Here are some ideas for designing a tropical landscape in your yard. Start with large leafy trees that are hardy in zones 6-7 include catalpa (Catalpa spp.), hickories (Carya spp.), some oaks (Quercus spp.), large leaf maple (Acer macrophylla), American sycamore (Platanus americana), American linden (Tilia americana), and Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa). In zones 7-9 […]
Archive for the ‘Tropical Plants (non-hardy)’ Category
Creating A Tropical Look
Posted by Hugh on December 8th, 2022
Posted in Angel trumpet (Brugmansia), Banana (Musa spp.), Caricature Plant (Graptophyllum), Catalpa, Colocasia, Elephant ears (Colocasia), Fertilizing plants, Firmiana simplex, Foliage plant, Landscape ideas, Linden (Tilia), Magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Non-native, Paulownia (Empress tree), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Shade tree, Smoketree (Cotinus), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Sycamore (Platanus), Trees & Shrubs, Willows (Salix) 
Comments Off on Creating A Tropical LookWhat’s New At Your Local Florist Shop
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2022
What’s New At Your Local Florist Your local florist shop…that is often the first place you think of when gifting something green and flowery to an ailing friend. Besides the standard florist shops, most supermarkets contain a florist department. Check out the recently published USDA Floriculture Crops Report. It lists most of the potted plants […]
Posted in African violet (Saintpaulia), Amaryllis, Amaryllis (Bulb), Annuals, Anthurium, Begonia, Bromeliads, Bulb Crops, Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), Chrysanthemum, Dianthus (Pinks), Ferns, Ferns, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Geranium, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Lily (Lilium), Norfolk Island Pine, Orchids, Ornamental Pepper, Paperwhite narcissus, Poinsettia, Purchasing Plants, Salvia, Sedum, Southern Appalachian Region, Torenia (wishbone flw.) Comments Off on What’s New At Your Local Florist ShopAbyssinian Red Banana
Posted by Hugh on October 18th, 2022
Ensete ventricosum is not true banana (Musa spp ); it does not sucker like bananas, so does not form large clumps over time. In their native environment in tropical Asia and Africa, plants may grow to 30 or more feet in height, but grow considerably shorter in containers or in cultivation. Abyssinian Red Banana (Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelli’) […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Banana (Musa spp.), Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Ensete ventricosum, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Mealy bugs, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Scale, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), Uncategorized, watering tips, White flies, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Abyssinian Red BananaSuccess With Succulents
Posted by Hugh on October 6th, 2022
Succulents are beautiful, low maintenance plants that are popular among plant addicts who grow them outdoors and as indoor house plants. Most are indigenous to desert or dryland conditions. They hold water in their fleshy leaves, stems and roots. Overwatering succulent plants is their nemesis. Adequate soil drainage and light are of key importance. These […]
Posted in acidic soil, Agave, Agave, Annuals, Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), Cold tolerance, Container garden, Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia), Euphorbias, Kalanchoe, mulching, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Snake plant (Sanservieria), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Stonecrops (Sedum), Succulents, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Success With SucculentsHeartleaf Iceplant (Aptenia)
Posted by Hugh on April 26th, 2022
The world of succulents is a treasure trove for many cool garden plants that attract many collectors, including house plant enthusiastics. Heartleaf iceplant (Aptenia cordifolia), also called Baby sun rose, is a non-hardy succulent or evergreen ground cover. This herbaceous subshrub is indigenous to South Africa and favors a Mediterranea- like climatic conditions (in USDA […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Butterflies, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Ground cover, Heartleaf aptenia, Heat Tolerance, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Heartleaf Iceplant (Aptenia)Next Generation Of Kousa Dogwoods
Posted by Hugh on April 16th, 2022
‘Scarlet Fire’ is a 2017 introduction from Rutgers University with 4-5 inch wide, fade-proof, dark pink floral bracts. This Kousa dogwood tree is also heat and drought tolerant and highly disease resistant. ‘Wolf Eyes’ is a compact tree (10-20 feet tall) or multi-branched shrub form; creamy white variegated foliage is scorch-resistant. Wolf Eyes flaunts eye-catching gray-green […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, Container garden, Container growing, container shrub, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Next Generation Of Kousa DogwoodsEight Colorful Annuals Thrive In Shade
Posted by Hugh on March 20th, 2022
1. Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) are excellent shade plants, traditionally planted in hanging baskets and window boxes. Asparagus fern (Asparagus springeri) is also nice additions to shady areas. 2. Coleus (Solenostemon) are known for their colorful foliage is nice in a pot or around trees or shrubs. For moderately shady areas, select the Mosaic™ or Kong™ series. 3. Begonias […]
Posted in acidic soil, Annuals, Bee Favorite, Begonia, Begonia boliviensis, Butterflies, Caladium, Coleus, Container garden, Ferns, Flowers, Foliage plant, Fuchsias, Impatiens, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Torenia (wishbone flw.), watering tips Comments Off on Eight Colorful Annuals Thrive In ShadeAfter The Holidays Poinsettia Care
Posted by Hugh on December 26th, 2021
The gift of a poinsettia means you should enjoy the beauty over the next three months or more. Your poinsettia should be warmly wrapped to protect from chilling outdoor temperatures from the garden shop to your home or apartment. If applicable, carefully unwrap the protective sleeve around your poinsettia to prevent injury to leaves and […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn flowering, Container garden, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Interior (house) Plants, Landscape ideas, Mealy bugs, Photoperiod (Daylength), Phytophthora ramorum, Planting tips, Poinsettia, Poinsettia, Powdery Mildew, Powdery mildew, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Root rotting, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on After The Holidays Poinsettia CarePoinsettia Care
Posted by Hugh on December 21st, 2021
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) have become a symbol of Christmas and the winter holidays. Their colorful bracts (most people call them “flowers”) are actually modified leaves. Red remains the most popular color, but select from white, pink, burgundy, marbled, speckled and new “tropical shades”. Buy a healthy poinsettia! The small yellow flowers in the center of the […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Container garden, Fertilizing plants, Flowering house plant, Interior (house) Plants, Planting tips, Poinsettia, Poinsettia, Potting Mix, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Wind protection, Winter flowering, Winter Protection Comments Off on Poinsettia CareElephant Ears In Motion
Posted by Hugh on July 21st, 2021
Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) and their aroid cousins have become commonplace in not only hot, humid southern gardens, as well in temperate landscapes. Gardeners grow them in large containers and overwinter them indoors in a non-freezing environ. Also, my neighbors in zone 6 blanket in-ground plantings with several inches of loosely packed leaves overwinter. Colocasia […]
Posted in acidic soil, Alocasia, Attracting birds, Colocasia, Container garden, Disease resistant, Elephant ears (Colocasia), Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Flowering Bulb, Foliage plant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Shade Gardening, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Elephant Ears In Motion
