Mine have always died when the first freeze hits. This year all but one did. Then the 2nd, 3rd ect freeze and still the ol boy stands out there looking like he is ready for spring. It seems the same as the other elephant ears that we always get. Anyone have an idea what kind it could be to last through the freezes?
Bear in San Antonio
ever have elephant ears last through winter?
Mine stood until it got down to 14 degrees then they dropped.
I don't do many elephant ears Jester but the ones I do always freeze back every year and return again. Another reason for a hardy tropical plant discussion forum! I know Plants Delight has a lot of hardy ones--and so do other growers here.
Debbie
=)
It's still green now? WOW! I wonder if you just lucked out and ended up with a super tough mutant..., my limited experience is that they all die back with hard frosts (or not-so hard frosts), even the ones reported to be most cold tolerant, unless there's one I've not heard of. But they will surely come back next year.
If you have any pictures I'd love to see your evergreen eear :) Do you know which one it is?
I have full grown ones still alive and green, as a matter of fact I've just thrown a bunch in pots as they are growing like weeds in an area I am re-landscaping. They survive best in micro climate areas, like next to buildings, fences, under trees.
Mine freeze back to ground every year--what few I have. Randy, how much full sun do yours get? I'm thinking of adding a few out here--like I really need another bulb addiction, right? And what's up with Zone 9 Tropicals--I tried to order a plant the other day and they are out of everything--are they just not shipping now?
Hey Randy--are you still on vacation? We need to make arrangements about this vine if you still want it. Fence destruction/construction is soon at hand. I had to finally cut my rangoon creeper back to ground level level today and putting some "chicken fencing stuff" around it--I defy those fence guys to destroy it--I will be watching it like a mother hen. I worked too hard out here in the cold suburbs to get that plant as large as it is. Had to cut it's 2 lattice supports down as they were connected to the back fence. Do you think something like Marlin line fishing line would work?
Sorry Jester! Had to catch Randy and Rangoon Creepers are somewhat hardy Tropical plants which is one of the themes for the week, right? ;)
Debbie
Hi Debbie
Depending on the timer of year: Winter 6 hours, and summer get about 4 hours of full sun. The plumbeas really seem to tolerate alot more full sun as I have several in the front garden. All of those did die back though.
I'm off vacation now, but have sat/sun off and don't work until 3pm mon-wed.
OK Randy--I am going to try to dig that vine out, its huge. If I can get it out (I'll beg more help from my neighbor--I already owe him a bottle of Crown Royal for the help today), I'm going to just throw it in a huge pot and how about we make a Buchanon's run? I have not been down there yet this year--but I also need to get 3-4 yards of mulch for the back (and you guessed it--I have to haul it from the front drive way)--was hoping to do that Monday or Tuesday (depending on weather) well before the neighborhood kids are on spring break. Does Sunday or Monday am sound good?
What are you calling plumbeas? You know I'm totally ignorant when it comes to non-Latin names.
Jester probably has a lot of full blazing sun like me too. As long as they are hardy I expect them to freeze down to ground level here--everything else seems to!
=)
Yes, those sound good...Sunday better than monday...but either will do.
Ironically I haven't been to Buchanons either. I do want to see what's going on over there. It such a long way accross the street to find that out ya know!
These are plumbea - metalica crispa
OK let's aim for Sunday provided it doesn't pour down raining. Can you dmail me Friday? I would write myself a note but it will probably get buried under all the "stuff" on my desk.
That's interesting looking. How tall? Does it aggressively spread? Can you plant smaller things underneath it? Pictures are hard to tell heights from. I'll lovingly blame Tropicanna and the fence destruction/construction project and a big "clean slate" to work with for my latest bulb addiction. I figure these big bulbs like some of the Colocasia's, Alocasia's, etc. might fill in some space I and other's are looking to fill and are HARDY TROPICALS. I just don't want to make any more major garden mistakes--the bay tree on the west side of the house in danger of destroying the eaves of my one-story hose comes to mind--lol
Hey 17 years ago I needed a few bay leaves.....
=)
I sure will dmail you. I'm like you though I need reminding to be remided to remind.
I love those alocasia plumbeas..they are what I call "polite" spreaders..they'll produce a couple of pups each, and they are always in demand...so in fact they don't produce enough to keep up with the demand. They can be tall depending on where you place them. These I think get about 4 to 5 feet tall. They particularly like the border of full sun and shade...aka bright light.
Those leaves are really beautiful. Would they need winter protection up here you think? Other than mulch that is. Where did you find them?
No, I think they would do just fine with mulch..they come back every year and last until the second freeze or so.
It was a birthday gift a few years ago. don't see them around too much, but I've noticed that they are making appearances in nurseries. I saw a couple at zone9tropicals last summer.
what is zone9tropicals?
www.zone9tropicals.com
conveniently located a block away from me
Speaking of which Debbie, I need to introduce you two.. Wayne at Zone9,
I think he is narrowing his inventory a bit. the shipping costs lately are killing all of us really...price of fuel. It actually hit 102 a barrell today before slipping under 100.00..
rjuddharrison probably hit it on the head. They are the only ones that were grown in a pot and when winter started I stuck them under a tree right next to the trunk. I guess that kept them just warn enough.
Bear
Ooooo. I would be afraid to leave my house for fear I would be automatically sucked in through their doors.:) Somebody else would have to drive and keep me handcuffed somehow.
Well I just looked again at the site and they don't have a public storefront?
LOL,
No kidding.
No they don't have a store front. I've become friends over the last couple of years after I had ordered some plants, having no idea what so ever where they were located. They called up and said, we are litterally around the corner from you, can we deliver the plants? Things just evolved from then on.
Yes Randy we shall have to meet someday (the zone 9 folks I mean)--I think we could mutually aid each other by referring people to each other--read between the lines here. We do different sorts of plants. They actually have a Juanulloa mexicana I would like to buy from them--I love small orderly climbers. I'm expanding the small orderly (key word orderly) climbers I'm growing for fun this year. I'm trying some Bomaria's this year from seed. Do you have any? The rangoon creeper that spreads 45' across the back fence is the only vine I want to be hacking back with that much work when it freezes down each winter in the future!
I know what you mean about the reminding to be reminded to remind--I think I will remember to dmail you because I'm still actively out there working out there on the area where your adopted new vine is.
Gosh Bear, that plant did good thru the freezes in a pot. It's bound to be real hardy in the ground. Polite spreaders--those I can handle!
=)
Most Colocasias are zone 7. Their are 4 forms I have over wintered in zone 6 with some protection. The toughest is possibly Col. Pink China then Black Pearl , Gigantea the common form and then Big dipper. They have all survived multiple years here and come back strong each year.
I wonder if Black Pearl is the one that is doing so well. It hasn't flinched during the cold and is throwing out new leaves like there was no cold.
I'm not familiar with Bomaria...It didn't pop up in the plant file.
I noticed the Manettia luteorubra (candy corn vine) is a very orderly climber.
Randy--
here's one of them:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/117327/
here's the other one I've started:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/95835/
=)
Those are beautiful....your starting them from seed?
I'm going to have to go through my seeds and check if I have any.
My EE's die back at the first frost but they always come back, bigger and more of them every year.
If I lived around the corner from zone9 tropicals it would be a problem. LOL. Shipping cost is what slows me down.
No kidding...it is a problem...although he's pretty generous and I get alot of "unwanted" or "unsellable" items..... big grin ;)
I have to take picts of the EE's that are still going like it's summer tomorrow and post them...mabe one of those will be the black Pearl that Brian was talking about.
Unwanted unsellable. Oh no, even worse. i can make it past a dead and dying rack without buying plants. 50 cents? Sure I'll give that a try.
I think that's an affliction that all of us suffer with here..!
This is the EE that doesn't go away during the winter..I have another type too.
Looks like black taro but there are a lot of different EE's. That multiple easily? If the frost doesn't get it I might like to trade you a really big one for what you have?
Someone around here must beable to figure out what that is. Maybe plant ID forum?
It is Colocasia fontanesii
Thanks.
Thanks Brian..I thought you might know...
I took that picture on Sunday, so ..don't think frost will get it, and I believe I do have one I yanked out of a bed I was working on Sunday..and put it in the green house..so you can have it.
that picture you have rjudd , that is the same type of ee I hae that has lasted through this winter.
This little Alo.Macrorhizos has seen three snows this week. Jerry
Another one,tough little monkeys.
wow they are tough, Elephant ears in the snow, very cool....ummm no pun intended.
Those must be pretty hardy EE's then. This is the first year I've had them over winter...
You guys are giving me Zone Envy very badly. I have to overwinter all but one of my EE in the house. One of my regular green ones I have left in the ground for the 2nd year now. I just mulch it very heavy. I hope it comes back again this year.