance, drought resistance, and tasty fruit. Spanish Tamarind belongs in every experimental garden or food forest - especially if you love growing things no one else in the neighborhood has.

🛒 Add rare Spanish Tamarind to your rare fruit collection

📚 Learn more:

Plant Facts

Vangueria infausta
Wild Medlar, Spanish Tamarind
USDA Zone: 9-11
Small tree 10-20 ftFull sunModerate waterEdible plantDeciduous plantEthnomedical plant. Plants marked as ethnomedical and/or described as medicinal, are not offered as medicine but rather as ornamentals or plant collectibles. Ethnomedical statements / products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We urge all customers to consult a physician before using any supplements, herbals or medicines advertised here or elsewhere.Subtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

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Date: 23 Jan 2026

Insulin Ginger traditional remedies: Quick-n-fun exotic recipes

Insulin Ginger (Chamaecostus cuspidatus) traditional remedies recipes

Insulin Ginger (Chamaecostus cuspidatus) traditional remedies recipes

❣️ Insulin Ginger traditional remedies: Quick-n-fun exotic recipes

  • 6 very simple, real-world ways people actually use Insulin Ginger (Chamaecostus cuspidatus)


✦ 1. 🍵 Simple leaf tea


Steep 1–2 fresh leaves (or dried) in hot water for 10–15 minutes. Drink warm, plain or lightly sweetened.
  • ✦ 2. ❄️ Refreshing iced herbal drink
Blend a couple of leaves with water, strain, add ice. Some people add a squeeze of lemon.

    • ✦ 3. Coconut water blend


    Blend 1–2 leaves with fresh coconut water. Drink chilled as a mild daily tonic.

    • ✦ 4. 🌿 Fresh leaf chew


    The simplest method - chew a fresh leaf in the morning, then discard. Very common traditional use.

    • ✦ 5. Salad add-in


    Finely slice young leaves and mix with other greens. Use lightly, like a functional herb.

    • ✦ 6. 🍲 Leaf Chutney


    Leaves can be blended with spices and other herbs into a savory condiment. Meals like this make the leaves easy to include in everyday diet (though you’d want to adapt it for flavor and personal preferences).


👆This plant has a long history of traditional use. Everyone’s body is different, so if you have diabetes or take medication, it’s wise to check with your healthcare provider first.

🛒 Add Insulin Ginger to your medicinal herb garden

📚 Learn more:

Plant Facts

Costus igneus, Chamaecostus cuspidatus
Insulin Plant, Fiery Costus, Spiral Flag
USDA Zone: 9-11
Large shrub 5-10 ft tallSmall plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeShadeRegular waterYellow, orange flowersEdible plantSpice or herb plantEthnomedical plant. Plants marked as ethnomedical and/or described as medicinal, are not offered as medicine but rather as ornamentals or plant collectibles. Ethnomedical statements / products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We urge all customers to consult a physician before using any supplements, herbals or medicines advertised here or elsewhere.Subtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Shade_Garden #Discover #Recipes

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Date: 15 Jan 2026

When the Black Bat Lily decides to bloom

Blooming Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) with dark bat-shaped flower and long whisker-like filaments surrounded by green leaves

Every so often a plant blooms and the whole greenhouse seems to slow down.

That is what happened this week with the Black Bat Lily, Tacca chantrieri. We have grown Taccas for years, but when the black ones open properly, it still feels special. The flowers are dark and quiet, almost unreal up close. They do not shout for attention. They make you lean in.

Right now, we have a lot of them blooming at the same time. If you have never seen one in person, photos only get you part of the way there. The wings are darker than you expect, and the whiskers seem to go on forever. People walk into the greenhouse, stop, stare, and usually ask the same question: "Is that real?" - Yes. It is.

Group of blooming Black Bat Lily plants (Tacca chantrieri) with dark bat-shaped flowers and long whisker-like filaments in a greenhouse

A quick honest note, because this matters. The blooms themselves are delicate and may not travel well. That is just the nature of this plant. The plants, however, are strong, well established. With the right conditions, they bloom again. This is not a one-time trick.

Black Tacca is not a beginner houseplant, but it is also not impossible. It likes filtered light, steady warmth, and humidity. It does especially well in a greenhouse or a bright indoor spot where you already keep plants that enjoy moisture. It is the kind of plant you keep close, not one you forget in the corner.

We are offering them now simply because they are ready and looking their best. If you have been waiting for one, this is a good moment.

You can see the Black Bat Lily here: https://toptropicals.com/store/item/2345.htm

Just wanted to share something we are enjoying in the greenhouse right now. Some plants come and go. Some stay with you.

Tacca (Bat Lily) FAQ

What is Tacca?

Tacca, also known as Bat Lily or Devil Flower, is a tropical plant grown for its unusual bat-shaped flowers with long whisker-like filaments. The most popular species is Tacca chantrieri, the Black Bat Lily.

Is Tacca hard to grow?

Tacca is not a beginner plant, but it is not impossible. It does best with warmth, humidity, and filtered light. Gardeners who already grow orchids, calatheas, or other humidity-loving plants usually do well with Tacca.

Does Tacca need a greenhouse?

A greenhouse is ideal, but not required. Tacca can be grown indoors in a bright spot with indirect light and good humidity, such as near a humidifier or in a bright bathroom with a window or skylight.

Will my Tacca arrive in bloom?

Plants may be blooming in the greenhouse, but flowers are often removed before shipping because they are delicate and do not travel well. The plants are well established and capable of blooming again with proper care.

How often does Tacca bloom?

Tacca does not bloom constantly. It may take time to establish before flowering, but once settled, it can bloom seasonally and may produce multiple flowers in warm, humid conditions.

Does Tacca grow from a bulb?

Tacca grows from a rhizome, not a bulb. The rhizome stores energy and allows the plant to regrow and bloom again.

Why does Tacca have long whiskers?

The long filaments are thought to help attract pollinators such as flies by mimicking the look of decaying organic matter. While unusual, this is part of the plant's natural pollination strategy.

✍️ More about growing Tacca
🛒 Get your own Tacca plant
🎥Watch our videos about Tacca
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