15 Plants and Products That Drew Rave Reviews at TPIE 2026
January 27, 2026 The Tropical Plant International Expo (TPIE) was once again a prime site for garden retailers to walk the trade show floor seeking out their favorite products. This year, members of The Garden Center Group named 15 products as Retailer Choice Award winners.
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Learn more about each product below, and check out the slideshow on this page for a closer look.
The 2026 TPIE Cool Product Awards is a collaboration between TPIE 2026, Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA), and The Garden Center Group. FNGLA is a network of professionals who work in unison to shape the future of Florida’s nursery and landscape industry. For more information on TPIE, or FNGLA, click here.
Banana Bloom Natural Soil Booster
Mix in 10–20% Banana Bloom with your favorite soil. It’s more effective than peat moss or coconut coir, so you’ll need less to see better results. Made from trunks of banana trees, an ag byproduct from one of the most commonly grown crops in the world. Unlike coconut coir, which requires heavy water use and chemical processing, Banana Bloom is made through a clean, low-impact method. www.bananabloom.co
Dirt Bag-Coco Bag and Sphag Bag (BWH Plant Co.)
BWH Plant Co (Bros With Hoes) created their very own soil mix options with simple packaging to make success easy. Dirt Bag was created in-house to provide superior aeration and fast drainage. Crafted with a blend of charcoal, it supports water filtration — a game-changer for indoor plant health. Coco Bag is a potting mix that strikes the perfect balance between effective moisture retention and ample aeration. www.bwhplantco.com
Blue Oil Fern (Casa Flora)
Blue Oil Fern (Microsorum thailandicum) is a rare and captivating tropical plant, prized for its shimmering, iridescent blue leaves that catch the light with a metallic, almost holographic sheen. Native to the shaded understories of Southeast Asian rainforests, its unique color comes from microscopic leaf structures rather than pigment, making it a true botanical gem. www.casaflora.com
Scindapsus ‘Blue Albo’ (Costa Farms)
Scindapsus hederaceus Blue Albo is a magnificent plant with dark-green leaves and creamy to white variegation. A climber with luscious blue-green leaves variegated in creamy-white, it’s easy to grow in the average home, making it an approachable, hard-to-find variety to add style and flair to any space. www.costafarms.com
Scindapsus coriaceus Variegated (Costa Farms)
A trendy, hard-to-come-by climber, Variegated Scindapsus coriaceus is a hot houseplant that features thick, dark-green leaves boldly variegated with electric, neon-green. It holds up to indoor environments like a champ, making it beginner friendly and giving it a good retail shelf life.
Nepenthes ‘Midnight’ (Deroose Plants)
Retailer judges were amazed with this near-black pitcher plant. While Deroose Plants had an entire ceiling of their large island booth covered with hanging pitcher plants, Midnight was one of the stars of the booth. www.derooseplants.com
Michaelmoelleria ‘Sapphire’ (Dewar Nurseries)
This beautiful species is in the Gesneriad family related to African violets. It is a monotypic Genus, meaning this is the only species in the genus, which was created in 2020, just for this plant. Featured blooms are a beautiful lavender purple. Dewar Nurseries say this plant was supplied by Altman Specialty Plants and will be available through Dewar. www.dewarnurseries.com
Floratrel Trellis and Propagation Style Vases (Floratrel)
Unique designs of indoor trellis and other plant accessories, all crafted from bamboo — it’s a hardwood that possesses exceptional durability. Its inherent strength ensures that trellises are long-lasting, and it’s resistant, sustainable, and incredibly consistent. All are made in Maryland. www.floratrel.com
Leaf Sweep (GOHA)
Designed by GOHA Founder Kieran Collins, Leaf Sweep is gentle on leaves and tough on dust, with a convertible leaf care tool that effortlessly cleans and treats plants so they thrive. Upgrade from two-handed leaf wiping to simplified single-handed design and intuitive push button. Use with water or cleaning and treating solutions. Features hand strap, swivel washable brush heads, and more. www.gohaplantcare.com
Garden Gnome: The Dude (Henri Studio)
Henri Studio designers created the “Dude” Gnome, and he is way cool in the garden. Shades, a goatee, floral swim trunks, and awesome flip-flops provide all the vibe. He’s handmade of cast stone and finished in a Greystone paint wash. This Dude will stand cool against the endless heat of summer. Ready for the beach, he was a big hit in Florida. www.henristudio.com
Root Pruning Pots (Naked Root)
Naked Root planters are crafted with nature in mind. By allowing roots to breathe freely, they avoid water logging and suffocation. This prevents root-bound plants and promotes healthy root growth, resulting in strong, vibrant, and easy-to-care-for plants. This unique breathing planter uses air root pruning to let your plants’ roots expand naturally, with no circling, no choking. www.nakedroot.com
Philodendron Fat Boy Variegated (Penang Nursery)
The Philodendron ‘Fat Boy’ (or Philodendron martianum) is a unique and sought-after plant known for its thick, swollen petioles (stems) and glossy, variegated leaves that grow in a rosette form. Each leaf is unique — splashed with shades of cream, lime, and deep green, creating an almost marble-like pattern. It’s a relatively easy-to-care-for plant that can thrive indoors with the right conditions. www.penangnursery.com
Repotting Scoop and Teaspoon/Soil Pick (Sol Soils)
This custom repotting scoop is the perfect tool to keep you efficient and clean when playing in the dirt to help finish off a repot, especially if it’s a 10-inch planter or smaller. The new 2-in-1 teaspoon and soil pick is for distributing Sol Biotics on to your soil or in your watering can, as all four Sol Bitoics products are applied in teaspoon increments. It’s also the perfect size to drop into a repurposed gallon water jug. www.solsoils.com
Sun Parasol FiredUp Magic Pink (Sun-Fire Nurseries)
FiredUp™ is a brand new series from Suntory Flowers with a new flower form that is a flatter pinwheel shape. These Sun Parasols (Dipladenia hybrid) have an upright habit and narrow leaves. Magic Pink is one of the newest additions to this series. It features color changing tones, coral pink and peach. www.sunfirenurseries.com
Sun Parasol XP Maui Sunset (Sun-Fire Nurseries)
Another of the newest additions to the Sun Parasol options from Suntory Flowers, Maui Sunset is part of the Sun Parasol XP and has superior branching and flower power. It has extra large coral-orange blooms with outstanding performance. Flowers with outstanding, exciting colors include the newest addition, Maui Sunset, which features larger blooms.
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