More zone denial

If there's another thread on this I apologize, but I didn't see one. I'm just curious what all you guys have had luck with in regards to growing plants outside of their zones. I have started to get a little bold on this, especially after this past winter (which was relatively cold for us).

Last year I got a monstera deliciosa to survive with NO protection; I could hardly believe it - that's two solid zones out of its range. The year before that pothos survived, barely - I lost it this last winter. I also had a very small Ti plant survive next to the house.

So that emboldened me and this year in the spring I went ahead and put all sorts of stuff in the ground that has no business growing here:
Plumeria (I know, this is silly, but I thought I'd see what happens)
2 White Bird of Paradise
3 Traveler's Palms
Several non-hardy bananas
Several monstera deliciosa (most sheltered under the deck or next to the house)
Pothos
Few larger Ti plants (I think it'll be impossible to kill this guy, even exposed, with a 3' tap root on it)
Some non-hardy EE's (chopping the top did work by the way, I doubled ALL my EE's last winter)

What's the craziest thing you've kept alive outside it's zone?

Off the top of my head......

Scutellaria costaricana
NOID variegated Syngonium
Pothos Neon
Sinningea sellovi
A potted plumeria - This was really unusual; I just found the perfect microclimate for it.
I kept several dendrobium orchids going for a few years but they became victims of the re-modeling.

re: the plumeria, that's pretty amazing. Where did you keep it?

I have a little niche in the SW corner of the house. My rain barrel is hidden in there and there is shrubbery blocking the wind. I also overwintered a tropical hibiscus in there. Most winters I don't have to worry about them but this past year was the exception.

The Plumeria already bloomed on an old inflo it held from last year but a pretty new one has formed. Will post pictures of the flowers soon - I hope.

That is so funny, the first person who came to mind when I saw the topic title was Ardesia! I am in zone denial to the other side, zone 7 when I'm in 8b. My favorite plant that is only supposed to grow up to zone 7 is 'Black Lace' sambucas. It even bloomed this year.

Oh, I have sinningea sellovi. It must be hardier than they think.

I hate tht they even sell things like the sambucas down here. So many newbys have a hard time understanding why things like that won't grow. Hot nights and salty soil doesn't mean a thing to them. You are (always) the exception to the rules. I think you brought some of that Cedar Creek cold along when you moved down here,

How many hostas did you buy last night?

I was given a hosta. :) I LOVED the speaker, Tom Tillery. He makes me seem only passingly interested in hostas. I ran into him at Hyams afterwards and we talked hosta for a half hour or so. :) He said there is a wholesale grower nearby that he gets his hostas from and that I could go with him!!!!!!!! Very excited.

Of course, I do have 6 already on order for the fall... And I'm going to PDN in the fall for their open house since I'm going to be up there anyways for a dog show.

A wholesale grower in Charleston? Hmmmmm

Sorry John, we didn't mean to hijack your thread.

This message was edited Jul 23, 2009 1:38 PM

I've heard more and more people telling me their mandevilla are coming back every year! I'm considering putting one of mine in the ground.

X

keonikale - I'm not sure about the rest of them but I'm almost certain the plumeria will not survive. Last year I left some unwanted extras outdoors and they were dead after the first hard freeze. Some people in my parents' neighborhood in Pensacola, FL (z8b) tried planting some and they got frozen back to the soil level, which means they are unlikely to ever grow enough in one season to actually bloom.

bordersandjacks - Sinningea sellovii is reliably hardy to zone 7b with proper winter drainage.

"Proper drainage." I think you hit upon the key words, Tom. There's a reason they call this area the "lowcountry." :)

LOL, I once heard this guy on TV talking about how you check your drainage by digging a hole, filling it with water and timing how long it takes to drain. I dig a hole and let it fill by itself with water and time how long that takes. You gotta love livin' in the Lowcountry.

Now talking about zone denial. The parent of these banana pups lives in the ground, year round, down here. Although very different in coloration, these two little guys came from the same mother and I understand they can pup in both colors themselves - when they get older of course. These are NOT my plants but I have been sent on a mission by a friend to buy her one of them. Which one would you choose?

Meet the Ae Ae babies.

Buy them both! I'll take whichever one she doesn't like. But, I'm partial to the one of the left. :)

You have an Ae-Ae??? Oh I am sooo jealous now. I would absolutely love to have one of those. Man I wish I lived somewhere it wast just a tad bit warmer.

Not me, but I have to pick one of the two to buy for a friend today. Tough work but someone has to do it. I am having a hard time disciplining myself; I want the other one but we are talking big bucks.

The grower tells me he cuts the mother tree back each fall and he didn't say but I am assuming he just covers the ground with mulch. I am going to check on that to be sure.

I've seen those things go for almost $300 a pup on eBay at times. It's crazy.

I have some of the variegated monsteras (bought two off ebay for a ridiculous price) and the variegated Thailand strain (thanks to Carol on the Big Island) - soon as they get bigger, I might have to start selling pieces. Most go for $50-$125 a plant with two or three leaves. Crazy, but they are beautiful plants - no doubt about that.

Keonikale -- you mentioned in our first post that you "chopped the tops" of your elephant ears and doubled them. Can you elaborate a little more on that please? Living in Raleigh, I've always just let mine die back, and they come back with one or two new babies each year (in total; not doubling), but I'm curious about what you're doing and how.

Thanks much!
Jennifer

bordersandjacks! You were in that class??? Wish I'd known!!! Whoever thought of EATING Hostas?...(I learned a lot...)!

Plumeria will die at first frost. They turn to mush inside and that runs right down to the roots. Mine looked like they were going down hill as soon as the night temps hit the 40's.

BOP, mine will die back somewhere in the high 20's but do come back when it warms up. Problem is I see no way you would get flowers.

Traveler's Palms, at best those will get burnt every year. If you want a nice looking palm that's cold hardy (well maybe not for you) find a sylvester palm (Phoenix sylvestris). They do well were I am and grow fairly fast, sort of a skinny canary island date palm.

Alice those Ae-Ae going to be planted in the low country? I'm going to buy one next spring and give it a try. Maybe I might get a small one this fall and over winter it inside, not the easiest plant to get a hold of. BTW word of warning pups can turn out green don't buy them that young. The ones in Ardesias picture aren't going to turn green but younger ones very well can or so my info goes.

Last comment. I just don't like hostas enough to fool with them. I have a couple growing and some that just looked terrible as soon as it got hot. Some were eaten by something on and on. Just not worth the effort for me.

I received some interesting seeds in trade last year. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64960/
I traded with Lazlo so the pictures of his are what I have and it's an interesting tropical looking tree/shrub. I started the seeds in August and put a seedling outside in the ground to see if it would live. Happens we had a very cold winter but the seedling didn't even lose its leaves till the weather warmed up and new leaves were coming in. Oval leaves that fold up at night, odd green for this area, fast grower, we will see if it flowers this year. Plant files says 9b but it's at least 8b hardy. With other tropical plants this might be a good small tree for you K.

CoreHHI - yep, hostas do much better in northern climes. Back when I lived in Michigan, I remember how lush and healthy they looked during the summer, even after many long, sub-zero months of winter. They just don't like the deep south (z8+) and it's futile to try to push them. Try something more appropriate, such as Kaempferia, Aspidistra or Zingiber.

Corey/Tom- bite your tongue! I have about 100 hosta and most do great, even in this heat. Kind of have to avoid the one's with a lot of white. This is one of my favorites (today.) Cathedral Windows. The lighter ones surrounding it are Sum & Substance.

Ardesia did pick up the other Ae Ae for me!!!! I'm going to get it from her tomorrow. Now, if I can just not kill it...

Jenny

I live in the 9a zone of Beaufort County and I think Jenny lives in the 7a part. LOL Her hostas are extraordinary and huge.

Core, the parent plant of the A'e A'e's I showed has never, in 15 years, thrown a green pup nor, to his knowledge have any of the young ones done so. However, there are some growers in FL that routinely experience that problem with their trees.

This is Jenny's baby.

Ardesia -- what is that "winter camoflage" plant called in your least post? It is absolutely stunning!

Alice that's a sweet Ae-Ae. I have heard that some Ae-Ae have stronger genetics than others but they're worth so much that people tend to sell off pups whether they are stable or not.

That is a gorgeous plant.

jlj, that A'e A'e is a rare, variegated banana plant. Because they do not have a lot of cholorophyll they are can be tricky to grow. A friend in another state has been looking all over for one and after an extensive internet search found one in my backyard. I picked up the last two the grower had for my garden geek friends. (sorry Jen, I couldn't resist.)

Oh I am very jalous of that ae ae. It is nearly impossible to get this one here in the Netherlands and I am already looking for a long time. And shipping them to the Netherlands with the right papers costs a lot of money and a lot of company's won't send a single plant.
I keep on dreaming.