Black and White Bat Lilies (Tacca chantrieri and Tacca nivea) side by side in bloom

How to Care for Bat Lilies

by Top Tropicals Plant Expert Tatiana Anderson

🌞 Light

• Bright, filtered light. Morning sun or dappled shade is perfect.
• Avoid direct midday sun outdoors — it can scorch the leaves.
• Indoors, place near a bright window with sheer curtains or use a grow light.

🌡️ Temperature

• Warm and stable, ideally 70-85 F during the day.
• Protect from cold drafts or sudden chills.
• Ideally, do not let temperature drop below 45 F, although Taccas can tolerate short period of upper 30's.

💧 Watering

• Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy.
• Water when the top inch feels barely dry.
• Use lukewarm water.
• Avoid letting the pot sit in water.

💨 Humidity

• High humidity (60-80%) is key.
• Mist leaves often, use a humidity tray, or keep near a humidifier.
• In greenhouses or bathrooms with a skylight, it thrives naturally.

🌱 Soil

• Use rich, loose, well-draining mix
• Combine bark, peat, and perlite for ideal airflow around the roots.
• Best mix for growing tropical Tacca in pots - soilless potting mix Abundance . It provides perfect drainage and has a texture similar to a jungle rainforest media.

🍽️ Feeding

• During growth season (Spring through Fall), feed with Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months. For even better results, you may apply liquid fertilizer Sunshine Boosters Rubusta.
• Stop feeding dry fertilizer in cooler months when growth slows. Liquid Sunshine Boosters are safe to use with every watering, year around.

🏡 Indoor Growing

• Great for bright bathrooms, sunrooms, or any warm, humid corner.
• Rotate pot occasionally for even growth.
• Keep away from heating vents and AC drafts.

🌴 Outdoor Growing (in warm climates)

• Partial shade or filtered light under trees.
• Excellent in large containers that can be brought inside for winter.
• Shelter from heavy rain and wind.

Sunshine: "So… it’s a diva?"
Smokey: "Exactly. But take care of it - and it rewards you with wings!"
Smokey and Sunshine: "Happy Halloween!"

🎥 Watch Short Videos:

🛒 Grow your own gothic masterpiece:
Shop Bat Head Lily Tacca

👻 When plants grow wings...

🌴 Twilight in the garden. Smokey is holding a glowing pumpkin. Sunshine is sipping cocoa.

Sunshine: "Smokey, why does that plant look like it wants to fly away?"
Smokey: "That’s the Bat Lily - Tacca. It’s rare, it’s weird, and it’s in bloom just in time for Halloween."
Sunshine: "Figures. You always find the spooky ones."

Meet the Bat Lily (Tacca)

Tacca is also called the Bat Lily or Devil Flower. This tropical wonder grows bat-shaped wings and foot-long whiskers. The black form (Tacca chantrieri) looks straight out of a gothic dream, while the white one (Tacca nivea) is ghost-like and elegant.

Some of our plants are blooming right now in the nursery — true Halloween magic! Blooms are delicate and may not travel, but the plants are strong and will flower again soon in your care.

Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) with dark maroon wings and long whiskers

White Bat Lily (Tacca nivea) in bloom with wide ivory wings

"The White Bat Lily (Tacca nivea) is bold and sculptural, with oversized ivory wings that command attention. Its pale bracts stretch wide above clusters of deep maroon flowers, and long, silvery whiskers spill gracefully through the foliage. In filtered light, the plant seems to glow from within — elegant, crisp, and perfectly balanced between the strange and the beautiful. If I could pick, I’d go with the White Tacca. It feels more architectural, more balanced — those oversized wings catch light in a way that shows off every vein and curve. It looks engineered by nature, almost like an alien design prototype that actually works.

The Black Bat Lily (Tacca chantrieri) feels alive with shadow. Its dark maroon wings and wiry whiskers make it look like something that fluttered out of the jungle at dusk. The bloom’s layered structure and near-black sheen give it a quiet power — mysterious, understated, but impossible to ignore. But if I were designing mood lighting for a greenhouse at night, the Black Tacca wins. It’s subtle, mysterious, like a secret only visible up close. Together, they’re perfect opposites — yin and yang of the tropical underworld: white for daylight, black for moonlight." — says Tatiana Anderson, Top Tropicals Plant Expert

👉 Collect Tacca plants:

Black - Tacca chantrieri

White - Tacca nivea

Green - Tacca leontopetaloides

🌳 Why Large Grafted Trees Are Better

These are not seedlings — they’re grafted trees, which means you get the true variety with known flavor, quality, and performance. Large grafted trees give you a real head start:

• Already mature with a strong root system.
• Handle transplanting and weather shifts with ease.
• Can bloom and fruit in the first or second season.

No guessing, no waiting years — you’ll get the exact fruit you want, sooner.

• 👉 Learn more: How long does it take for a mango tree to bear fruit?

  For Indoor and Patio Growers

  No space for a full orchard? You can still grow your own tropical paradise! Our large grafted Condo Mango trees adapt beautifully to big containers on patios, balconies, and sunrooms. They stay compact, flower sooner, and can fruit even in pots when given good light and warmth.

• 👉 Learn more: What are the Condo Mangos?

  Bring the tropics indoors — move your tree outside for summer sun, then back inside before frost. It’s the perfect way to enjoy homegrown fruit wherever you live.

  Give your garden a smart start this season. Large grafted Mango trees are ready — but only for a short time before winter.

  👉 Plant now, harvest sooner, and enjoy the true variety!

  

  Plant Care Tips by Top Tropicals Plant Expert Tatiana Anderson

  Large grafted Mango trees are easy to establish.

  • Soil: Well-drained, rich mix — avoid heavy clay.
  • Water: Deeply once or twice a week after the tree is established; keep soil evenly moist during the first few weeks after planting.
  • Light: Full sun or bright patio spot.
  • Feeding: Use balanced fertilizer Sunshine Boosters Mango Tango with every watering and Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months for steady growth.
  • Protection: Cover on cold nights for the first winter.
  • 👉 Learn more: How to take care of a mango tree in winter.

  Plant once, care lightly, and your tree will reward you with fast growth and early fruit.

  🌳 Big Trees, Local Pickup Only

  For our local gardeners, we have something special. Extra-large 15- and 25-gallon Mango trees. These are full, mature specimens that simply can’t be shipped, but they’re perfect for local pickup or delivery.

  Instant Impact and Faster Fruit

  These trees already have strong trunks, big root systems, and start blooming next Spring. Plant one in your yard and it instantly looks like it’s been there for years.

  Delivery and Installation

  We offer local delivery and professional installation for large trees in the nearby area. Our team can bring the tree to your garden, position it correctly, and help with planting and setup.

  👉 Contact us to arrange delivery and installation for your 15- or 25-gallon tree.

  Limited Availability: Quantities are small, and these big trees go fast — once sold, they won’t be available again until next growing season.

  "Large grafted trees give you a head start — they’re stronger, settle in faster, and can reward you with fruit the very next season," says Tatiana Anderson

  🎥 Watch Short Videos:

  🛒 Shop Mango trees

Large Grafted Mango Trees - Plant Now Before Winter!

"Next Time We'll Specify - A TREE!" - Smokey and Sunshine Plant a Giant Mango

🌡️ Why plant now?

Fall is the perfect time to plant tropical fruit trees. The soil is still warm, the air is mild, and your trees can quietly build strong roots. By spring, they’ll already be settled and ready to grow fast.

Imagine walking outside next summer and picking your own mangoes from a tree you planted this fall!

🎥 Check out Mango Tree Videos

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👉 Explore Mango Varieties:

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15 gal pots: pick up or delivery

25 gal pots: pick up or delivery

All Mango sizes

Detailed Cassia and Bauhinia Care Guide

Outdoor Cassia and Bauhinia Care

• Light: Both Cassia and Bauhinia need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Cassias handle intense heat; Bauhinias can take light afternoon shade.
• Soil: Use loose, fast-draining soil. Mix equal parts garden soil, coarse sand, and compost.
• Watering: Keep evenly moist but never soggy. Cassias tolerate dry spells once established; Bauhinias prefer steady moisture. Water when the top inch feels dry.
• Feeding: For profuse flowering, feed with liquid Sunshine Boosters Megaflor that is safe to use with every watering, year around. You may also apply Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months. Bauhinias and Cassias respond quickly to feeding.
• Pruning: After flowering, prune lightly to shape and remove dead tips. Cassias can be trimmed to shrub form; Bauhinias stay bushy with pinching.
• Mulch: Add a 2-inch mulch layer around the base to conserve moisture and prevent weeds, but keep mulch off the trunk.
• Cold protection: Most Cassias handle brief frost; some Bauhinias like B. acuminata and B. monandra must be sheltered below freezing. For cold nights, cover with frost cloth or move containers into shelter.
• Dormancy: Outside of tropics, most Bauhinias drop leaves in winter for a short period of time, right before flowering and are called "semi-deciduous". Cassias stay evergreen.

Indoor or Porch Care (cool-climate growers)

• Container: Choose a sturdy pot with several drainage holes, one size larger than the root ball. Unglazed clay or thick plastic pots work best for heat regulation. Use a light, well-drained mix such as professional soilless mix Abundance. Both Cassias and Bauhinias dislike soggy roots. Add a thin layer of coarse gravel at the bottom to improve drainage. Repot every 1–2 years in spring
• Light: Brightest spot possible - south-facing window or heated sunroom. Supplement with a grow light if sunlight is weak.
• Temperature: Keep potted trees in warm environment for best results. The optimum temperature for Cassias and Bauhinias is between 60–85 F, although many species can tolerate cooler temperatures. Avoid cold drafts and sudden drops.
• Humidity: Average indoor humidity is fine; occasional misting keeps foliage glossy.
• Watering: Water sparingly in winter when growth slows; allow the top inch to dry between waterings. Do not let roots sit in water.
• Fertilizing: Feed with Sunshine Boosters Megaflor that is safe to use with every watering, year around, to maintain flowering indoors. You may also apply Green Magic controlled release fertilizer every 6 months.
• Pest watch: Check undersides of leaves for aphids or whitefly. A light spray of neem oil or insecticidal soap clears them fast.

"Whether you crave golden summer fireworks or soft orchid blooms that last nearly all year, both Cassia and Bauhinia bring pure joy to the garden. 💖 Bring color that never quits."

Did you know: Fall is the best planting season — roots grow faster and you’ll have flowers by spring!

✔️ Fall Planting Guide

🛒 Shop Tropical Flowering trees