Garden Blog - Top Tropicals

Date: 4 Dec 2024

Is Sapphire Gem really a ginger?

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem

💎 Is Sapphire Gem really a ginger?

  • 💎 Despite its name, Blue Ginger is not a true ginger but a member of the Commelinaceae family, closely related to the well-known Tradescantia houseplants.
  • 💎 Dichorisandra thyrsiflora - Blue Ginger, Sapphire Gem is a clump-forming perennial enchants with its deep sapphire-blue blooms - a rare and striking color for the tropics.
  • 💎 Growing 2-5 feet tall, it features dark green stems with leopard-like spots at the leaf axils and shiny, horizontally held foliage.
  • 💎 Native to Brazil and Peru, Blue Ginger thrives in semi-shade or partial shade with moist, well-draining soil, making it an ideal addition to shade gardens, patios, or indoor collections.
  • 💎 Its vibrant blue, lavender, or purple flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators, creating a lively display.
  • 💎 In warm climates it remains evergreen and can tolerate brief dips into the low 30s. In cooler regions, it grows beautifully in pots and can be overwintered indoors in a cool, bright location. For best results, keep the soil moist but not waterlogged, maintain good air circulation, and fertilize moderately during the growing season.
  • 💎 In warm environment, the plant is evergreen and doesn't go dormant (unlike true gingers). Close relative - Dichorisandra pendula - Weeping Blue Ginger


🛒 Plant exotic Blue Ginger

#Container_Garden #Shade_Garden

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Date: 26 Oct 2024

The plant you did not know you needed!

Caesalpinia mexicana - Mexican Bird of Paradise

Caesalpinia mexicana - Mexican Bird of Paradise

Caesalpinia mexicana - Mexican Bird of Paradise

Caesalpinia mexicana - Mexican Bird of Paradise

‍♀️ The plant you didn’t know you needed!

  • 🟨 Many gardeners love and want Caesalpinia pulcherrima, the common Bird of Paradise, but Caesalpinia mexicana - Mexican Bird of Paradise - is a rare treasure with a delightful twist - fragrant flowers! This hardy, drought-tolerant shrub thrives in intense heat and is perfect for small yards or patios.
  • 🟨 During the warm months, it bursts with butter-yellow blooms that pop against feathery green foliage, attracting hummingbirds. As the flowers fade, woody pods form and snap open dramatically. It grows quickly to 10 feet and can be shaped into a small tree or kept as a compact shrub.
  • 🟨 Native to northern Mexico, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil with very little water. If you're looking for a low-maintenance beauty that adds both fragrance and charm, this plant is a must-have!


🛒 Plant Mexican Bird of Paradise

#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_Plants

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Date: 12 Aug 2024

How to get a fountain of fragrant flowers in no time

Clerodendrum minahasse - Fountain Clerodendrum

⛲️ How to get a fountain of fragrant flowers in no time



Clerodendrums
are that we mentioned earlier are all-time favorites for Southern landscape or indoor culture. Today's hero -
  • 🌟 Clerodendrum minahasse - Fountain Clerodendrum, a dense, beautiful bush with beautiful, cascading, fragrant flowers.
  • 🌟 It grows very fast, especially the second year, turning into a cascading display of fragrant flowers almost year around.
  • 🌟 Takes both sun and shade, as most Clerodendrums.
  • 🌟 It is a rare and hard to propagate plant.


🛒 Get your own Fragrant Fountain

#Hedges_with_benefits

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Date: 20 Jul 2024

Why Bananas? They are good for you and are fun to grow!

Red Banana

Red Banana

Praying Hands Banana

Praying Hands Banana

Banana fruit

Banana fruit

Rojo Banana

Rojo Banana

Variegated Banana

Variegated Banana

🍌 Why Bananas? They are good for you and are fun to grow!

  • 💛 Bananas are berries, not fruits!
  • 💛 They float in water like apples and watermelons.
  • 💛 Bananas are high in potassium, which helps muscles work properly.
  • 💛 They can improve your mood because they contain tryptophan, which your body turns into serotonin.
  • 💛 Bananas are great for your heart because they have lots of fiber and potassium.
  • 💛 Eating bananas can help with digestion since they are rich in fiber.
  • 💛 They are a natural energy booster, perfect for a quick snack.
  • 💛 Bananas can help keep your blood pressure in check due to their low sodium and high potassium content.
  • 💛 They contain vitamins like B6 and C, which are good for your immune system.
  • 💛 Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites can reduce itching and swelling.


What is your favorite Banana or Plantain variety?
Share in comments
👇

🛒 Shop Banana varieties

#Food_Forest #Bananas

🏵 TopTropicals

Date: 25 Jun 2024

1000 times sweeter than sugar! How to eat sweets without sugar

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf

1000 times sweeter than sugar! How to eat sweets without sugar.



🌱 Lippia dulcis - Aztec Sweet Herb, Sweetleaf - is the answer for sugar-free diet. And it's perfectly tasty, and sweeter than Stevia!
  • 🍭 This is a Mexican herb with an incredibly sweet leaf.
  • 🍭 Leaves can be eaten from the plant like candy or tossed into fruit salads for an unusual addition.
  • 🍭 Medicinal tea: it is used since the time of the Aztecs for coughs and colds.


🛒 Get Aztec Sweet Herb

#Food_Forest #Remedies

🏵 TopTropicals