Tropical looking tree for 8b

[CG Miller]

What about Schefflera delavayi? They are cold hardy enough for any polar vortex that reaches Texas and they are said to love dry shade once established. I've just obtained a couple of Schefflera taiwaniana that will not tolerate hot/humid conditions in the south but I plan to put them in containers and move them inside during the hottest and coldest times of the year in zone 8a NC. Has anyone had experience with S. taiwaniana outside of the west coast where it is listed zone 7-10?

[ahosey01]

Nageia nagi also...  I keep coming back to this thread when I have more ideas.

[Matthew92]

Here's some I've found upon looking for options in 8b NW FL.

-Robinia 'Purple Robe'

-Arbutus unedo

-Croton congestus

-Lithocarpus henryi

-Lithocarpus edulis

-Elaeocarpus decipiens

-Neolitsea sericea

-Photinia serrulata

-Machilus thunbergii

-Ilex latifolia

-Eriobotrya deflexa (Bronze Loquat)

-Daphniphyllum macropodum (more of a large shrub but can be tree size eventually)

[Chester B]

I have another tree for the list that I bought this weekend by accident - No really.  It was labelled as Mexican Bird of Paradise and I thought I was buying C gilliesii but it was labeled C mexicana.  I didn't realize until I got home and looked closer at the tag.

 

[Ryan Wonka]

albizia julibrissin is hardy to zone 6 and have very exotic leaves that closes at night. they also have pink fluffy flowers in spring.

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, Ryan Wonka said:

albizia julibrissin is hardy to zone 6 and have very exotic leaves that closes at night. they also have pink fluffy flowers in spring.

These may draw welcomed attention for the flowers but,  Here in the states,  this tree is often ranked within the top 10 worst invasive non- natives in several parts of the country.

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/the-mimosa-tree-beautiful-but-invasive/


Despite it's beauty, a very messy tree too..  Used to see lots of these in yards in my old neighborhood back in CA.  Still a few around, but pretty rare sight now overall.

At least a half dozen look- alike alternatives within the Genus Calliandra  that produce similar looking flowers, but aren't invasive / are native to this hemisphere..
 

[Chester B]

21 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Despite it's beauty, a very messy tree too..

I had one in Oregon it came with the house.  I would never plant one again because of the mess.  They're best further away not near any other plants.

 

On 3/16/2025 at 8:08 AM, CG Miller said:

What about Schefflera delavayi? They are cold hardy enough for any polar vortex that reaches Texas and they are said to love dry shade once established. I've just obtained a couple of Schefflera taiwaniana that will not tolerate hot/humid conditions in the south but I plan to put them in containers and move them inside during the hottest and coldest times of the year in zone 8a NC. Has anyone had experience with S. taiwaniana outside of the west coast where it is listed zone 7-10?

S delavayi are super cold hardy,  I had a pretty big one going at my last place in Oregon.  They handled the sun better than I expected but did experience burn when we got to 115F.  Best in shade in Texas I would say.  Reasonably drought tolerant but do best with moisture.  I do plan on trying these here in Houston, once I have some trees big enough to cast shade.

I have no direct experience growing S. taiwaniana, now called Heptapleurum taiwanianum in the south, but I do recall many of tried in the south and failed.  You may be able to find some topics on here about it.

[Than]

On 3/19/2025 at 6:55 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

These may draw welcomed attention for the flowers but,  Here in the states,  this tree is often ranked within the top 10 worst invasive non- natives in several parts of the country.

https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/forestry-wildlife/the-mimosa-tree-beautiful-but-invasive/


Despite it's beauty, a very messy tree too..  Used to see lots of these in yards in my old neighborhood back in CA.  Still a few around, but pretty rare sight now overall.

At least a half dozen look- alike alternatives within the Genus Calliandra  that produce similar looking flowers, but aren't invasive / are native to this hemisphere..
 

True they are messy. But their beauty is something else. The flowers are stunning but also their umbrella shape. Not many trees have this perfect flat umbrella shape. Their shade is perfect. Not too dark but just enough for any plants underneath

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, Than said:

True they are messy. But their beauty is something else. The flowers are stunning but also their umbrella shape. Not many trees have this perfect flat umbrella shape. Their shade is perfect. Not too dark but just enough for any plants underneath

There's actually several trees w/ a similar form ( Umbrella shape ) which aren't nearly as much of a maintenance hog / seedling producer. Even Mesquites -the right ones- aren't as messy as Silk Trees.

benefit of shade they provide is questionable ..A relative could never get grass to grow beneath a mature sized specimen they'd had in their yard.

Shade loving perennials and stuff like Azaleas did ok beneath some others in a different yard  though.

Like a lot of legume - type trees, Foliage / roots does provide a constant source of Nitrogen.

[Than]

8 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

There's actually several trees w/ a similar form ( Umbrella shape ) which aren't nearly as much of a maintenance hog / seedling producer. Even Mesquites -the right ones- aren't as messy as Silk Trees.

benefit of shade they provide is questionable ..A relative could never get grass to grow beneath a mature sized specimen they'd had in their yard.

Shade loving perennials and stuff like Azaleas did ok beneath some others in a different yard  though.

Like a lot of legume - type trees, Foliage / roots does provide a constant source of Nitrogen.

I cannot think of any other trees that have a perfect umbrella shape with foliage only at the top layer and can live in zone 8. The only other tree that has a perfect flat umbrella shape is Vachellia tortillis but it wants a warmer climate I believe. 

[CG Miller]

Here are a few non-palm tropical-look plants I'm trying this year in my zone 7b/8a NC garden:

Summer Chocolate Mimosa (Albizia julibrisssin) are considered much less invasive than the straight species. They are late to emerge so I'm keeping my fingers crossed the two dormant plants I picked up this winter have survived; but if this cultivar maintains any of it's parent's resilience I should see new growth in late April.

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/albizia-julibrissin-summer-chocolate

 

Sambucus 'Chocolate Marzipan Elderberry has been hard to find in the US but is now available at Plant Delights Nursery. I now have two to go in my landscape.

https://www.plantdelights.com/products/sambucus-chocolate-marzipan

 

In a fit of plant lust I picked up two Winged Phoenix Hardy Schefflera (Schefflera taiwaniana 'Monhinschf') that I will place in containers and provide indoor protection during the extremes of summer and winter.

https://www.monrovia.com/winged-phoenix-hardy-schefflera.html

 

From Cistus Nursery I recently picked up the following plants:

Schefflera delavayi (in addition to some I have that came from Pat McCracken's Garden Treasures)

https://cistus.com/products/schefflera-delavayi?_pos=1&_sid=8e399a1f7&_ss=r

 

While living on the NC coast I developed a fondness for all things pittosporum.....

• Pittosporum adaphniphylloides (a specimen has done well at nearby Juniper Level Botanic Garden)https://cistus.com/products/pittosporum-adaphniphylloides?_pos=1&_sid=4afac62c1&_ss=r
• Pittosporum x 'Sappy' https://cistus.com/products/pittosporum-x-sappy?_pos=1&_sid=3a1d366b0&_ss=r

From SiteOne Landscaping 

• Pittosporum tobira ‘Wheeleri’ https://www.siteone.com/en/70813b-pittosporum-tobira-wheeleri-mock-orange/p/574645 marginal here and may require protection

In the exotic category I picked up a few starter-size Australian Tree Ferns (Cyathea cooperi 'Brentwood') from a local nursery,  though not cold-hardy this very-fast grower does well on containers that can be hard-pruned and overwintered in my unheated basement that remains above freezing.

https://wanderlustnursery.com/shop/products/p/australian-tree-fern?gQT=1

 

[zoro]

A lot of Lauraceae family trees are tropical looking and are very much hardy for zone 8b, honorable mentions:

Machilus thunbergii

Cinnamomum japonicum

Cinnamomum parthenoxylon

Cinnamomum wilsonii

Phoebe sp.

Nectandra salicifolia 

Neolitsea aciculata

Neolitsea sericea

Litsea japonica

Litsea glaucescens

Lindera megaphylla 

Non-Lauraceae:

Magnolia yuyuanensis (looks extremely tropical)

Nageia nagi

Castanopsis sp.

Lithocarpus sp.

Aesculus wangii (subtropical chestnut that has large seeds the size of baseballs)

Eriobotrya deflexa

I can say for certain that these will be hardy for zone 8b sufficient enough to grow into tree size.  

I would recommend Citrus too as some varieties like Ichang Papeda and Pomelo look tropical but I know Citrus greening is prevalent in TX and other states so I'm not sure about those.  

 

 

 

 

 

[zoro]

There are much much more varieties that can survive in zone 8b, but you will run out of room quick. 

[Ryan Wonka]

 

On 3/21/2025 at 4:48 AM, Than said:

I cannot think of any other trees that have a perfect umbrella shape with foliage only at the top layer and can live in zone 8. The only other tree that has a perfect flat umbrella shape is Vachellia tortillis but it wants a warmer climate I believe. 

I dont think the umbrella thorns are in the market. I've only seen them in the wild in kenya and never seen one for sale

[Than]

2 hours ago, Ryan Wonka said:

 

I dont think the umbrella thorns are in the market. I've only seen them in the wild in kenya and never seen one for sale

Yup; I've got mine from a seed