Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 4 Jan 2026

Dont drink your coffee until you see this!

Coffea arabica - Coffee tree, fruit

☕️ Don't drink your coffee until you see this!

  • Our coffee trees, Coffea arabica, are growing in 7-gallon pots, and after months of waiting, the cherries are fully ripe!
  • They bloomed in May, set fruit in August, and now in winter the fruit has turned red and ready to harvest.
  • Coffee is one of the easiest fruiting plants you can grow at home. It does well in containers, loves shade, and can be grown indoors or outdoors in warm climates. With regular watering and a little patience, you can grow, harvest, roast, and brew your own coffee right from your home garden.
  • We are harvesting now, and the next video will show the full roasting process step by step.

  • 👉 Coming up next: Roasting video coming soon - stay with us!


🛒 Start your own coffee harvest

📚 Learn more:

Plant Facts

Coffea arabica
Coffee
USDA Zone: 9-11
Large shrub 5-10 ft tallSmall tree 10-20 ftSemi-shadeShadeKeep soil moistWhite, off-white flowersEdible 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.Fragrant plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
  • Coffea arabica in Plant Encyclopedia
  • Homegrown coffee - the journey begins!
  • How to make your own coffee from homegrown beans
  • Coffee trees in bloom
  • •  Brew Your Future: Grow Your Own Coffee
  • •  What is coffee made of?
  • •  Why Coffee tree is the best gift plant
  • •  Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #2. Coffee Tree
  • •  What is the most popular and the easiest tropical fruit tree grown as a house plant?
    🎥

    #Food_Forest #Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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  • Date: 15 Jan 2026

    Why collectors go crazy for this ginger

    Burbidgea schizocheila - Voodoo Flame Ginger

    🔥 Why collectors go crazy for this ginger

    • 🔥 Burbidgea schizocheila - Voodoo Flame Ginger is one of those gingers that quietly surprises you. This ginger looks fake - but it blooms like this in real life! Compact, upright, and rarely seen in cultivation, it sends up glowing golden-orange flower cones that look almost unreal against its dark green leaves and deep maroon stems. Blooms appear on and off throughout the year, and each cone slowly opens individual flowers that can last up to two weeks, giving you a long-lasting show instead of a one-day flash.
    • 🔥 What makes this plant especially intriguing is how different it is from typical gingers. It grows more like a sculptural accent than a spreading clump, staying neat and vertical. Even more unusual - it behaves partly like an epiphyte. The rhizome prefers to sit above the soil surface, with only the roots buried, much like orchids or staghorn ferns. Bury the rhizome and the plant will sulk.
    • 🔥 Voodoo Flame Ginger thrives in bright shade, warm temperatures, and high humidity, making it a natural choice for indoor growing or protected patios. Direct sun will scorch the leaves, and cold temperatures are not tolerated, so it is best kept in containers and brought inside when nights cool down. Slow-growing, tidy, and dramatic without being flashy, this is a true collector ginger - strange, elegant, and quietly mesmerizing.



    📚 Learn more about gingers:

    🛒 Get collectible Coral Ginger Borneo Pink

    #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden

    Plant Facts

    Burbidgea schizocheila
    Golden Brush, Dwarf Orange Ginger, Voodoo Flame Ginger
    USDA Zone: 9-11
    Small plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeModerate waterRegular waterEpiphyte plantYellow, orange flowersSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
    🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals

    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
  • Vangueria infausta - Spanish Tamarind in Plant Encyclopedia
  • The wild fruit with a secret: health benefits of rare Spanish Tamarind - the exotic fruit you've never heard of

  • #Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

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    Date: 21 Jan 2026

    Ice Cream Bean cool fluff: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

    Ice Cream Bean cool fluff

    Ice Cream Bean cool fluff

    Ice cream bean tree (Inga edulis) - fruit

    Ice cream bean tree (Inga edulis) - fruit

    🍴 Ice Cream Bean Cool Fluff

    Ingredients

    • Fresh Ice Cream Bean pulp (Inga edulis)
    • Crushed ice
    • Optional: lime wedge or mint leaf for garnish

    Instructions

    1. Open ripe Ice Cream Bean pods and scoop out the sweet white pulp.
    2. Remove and save the seeds if you want to plant more Ice Cream Bean trees.
    3. Chill the pulp for 20 to 30 minutes.
    4. Serve the chilled pulp over crushed ice as a natural shaved-ice dessert.

    🌿 About the plant:


    Ice cream bean (Inga edulis) produces long pods filled with sweet, cottony white pulp surrounding dark seeds. The flavor is mild, vanilla-like, and naturally creamy. The pulp is eaten fresh and used as a natural dessert across South and Central America.

    🌱 In the garden:


    Inga edulis is a fast-growing tropical tree with lush foliage and nitrogen-fixing roots that improve soil health. It is a perfect tree for a quick shade solution in just one season. While large in the ground, it can be managed with pruning in home orchards.

    🛒 Plant Ice Cream Bean tree

    📚 Learn more:

    Plant Facts

    Inga edulis, Inga feuilleei
    Ice Cream Bean, Inga, Guama, Guaba
    USDA Zone: 9-11
    Large tree taller than 20 ftFull sunRegular waterWhite, off-white flowersEdible plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
  • Ice Cream Bean tree (Inga edulis) in Plant Encyclopedia
  • Did you know that ice cream actually grows on a tree?
  • What does Ice Cream Bean fruit taste like?
  • Ice Cream Bean Tree: Eating the fruit and planting the tree

  • #Food_Forest #Recipes

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    Date: 8 Jan 2026

    Root beer leaf wraps: quick-n-fun exotic recipes

    Root beer leaf wraps

    Root beer leaf wraps

    Piper auritum - Root Beer Plant

    Piper auritum - Root Beer Plant

    🍴 Root Beer Leaf Wraps

    Ingredients

    • 6 to 8 large fresh Root Beer leaves (Piper auritum)
    • 1 lb ground meat or firm tofu
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Optional: chili flakes, paprika, or cumin
    • Lemon wedges, for serving

    Instructions

    1. Rinse the Root Beer leaves and pat dry. Trim thick stems if needed.
    2. In a bowl, mix ground meat or tofu with onion, garlic, oil, salt, pepper, and spices.
    3. Place a portion of filling onto each leaf and roll tightly into wraps.
    4. Grill over medium heat until the leaves are lightly charred and the filling is cooked through.
    5. Serve warm with lemon wedges or dipping sauce.

    ☘️ About the plant:


    Piper auritum - Root beer plant, also known as Acuyo or false Kava-Kava, is a large-leaved tropical herb native to Central and South America and also grown in the South Pacific. It belongs to the same family as Kava-Kava and black pepper. The leaves are prized for their bold, aromatic flavor, often described as root beer, anise, or clove-like. Traditionally, the leaves are chopped for seasoning or used whole as natural wrappers for meats, fish, and tamales.

    🌱 In the garden:


    Piper auritum is easy to grow in warm climates and forms a lush, fast-growing perennial. Its huge, soft leaves - often over a foot long - make it both edible and ornamental. It prefers warmth, moisture, and partial shade and is often mistaken for Kava-Kava due to its similar appearance and close relation.

    🛒 Plant the beautiful Root Beer Plant - it always will be with you

    📚 Learn more:

    Plant Facts

    Piper auritum
    Root Beer Plant, Mexican Pepperleaf, Hoja Santa , Veracruz Pepper, False Kava-Kava, Sacred Pepper
    USDA Zone: 9-11
    Large shrub 5-10 ft tallSmall plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeShadeFull sunRegular waterKeep soil moistInvasive 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.Irritating plantSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
  • Piper auritum - Root Beer Plant in Plant Encyclopedia
  • How to always have your own Root Beer
  • How to grow your own Pepper plants. Five most valuable 'Pipers'

  • #Food_Forest #Recipes

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