Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Mid Atlantic Tropicals, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
OK! I will play a Devil's Advocate here a bit......

WHAT exactly IS a "TROPICAL"???

In our Greenhouse at work--and many others--there are a good amount of plants---all loosely refereed to
as "Tropicals". As in: "Need to water the "Tropicals"...SO--"tropicals" is another word for Houseplants?

As in--they are not grown outside. They need less light. They are not planted in flower beds. They do not survive
the winters outside--they have products strictly aimed at them as "Houseplant Fertilizers"...."Insect killers"...

Many available houseplants ARE "tropicals"--Palms--Bromiliads--Orchids--Alocasias--some Ferns--
Christmas cactus--Anthuriums--Gingers--Hoyas--Epis--Clivias?? Plants in the "Orchid cactus Family"
Brazilian Plume Flower?--Camellias---etc....

Are Brugs and Daturas "tropicals"? How about Bananas? How about the many Philodendrons?

Are "tropicals" defined as plants that thrive in the warmer zones? Plants that do not require to be taken in for the winter?
Does that make them a tropical???

If I was more awake--I could think of many other examples, BUT--I have been up since 4AM---Store Meeting....

Perhaps--as part of this new Thread--we could have people express their opinions on what IS a "Tropical"....

I know I have many "tropicals"--but is that true? What defines a "tropical".....

Food for thought. Gita