Τropical-looking trees

[Than]

11 hours ago, redbeard917 said:

Since you specified deciduous and hardy, I thought I'd suggest one that isn't really tropical at all, but looks like it could be: the Japanese magnolia. The advantage is it will always be hardy in your zone. You can get cultivars that grow to any size you want, from large to small. Big leaves and smooth white bark and showy flowers, like a true tropical might have.

Oh yup, Magnolias are a stappler here. You find them in every yard although it's 99% magnolia grandiflora. 

Actually I don't care so much about flowers, no flowers at all is also fine, and I'd prefer evergreen trees cos I need frost canopy too.

Magnolia virginiana seems like a very nice choice but I couldn't find it on sale here anywhere. Buying from a US nursery is almost impossible and a bad idea anyway.

[Silas_Sancona]

13 hours ago, Than said:

Hmmmm bakeriana is a tad less beautiful (initially I was planning to only allow red flowers in the garden, like in some Balinese gardens I visited and stole my heart) than Marginata but if it is hardier indeed then it is worth trying. Unfortunately I only have access to seeds (you guys are lucky to live in the US, at least till the elections). Do we know anything about how long Cassia seeds remain viable?

Generally, like most Legumes w/  a hard seed coat,  Cassia / Senna seed can retain viability for about 5 years ..possibly longer  if the seed is stored correctly.

[L.A.M.]

I live in Tennessee, which is mostly humid subtropical Cfa under Koppen (with some Cfb subtropical highland and Dfb hemiboreal mountain areas) and split between CFak and hot-summer temperate oceanic DOak under Trewartha. Here are some ideas I've developed over the years, some being deciduous (one even coniferous) and some broad-leaved evergreen. Most of these are actually native to tropical climates, with one other entry being native to places in the southwestern USA that come quite close to it, one to Central Florida and a few simply looking tropical or being super closely related to actual tropical trees/shrubs. I also included one evergreen conifer species.

1. Acer rubrum (scarlet maple) - deciduous, native to South Florida
2. Arundinaria gigantea (river cane) - evergreen, native type of bamboo
3. Asimina triloba (pawpaw) - deciduous, closely related to papaya
4. Celtis laevigata (southern hackberry) - deciduous, a very early leafer based on my experience in Tennessee, native to Bermuda
5. Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust) - deciduous, looks similar to acacias
6. Juniperus virginiana (Virginian juniper) - evergreen conifer, closely related and looks extremely similar to Bermuda juniper
7. Liriodendron tulipifera (American tuliptree) - deciduous in most areas, can be semi-evergreen in areas without hard freezes, native to Central Florida
8. Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia) - evergreen, looks similar to some tropical magnolias
9. Magnolia macrophylla (bigleaf magnolia) - deciduous, has exceptionally large leaves
10. Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay magnolia) - semi-evergreen (goes into consequential dormancy after sub-0 degrees Fahrenheit cold waves seldom seen in any of its native range), has lusher leaves than southern magnolia
11. Myrica cerifera (southern wax myrtle) - semi-evergreen (goes into consequential dormancy after sub-0 degrees Fahrenheit cold waves seldom seen in any of its native range), has lusher leaves than most other subtropical broad-leaved evergreens, native to Bermuda, Caribbean, Central America and South Florida
12. Quercus fusiformis (escarpment live oak) - semi-evergreen species of oak (sheds and replaces leaves every spring), substantially more cold-hardy than the more widely known southern live oak, looks extremely similar to other live oaks
13. Quercus hemisphaerica (sand laurel oak) - evergreen species of oak (goes into consequential dormancy after sub-0 degrees Fahrenheit cold waves seldom seen in any of its native range), native to South Florida
14. Quercus laurifolia (swamp laurel oak) - semi-evergreen species of oak, native to Central Florida
15. Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) - deciduous, looks similar to acacias
16. Sabal brazoriensis (Brazoria palmetto) - type of tree-sized palm more cold-hardy than the more widely known cabbage palmetto, looks extremely similar to other tree-sized palmettos including the tropical Bermuda palmetto and Mexican palmetto
17. Sabal minor (dwarf palmetto) - shrubby palm native as far north as Arkansas, North Carolina and Oklahoma and probably Tennessee and Virginia, looks extremely similar to the tropical Miami palmetto
18. Salix nigra (black willow) - deciduous, leafs out as soon as there are a few consecutive warm days with sufficient daylight, native to Los Angeles, Salton Sink, Texas Rio Grande Valley and Yuma Desert
19. Taxodium distichum (bald cypress) - deciduous conifer, native to South Florida

[Navarro]

23 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Generalmente, como la mayoría de las legumbres con una cubierta dura, las semillas de Cassia/Senna pueden conservar su viabilidad durante aproximadamente 5 años... posiblemente más si la semilla se almacena correctamente.

WoW interesante , un dato que no sabía , gracias 

[Than]

16 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Generally, like most Legumes w/  a hard seed coat,  Cassia / Senna seed can retain viability for about 5 years ..possibly longer  if the seed is stored correctly.

I know it has zero chances of surviving our winters but I still wanna try!

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Than said:

I know it has zero chances of surviving our winters but I still wanna try!

Possible ..anything is really   ..but, Unless you have a time machine no one knows about, ( But should, lol ) that can predict a future outcome with 100% accuracy,   the only " Zero Chance " you have is not trying..

Sow em',  keep em safe while young and more tender,  and..   You never know.

If i listened to that self defeating voice that whispers occasionally, i wouldn't be growing half the stuff i do. Would be growing  boring " safe " stuff.  No enjoyment in that.

Gotta be bold, not old 

Edited April 9, 2024 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[Than]

20 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Possible ..anything is really   ..but, Unless you have a time machine no one knows about, ( But should, lol ) that can predict a future outcome with 100% accuracy,   the only " Zero Chance " you have is not trying..

Sow em',  keep em safe while young and more tender,  and..   You never know.

If i listened to that self defeating voice that whispers occasionally, i wouldn't be growing half the stuff i do. Would be growing  boring " safe " stuff.  No enjoyment in that.

Gotta be bold, not old 

what is the one most difficult plant you thought you wouldn't be able to keep but it's made it?

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, Than said:

what is the one most difficult plant you thought you wouldn't be able to keep but it's made it?

Most challenging?  Big Berry Manzanita, Arctostyphalos glauca..  First tougher plant i tried to grow from seed. Was either my sophomore / Junior year of High school and while i'd read up on how to propagate them, collecting some seeds that summer, and trying them was the first time i'd tried to grow them , without anything but knowledge from books.

Manzanita seed need to sit on a bed of coals / have pine straw burnt over them before they will germinate, that and a period of cool stratification.

Didn't expect much but that following spring, i had a few seedlings.

One grew until we moved out of California, the first time. Not 100% sure what killed it, but pretty sure it was just too cold when we first got to KS and that killed it. Tough plants, but, not exactly zone 5 tough.  No worries, stuff happens. 

Was the biggest personal plant growing achievement at that time.

Now? tougher plant challenges are a native sp. of Amsonia ( Blue Star ), a rare sp of Morning Glory, from the far southeastern portion of the state ..and a couple rare things from Sonora.

Compared to the Manzanita?  Cake walk  = Easy.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Most challenging?  Big Berry Manzanita, Arctostyphalos glauca..  First tougher plant i tried to grow from seed. Was either my sophomore / Junior year of High school and while i'd read up on how to propagate them, collecting some seeds that summer, and trying them was the first time i'd tried to grow them , without anything but knowledge from books.

Manzanita seed need to sit on a bed of coals / have pine straw burnt over them before they will germinate, that and a period of cool stratification.

Didn't expect much but that following spring, i had a few seedlings.

One grew until we moved out of California, the first time. Not 100% sure what killed it, but pretty sure it was just too cold when we first got to KS and that killed it. Tough plants, but, not exactly zone 5 tough.  No worries, stuff happens. 

 

Shots of the Manzanita..  Left = About a year after germinating.  Right = about 3 years old Took the shot after unloading off the moving truck, after we'd left CA.

[Than]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Most challenging?  Big Berry Manzanita, Arctostyphalos glauca..  First tougher plant i tried to grow from seed. Was either my sophomore / Junior year of High school and while i'd read up on how to propagate them, collecting some seeds that summer, and trying them was the first time i'd tried to grow them , without anything but knowledge from books.

Manzanita seed need to sit on a bed of coals / have pine straw burnt over them before they will germinate, that and a period of cool stratification.

Didn't expect much but that following spring, i had a few seedlings.

One grew until we moved out of California, the first time. Not 100% sure what killed it, but pretty sure it was just too cold when we first got to KS and that killed it. Tough plants, but, not exactly zone 5 tough.  No worries, stuff happens. 

Was the biggest personal plant growing achievement at that time.

Now? tougher plant challenges are a native sp. of Amsonia ( Blue Star ), a rare sp of Morning Glory, from the far southeastern portion of the state ..and a couple rare things from Sonora.

Compared to the Manzanita?  Cake walk  = Easy.

So you studied horticulture at uni? Awesome.

Interesting story with Manzanita; never heard of those plants before.

I am surprised you mention plants native to your part of the world; I would expect you to find exotics more challenging

[Hillizard]

On 4/10/2024 at 12:09 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Shots of the Manzanita..  Left = About a year after germinating.  Right = about 3 years old Took the shot after unloading off the moving truck, after we'd left CA.

Nathan: Here's a pix of what was sold to me as a 'big berry manzanita' (A. glauca) in my front yard, in front of a 'Howard McMinn' (A. densiflora) that grows much, much faster . It's the slowest growing of all species I have in this genus. I got it several years ago at a specialist native plant nursery in Oakland. I read somewhere that it could take 20 years before it flowers and fruits!  In the meantime, I guess I'll just enjoy the bark and leaves! 😉

From Len Geiger: https://www.marriedtoplants.com/flowering-plants/big-berry-manzanita-arctostaphylos-glauca-kern-river/

[Silas_Sancona]

33 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Nathan: Here's a pix of what was sold to me as a 'big berry manzanita' (A. glauca) in my front yard, in front of a 'Howard McMinn' (A. densiflora) that grows much, much faster . It's the slowest growing of all species I have in this genus. I got it several years ago at a specialist native plant nursery in Oakland. I read somewhere that it could take 20 years before it flowers and fruits!  In the meantime, I guess I'll just enjoy the bark and leaves! 😉

Interesting... have always been told A. glauca can flower withing 4 -5 years from seed.
 

As you can see, in the two years between pictures, mine definitely wasn't slow.. Had i kept it going, i'd estimate it would have set it's first flowers within another year or two ... perhaps 4 at the most.

Seed was collected from a relict pop of the species growing on a hillside near the Stiles Ranch area on the southwest side of Santa Teressa Co. Park, where i'd helped cut out part of a new trail with a non profit one spring during a " Trail Days " event, and would return regularly afterwards to bike / photograph various stuff growing in that part of the park until we left CA.

[Than]

I finally found a Magnolia virginiana Henry Hicks in a European nursery.  The price is not too bad so I am considering it for year-round canopy. The nursery's trees are about 80 cm / 30 in tall. Does anyone know how fast these grow? Our summers are dry but I will irrigate. Our winters are wet and rarely below 32 F. Will I see a good width canopy soon?

[Sega]

On 1/17/2024 at 9:21 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Haven't seen any specimens of any of the mainly evergreen / smooth-leaved sps out here or in CA  -yet-,  so can't say how they perform in either area's climate.  Pink / white-ish  - flowering sps, like Tab. pallida / heterophylla, might do alright, IMO.

In Sacramento. I had a 7ft tab hererophylla I planted late October 2022(dumb time). It made it until mid January then died. But that was in the insanely cold, long and wet 2022-23 winter. It did however produce some seed pods that November. I germinated a few. Some died as seedlings in pots but I still had 4 left that survived. I planted one again around late October 2023 thinking I could protect it over the winter since it was about a foot tall. The spot was too shaded getting maybe 1.5 hrs of sun during the winter. It died. I planted another small one on a somewhat raised bed but in really sticky, heavy clay soil last spring. It only lasted a few weeks and died. The last two planted in the spot where the overly shaded one died and the other one in the front yard where it gets full sun.  Both of these spots are in amended soil. Both have been really slow growers barely growing any new foliage. The one with full sun exposure has grown a few inches. The other one maybe 1-2 inches. They don't seem to do well here for whatever reason. I'm already contemplating digging the one that will end up mostly shaded this winter and try to replant it in the spring. Or maybe using a sunlight reflector of some sort. My handroanthus impetiginosus on the other hand is thriving. I planted that one in the same backyard spot where the 7ft tab hererophylla was planted with a little soil amending this time.  Another that in my experience didn't grow much in a spot being grown from a seedling in spring/summer 2021 and only reaching 2 - 2.5ft my May 2023. I planted it in May 2023. It gets easily 12hrs of direct sun in the summers. It's now approaching 10ft tall and outgrown an older jacaranda that I planted in November 2022. I did protect it last winter but too big to protect it now. In my experience tabebuia hererophylla has been much harder to grow than delonix regia and mango trees.

[Silas_Sancona]

59 minutes ago, Sega said:

In Sacramento. I had a 7ft tab hererophylla I planted late October 2022(dumb time). It made it until mid January then died. But that was in the insanely cold, long and wet 2022-23 winter. It did however produce some seed pods that November. I germinated a few. Some died as seedlings in pots but I still had 4 left that survived. I planted one again around late October 2023 thinking I could protect it over the winter since it was about a foot tall. The spot was too shaded getting maybe 1.5 hrs of sun during the winter. It died. I planted another small one on a somewhat raised bed but in really sticky, heavy clay soil last spring. It only lasted a few weeks and died. The last two planted in the spot where the overly shaded one died and the other one in the front yard where it gets full sun.  Both of these spots are in amended soil. Both have been really slow growers barely growing any new foliage. The one with full sun exposure has grown a few inches. The other one maybe 1-2 inches. They don't seem to do well here for whatever reason. I'm already contemplating digging the one that will end up mostly shaded this winter and try to replant it in the spring. Or maybe using a sunlight reflector of some sort. My handroanthus impetiginosus on the other hand is thriving. I planted that one in the same backyard spot where the 7ft tab hererophylla was planted with a little soil amending this time.  Another that in my experience didn't grow much in a spot being grown from a seedling in spring/summer 2021 and only reaching 2 - 2.5ft my May 2023. I planted it in May 2023. It gets easily 12hrs of direct sun in the summers. It's now approaching 10ft tall and outgrown an older jacaranda that I planted in November 2022. I did protect it last winter but too big to protect it now. In my experience tabebuia hererophylla has been much harder to grow than delonix regia and mango trees.

Interesting and good to know. H impetiginosus  is definitely a tough tree, esp. the form found in Sonora and Sinaloa..  Have a small one i originally picked up from a native plant nursery in Tucson that hasn't flinched much even though i stuck it in a spot where it is getting blasted by afternoon sun atm. Shrugs off the occasional lows in the mid / lower 20s ..and dusting or two of snow they get every few winters at the nursery.  Need to step it up ( and place in a better spot, lol ) next spring.

You ever try any of the more tropical Cassias ..C. fistula, bakeriana, etc up there?

[SeanK]

Fatsia japonica. Rhododendrons.

M.grandiflora - thin out the canopy as it grows.

M.virginiana

[Tracy]

On 11/11/2023 at 12:01 AM, Than said:

Those of you who live in Mediterranean or temperate climates but want to create a tropical looking garden, what deciduous trees do you think match this style? I am looking for a tree that will provide shade and will look tropical but have run out of ideas. Albizia is awesome but the mess that it creates is terrible. Jacaranda is great but too big for my small garden.

Just curious as to why you add the constraint that it be deciduous.  Before reading some of the thread comments I initially thought of trees that are non deciduous. 

I thought of several Ficus species we grow here in Southern California,  as well as Mango trees.  I also used Cussonia spicata.  The Cussonia will soon support some orchids since I think their rough trunks will make great hosts.

Cussonia spicata and a Mango adding to a tropical vibe.

[Sega]

13 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

You ever try any of the more tropical Cassias ..C. fistula, bakeriana, etc up there?

I haven't. I thought I read there is a cassia down at the state capitol grounds but I haven't gone to check out the trees and garden there.   

 

The only tropicals and subtropicals I'm growing are jacarandas(thriving)

royal poinciana(doing alright)

ataulfo mangos(first year in ground)

dwarf palmer mango(doing alright)

handroanthus impetiginosus(one thriving, one stunted by shade of nearby valley oak)

Handroanthus or tabebuia hererophylla(struggling)

plumerias(struggling/slower growers)

brunfelsia pauciflora(not thriving, kind of struggling)

tibouchina urvilleana(thriving)

Ice cream banana(struggled and died after 3 yrs in bad spot but pup from mother tree is really thriving in new spot)

Bougainvillea (thriving)

Angel trumpets(thriving, easiest and hardiest of the subtropicals to grow and seem to love our clay soil)

Avocados (mix, not really thriving though)

Tropical hibiscus (alive but not thriving or blooming)

Mandevilla (first year in ground, flowered well but is not climbing the trellis)

Bird of paradise (first year in ground but showing no growth or anything).

 

I have a mix of subtropicals and tropical with more temperate climate trees that need cold dormancy. I have a 7ft self standing wisteria right next to my royal poinciana for example and dwarf apple trees behind my handroanthus impetiginosus along with Japanese maples, camellias and hydrangeas nearby.

 

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, Sega said:

I haven't. I thought I read there is a cassia down at the state capitol grounds but I haven't gone to check out the trees and garden there.   

 

The only tropicals and subtropicals I'm growing are jacarandas(thriving)

royal poinciana(doing alright)

ataulfo mangos(first year in ground)

dwarf palmer mango(doing alright)

handroanthus impetiginosus(one thriving, one stunted by shade of nearby valley oak)

Handroanthus or tabebuia hererophylla(struggling)

plumerias(struggling/slower growers)

brunfelsia pauciflora(not thriving, kind of struggling)

tibouchina urvilleana(thriving)

Ice cream banana(struggled and died after 3 yrs in bad spot but pup from mother tree is really thriving in new spot)

Bougainvillea (thriving)

Angel trumpets(thriving, easiest and hardiest of the subtropicals to grow and seem to love our clay soil)

Avocados (mix, not really thriving though)

Tropical hibiscus (alive but not thriving or blooming)

Mandevilla (first year in ground, flowered well but is not climbing the trellis)

Bird of paradise (first year in ground but showing no growth or anything).

 

I have a mix of subtropicals and tropical with more temperate climate trees that need cold dormancy. I have a 7ft self standing wisteria right next to my royal poinciana for example and dwarf apple trees behind my handroanthus impetiginosus along with Japanese maples, camellias and hydrangeas nearby.

 

 

 

 

Interesting mix..  Will be quite the contrast envisioning the R.P. flowering within view of any Japanese Maples or the Wisteria..

I'd be pleasantly surprised if the Cassia specimen planted at the Capitol was something like C. fistula  vs. the hardier C. leptophylla  ...which has done quite well in the Bay Area / Santa Cruz.  A great tree as well but there's nothing quite like C. fistula in bloom...

That said, seems C. fistula has a decent amount of flexibility / tolerance..

A few in my immediate neighborhood here in Chandler / others planted around Phoenix, and a very common sight in towns in both Baja and N. Sonora.  Pretty sure at least a couple PT members have mentioned seeing specimens growing in the Cen. Valley..

Then there is this recent iNat. observation i just stumbled upon..  Not sure if it is the " original " specimen that had been grown alongside a Royal Poinciana ( Don't think it is still there ) in the U.of A's  Campus Arboretum down there but ... An impressive specimen for a part of AZ that can see occasional snow and / or handful of winter morning lows in the mid 20s, occasionally lower on a night or two.  ...Far more often than what i remember experiencing in most neighborhoods i grew up in  in San Jose..




If C. fistula will grow and bloom in Tucson / survives the crazy heat / inconsistent rain each summer up this way ...and in areas of N.W. Mexico / Baja that are fairly dry and about as hot as we get,   i have no doubt it could survive in the warmer spots in both the Bay Area / Sacramento,  and around Monterey Bay.


How long have the Plumeria you're growing been in the ground?  Named cultivars or random, big box un-named?   Curious since there can be some pretty obvious growth rate differences between varieties..

That said, here at least,  the extreme heat we see slows them all down, almost to a crawl  ..at least until it starts raining / heat starts backing off ( if it does, lol. ) ..then they start moving again.  Response to the heat / lack of rain this summer was really obvious w/ all my potted / in ground specimens.

My biggest in ground specimen will retain leaves all year if i don't force it to take a nap in late Dec.  Rest drop their leaves like they should.


Hibiscus are hit / miss here.. " older " cultivars like " The President " do great while the fancier ones can fade out within a year or two.

Like Plumeria,  Hibiscus ..and plants like Mandevilla and Bird of Paradise  use a lot of K ( Potassium )  and will pout / not flower much w/ out enough of it ..and / or too much Phosphorus.  Have seen a couple Bird of Paradise ..reg. Orange and Giant / White here, but they look awful / get wayy too much sun..

My grandparents grew the orange BOP for decades in San Jose.  Only got what runoff came off the roof and the only fert they got was rice water / fish remains when my grandfather went fishing.  Huge and flowered almost all year.

 Brunfelsia pauciflora  did ok here for a couple  years before i managed to killed it..

Have a white flowered sp. ( Sold to me as B. plicata. but don't think that is correct ) i've been growing in a pot since ..2011..  Goes through it's annual " ugly as He-l "  cycle each summer, then leafs back out and looks good again in the fall.

If it stays mild thru May,  or we have a wet / humid ..and not quite as hot summer, it will flower.  Need to get it repotted it this year.. Been in the same 5gal since  ...2015 or 16. 

 

[Than]

On 9/6/2024 at 6:09 PM, Tracy said:

Just curious as to why you add the constraint that it be deciduous.  Before reading some of the thread comments I initially thought of trees that are non deciduous. 

I thought of several Ficus species we grow here in Southern California,  as well as Mango trees.  I also used Cussonia spicata.  The Cussonia will soon support some orchids since I think their rough trunks will make great hosts.

Cussonia spicata and a Mango adding to a tropical vibe.

When I posted this question I was thinking of making my house as energy efficient as possible so deciduous trees would help keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Since then though I realised that my smaller plants survival in the winter is more important to me 😅 so I am actually going to plant evergreen trees to provide canopy. Thank you for your recommendation, indeed what a beautiful tree this Cussonia is! I had never heard of it before. I already spotted one in a nursery and apparently it can take light frost! 

If you have any other similar recommendations please shoot!

[Than]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:11 PM, Sega said:

I haven't. I thought I read there is a cassia down at the state capitol grounds but I haven't gone to check out the trees and garden there.   

 

The only tropicals and subtropicals I'm growing are jacarandas(thriving)

royal poinciana(doing alright)

ataulfo mangos(first year in ground)

dwarf palmer mango(doing alright)

handroanthus impetiginosus(one thriving, one stunted by shade of nearby valley oak)

Handroanthus or tabebuia hererophylla(struggling)

plumerias(struggling/slower growers)

brunfelsia pauciflora(not thriving, kind of struggling)

tibouchina urvilleana(thriving)

Ice cream banana(struggled and died after 3 yrs in bad spot but pup from mother tree is really thriving in new spot)

Bougainvillea (thriving)

Angel trumpets(thriving, easiest and hardiest of the subtropicals to grow and seem to love our clay soil)

Avocados (mix, not really thriving though)

Tropical hibiscus (alive but not thriving or blooming)

Mandevilla (first year in ground, flowered well but is not climbing the trellis)

Bird of paradise (first year in ground but showing no growth or anything).

 

I have a mix of subtropicals and tropical with more temperate climate trees that need cold dormancy. I have a 7ft self standing wisteria right next to my royal poinciana for example and dwarf apple trees behind my handroanthus impetiginosus along with Japanese maples, camellias and hydrangeas nearby.

 

 

 

 

Yay, more members with the same climate as mine! I am a bit surprised that avocados have proven to be more difficult than Delonix and Plumeria for you! What are the minimum temperatures in your garden?

[Than]

On 9/6/2024 at 6:09 PM, Tracy said:

Just curious as to why you add the constraint that it be deciduous.  Before reading some of the thread comments I initially thought of trees that are non deciduous. 

I thought of several Ficus species we grow here in Southern California,  as well as Mango trees.  I also used Cussonia spicata.  The Cussonia will soon support some orchids since I think their rough trunks will make great hosts.

Cussonia spicata and a Mango adding to a tropical vibe.

How fast does Cussonia grow in your garden? Also, I read it has very aggressive and superificial roots. Can you grow stuff around it?

[Sega]

8 hours ago, Than said:

Yay, more members with the same climate as mine! I am a bit surprised that avocados have proven to be more difficult than Delonix and Plumeria for you! What are the minimum temperatures in your garden?

Depends. The very back property line is the coldest.  The coldest temps I have recorded with my smart thermometers was 26f or 27f. That was two years ago during that really cold 2022/23 winter.  The front yard can be a few degrees warmer than the very backyard with the planting bed next to the house and my south facing fence area being the warmest. Large evergreens make a big difference. My south facing fence has tall privets growing on my neighbors side that help shield cold air from the north. I also have a silver dollar eucalyptus  providing some overhead frost protection.

 

The larger delonix is planted in the front yard. I do protect it with both artificial heating and frost blankets. Hopefully in a few years the ceanothus, coffeeberry, large angel trumpet, semi-dwarf mandarin, ice cream banana tree and mango tree help create a microclimate to naturally frost protect it in the winter. 

 

But in general I've never had temps colder than 26 or 27 and even those lows don't occur often. I think January average overnight lows in my microclimate is like 34.  

I might not have planted my avocado trees in a good location as I'm going for both a fruit tree and privacy hedge. They get 6hrs of sun but mostly in the afternoon during the hottest time of the day and they they are kind of close to my neighbors valley oak trees. During the winter they are mostly in the shade.

[Than]

13 hours ago, Sega said:

Depends. The very back property line is the coldest.  The coldest temps I have recorded with my smart thermometers was 26f or 27f. That was two years ago during that really cold 2022/23 winter.  The front yard can be a few degrees warmer than the very backyard with the planting bed next to the house and my south facing fence area being the warmest. Large evergreens make a big difference. My south facing fence has tall privets growing on my neighbors side that help shield cold air from the north. I also have a silver dollar eucalyptus  providing some overhead frost protection.

 

The larger delonix is planted in the front yard. I do protect it with both artificial heating and frost blankets. Hopefully in a few years the ceanothus, coffeeberry, large angel trumpet, semi-dwarf mandarin, ice cream banana tree and mango tree help create a microclimate to naturally frost protect it in the winter. 

 

But in general I've never had temps colder than 26 or 27 and even those lows don't occur often. I think January average overnight lows in my microclimate is like 34.  

I might not have planted my avocado trees in a good location as I'm going for both a fruit tree and privacy hedge. They get 6hrs of sun but mostly in the afternoon during the hottest time of the day and they they are kind of close to my neighbors valley oak trees. During the winter they are mostly in the shade.

I was right then, we have exactly the same climate. My absolute minimum is also 26F, but rarely.  Most nights will go down to 38F in January and then next day will be perhaps 50-55F. Rainy winters, dry and hot summers, with maxima often around 100-110F.