Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

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.

Golden Brush Plant Facts

Botanical name: Burbidgea schizocheila
Also known as: Golden Brush, Dwarf Orange Ginger, Voodoo Flame Ginger
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Small plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeWatering: Moderate. Water when top soil feels dryWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyEpiphyte plantYellow, orange flowersSubtropical plant. Mature plant cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time
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🔥 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.

🛒 Add Rare Voodoo Flame Ginger to your collection

📚 Learn more about gingers:
💋Burbidgea schizocheila - Voodoo Flame Ginger in Plant Encyclopedia
💋The first image on Internet: rare ginger Borneo Pink (New Guinea)
💋Watch how to squeeze natural shampoo from the Ginger
💋The most spectacular variegated ginger
💋Ginger makes a natural shampoo
💋Our most favorite Ginger plant - African Princess
💋How Raspberry ginger became spiral
💋The most interesting edible gingers
💋5 most spectacular Gingers
💋French Kiss the Red Button Ginger
💋Kaempferia angustifolia - Laos Silver Stripe Peacock Ginger
💋The most fragrant ginger ever
💋Spice Up Your Garden with Variegated Ginger

🛒 Get collectible Coral Ginger Borneo Pink

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Date: 4 Nov 2025

The secret Brain Food growing in my backyard (and it tastes like green peas!)

Tropical Asparagus (Sauropus androgynus)

🏆 The secret Brain Food growing in my backyard (and it tastes like green peas!)



🌿 Katuk, or Tropical Asparagus (Sauropus androgynus), is one of the most underrated edible plants you can grow. This leafy tropical shrub is a superfood in disguise. It grows fast, looks lush, and its tender young shoots taste just like green peas.

🌿 Native to Southeast Asia, Katuk is a kitchen staple in places like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. The leaves and shoots are used in soups, stews, and stir-fries with egg or seafood. It’s not only delicious but also incredibly nutritious - rich in nutrients linked to improved memory and reduced cognitive aging: folate, lutein, and especially vitamin K, which is rare in plants.

🌿 Katuk thrives in sun or partial shade, needs little care, and grows into a dense, bushy plant that gives you edible greens all year round. If you want something that feeds both your garden and your health, this one’s a winner!

🛒 Add Katuk Superfood to your Food Forest

Lean more:
🍴 Katuk egg stir-fry: Quick-n-Fun exotic recipes
✔️ Discover the health benefits of Katuk: a Superfood for your mind and body
📚 Tropical Asparagus, Katuk: Grow your own food
📱 How to cook with Katuk

#Food_Forest #Remedies #Discover

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Date: 6 Jun 2026

The easy orchid that blooms like a tropical sunrise: Epidendrum

Orange Reed Ground Orchid or Sunrise Orchid - Epidendrum

🌅 The easy orchid that blooms like a tropical sunrise: Epidendrum



Most people think orchids are fussy plants that belong in greenhouses or on windowsills. Epidendrum radicans - also known as Orange Reed Ground Orchid or Sunrise Orchid - proves otherwise. This colorful orchid grows in the ground, tolerates heat and humidity, multiplies easily, and can bloom for months with very little care.

🔥 Not your typical orchid



Unlike many orchids that grow on trees, Epidendrum radicans is a terrestrial orchid native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. It naturally grows on the ground and even among rocks.

Its upright reed-like stems are topped by clusters of brilliant orange flowers with golden-yellow highlights. A single mature stem can carry dozens of blooms, and large plantings resemble patches of miniature tropical sunrises.

🔥 Easy to grow, easy to share



Epidendrum thrives in Florida's heat and humidity and performs best in bright light and well-drained soil. In warm climates it often blooms throughout the year.

One reason gardeners love it is its ability to spread. The stems naturally produce roots along their length, making division and propagation remarkably easy. A single plant can eventually develop into a large, colorful colony.

🔥 A pollinator favorite



The vivid orange flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds and stand out brightly against green foliage. This makes Epidendrum a valuable addition to pollinator gardens and tropical landscapes.

🔥 Better than a flowering annual



Unlike annual flowers that must be replaced each season, Epidendrum returns year after year and gradually expands into larger clumps. It works well along walkways, patios, entryways, borders, and mixed tropical beds where its upright growth adds height and color.

🔥 The orchid that deserves more attention



Some plants become famous because they are difficult or rare. Epidendrum radicans deserves attention for the opposite reason.
It is colorful, dependable, beginner-friendly, and generous with flowers. Give it sunshine, good drainage, and a place to grow, and it will reward you with months of vibrant blooms that bring the warmth and energy of a tropical sunrise into your garden. 👉 More...

💡 #Fun_facts:

📌 The common name "Crucifix Orchid" comes from the tiny cross-shaped structure in the center of each flower.
📌 Unlike many orchids, it naturally produces roots along its stems, which is one reason it spreads and propagates so easily.
📌 In Florida, it's often used as a landscape orchid rather than a houseplant.

📚 Learn more:

Bamboo Orchid Plant Facts

Botanical name: Arundina graminifolia, Arundina affinis, Bletia graminifolia
Also known as: Bamboo Orchid, Bird Orchid
USDA Zone: 9 - 10
Highligths Small plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeShadeFull sunWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyEpiphyte plantWhite, off-white flowersPink flowers
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· Epidendrum in Plant Encyclopedia
· Orange Reed Ground Orchid, Sunrise
· The "Fake" Bamboo That Blooms Like a Rare Orchid Year-Round
· The prettiest flower for shade
· Ground orchids: all-summer colors
· Why do we love Ground Orchids
· Terrestrial orchids
· What orchids can be grown in the ground
🎥 Ground orchids: all-summer colors for shady gardens

🛒 Shop Ground Orchids

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden #Discover

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Date: 20 Jun 2026

Fathers Day and Summer Solstice Discount

Father's Day & Summer Solstice Discount

Father's Day & Summer Solstice Discount

Father's Day gift card

Father's Day gift card

🌞 Father's Day & Summer Solstice Discount 🌞

Still looking for a Father's Day gift?
Skip the tie and give Dad something that grows.

Top Tropicals Gift Certificate makes a perfect last-minute gift and can be emailed instantly. Let Dad choose the tropical plants, fruit trees, or collectibles he really wants.

And while you're shopping, celebrate the longest day of the year with us! Use coupon code:

🎁 FATHERS2026 🎁

Save on tropical plants, fruit trees, flowering shrubs, vines, succulents, and more.
Whether you're shopping for Dad, adding to your own garden, or planting something special to mark the Summer Solstice, this is a great weekend to bring home something new.

✅ Some customer favorites include:



🍑 Fruit trees and food forest plants
🌸 Plumerias and adeniums
Fragrant plants
🥭 Mangoes and avocados 🌳
Flowering and fast growing shade trees

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandfathers, stepdads, and plant dads who help things grow.
Happy Summer Solstice - may your gardens be lush, your fruit trees productive, and your days full of sunshine. 🌞🌴

Min order $100. Excluding S/H. Exp. 6-23-2026
Use our FREE and DISCOUNTED SHIPPING for qualified orders
Feel free to use code FATHERS2026 yourself or share it with your friend.

🛒 Shop tropical plants

#Discounts

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Date: 6 Jul 2026

The flower that smells like a dead rat, but gardeners cant wait for it to bloom

Amorphophallus bulbifer

Amorphophallus bulbifer seeds

Amorphophallus bulbifer seeds

Amorphophallus bulbifer flower

Amorphophallus bulbifer flower

Amorphophallus bulbifer bulbils

Amorphophallus bulbifer bulbils

Amorphophallus bulbifer plant

Amorphophallus bulbifer plant

🗿 The flower that smells like a dead rat, but gardeners can’t wait for it to bloom



Most people spend their lives trying to make their yards smell like a luxury perfume; then along comes Amorphophallus bulbifer, and suddenly collectors are counting down the days until a flower emerges that briefly smells like a crime scene.
Strange? Absolutely. But once you see this spectacular specimen in person, you’ll understand exactly why plant lovers are obsessed with it.


🐱 A stunning pink bloom with a brief (and smelly) purpose



Unlike its infamous, massive cousin - the Titan Corpse Flower - this particular variety is perfectly suited for home gardens. It actually produces one of the most elegant flowers in the entire genus: a soft pink to rosy-purple spathe with beautiful, chalice-like curves.
The odor factor: Yes, it relies on a brief, foul scent to attract natural fly pollinators. However, unlike the giant corpse flowers, this scent is much milder and usually completely dissipates within just a few hours after opening.

🐱 It mimics a miniature exotic tree



Once the flower finishes its brief show, the plant shifts gears and produces a single, spectacular leaf that catches everyone by surprise.
It looks nothing like an ordinary garden leaf. Instead, a beautifully mottled, snakeskin-patterned stem rises from the ground, resembling the trunk of an exotic palm. At the top, it unfurls a broad, umbrella-like canopy of finely divided leaflets. This dramatic, high-end tropical foliage lasts for months before the plant rests for the winter.

🐱 Clones in the air: It grows "babies" on its leaves



One of the most fascinating features of this species is hidden right in its botanical name.
The word bulbifer literally means "bulb-bearing." As the season progresses, tiny, potato-like bulbils develop right on top of the leaf where the branches intersect. When they mature and naturally drop to the soil, they root easily and grow into entirely new plants—making this one of the absolute easiest exotic species to propagate and share.

🐱 The brilliant post-bloom seed show



If your flower receives a visit from local pollinators, the show is far from over.
Over the following months, the bloom transforms into a striking, heavy stalk covered in berries that gradually shift from bright green to a brilliant, glowing scarlet red. This vibrant seed display lasts for months, acting as a stunning focal point while the underground tuber rests.

🐱 Surprisingly tough and easy to grow



Despite its alien appearance and dramatic lifecycle, this voodoo lily is incredibly forgiving and low-maintenance:

Light: Thrives in bright shade or filtered, dappled sunlight.
Soil: Prefers rich, loose, well-draining soil mixed with organic matter.
Water: Loves regular moisture during the summer growth spurt, but prefers to stay dry while dormant in the winter.
【Voodoo  Lily  Quick  Stats】🌸
Botanical Name: Amorphophallus bulbifer
🎨 Bloom Appearance: Elegant soft pink & rosy-purple
🌴 Foliage: Resembles a mottled, miniature tropical tree
👶 Special Trick: Grows miniature clones right on its leaves


With each passing season, the underground tuber grows larger and stores more energy, bringing it one step closer to an even more spectacular, conversation-starting bloom next spring.

🛒 Bring home this spectacular botanical curiosity today

📚 Learn more:

Voodoo Lily Plant Facts

Botanical name: Amorphophallus bulbifer
Also known as: Voodoo Lily
USDA Zone: 7 - 11
Highligths Small plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeShadeWatering: Moderate. Water when top soil feels dryWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyPink flowers
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·  Amorphophallus bulbifer in Plant Encyclopedia
· The biggest flower in the world - Amorphophallus
· Amorphophallus konjak: fun fact about Voodoo Lily
· Amorphophallus paeoniifolius: what's inside the Devils Tongue that smells like trouble?
· Different species of Amorphophallus

#Nature_Wonders #Shade_Garden #Container_Garden #Discover

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