My collection of die back perennials

[NC_Palms]

Besides palms, I enjoy growing lots of plants that are not full time hardy in my zone 8a climate but will die back in the late fall and start to regrow back from the ground in early to mid spring.

 

Philodendron bipinnatifidum 

In my experience, this plant is leaf hardy to about 20°F  but very fast growing. 

 

Bird of Paradise 

This plant will probably never bloom in my climate and it is relatively slow growing compared to my other plants. Leaf hardy to about 26°F

 

Spider Plant

This plant is super hardy and fast growing. I’m actually surprised that people don’t plant these more often here. I’ve even heard of people who have grown these plants as die back perennials in cities much farther north like in Baltimore and D.C. 

Agave desmettiana 

This agave will turn into mush when temperatures drop below 20°F. The trick to keeping these alive in my climate is to protect the center where new grow comes out of. Otherwise, these are fast growing 

 

Livinstona chinensis 

I planted this palm this past April but based on other people’s observations, this palm should be leaf hardy to the low twenties and upper teens but regrow from temperatures much colder

Rhapis excelsa

This is another palm that is leaf hardy to about the low twenties but isn’t as hardy compared to Livinstona chinensis. I think the leaves are burning from being planted in direct afternoon sun 

And lastly, this is a small pothos that I discovered today in my garden. Pothos are cheap so I bought a few last summer and planted them as fillers around my palms. In the fall I heavily mulched them over and apparently one came back. These are leaf hardy to the upper twenties and lower thirties. 

[Brad Mondel]

My Philodendron hope always comes back here in my zone 8 as well. Thanks for sharing!

[Merlyn]

You might be able to get away with some Cordylines, I know my regular Hawaiian Tis survived defoliation in the mid 20s.  I have no idea when they die, but you could always cut a couple of "logs" and replant them in the spring!

[The Silent Seed]

Very cool! 

I bet you could get away with some Sansevieria as well. I mean... Pothos... really? 

 

[NC_Palms]

On 9/4/2019 at 2:07 PM, Brad Mondel said:

My Philodendron hope always comes back here in my zone 8 as well. Thanks for sharing!

I don't think mine is the hope variety. I bought it at a local nursery in the houseplant section. 

On 9/5/2019 at 8:31 PM, Merlyn2220 said:

You might be able to get away with some Cordylines, I know my regular Hawaiian Tis survived defoliation in the mid 20s.  I have no idea when they die, but you could always cut a couple of "logs" and replant them in the spring!

Thanks for the recommendations. I have seen those Hawaiian Ti plants in the South Carolina Lowcountry, which has given me hope of there survival as a die back farther north in NC

On 9/5/2019 at 8:50 PM, The Silent Seed said:

Very cool! 

I bet you could get away with some Sansevieria as well. I mean... Pothos... really? 

 

Thanks! I never thought about growing Sansevieria but I will have to check that out. And I am surprised that my pothos came back. Pothos is probably the least hardy plant that I am growing and I doubt it will live much longer in my garden. 

[Josue Diaz]

sanseveria will rot at low 30s. i can't grow them reliably in a zone9b in California. 

[metalfan]

I grow sansevieria in zone 9a with no problem. But mine is a Florida zone 9a Cali is different

 

[Jcalvin]

Philodendron have done well here in SE Georgia. We rarely get below 20, and even when we did it was only for an hour or so. No dieback. 

Bird of Paradise has done just as well here.  Non dieback.

Res Star and Red Sensation are two hardy cordylines. 

 

Lowest temp any any of these have seen are 19f about 4 years ago for about an hour. They’re under canopy, so that might have helped. Luckily no die back. 

 

[NC_Palms]

On 9/19/2019 at 1:20 AM, Jcalvin said:

Philodendron have done well here in SE Georgia. We rarely get below 20, and even when we did it was only for an hour or so. No dieback. 

Bird of Paradise has done just as well here.  Non dieback.

Res Star and Red Sensation are two hardy cordylines. 

 

Lowest temp any any of these have seen are 19f about 4 years ago for about an hour. They’re under canopy, so that might have helped. Luckily no die back. 

 

I’ve seen lots of BOP and trunking philodendron in Georgia and in the SC Lowcountry.