Evergreen Tropical Looking Plants for Zone 6b

[LouisvillePalmer]

Getting inspiration from this thread.

 

All I know right now would be the following:

Evergreen:

- Needle Palm

- Sabal Minor

- Yucca Rostrata

- Bamboo Leaf Oak Tree

- Magnolia

Non-Evergreen:

- Hardy Banana Tree

- Elephant Ears

 

Anyone have any other ideas?

[Keys6505]

Have you ever checked out Brian's Botanicals?  I believe he's in Louisville as well.  He usually has a lot of different stuff.

[ColdBonsai]

Acuba japonica - Gold Dust is a favorite of mine (hardy in zone 6 or 7 depending on the website you read)

Can't go wrong with evergreen ferns either. Three of my favorites:

Cytomium fortunei - Hardy japanese holly fern

Polysticum munitum - Western Sword Fern

Asplenium scolopendrium - Hart's Tongue Fern

And some kinds of rhodendron have a nice tropical look as well. Gomer Waterer is a favorite for me with big deep green leaves.

Edited November 12, 2020 by ColdBonsai

[newtopalmsMD]

Evergreen: Bright edge yucca, color guard yucca are non-trunking yuccas, with flat long leaves. Texas Red Yucca  (Hesperaloe parviflora) with thin cylindrical "leaves."  I grow these thee in 7a with no winter protection at all.   Agave Harvardiana will withstand zone 5 temperature, but may have trouble in wet winters.  I've heard of these being left in the ground during winter in the east coast with a dome over them to keep them dry.  prefer very sandy or rocky soil. 

Perennials:  Lord Baltimore Hibiscus (red flowers) and Lady Baltimore Hibiscus (pink flowers).  For small filler you might try sedum. 

[LouisvillePalmer]

13 hours ago, Keys6505 said:

Have you ever checked out Brian's Botanicals?  I believe he's in Louisville as well.  He usually has a lot of different stuff.

I actually did briefly meet him a couple weeks ago. His father runs Berl Williams Landscaping which both businesses are on the same property. They had some really neat stuff there and that's where I learned about the trunking Yucca Rostrata, which is truly a beautiful plant when it gets to maturity over 10 feet tall.

 

I didn't get to see everything they have but I plan on going over there mid-January to see what all is alive and what all is dead. They both seemed very involved in tropicals and have been doing it for a long time now so that might be my local go-to source for information.

[donofriojim1]

Agave paaryi "flagstaff form" and agave havardiana "glass mountain form", hardy cacti, Aucuba, hardy camellia, sacred lily "rohdea japonica" , sabal minor "mc curtain". I have all of these in my garden just a hop away from you in Cincinnati.

[Allen]

My backyard is year round tropical in 7A now.  Potted bamboo helps me a lot.  All these bamboo are potted.  Bissetii / Dwarf Bissetii and Spectabilis are the ones I use.  I use garden trickery to hide the planters.  Sabal Minor and Needle should be your go to.  You can also plant Christmas ferns as ground cover.  I would plant some Trachy and cover them in winter too if you have the inclination.

Video below is my winter look in 7A but Trachy and the Mule will get covered if it needs it.  All evergreen in the video except the Jap maple and the planted out Majesty palms in the beginning.

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Allen

[EastCanadaTropicals]

Crape Myrtles with a little help can work

[LouisvillePalmer]

On 12/6/2020 at 7:29 PM, Allen said:

My backyard is year round tropical in 7A now.  Potted bamboo helps me a lot.  All these bamboo are potted.  Bissetii / Dwarf Bissetii and Spectabilis are the ones I use.  I use garden trickery to hide the planters.  Sabal Minor and Needle should be your go to.  You can also plant Christmas ferns as ground cover.  I would plant some Trachy and cover them in winter too if you have the inclination.

Video below is my winter look in 7A but Trachy and the Mule will get covered if it needs it.  All evergreen in the video except the Jap maple and the planted out Majesty palms in the beginning.

 

 

 

That looks incredible. How long have you been growing it all?

[Allen]

47 minutes ago, LouisvillePalmer said:

That looks incredible. How long have you been growing it all?

Mainly since 2017

[Manalto]

Might I suggest Poncirus trifoliata or a cultivar P. trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'? Citrus evokes warmer climes, they have golf-ball-sized orange fruit (good in cocktails) and 'Flying Dragon' is such an oddball.

[Swolte]

I'd also recommend euphorbia. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and some are listed as hardy to your zone. A favorite of mine is Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’. There are quite some nice-looking (and friendly) ligustrum varieties on the market that may also work for you.  

[climate change virginia]

since you are in zone 6b plant a trachycarpus 'bulgaria' strain

[LouisvillePalmer]

On 12/19/2020 at 11:38 AM, climate change virginia said:

since you are in zone 6b plant a trachycarpus 'bulgaria' strain

It's on my list down the road to try out, but I am not a fan of having to protect plants in the winter, other than natural protection like a south facing wall or being close to the house.

 

I think a Trachy Bulgaria needs 7a or 7b to survive. It might be a few degrees too cold here to grow. Do you have proof of it growing in 6b without protection?

[LouisvillePalmer]

On 12/18/2020 at 8:58 PM, Manalto said:

Might I suggest Poncirus trifoliata or a cultivar P. trifoliata 'Flying Dragon'? Citrus evokes warmer climes, they have golf-ball-sized orange fruit (good in cocktails) and 'Flying Dragon' is such an oddball.

I like this idea. Are there other citrus or citrus-like fruits that bloom in winter? I know citrus ichangensis is supposedly hardy to 6b.

Thanks,

[LouisvillePalmer]

I tried to edit my original post to give an update of all the suggestions so far, but I wasn't able to. Below are the suggestions given so far.

·         Agave Paaryi - "flagstaff form”

·         Agave Havardiana - "glass mountain form"

·         Aucuba Japonica - Gold Dust 

·         Bamboo – Bissetii

·         Camellia

·         Cacti

·         Poncirus trifoliata cultivar 'Flying Dragon'

·         Rhodendron - Gomer Waterer

·         Sacred Lily - "Rohdea Japonica"

·         Yucca – Bright Edge

·         Yucca – Color Guard

·         Yucca – Texas Red

Evergreen Ferns:

·         Cytomium fortunei - Hardy Japanese holly fern

·         Polysticum munitum - Western Sword Fern

·         Asplenium scolopendrium - Hart's Tongue Fern

·         Christmas Fern

Protection Needed:

·         Crape Myrtles

·         Trachycarpus 'bulgaria' strain

[Keys6505]

Araucaria araucana aka the "Monkey Puzzle Tree" is another one that should be 6b hardy and will stay evergreen.  

[amh]

I'm a huge fan of Poncirus trifoliata, but the tree will become deciduous at about 20F.

[Manalto]

On 1/12/2021 at 1:09 PM, LouisvillePalmer said:

I like this idea. Are there other citrus or citrus-like fruits that bloom in winter? I know citrus ichangensis is supposedly hardy to 6b.

Thanks,

Oops, sorry. I somehow missed "evergreen" in the title of the thread - see below. Poncirus blooms in the spring.

 

12 hours ago, amh said:

I'm a huge fan of Poncirus trifoliata, but the tree will become deciduous at about 20F.

Yes, and in my experience they shed leaves even sooner. The ones I have in Alabama have only seen 28F and they (all but one, oddly) have dropped their leaves. I don't mind, especially the 'Flying Dragon' since it has an interesting winter silhouette, but it's good to know when you position them in the landscape. 

[amh]

9 minutes ago, Manalto said:

Yes, and in my experience they shed leaves even sooner. The ones I have in Alabama have only seen 28F and they (all but one, oddly) have dropped their leaves. I don't mind, especially the 'Flying Dragon' since it has an interesting winter silhouette, but it's good to know when you position them in the landscape. 

I have the standard type, but I think the cold is only half the reason the leaves fall, some plants do retain their leaves while others turn red before they fall.

The gnarly nature of the flying dragon cultivar ensures a visually fascinating plant throughout the seasons.

[Chester B]

22 hours ago, amh said:

I'm a huge fan of Poncirus trifoliata, but the tree will become deciduous at about 20F.

I don't find this at all.  They drop their leaves the same time as the rest of the deciduous trees do around here which is usually before our first frost.  They stick around for me into mid November and drop regardless of temps.  Mine is the flying dragon and for me the leaves turn yellow and bright orange.

Edited January 14, 2021 by Chester B

[amh]

1 hour ago, Chester B said:

I don't find this at all.  They drop their leaves the same time as the rest of the deciduous trees do around here which is usually before our first frost.  They stick around for me into mid November and drop regardless of temps.  Mine is the flying dragon and for me the leaves turn yellow and bright orange.

Interesting.

My experience might be related to my latitude. Does anyone in Florida or south Texas grow P. trifolia?

[Manalto]

1 hour ago, Chester B said:

I don't find this at all.  They drop their leaves the same time as the rest of the deciduous trees do around here which is usually before our first frost.  They stick around for me into mid November and drop regardless of temps.  Mine is the flying dragon and for me the leaves turn yellow and bright orange.

This is how mine behaved (yellow, not orange) in Connecticut (41.8N) but so far, as I mentioned, they're erratic in Alabama (30.8N), if latitude (daylight length) is a factor. I was scolded by a horticulturist at the Mobile Botanical Garden for growing Poncirus; she claims they are invasive. Michael Dirr ("Manual of Woody Landscape Plants") notes that they have escaped cultivation in Georgia and Texas. Mine are unlikely to do so in my small city plot; they have nowhere to go. I'm in the process of germinating seeds to grow a hedge of 'Flying Dragon'. 

[climate change virginia]

On 1/12/2021 at 12:17 PM, LouisvillePalmer said:

I think a Trachy Bulgaria needs 7a or 7b to survive. It might be a few degrees too cold here to grow. Do you have proof of it growing in 6b without protection?

no but its a thought

[Nj Palms]

 

All Evergreen except Lagerstoemia.

Osmanthus x Fortunei Very fragrant flowers in fall and can be limbed up to be a nice small or medium sized tree

Osmanthus fortunei 'Fruitlandii' Fragrant flowers but hardier than O.heterophyllus.

A few more Osmanthus hybrids.

Acuba Japonica and its hybrids.

Loads of Ilex (Holly) hybrids to choose from.

Quercus myrsinifolia and Quercus virginiana may be worth a try. Both evergreen oaks.

Crape Myrtles have amazing winter (peeling splotchy bark) and summer interest. 

Eucalyptus. Species such as E.neglecta, niphophila, and many more can be die back perennials in 6b.

Fatsia japonica

'Encore' Azaelas bloom all summer and are evergreen here in 7a dont know about 6b.

Pinus tadea and Pinus palustris both should be hardy in 6b.

Camellias 'Winters Joy' 'April Remembered'

Daphniphyllum macropodum similar to rhododendron.

Hardy Gardenias with a heavy pinestraw in winter.

Fatsehedra. Hybrid bewtween English Ivy and Fatsia japonica. Considered to have a "bine" habit.

Many more but heres just a few I have tried.

Edited January 15, 2021 by Nj Palms

[LouisvillePalmer]

On 1/15/2021 at 12:32 PM, Nj Palms said:

 

All Evergreen except Lagerstoemia.

Osmanthus x Fortunei Very fragrant flowers in fall and can be limbed up to be a nice small or medium sized tree

Osmanthus fortunei 'Fruitlandii' Fragrant flowers but hardier than O.heterophyllus.

A few more Osmanthus hybrids.

Acuba Japonica and its hybrids.

Loads of Ilex (Holly) hybrids to choose from.

Quercus myrsinifolia and Quercus virginiana may be worth a try. Both evergreen oaks.

Crape Myrtles have amazing winter (peeling splotchy bark) and summer interest. 

Eucalyptus. Species such as E.neglecta, niphophila, and many more can be die back perennials in 6b.

Fatsia japonica

'Encore' Azaelas bloom all summer and are evergreen here in 7a dont know about 6b.

Pinus tadea and Pinus palustris both should be hardy in 6b.

Camellias 'Winters Joy' 'April Remembered'

Daphniphyllum macropodum similar to rhododendron.

Hardy Gardenias with a heavy pinestraw in winter.

Fatsehedra. Hybrid bewtween English Ivy and Fatsia japonica. Considered to have a "bine" habit.

Many more but heres just a few I have tried.

Great list here, thank you!

 

One thing that struck out is the two pinus species you provided. I have never though of adding a pine tree to my backyard for a more tropical feeling, but come to think of it, there are a ton of pine trees in Florida.

[amh]

Pinus tropicalis comes to mind, but I dont know its cold hardiness.

[Nj Palms]

7 hours ago, LouisvillePalmer said:

Great list here, thank you!

 

One thing that struck out is the two pinus species you provided. I have never though of adding a pine tree to my backyard for a more tropical feeling, but come to think of it, there are a ton of pine trees in Florida.

They make a nice standout tree especially longleafs. 

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, amh said:

Pinus tropicalis comes to mind, but I dont know its cold hardiness.

Cold hardiness on that sp. is 30-40F.. maybe upper 20s when more mature.

[amh]

5 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Cold hardiness on that sp. is 30-40F.. maybe upper 20s when more mature.

I figured it wouldn't be too hardy.

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, amh said:

I figured it wouldn't be too hardy.

Yea.. A lot of people are surprised by how cold sensitive many of the really nice looking Mexican/ Caribbean Pines are.

[EastCanadaTropicals]

On 1/12/2021 at 1:22 PM, LouisvillePalmer said:

I tried to edit my original post to give an update of all the suggestions so far, but I wasn't able to. Below are the suggestions given so far.

·         Agave Paaryi - "flagstaff form”

·         Agave Havardiana - "glass mountain form"

·         Aucuba Japonica - Gold Dust 

·         Bamboo – Bissetii

·         Camellia

·         Cacti

·         Poncirus trifoliata cultivar 'Flying Dragon'

·         Rhodendron - Gomer Waterer

·         Sacred Lily - "Rohdea Japonica"

·         Yucca – Bright Edge

·         Yucca – Color Guard

·         Yucca – Texas Red

Evergreen Ferns:

·         Cytomium fortunei - Hardy Japanese holly fern

·         Polysticum munitum - Western Sword Fern

·         Asplenium scolopendrium - Hart's Tongue Fern

·         Christmas Fern

Protection Needed:

·         Crape Myrtles

·         Trachycarpus 'bulgaria' strain

Wait, the crepe myrtle doesn't actually need protection, I thought they were less hardy back then.

[LouisvillePalmer]

Here is a complied list of the best suggestions I have seen that I think I plan on implementing in my backyard.  Am I missing anything that really gives a nice "umpf" or something super tropical looking? Thanks!

Tropical Evergreen Trees:

·         Magnolia Grandiflora

·         Yucca Rostrata

Broadleaved Evergreen Trees:

·         Quercus Myrsinfolia

·         Quercus Ilex

·         Quercus Virginiana

·         Ilex Nasa

·         Ilex Opaca

Evergreen Bushes:

·         Aucuba Japonica

·         Agave Havardiana & Paaryi

·         Camellia Japonica – Winter’s Joy, Spring’s Promise, April Remembered

·         Daphniphyllum Macropodum

·         Fatsia Japonica

·         Nandina Domestica

·         Osmanthus Fortunei

·         Prunus Caroliniana

·         Rhododendron Maximum

·         Rhapidophyllum Hystrix

·         Sabal Minor

Evergreen Privacy Screens:

·         Clumping Bamboo

·         Emerald Green Arborvitae

Non-Evergreen Tropical Plants:

·         Hardy Banana Tree

·         Elephant Ears

·         Crepe Myrtles

[aabell]

It's deciduous and might be a difficult one to track down, but Magnolia macrophylla would be on my list. Incredibly tropical looking for a tree native to the SE US all the way up to southern Ohio. Magnolia tripetala for a similar but slightly less dramatic effect. 

[LouisvillePalmer]

I found a list of broad-leaf evergreens on another forum, thought I would put it here to give over zone 6 growers more options for broadleaf evergreen trees. These are not all necessarily tropical looking, but they do give a pop in the dreary winter. Also, some of these have already been listed above.

 

USDA Zone 6: Broadleaf Evergreens

Boxwood, common (Buxus sempervirens)
Boxwood, littleleaf (Buxus microphylla)
Broom (Cytisus purgans)
Cherrylaurel, common or English (Prunus laurocerasus)
Cotoneaster, bearberry (Cotoneaster dammeri)
Cotoneaster, willowleaf (Cotoneaster salicifolius)
Daphne, rose, also called garland flower (Daphne cneorum)
Euonymus, spreading (Euonymus kiautschovicus)
Firethorn, scarlet (Pyracantha coccinea)
Grapeholly, Oregon (Mahonia aquifolium)
Heath (Erica)
Holly, American (Ilex opaca)
Holly, blue (Ilex x meserveae) hybrids
Holly, Chinese (Ilex cornuta), protected places
Holly, Japanese (Ilex crenata)
Holly, longstalk (Ilex pedunculosa)
Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
Leucothoe, drooping (Leucothoe fontanesiana)
Magnolia, southern (Magnolia grandiflora)
Mahonia, leatherleaf (Mahonia bealei)
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Pieris, Japanese (Pieris japonica)
Pistache, Texas (Pistacia texana), West coast
Rhododendron (Rhododendron)
Rhododendron, Catawba (Rhododendron catawbiense)
Sarcococca, Oriental (Sarcococca orientalis), only in 6b
Skimmia, Japanese (Skimmia japonica)
Skimmia, Reeves (Skimmia reevesiana)
Yucca (Yucca)

[LouisvillePalmer]

Below is my new and improved favorite species list for an evergreen tropicalish backyard.

 

Big Trees:

·         Southern Magnolia - Magnolia Grandiflora

·         Bamboo Leaf Oak - Quercus Myrsinfolia

Tropical:

·         Yuccas - Rostrata, Faxoniana, Filamentosa, Recurvifolia

·         Needle Palm - Rhapidophyllum Hystrix

·         Dwarf Palmetto - Sabal Minor

·         Clumping Bamboo

·         Agaves - Havardiana & Paaryi

Bushes / Small Trees:

·         Fatsia Japonica

·         Gold Dust Laurel - Aucuba Japonica

·         Skip or Carolina Laurel - Prunus Laurocerasus / Caroliniana)

 

·         Japanese Black Pine - Pinus Thunbergii

·         Sweetbay Magnolia - Magnolia Virginiana

 

·         Taylor Juniper - Juniperus Virgiana 'Taylor"

[Appalachian Palms]

I enjoyed reading the suggestions here.  I would love to share them and perhaps you could too.

Please feel free to visit Hardy Palms in Temperate Zones message board. It highlights Midwest tropical plants and more and highlighting cooler areas in the country and outside the palm belt .

 https://members3.boardhost.com/MIDWESTPALMS/

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Appalachian Palms
spelling

[LouisvillePalmer]

As Spring rolls around I wanted to see if anyone has any new ideas or new BLEs to add to this list?

 

Currently, I am all about Magnolias, Yuccas, and Bamboo. 

[Allen]

On 3/24/2022 at 10:41 AM, LouisvillePalmer said:

As Spring rolls around I wanted to see if anyone has any new ideas or new BLEs to add to this list?

 

Currently, I am all about Magnolias, Yuccas, and Bamboo. 

What clumping bamboo are you looking at?  I've been told by the bamboo experts locally that none will grow here and you are not too far away.  

Edited March 27, 2022 by Allen

[BeyondTheGarden]

Euonymus "emerald and gold" gets nice color.   "Silver king" has rather large, attractive leaves.  

Laurels have nice, big, fat, evergreen leaves.   And you can't go wrong with Rhodo's.  Mahonia aquifolium and nervosa should be hardy for you, maybe baelei depending on your minimum temps.  

Dryopteris sieboldii is a very wild looking fern that looks like it should not be hardy outside of the tropics.  

If you like succulents, there are some very hardy Opuntia, Stonecrop, and there are some very colorful Sempervivum.  

Hedera colchica "dentata variegata" is a variegated vine with large leaves and looks exotic in my opinion.  

I wonder how Nandina's would do in your climate.  I like "firepower", "filamentosa", "Gulf stream", and "Tuscan Flame". 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Jesse PNW