Zone 8 and colder plants with a tropical flavor

A request by LouC for more threads of interest in this great state of Texas combined with a request by Charlenesplants on adapting to the colder zones of Texas made me decide to start this thread.
This is the thread that got me started thinking about this... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/769970/#new

Do you like and grow tropical plants?
Do you grow plants that share the tropical flavor without the trouble?
What types of plants would you recommend?
What care do they require?
How do you over winter them?

The tropical Hibiscus posted above will not overwinter in my zone. As a result, I provide winter protection. By keeping it in a pot, it is easy to move indoors and keep watered during the dry times. I am also delighted to find that it frequently begins to bloom quite early as a result.

Thanks, pod.

Please, join in LouC. I know you have beautiful plants and good ideas for what will grow in a cooler zone...

This plant is a new (this summer) acquisition. I love the plumes of blooms and am told it will be winter hardy here. Justicia ~ Brazilian Plume flower or pinecone geranium.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/68086/

Although the hardiness is only down to 8a, it is said to be root hardy to zone 7b when mulched. It rebounds quickly from the root ball in the spring if your location has a heavy freeze.

Justicia ~ Brazilian Plume flower it blooms freely all summer.

The Hibiscus moscheutos is a hardy native that is very beautiful.

Also Hibiscus militaris, another hardy native.

Who doesn't grow and love the cannas. The foliage may die down overwinter in zone 8a and cooler but the blooms are worth it.

This is an unknown yellow dwarf canna given to me years ago...

Oh ~ oh I may be in trouble the H. militaris is beautiful. May have to check into that one.

I have had cannas for 20-25 years. They do lie down at the first frost. I just leave them and clean them up in late winter. All of sudden the come to life and are beautiful once again.

Only once did I lose cannas in the ground, and that was way back in the 1980's when we had temps of zero or a little below for several days. If that happens again, I am going somewhere else!

Goodnight all.

I like the cannas and just after I posted I read in another Tx thread that a zone 8b grower didn't like the way they multiply and the leaf roller problems. That's what I am hoping for here. I can live with them and not fight it but maybe another gardener has a different perspective.

I love the H. moscheutos! Is this one?

The bad thing about the Cannas are the Leaf rollers. They really do a number on my Cannas and I can't bring myself to spray them, after all, they are a cute little Skipper.

Pod, is your Plume in the shade or sun? Mine's in the shade and isn't doing to well.

Here's my pitiful Cannas:

LOL ~ Patrob... I'm with you! I don't "do" cold weather very well.

This plant is not just beautiful but has a wonderful fragrance from August till frost...
Hedychium coronarium.

It will also die down overwinter but the foliage helps to protect the root system. If it got really cold, I would mulch the roots heavily and bring in a few. Would hate to lose this one.

I keep it in a half oak barrel and the only downside I see is the amount of water required. The plant splays out when requiring a drink. I hope to fix a bed for it and then, it should require less moisture.

Also known as Butterfly ginger ~ tis lovely!

This message was edited Sep 11, 2007 11:23 AM

Hi Fly~ Man oh man am I sadden to see your Cannas. Mine haven't ever been assaulted like that. I would probably be more hostile. What (birds, wasps) will eat leaf rollers? I wonder why I am not bothered with them.

My plume receives morning sun and evening shade. With virtually no fertilizer it has bloomed steadily.

I love your golden yellow Hibiscus. I am seeing more of those colors and really don't know which ones they are...

But, I believe it was you that told me to wait for blooms on mine to ID it last fall. I posted it on the former thread but will do so again. It turned out to be H. moscheutos
Kopper King. The foliage turns a lovely fall color. The plant is a little slow to come back to life in the spring tho. But winter hardy.

Maybe they haven't found them yet. They do look assaulted don't they? lol
I'm sure the wasps and birds get some of them, but the caterpillars roll themselves in the leaves so they're kind of hard to get to.

Love the Butterlfy Ginger....and the smell is heavenly! Especially at night.

My pink one has different leaves, maybe it's not the moscheutos.
I need to learn what mine are and tag them.

Pod, that Kopper King is beautiful!

Amazing how hardy the butterfly ginger is too....

One last one before I turn into a pumpkin...

The common but lovely Althea or Rose of Sharon ~ Hibiscus syriacus

Another Hibiscus family suggestion and I don't have a good photo of the plant right now ~ the Turks Turban ~ Malvaviscus arboreus Drummondii http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/114737/ The hardiness zones indicate 8a and warmer but the zipcode reports might indicate otherwise.
The blooms are not showy but really cool and the hummers love them. I find the bees will shred the blooms.

The blooms of this tropical looking tuber fascinate me. This plant has done well in a pot with no winter protection for me for the past 3 or 4 years now. Each year producing more and better blooms.

If grown in a pot, this one needs a trellis or something to vine upon. I use an old bakers rack ...

They are available in other colors and combos... The Gloriosa lily or better known as a glory lily or Turks Cap lily

This message was edited Sep 11, 2007 7:12 AM

I have two tropicals in pots that I don't necessarily want to overwinter.

I have a lovely yellow Ixora and a big allamanda (yellow).

Any advice for what may happen if I put these in the ground?

Was thinking of a location sheltered by the house, and some leaves covering each.

I have no experience with either of those. I do know you can stretch zones by doing exactly what you are considering.

If no one has any experience to offer, you might give it a try and let others know next spring. I have done that in the past and been pleasantly surprised or sadly disappointed.

I have also never managed to overwinter an Allamanda at all! They are lovely tho. I would love to see a yellow Ixora ~ any photos?

No photos, sorry! I need to take some....

my passion is palms. is have had 2 types of Trachycarpus (fortunei and wagneranius) and one banana palm (musa basjoo) survive at least 3 winters here on the border of zones 6 & 7. i just planted a musa sikkimensis which i also expect to make it through.
here is a pic the Trachycarpus

and a musa basjoo

and finally the musa sikkimensis

Showing my palm ignorance Kudrick ~ the Musas are banana shrubs?

I had two bananas ~ a full size and dwarf. Depending on how cold it got, the foliage would die down. Passed them both on to a friend. I know one person here planted them in a shelter alcove on the east side of the house. They would wrap it in a freeze. It became large and produced bananas. They didn't ripen but it was interesting.

musa are referred to as 'banana palms'; whether they are actually in the palm family i don't know. this website has some very nice hardy tropicals: www.hardytropicals.com
a very nice place to buy palms.

Has anyone grown newer variety of hibiscus Luna or Luna Swirl? I saw them recommended on a TV show I saw but was wondering what I could expect as far as growth,bloom and hardiness.

Palms in 6b, that is awesome.

Brugmansia in pots will die down if not protected for winter but come back. That will make them slow to bloom. They are available in a wide variety of colors.

If not a tropical, it certainly has the tropical flavor...

This plant is winter hardy when placed in a microclimate area. I keep it near the house on the sheltered east side.

This shrub is not only pretty but fragrant. Primarily blooming in the springtime.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ~ Brunfelsia.

Podster I have one Brugmansia that I have had through two winters in a pot and the second winter it came back nice and tall and is now about as tall as I am. It was a rooted cutting bought on ebay and was my first Brug. It is so nice and tall and is blooming with lots of flowers right now. I hate to have it die down again this year. If I plant it in the ground will it not die down?

Any advice is appreciated.

Charlene

It would die down in the ground Charlene, sorry.

If you are able, I would leave it potted and move it into a garage or porch or house or lay it flat on ground and cover it with blankets or leaves (no plastics) on frosty nights. It would entail a lot of work, covering or moving in and out. You might take cuttings to root while keeping it a manageable size.

How did you keep it going other winters? What color is your Brug? Don't they smell wonderful!

I read where some of the Brug fans will plant in ground during summer and dig up for winter to move into a greenhouse. More work than I want to do.

I have a pink, a yellow and a white ~ no idea which ones but I love them. Last winter the yellow and pink got frostbit before I moved them. As a result, this year they are slow to bloom. I cut the white back after that so it is slower too.

This photo was the white one last fall. We had a hard frost and I had just moved it into the plant shelter as it had many buds. I opened the door in the morning of Dec 1st to find this... How exciting~

I am probably too much of a novice to give you great advice but will try. And maybe someone will come along with better suggestions too. I also have a really good reference book and will gladly try to help... Good luck ~ pod

There are also many bulbs that are zonal hardy and can add a tropical flavor.

A favorite of mine was a passalong from a friend ~ this one grew on her Dads homeplace and she in now in her 60s. It was simply called a Milk n Wine lily. Its' fragrance is delicate but exquisite.

Charlene ~ I found this thread in the Hibiscus forum to be interesting. Regarding temperature information and experiences with the Hibiscus. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/769994/