Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 23 Jun 2025

Black Tacca Lily

Tacca Lily - Black Bat Flower, Devil Flower

A flying bat with whiskers. Tacca. It's rare. It's weird.

  • Tacca Lily - also known as the Black Bat Flower or Devil Flower, looks like something brewed up in a witch's greenhouse.
  • The flower isn't really a single flower - it's a full-on performance. Giant black-maroon "wings" stretch out like a bat in flight, while long, drooping filaments dangle like eerie whiskers or jungle jewelry. Some can reach over a foot long!
  • Those weird, wild filaments? They're not just for show - they are believed to help mimic the look of decaying matter to attract pollinators like flies. Creepy? Yes. Clever? Absolutely.
  • The plant blooms best when it feels pampered - think filtered light, tropical vibes, and spa-level humidity. A smart indoor exotic for a bathroom with a skylight!
  • It grows from a rhizome, and while the Black Tacca (T. chantrieri) is prized for its spooky looks, its Green cousin (T. leontopetaloides) is actually used to make a type of tropical arrowroot starch.
  • Some gardeners say it takes a while to bloom (maybe a few months) - but once it does, it becomes the crown jewel of the greenhouse. People will ask if it's real. You'll say, "Yes, and it lives here!"
  • Tacca comes in different species/colors: Black, White, Green:
Tacca nivea - White Tacca
Tacca chantrieri - Black Tacca
Tacca leontopetaloides - Green Tacca

📚 Learn more:



🛒 Shop Bat Head Lilies - Devil's Flower Tacca

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Fun_Facts

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Date: 23 Jun 2025

A flying bat with whiskers?

Tacca Lily - Black Bat Flower, Devil Flower - cartoon

Tacca Lily - Black Bat Flower, Devil Flower - cartoon

A flying bat with whiskers?



Have you seen a flower like this? Find out from the next post!⤵️

Tacca Lily - also known as the Black Bat Flower or Devil Flower, looks like something brewed up in a witch's greenhouse.

🛒 Shop Bat Head Lilies - Devil's Flower Tacca

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Fun_Facts

🔴 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 22 Jun 2025

The fiery plant that fights sugar: Nature secret insulin?

Costus igneus - Insulin Plant, Fiery Costus, Spiral Flag

Costus igneus - Insulin Plant, Fiery Costus, Spiral Flag

💚 The fiery plant that fights sugar: Nature secret insulin?

  • Costus igneus - Insulin Plant, also known as Fiery Costus or Spiral Flag, this vibrant tropical plant is famous for its potential health benefits - especially for people managing diabetes. Nicknamed the insulin plant, it's believed to help lower blood glucose levels naturally.
  • Its lush, turmeric-like leaves spiral around upright stems, with a glossy dark green top and a striking light purple underside. The plant grows up to two feet tall and forms elegant clumps from underground rhizomes.
  • In warm months, it produces bright orange, cone-like flowers that stand out beautifully in the garden.
  • Beyond its beauty, 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!


🛒 Grow your own sugar-fighter - order the Insulin Plant

📚 Learn more:


Most interesting edible gingers

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Shade_Garden #Fun_Facts

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Date: 21 Jun 2025

Flowers never seen before: Adenium Rainbow, Part 2

Adenium Rainbow, Part 2

Adenium Rainbow, Part 2 🌈

Continued from the previous post ⤴️

📚 More about #Adenium

🛒 Shop Adenium colors and hybrids

#Container_Garden #How_to #Shade_Garden #Adenium

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Date: 20 Jun 2025

Adenium Rainbow, Part 1

Adenium varieties

Adenium Rainbow, Part 1 🌈
  • 🌸 Our Desert roses at Top Tropicals - Adeniums - were planted in March - and the first video posted in April.
  • Now, in June, they have more and more blooms! We are sharing these amazing colors with you.
    To be continued, check back soon!⤵️
  • 🌸 Check out the varieties still in stock and grab yours before they’re gone. Some are already sold out, but you still have a chance to score amazing blooms!
  • 🌸 Why Collect Adeniums?


· Easy to grow indoors or out
  • · Thrive in sun, shade, and low humidity
  • · Drought-tolerant, low maintenance
  • · Not picky about soil
  • · Stunning blooms and unique caudex shapes

  • 🌸 How Many Varieties Exist?

· Over 200 hybrids at Top Tropicals
  • · 100+ varieties in stock now
  • · From doubles to red, purple, yellow, striped, dotted, rainbow, even black flowers - you'll want them all!


🌸 How to Grow a Big, Swollen Caudex - a simple trick with big results:


Each time you repot, raise the plant slightly to expose more of the upper roots. This encourages new root growth downward and helps form a thicker, more dramatic caudex.
  • · Use a well-draining mix
  • · Water only when dry - Adeniums love dry conditions
  • · Feed with Sunshine Megaflor Booster that supports both caudex and blooms
  • · Grow best in filtered bright light


📚 More about Adeniums:



🛒 Shop Adenium colors and hybrids

#Container_Garden #How_to #Shade_Garden #Adenium

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals