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: 10 Jan 2026

How to grow Patchouli indoors

Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin

How to grow Patchouli indoors

Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin is easy to grow indoors if you give it what it likes. It is one of those plants that does double duty - it looks great and makes your home smell amazing. Those big, soft leaves release that deep, earthy scent just by being there.

☘️ Light and temperature



Patchouli loves bright shade. Think filtered light near a window, not harsh direct sun. Too much sun can burn the leaves, especially indoors. In lower light, it still grows well and keeps its fragrance. It is a tropical herb, so keep in warm - at room temperature.

☘️ Water and soil



This plant loves water. Use a well-draining soil mix and a pot with drainage holes, but do not let it dry out. Daily watering is usually fine in warm conditions. Good air circulation is important.
Growing patchouli is similar to growing herbs in containers - just be more generous with water than you would be with basil or oregano.

☘️ Containers and growth



Patchouli grows fast. Start in a 1-gallon pot, but plan to move it up to a 3-gallon container fairly quickly. More room means bigger leaves and a stronger scent.

☘️ Feeding



Feed regularly. You can use Sunshine Boosters Robusta with every watering, or apply Green Magic controlled-release fertilizer every 6 months and at each transplant. Patchouli responds quickly to feeding with lush growth.

☘️ Pruning and uses



Prune as the plant gets bigger to keep it full and bushy. Do not throw the leaves away - dry them for sachets or use fresh/dry leaves for tea.

☘️ Propagation



Patchouli roots very easily from cuttings. Snip a healthy stem, place it in water or moist soil, and it will root fast. It is one of the easiest plants to share with friends.

If you want a plant that grows fast, smells incredible, and actually does something useful indoors, patchouli is hard to beat.

🛒 Grow calming Patchouli Scent at home

📚 Learn more:

Patchouli Plant Facts

Botanical name: Pogostemon cablin, Pogostemon patchouli, Pogostemon heyneanous
Also known as: Patchouli, Pucha-pat
USDA Zone: 9 - 11
Highligths Groundcover and low-growing 2ft plantSmall plant 2-5 ftSemi-shadeFull sunWatering: Moderate. Water when top soil feels dryWatering: Regular. Let topsoil dry slightlyOrnamental foliageSpice 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.Fragrant plant
Get personalized tips for your region

Patchouli - Pogostemon cablin in Plant Encyclopedia
Health Benefits of Pogostemon cablin (Patchouli, Pucha-Pat)
Patchouli: more than just a pretty scent
Archeologists found Patchouli perfume from Ancient Rome
Patchouli tea recipe

#Perfume_Plants #Remedies #Food_Forest #How_to

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Date: 22 Oct 2025

Which dry fertilizer to use - slow release or controlled release?

dry top dress fertilizer

dry top dress fertilizer

controlled release fertilizer Green Magic

controlled release fertilizer Green Magic

🌳 Which dry fertilizer to use - slow release or controlled release?



Q: You offer two kinds of dry fertilizers - Slow Release Trop Dress and Controlled Release Green Magic. What is the difference, and which one should I use? I used your water-diluted Sunshine Boosters with every watering, but now that I’ll be away for a few months, I just want to give my garden a long-lasting fertilizer.

✔️ A: Top Dress Slow Release Fertilizer is used for quick greening-up. Although it’s called “slow release,” the nutrients become available fairly fast. It contains soluble nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) that dissolve with rain or irrigation, acting within a week or a few weeks depending on temperature and rainfall. It’s great for giving your plants a quick boost of “fast food.”
We use Top Dress mainly for in-ground plants. It can be used in pots only during warm weather and active growth, but not in cooler months, as it may burn roots. Since we introduced Green Magic, we mostly use Top Dress only for garden beds and landscapes.

✔️ Green Magic Controlled Release Fertilizer is a true long-term, controlled-release fertilizer. Thanks to its PolyOn Technology coating, it provides steady, consistent feeding for 5-6 months. Unlike regular dry fertilizers that dump all nutrients at once, Green Magic releases them gradually - no burn, no guesswork, just steady nutrition.
Green Magic ideal for potted fruit trees, ornamentals, and houseplants. One handful keeps your plants fed for half a year. We use it for all container plants when potting up or refreshing soil every six months. It can also be used for in-ground plants if you want the best, most consistent results. Green Magic: try it out! (Sample here)

🛒 Shop Plant Food & More

📚 Learn more:


Green Magic effect: before and after
The SECRET growers never tell you: simple trick how to bring plants back to life and keep green
Give your plants their magic treat
How to make plants green quickly: Green Magic - the fertilizer that truly works like magic!
How to to make leaves green
What Fertilizer to Use Now and How? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Why my plant turned yellow and why plants need Micronutrients?
Why Should I Use Sunshine Boosters
Why is my palm tree turning yellow?
Which fertilizer to use: Organic or Inorganic?
How to make plants green
The Truth about fertilizers

#Fertilizers #How_to

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Date: 18 Nov 2016

Happy Holiday Season!

WINTER COMING TIPS. As the weather gets cooler, many of you move your potted tropical plants indoors. Please remember:

1. Lower air humidity, lower light and short day may cause some LEAF DROP. This is normal for seasonal environment change.

2. REDICE WATERING as winter coming. Under lower light and in cooler temperature, plants won't need much water; some plants go dormant and only need minimum water. Excess water may damage roots and kill a plant in winter.

3. NO FERTILIZER in winter. Active growth stops. Let the plant to go into dormancy or simply have a rest.

4. Watch for INSECTS by inspecting leaves regularly. They may attack plants more likely in the indoor conditions.

5. Apply SUNSHINE boosters to protect your plants from cold by boosting their immune system, vogor and cold tolerance. STAY WARM!

20% off sale ending soon! Check out our large selection of plants that are easily grown in containers. This week only, 20% off!

Date: 20 Dec 2025

☃️ Winter is choosing season

Smokey  the  tuxedo  cat  plans  spring  planting  on  a  laptop  plant 
 encyclopedia  while  Sunshine  the  ginger  cat  relaxes  by  a  fireplace  in  a  cozy 
 Christmas  living  room  with  tropical 
 plants.

Smokey: "December is for planning, not planting."
Sunshine: "Gift card now. Perfect plants later."
Smokey: "You surprise me sometimes. Must be the donuts."

This time of year always feels special to us. The days are shorter, the garden slows down, and we finally have a moment to pause, look at our wish lists, and dream a little about spring.

As gardeners, we know winter is not really planting season. It is choosing season.

It is when ideas take shape. When we think about what we want to grow next, what we want to add, and what we want to do differently when warm days return. That is why, in winter, the best plant gift is not a plant itself. It is the promise of one.

Cold weather and holiday shipping can make winter plant deliveries stressful, especially for tropical plants traveling north. A gift card lets plants wait for the right moment, and lets the gardener enjoy the fun part now: planning, choosing, and imagining.

It also solves something we all know too well. Every gardener is wonderfully different. Some dream of fruit trees, others of flowers, rare collectors, or easy growers. Some plant in containers, some in the ground. Guessing is hard. A gift card lets them choose exactly what fits their garden and their vision.

🎁 Holiday Gift Card Bonus

To make the season a little brighter, we are offering a holiday gift card bonus through 12/31/2025.

When you purchase a gift card, we add 15% extra value. Just add Christmas greeting in gift card message field. For example, a $100 gift card becomes $115 to spend.

The bonus value is not valid with other promotions or discounts. Gift cards cannot be used to purchase other gift cards. Bonus value is added at the time of purchase.

🎁 Get a gift card