Caladiums at Yewdell Gardens in Crestwood, KY (near Louisville) Caladiums (Caladium bicolor) are tropical foliage plants which are grown as annuals. Caladiums brighten up shady to sunny spots. Their brightly colored foliage is either heart and lanced shaped in color combinations ranging from red, rose, pink, chartreuse, green, and white. Caladiums absolutely prefer a warm, […]
Archive for the ‘Tropical Plants (non-hardy)’ Category
Treat Colorful Caladiums As Tender Annuals
Posted by Hugh on March 12th, 2013
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, Caladium, compost, Deer resistant, Flowers, Foliage plant, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Irrigation, mulching, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter injury, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on Treat Colorful Caladiums As Tender AnnualsBright Clivia Flowers Bring Cheer Over A Dreary Winter
Posted by Hugh on February 3rd, 2013
If you’re suffering from the winter blahs, colorful orange clivia (Clivia miniata) flowers will brighten your home. This sub-tropical house plant is native to South Africa, a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), is easy to grow and re-blooms every year as amaryllis or Christmas cactus do. Its wide, strap-like dark evergreen leaves remain blemish […]
Posted in Clivia, Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Interior (house) Plants, Propagation (dividing), Southern Appalachian Region, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, Winter Protection Comments Off on Bright Clivia Flowers Bring Cheer Over A Dreary WinterTriggering Flowering Response In Bromeliads
Posted by Hugh on December 21st, 2012
Bromeliads flower only once. Their brightly colored flowers are mostly “bracts” or modified leaves. Small flowers are nestled within these attractive bracts. Once a bromeliad has flowered it no longer produces new leaves. The colorful bracts (flowers) may last 3 or more months and are cut off once it looks unsightly. Several months later, new […]
Posted in Bromeliads, Foliage plant, Interior (house) Plants, Regional, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips Comments Off on Triggering Flowering Response In BromeliadsBuy This Poinsettia, Perhaps Not That One!
Posted by Hugh on December 19th, 2012
There are so many colorful poinsettia varieties in stores this holiday season. Some plants will not make it to the first of the year. What attracts you into buying the plant is the colorful bracts (modified leaves). The “true” poinsettia flowers lie in the center of the bracts. If the yellow stamens are immature or […]
Posted in Fertilizing plants, Poinsettia, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips Comments Off on Buy This Poinsettia, Perhaps Not That One!Growing Bromeliads For Lifelong Enjoyment
Posted by Hugh on December 17th, 2012
The bromeliad plant family (Bromeliaceae) includes over 2000 species which live in tropical areas. This includes the pineapple. Bromeliads make great indoor plants. Leaves and flowers come in a wide variety of colors. They are easy to care for and will live for several years. They have very few pest problems. Some bromeliads are epiphytes […]
Posted in Bromeliads, Fertilizing plants, Interior (house) Plants, Regional, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips Comments Off on Growing Bromeliads For Lifelong EnjoymentFit House Plant Care To Your Own Lifestyle
Posted by Hugh on December 13th, 2012
House plants not only decorate our homes and work places. They also clean and purify the indoor air. Many people get frustrated that they have no success growing house plants. Proper house plant care involves these 6 plant needs: 1. Water, 2. Light, 3. Temperature, 4. Humidity, 5. Air circulation, and 6. Fertilizing. Overwatering is […]
Posted in Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Interior (house) Plants, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Regional, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips Comments Off on Fit House Plant Care To Your Own LifestyleAre You Growing A Thanksgiving or Christmas Cactus?
Posted by Hugh on November 27th, 2012
If your “Christmas cactus” is blooming on Thanksgiving Day, it is likely not a true Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) which flowers a month or more later. Thanksgiving cactus (S. truncata) is frequently sold as “Christmas cactus”. Holiday shoppers often decorate with what’s in the store after Thanksgiving and the plants are frequently mislabeled. Christmas […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), Failure to Bloom, Fertilizing plants, Interior (house) Plants, Potting Mix, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Tropical Plants (non-hardy) Comments Off on Are You Growing A Thanksgiving or Christmas Cactus?How To Re-Bloom a Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)
Posted by Hugh on August 22nd, 2012
Perhaps this past year a friend gifted you a lovely moth orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.). Late summer and early fall is an excellent time to re-bloom it, if you live in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 8. The overall health of the plant should be good. Moth orchids require a fluctuation of between 15 – 20°F […]
Posted in deadheading, Fertilizing plants, Interior (house) Plants, Orchids, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, watering tips Comments Off on How To Re-Bloom a Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)Ostrich Fern Likes It Moist And Cool
Posted by Hugh on August 6th, 2012
For sheer toughness ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) handles most landscape situations (USDA hardiness zones 2-7a). Ostrich fern is commonly seen growing naturally in cool moist river bottom soils, 3-5 feet in height and spreading aggressively. Roots have a clumping rhizomatous nature. The fronds grow upright with a slightly arching form, typically to 2-3 feet in […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, alkaline soil, Disease resistant, Foliage plant, Native Plant, Ostrich fern (Matteuccia), Perennials, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Ostrich Fern Likes It Moist And CoolNorthern Maidenhair Fern Appear Delicate But Grow Tough
Posted by Hugh on May 23rd, 2012
Their leaves (called “fronds”) appear delicate, but maidenhair ferns (Adiantum spp.) are reliable long-lived perennials. Northern maidenhair (A. pedatum) thrives in most gardens within USDA zones 3-8, while the Southern counterpart, (A. capillus-veneris), predominates in warmer USDA 7-10. Unfortunately, planting of maidenhairs are not utilized in the Southern Appalachian gardens (USDA zones 6-8). Fronds average 18-24 inches in […]
Posted in alkaline soil, compost, Disease resistant, Foliage plant, Maidenhair fern (Adiantum), mulching, Native Plant, Perennials, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Northern Maidenhair Fern Appear Delicate But Grow Tough
