Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 24 Dec 2024

What is the most popular Christmas plant?

Christmas Orchid Cactus - Schlumbergera

😂 What is the most popular Christmas plant?

  • Every one knows Christmas Orchid Cactus - Schlumbergera. But this rare variety is exceptional - it is called New Deal.
  • This remarkable Christmas cactus hybrid has spectacular, large-flowers and blooms twice a season.
  • New Deal is completely lost to the trade today, but we have it at Top Tropicals for the first time after it was originally offered for purchase at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden over 90 years ago while having a special rare plant sale on the day of the famous presidential election on November 8, 1932 when F.D.R. was historically voted in as the next American president.
  • The plants we are offering are all 3rd generation vegetative propagation from an original specimen (still alive btw). Its name New Deal - is identical to President Franklin D. Roosevel main campaign slogan us
  • Not only is New Deal an exceptionally obscure, heirloom cultivar especially easy to grow under average house plant conditions,
  • It reliably produces almost an overabundance of brilliant violet-pink and white flowers which are easily an inch larger than any other variety.


💕 Do you have Christmas cactus at home? What colors? Share your pictures!

📚 Learn more:


"New Deal" - a remarkable Christmas cactus

🛒 Order Schlumbergera New Deal

#Container_Garden #Fun_Facts

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Date: 2 Jan 2025

Seven most popular low-growing plants
for small gardens

Alpinia  purpurata  -  Dwarf  Red  Cone  Ginger

Photo above: Alpinia purpurata - Dwarf Red Cone Ginger - is a medium-growing, compact option for your garden, offering vibrant red flowers with minimal space needed. Its tropical appeal and tolerance for partial shade make it perfect for adding color without overwhelming your garden. Grows up to 4-5 ft.

Easy plants that can stay compact and short!

Q: I am looking for a few compact plants that I don't need to trim all the time. Can you recommend some low-growing pretty shrub to plant along my driveway (sun) and under an oak tree (shade)?

A: Here are a few most popular showy shrubs for you that can stay compact and require minimal if any pruning or maintenance!

Osmoxylon  lineare  (variegated)  -  Miagos  bush,  Golden  Feather

Osmoxylon lineare - variegated Miagos bush, Golden Feather - is a compact and striking shrub perfect for adding an exotic touch to a small garden or indoor space. Its hardiness and low-maintenance nature, combined with its tolerance for various light conditions, make it an ideal choice for a small, visually appealing addition to your garden. Full sun or light shade.

Capsicum  annuum  x  chinense  -  Biquinho  Pepper

Capsicum annuum x chinense - Biquinho Pepper - amazing showy pepper, both ornamental and useful! Vibrant, compact plant that combines ornamental beauty with culinary use. Its small, bright fruits offer a burst of fruity, habanero-like flavor, making it a unique addition to any garden or kitchen, with little to no heat. Full sun: the more sun - the more peppers!

Lippia  dulcis  -  Aztec  Sweet  Herb,  Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf - not only showy, but also scented leaves and useful herb right at your doorstep! This fragrant, compact elegant plant adds both beauty and function to your garden. Its sweet-tasting leaves are perfect for snacking or enhancing fruit salads, while also serving as a natural remedy for colds and coughs.

Justicia  carnea  Alba  -  White  Brazilian  Plume  Flower

Justicia carnea Alba - White Brazilian Plume Flower is a compact, tropical beauty that thrives in full to partial sun and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Its stunning white flowers and lush green foliage make it a perfect choice for adding a tropical touch to your garden, and its relatively cold hardy!

Pedilanthus  tithymaloides  -  Devils  Backbone

Pedilanthus tithymaloides - Devils Backbone - thrives in toughest spots! Hardy, low-maintenance plant, offering striking pink flowers and showy, unique ziz-zag foliage. Easy care requirements, full sun and minimal watering.

Ground  Orchids

Ground orchids are a fantastic choice for exotic flower beds and colorful borders, growing just 2-3 feet tall and blooming year-round. They offer a wide selection of colors and bloom year-round. Sun or shade, they thrive in both! And yes, they grow in regular garden soil, which is why they are also called Terrestrial Orchids.

Shop small perennials

Date: 17 Feb 2025

What are the best plants for a bathroom oasis

🌳 What are the best plants for a bathroom oasis



👍 If you are lucky to have a large bathroom with a skylight, you can create your little tropical oasis!
Plants on the video are the easiest candidates that require minimum care:

Philodendrons
Calatheas
Monsteras
Aspidistra
Christmas Cactus
Peperomias
Vanilla Orchid
Ruellia makoyana - Monkey Flower

🛍 Shop indoor garden

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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Date: 27 May 2025

Too weird to ignore, too easy not to grow!

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, flower

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, flower

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, leaves

Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus, Anthony's Rick-Rack, Fishbone Cactus, leaves

Too weird to ignore, too easy not to grow!

  • ⚡️Cryptocereus (Selenicereus) anthonyanus - Zig-Zag Cactus. Also known as Anthony's Rick-Rack or Fishbone Cactus, this oddball epiphyte is famous for its zigzagging, succulent leaves that look like a green lightning bolt.
  • ⚡️ In nature, it climbs trees using aerial roots, but it's happy in a pot too.
  • ⚡️Give it bright, indirect light and let the soil dry out completely between waterings.
  • ⚡️In spring, it may reward you with a rare night-blooming flower that lasts just one magical evening.
  • ⚡️ Easy, sculptural, and full of character!


🛒 Add this oddball to your jungle

📚 More about exotic epiphytic cacti:


Disocactus ackermanni - Red Orchid Cactus
Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of the Night
Pseudorhipsalis (Wittia) amazonica - Blue Flame
Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa - Orchid Cactus, Curly Locks

#Fun_Facts #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Nature_Wonders

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Date: 20 Aug 2025

Avocado cacao mousse: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes

Avocado cacao mousse

Avocado cacao mousse

🍴 Avocado cacao mousse: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes

  • 🟢Blend ripe avocado with cocoa powder, honey, and a splash of vanilla.
  • 🟢Chill and serve like chocolate pudding.
  • 🟢Nobody will guess the secret ingredient!
  • 🟢Healthy and tasty!


🛒 For all-home-grown ingredients you will need:


Avocado tree fruit
Chocolate tree fruit
Vanilla Orchid Beans

#Food_Forest #Recipes #Avocado

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