Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 31 Jul 2025

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 vittariifolium – 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

Date: 13 Apr 2025

Why do the Chinese drink tea?

Why do the Chinese drink tea?

🌱 Why do the Chinese drink tea?


  • 🍃 It actually has to do with the Chinese theory of the five elements - wood, metal, fire, water, and earth:

木 金 火 水 土

  • 🍃 Tea comes from a plant - Camellia sinensis - the Tea Leaf Tree - that is used to make all true teas: green, black, white, and oolong. The Tea Tree contains the element of wood (木) 🌳

  • 🍃 When it's roasted in a cast-iron pan, it gains the element of metal (金)

  • 🍃 Then it's dried over fire, adding the element of fire (火) 🔥

  • 🍃 When it's brewed with boiling water, the element of water enters (水) 💦

  • 🍃 Finally, tea is poured into a clay vessel, symbolizing the element of earth (土) 🍯

  • 🍃 In this way, all five elements - wood, metal, fire, water, and earth - come together in a single cup.

  • 🍃 The plant grows slowly and can thrive in containers or frost-free gardens with sun to semi-shade.


🛒 Grow your own tea

📚 Learn more from previous posts:


Tea facts
How to grow your own tea?
Where does the tea come from?
Instructions how to make tea from tea leaves (PDF)

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Fun_facts

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Date: 2 Jun 2025

What is better than Spinach

🍀 What is better than Spinach



📱

🛒 Shop Longevity Spinach

#Food_Forest #Remedies

🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

Date: 29 Apr 2022

What is the easiest, prettiest, and most practical plant?
A plastic one?
Believe it or not, there is a different answer:

Plant of the month: Callisia Variegated Golden Tendril

Callisia  fragrans  x  soconuscensis  Melnikoff  -  Variegated  Golden  Tendril

Callisia fragrans x soconuscensis Melnikoff - Variegated Golden Tendril

An ultimate plant:
- perfect low maintenance house plant
- easy to grow
- has multiple holistic medicinal properties
- can grow fast as grownd cover
- needs almost no water
- sun or shade
- no fuss, no kidding!

This is an extremely rare variety of the European Holistic Medicinal Plant - Golden Tendril. It has showy variegated leaves and makes a beautiful houseplant on top of its medicinal value. It tolerates wide range of conditions and requires very little water; takes both bright sun or shade and is very fast growing and easy. The plant has wide medicinal use in Europe, literally every household uses this plant as a home remedies... just like Aloe Vera! According to scientific research, active biological substances from steroid group contained in this plant can struggle with any types of infections, stimulates metabolic processes, strengthens immunity and circulatory system, has a positive influence on growths and much more... some people consider it a virtual panacea. Whether it works for everybody or not, it is definitely fun to own such a legendary plant!

These are pictures of actual plants for sale!

Callisia  fragrans  x  soconuscensis  Melnikoff  -  Variegated  Golden  Tendril

Date: 30 Apr 2024

Cat of the Day - Mr B

🐈 Cat of the Day - Mr B.

Did you know that Lemon Grass freshens your pet's breath? Mr B knows. He is the fan. He doesn't brush his teeth before going to bed, but claims he has a lemon-fresh breath. Good night!🌜

📸 😺 👇 Share your cats in comments!

🛒 And get some Lemon Grass - a versatile performer in the kitchen where it can be used in teas, beverages, herbal medicines, Eastern inspired soups and other dishes.

🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden

#Remedies #Food_Forest

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