TROPICAL LOOKING PLANTS - Other Than Palms

9,815 topics in this forum

1. 

   Winter Thingz 1 2

   December 14, 2023 by Silas_Sancona

   • 42 replies
   • 1.3k views

   Mild it has been, yet still, December is quiet time around the yard. Some sleep, some creep, as the curtains fall on another year.. Even so, there is always some color around, and plenty of hints of things to come.. TX. Bluebonnets starting to put out true leaves.. California's " Bluebonnet, L. nanus as well. Desert Chicory.. Baby Blue Eyes Partridge Pea ..Been warm enough to stimulate germination / maintain growth of some late season Kalstroemia grandiflora against a south-facing wall.. We'll see how long they hang on. Hard to tell in the shot, but, rest of the main bed looking good for now …

   

   Last reply by Silas_Sancona, February 29

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3. 

   Aloidendron dichotomum

   December 3, 2019 by Tracy

   • 2 replies
   • 574 views

   I visited the San Diego Zoo Safari Park over the weekend. I enjoyed seeing these tree aloes which have been renamed after splitting off the tree aloes to their own genus of Aloidendron. I think these do better in the drier inland valley's than along the coast where I live. I've had success with three of the genus, one being the hybrid of this species with A barbarae, as well as A pillansii and Aloidendron ramosissimum, but I always worry when we get too much rain and avoid watering them much. This hillside in San Pasqual Valley looks like an ideal habitat for them all!

   

   Last reply by Tracy, February 29

   • aloidendron dichotomum
   • san diego zoo safari park

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4. 

   Bromeliad: Hohenbergia castellanosii

   September 13, 2023 by Looking Glass

   • 1 follower
   • 7 replies
   • 719 views

   Anyone out there growing this guy. I was looking for sun tolerant bromeliads that were medium sized, and this one came up as the best of the best for full sun (which I doubt, it would have to at least be a tie with Aechmea blanchetiana which can tolerate super-full blazing sun, but gets huge). They say to keep them very dry down below. I’m wondering if anyone is growing these well. They don’t seem super popular. I can’t really keep them super dry, so I’m hoping they can get somewhat wet in blazing sun. They arrived in 8 inch pots in dense wet medium. I put them out in no man’s land where they are getting blasted by noon til setting sun. Any pointers? Pics?

   

   Last reply by Paradise Found, February 29

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5. 

   Planting Aloe and Harwothia together

   February 29 by Paradise Found

   • 1 follower
   • 4 replies
   • 127 views

   I decided to plant some large single plants together very common ones except for the potted Aloe hybrid in the middle. This was a good time to use all my cactus and succulent soil mixes leftovers. The bowl is 24” across. Looks pretty good I think.

   

   Last reply by Paradise Found, February 29
6. 

   Caladiums in Texas - Do I lift them in Winter

   February 27 by Chester B

   • 2 replies
   • 170 views

   So my tiny front yard has a northern aspect and three reasonable sized live oaks. I'm starting to plant the existing gardens which for the most part are empty. I'm using some Caladiums for a pop of color, but do I need to lift them in December and dry store them, or can they stay in the ground all year? Location is Houston, TX

   

   Last reply by Chester B, February 29

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7. 

   ficus hybridization?

   February 27 by epiphyte

   • 2 replies
   • 406 views

   i've been collecting ficus for several decades now and for nearly all that time i assumed that hand pollination of ficus species was impossible. then in 2020 at a local nursery i saw this guy... the label said ficus carica x pumila. this blew my mind because i never would have guessed that these two very different species, at least superficially, were closely related enough to cross. initially i figured that the cross had occurred naturally via a confused wasp. later on i learned that the premier fig scientist, ira condit, had created the cross himself. he wrote about it in his 1950 paper, "an interspecific hybrid in ficus". does anyone have this paper? …

   

   Last reply by epiphyte, February 29

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8. 

   Plant id

   February 28 by 96720

   • 1 follower
   • 2 replies
   • 122 views

   I was interested in what this is it popped up in another plant I bought if it is something that is worth growing I will try it in the jungle!!

   

   Last reply by Chester B, February 28

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9. 

   unusual leaf on Ceratozamia latifolia x hildae

   November 1, 2014 by redbeard917

   • 1 follower
   • 19 replies
   • 3k views

   This photo shows the new leaf on this seedling of the purported cross between Ceratozamia latifolia and hildae. The older leaf is in the right. I think the new leaf is smaller because it has been dry and I have been too busy to even water. Seems to be a tough plant to put up with that and flush, too. I'm not sure if the shape is an aberration or the hildae character showing.

   

   Last reply by Gallop, February 28

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10. 

    Aspidistra in zone 6?

    February 23 by Ohiopalmloverz6

    • 7 replies
    • 221 views

    These common houseplants have caught my eye and I’ve seen they’ll take heavy shade. The problem is, I still have no clue what zones they can take! The internet seems very indecisive whether it is a zone 6 or 7 plant. I’ve seen people online in zone 6 saying it does fine for them and other people have almost no luck. I have no clue what advice to take.

    

    Last reply by Ohiopalmloverz6, February 28

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11. 

    Arum, Asarum, & Cyclamen

    January 13 by BeyondTheGarden

    • 18 replies
    • 386 views

    Picked these up from Plant Delights. There are some Arum, Asarum, and Cyclamen that don't look exotic but there are others that look quite wild. I'm quite new to them and would like to get input on different species or types that folks here may be growing or familiar with. I've seen people talk about Aristolochia but I don't know anything about it; I believe there are some very exotic types as well. Asarum nobilissimum "king kong" Arum concinatum "far and away" Cyclamen hederifolium "crassifolium" And here's a random picture that popped up on my FB today; this looks wild and I would love to figure out how to reproduce som…

    

    Last reply by Rivera, February 27

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12. 

    Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula cold hardiness

    February 8, 2013 by iwan

    • 14 replies
    • 2.6k views

    I saw these all over Indonesia on my last trip (never noticed them on previous trips). Online sources show this as a Zone 10 tree, but most of the comments are from the tropics. Is this a Zone 10 wimp, or worth testing in Z9? Are any thriving in SoCal?

    

    Last reply by Than, February 27
13. 

    Acrostichum danaeifolium

    February 27 by Austinpalm

    • 0 replies
    • 58 views

    Anyone along the northern gulf coast have one of these go thru some sub 20-degree fahrenheit temps in the last few years. Curious if they survived? Also curious if these need a certain soil pH or just need water?

    

    Last reply by Austinpalm, February 27
14. 

    First time at The Kampong Botanical Garden

    February 27 by miamicuse

    • 1 reply
    • 101 views

    Having been in South Florida since 1996 I have been to Fairchild and Mounts dozens of times, but I have never been to The Kampong in Coconut Groves. It's really very laid back and natural, doesn't appear to have every square foot of it's ground curated like other botanical gardens, it's a great place to see plants but even better place to take a walk and relax even sit down to read a book. I am sure there are millions of better pictures on the web of this place so I won't do a massive photo dump here just a dozen or so to comment on and ask questions. There are several ponds on the property. Any idea what kind of plants are these? The very imp…

    

    Last reply by Silas_Sancona, February 27

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15. 

    Tetrapanax in Houston? or the humid SE USA

    February 18 by Chester B

    • 1 follower
    • 12 replies
    • 335 views

    I know many gardeners on the West Coast and the UK like to grow the large forms of Tetrapanax papyrifera (Steroidal Giant, Rex), but has anyone grown it in a climate like Houston?? The form I grow known as Steroidal Giant, came from Japan to Hawaii, then on to California and into Oregon. Once in Oregon it was then made available to the public by Cistus Nursery. From all the comments I get from people it appears to be quite hard to find outside the PNW and even hard to find in Portland where it was first made available. I brought three pups with me from my mature plants and they are happily growing on in pots with the warm weather here in Houston. In this climate I ex…

    

    Last reply by Chester B, February 27

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16. 

    Pink Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima 'Compton' or rosea) source?

    February 18 by Calosphace

    • 9 replies
    • 413 views

    Anyone know of a good source for the pink form? I really like it and it goes well for a color scheme of a garden I am working on but I'm seeing only seeds being sold or seedlings for like 50 USD which just seems disproportionate. I also was curious about its performance compared to the typical red and yellow form

    

    Last reply by Chester B, February 27

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17. 

    Pruning off dead leaves from tree fern

    February 26 by Paradise Found

    • 1 follower
    • 0 replies
    • 98 views

    Well I neglected the tree fern watering every day and the leave turn brown and just plain look messy. But after the cutting back was all this fresh winter growing leaves and coils. Never again will I let it go dry. Lesson learned.

    

    Last reply by Paradise Found, February 26

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18. 

    Calodendrum capense from seeds

    February 26 by Than

    • 0 replies
    • 73 views

    I got some seeds from RPS and they are quite big and hard. I couldn't find any info online about the right germination process. I guess soaking them for two days won't harm, but should I also scarify? Does anyone know?

    

    Last reply by Than, February 26
19. 

    Heliconia Thread 1 2 3

    April 1, 2021 by Dartolution

    • 1 follower
    • 98 replies
    • 6.4k views

    Who here grows Heliconias (all species), and what species do you grow and where. I love these plants and have for years. I have a few varieties of psittacorum (choconiana, sassy, and lady di), a lingulata, and have a hybrid on the way from Ricon PR (etsy). These are easily one of my favorite tropicals, but I have struggled with them at times here. They are exceedingly difficult to overwinter even indoors in a warm room with a grow light above them (PFW640, or HB1500). The biggest issue I have faced is root rot, and getting the right soil for them. I have read that they like bone meal? Can anyone attest to this?

    

    Last reply by thyerr01, February 24

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20. 

    Aloe secundiflora var sobolifera - Share if you are growing it

    February 23 by Tracy

    • 2 replies
    • 150 views

    I needed a plastic pot to put a volunteer from my garden into, to share with a friend and was going through some old 1 gallon pots. I found one that identified an Aloe secundiflora var sobolifera that originated at San Marcos Growers. Since I know what most of my smaller Aloes are, it was easy to match the one missing a name. I have removed cuttings from my original one and planted it in various places from heavy shade (one pictured below) to partial sunny spots in my garden. I'm 95% certain that I have this right, but couldn't find good photos even under San Marcos Growers listing for the plant. Anyone else growing this species and have photos to compare? I probabl…

    

    Last reply by Tracy, February 23

    • aloe secundiflora var sobolifera
21. 

    Aloe microstigma and offspring

    June 11, 2022 by Tracy

    • 3 replies
    • 348 views

    I have a few Aloe microstigma plants growing in my garden, and ended up with a lot of little volunteers over the last couple of years of flowering. Since I also have other Aloes in the garden the possibility of some hybrids is also possible. First photo is one of the older original plants followed by a typical one of the offspring. Last is an unknown hybrid, which seems to have thicker and wider leaves than the microstigma's but is growing near some other volunteers. I'm wondering if it could be a hybrid with one of my larger species that flowers at the same time, such as Aloe ferox or Aloe marlothii.

    

    Last reply by Tracy, February 23

    • aloe microstigma
    • aloe hybrid

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22. 

    A few interesting zone-pusher plantings around Florida State University (Tallahassee)

    August 1, 2022 by CodyORB

    • 1 follower
    • 28 replies
    • 1.9k views

    A lush and wonderful campus, all kinds of native and outside plantings adorning the architecture. Here are some that stood out to me in an area where the airport saw 20F in the early morning hours of January 30, 2022 with multiple trips to the mid-20's through the winter. FSU is a hilly campus, so cold drainage likely helped some of these folks make it through. I'll start off with this lovely Ceiba speciosa, Silk Floss Tree. I was blown away to see this in Tallahassee, as I've normally thought of these as 9B or 10A plants. This is the first one I've ever seen in North Florida. I'll be delighted to be back here for the fall blooms and the seed pods (if the tree …

    

    Last reply by redbeard917, February 22

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23. 

    Banana Can

    February 2 by BeyondTheGarden

    • 5 replies
    • 294 views

    The ridiculous things I do for my plants. I know this looks like a trash can, but it's actually a banana can. Since I left the cool dry summers of the PNW, I decided I'd try some edible bananas. Goldfinger, Dwarf Orinoco, Dwarf Namwah, and Icecream. These had to be purchased online and most of them were in tiny pots, less than 2", although the foliage is impressive for such a small pot. Anyway I need them to put on some size before they go into the ground in April. This seems to be doing the trick. Mid 80's for temps and 70's for humidity, even after just a few days growth is evident.

    

    Last reply by dalmatiansoap, February 22

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24. 

    Huntington Botanic Garden 2-17-24

    February 19 by Peter

    • 2 replies
    • 176 views
    

    Last reply by hbernstein, February 21

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25. 

    Jasminum polyanthum hardiness?

    February 19 by Urkern

    • 1 follower
    • 2 replies
    • 120 views

    Hello, Do any of you have any experience with Jasminum polyanthum regarding winter hardiness? How much can it withstand and how does it react to long-term frost? I'm thinking about planting mine out, I've had Jasminum officinalis and Trachelospermum jasminoides successfully for 6 years. The winter so far has had -5°C as the lowest temperature and 3 days without being above zero. Opinions? Regards, Urkern

    

    Last reply by Urkern, February 19
26. 

    Experiences with the Backhousia?

    February 19 by Urkern

    • 0 replies
    • 88 views

    Hello, I know there are a lot of Australians reading this, so I thought my question was well placed. It's about three types: Backhousia myrtifolia Backhousia citriodora Backhousia angustifolia I have all three and am thinking about “experimenting”, perhaps with cuttings. But before I even put any further thought into it, does anyone know approximately how much they can withstand? Can they handle -10°C? Or rather -6°C? When do you get the first damage? Regards, Urkern

    

    Last reply by Urkern, February 19