Cold Zone 9a Tropical Garden

[Teegurr]

This is the result of planting approximately 20 species of plants since March. 

Sorry about the weeds.

1. Bismarckia nobilis: I'm really hoping this does well, because it's my personal favorite palm, but marginal in my zone and will require protection in some winters.

2. Unknown banana variety (possibly Namwah). I love bananas; they're so fast, vigorous and tropical (+ edible if you can get them to fruit!). Damage is from a strong storm we had a few weeks ago. This banana is putting out leaves every 5 days now, so fun to watch it grow.

3. Clockwise: Ti Plant, 'Little John' Dwarf Bottlebrush, 'Redhead' Coleus, Purple Heart, Giant Calla Lily. I absolutely adore the Ti Plant. It cheers me up every time I see it in the garden. It will almost certainly die to the roots in the winter, but might come back. The bottlebrush I haven't seen flower yet, so waiting out on that one. The coleus is growing very vigorously, and I'm all for it. The purple heart is growing even more vigorously (I've heard the plant is a little invasive, sort of anxious about that, but should be easy enough to control). The giant calla has such a nice flower, and it lasts a good week or so. Not sure when it will flower again.

4. Blue iris (maybe blue flag). This is a perennial and has been coming back every year with the exception of last year (flowers, that is) for the past 8 years or so. Probably my favorite plant in the garden.

5. Unknown Canna. I'm looking forward to the full bloom. Cannas are awesome.

6. Morelo Blood Orange. No fruits on it this year. 

7. Washingtonia robusta or more likely, filibusta. I love these, they are under appreciated and are not ugly; they are just the most common palm here by far. Unfortunately, I planted it below a bit of canopy, so hopefully it will break that and not be in part shade forever.

8. Mule Palm: it's a little tragic this is in so much shade, although it looks great as a jungle centerpiece: sooo tropical looking.

9. Variegated Fatsia Japonica. Woooow, such a beauty. I've heard these plants are vigorous growers. I love their elegant leaves. They are jewels in this jungle.

10. 'Black Magic' Alocasia. Quite a vigorous grower so far, it loves the shade.

11. 'Regal Shields' Alocasia. The lime green juxtaposed with the nearly black green and brown undersides are ravishing.

12. Queen Palm - the wild card

13. Bluecrown passionflower - very vigorous vine, has had 5 blooms so far. 

14. 'Paige' Mandarin. There's only one little green sphere on it that might be a future ripe orange. Hopefully next year it will flower more profusely.

15. Clockwise: Alocasia 'Yucatan Princess', Easter Lily, Begonia, Liriope 'Super Blue', Calla 'Cherry Kiss'

Garden front view:

Garden back view:

 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Teegurr

[KDubU]

A good start! Remember bananas like friends so planting a few together is a good idea.

[JLM]

Looks great already! One way to make it real nice and tropical is bananas and elephant ears. Im looking into the "Truly Tiny" banana variety, might not plant in ground but they are supposed to produce edible fruit. You should invest in Musa basjoo, it doesnt produce edible fruit but if it dies back during winter it will grow back from the roots in Spring and you will have those monster bananas again in your backyard by mid summer. Wishing you the best of luck, cant wait for everything to grow in!

[Teegurr]

  On 5/3/2021 at 1:41 PM, JLM said:

Looks great already! One way to make it real nice and tropical is bananas and elephant ears. Im looking into the "Truly Tiny" banana variety, might not plant in ground but they are supposed to produce edible fruit. You should invest in Musa basjoo, it doesnt produce edible fruit but if it dies back during winter it will grow back from the roots in Spring and you will have those monster bananas again in your backyard by mid summer. Wishing you the best of luck, cant wait for everything to grow in!

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Thanks for the advice! I really like both Alocasias and bananas, so probably gonna see more of those in the garden. Musa Basjoo is a good idea.

I think this banana I have might sucker later in the season, but will probably die (even forever) if not protected.

[JLM]

  On 5/3/2021 at 5:30 PM, Teegurr said:

Thanks for the advice! I really like both Alocasias and bananas, so probably gonna see more of those in the garden. Musa Basjoo is a good idea.

I think this banana I have might sucker later in the season, but will probably die (even forever) if not protected.

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Multiple suckers should pop up, let some continue to grow, dig one or two up later in the season if they are small and pot them up, save them for next Spring.

[Paradise Found]

You have a great start to your subtropical garden, keep adding and you'll have a jungle in no time.  Can you grow any Schefflera they love cooler climates.  Fatsia are the backbone of my garden love them so easy to grow and they are pretty fast growing. Look for spiderweb, camouflage fatsia too they are very exotic looking.  Look forward to seeing your garden grow and develop.

[Teegurr]

  On 5/3/2021 at 6:19 PM, Paradise Found said:

You have a great start to your subtropical garden, keep adding and you'll have a jungle in no time.  Can you grow any Schefflera they love cooler climates.  Fatsia are the backbone of my garden love them so easy to grow and they are pretty fast growing. Look for spiderweb, camouflage fatsia too they are very exotic looking.  Look forward to seeing your garden grow and develop.

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Thank you! Sorry if I wasn't clear, what I meant by cold zone 9a was a weak 9a. We are subtropical in temperatures, with 95/75 being the average highs and lows for the summer and 61/41 for the winter, as we are in Texas. So, unfortunately, I'm not sure schefflera can grow here, although I have seen Schefflera arboricola at a local garden/farmer's market and I must say it is very beautiful. I doubt it would do well here, I think it needs higher winter minimums. Thanks for the tips! (Fatsias are awesome, hope to come across more).

[Reyes Vargas]

  On 5/3/2021 at 4:29 AM, Teegurr said:

 

2. Unknown banana variety (possibly Namwah). I love bananas;

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I'm with you.  I love bananas as well.  I bought this small dwarf Cavendish a few weeks ago. 

Your yard is going to look nice once it fills in.

[Xenon]

Nice! Most all common banana varieties will come back from the ground in 8b/9a. There's no need to mess with Musa basjoo. 

[amh]

  On 5/3/2021 at 9:01 PM, Xenon said:

Nice! Most all common banana varieties will come back from the ground in 8b/9a. There's no need to mess with Musa basjoo. 

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Neighbors blue java came back after -F and one of my unknowns has returned as well.

[PricklyPearSATC]

  On 5/3/2021 at 6:24 PM, Teegurr said:

Thank you! Sorry if I wasn't clear, what I meant by cold zone 9a was a weak 9a. We are subtropical in temperatures, with 95/75 being the average highs and lows for the summer and 61/41 for the winter, as we are in Texas. So, unfortunately, I'm not sure schefflera can grow here, although I have seen Schefflera arboricola at a local garden/farmer's market and I must say it is very beautiful. I doubt it would do well here, I think it needs higher winter minimums. Thanks for the tips! (Fatsias are awesome, hope to come across more).

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LOL My neighbor used to grow schefflera outside.  She would cover it up in the winter.  Maybe she bought them because they are plain old cheap. 

[Swolte]

Risqué selection for zone 8b (or should we downgrade to 7b now... ). I see you like to live dangerous! 

I am jealous of that passionflower. Where did you find it?

[Teegurr]

  On 5/4/2021 at 2:02 AM, Swolte said:

Risqué selection for zone 8b (or should we downgrade to 7b now... ). I see you like to live dangerous! 

I am jealous of that passionflower. Where did you find it?

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Hey, hey. We are at least an 8b. Have some confidence! Yes, I know I sound like an idiot after that 3-5 degrees last February, but that is a very. very rare event. 

The passionflower is from Farm Patch in Bryan. Unfortunately, they don't have any more as far as I know, but they have so many other cool things; many of these plants come from them including the banana, the fatsia, the oranges, and all the alocasias. Please check them out if you haven't already. They are amazing, and have so many interesting foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, ethnic foods) as well as all sorts of gardening needs from mulch, soil, seeds, fruit and vegetables, houseplants and hardy tropicals, and occasionally palms. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Teegurr

[Swolte]

Ah I do frequent that place! They do have some nice gems from time to time (looks like you snagged quite a few there!). Good luck with the garden. I will look forward to future updates of this daring adventure! 

[Collectorpalms]

I will be eager to see how things fair for you in your soil with our city water. I killed a few of those plants From our water, but we have completely different soil.

[Swolte]

Ok not jealous anymore. That passionflower I bought a while ago at the Farm patch that was labeled "Passiflora incarnata" turned out to be a "Passiflora caerulea"! Great minds...

Its double the joy for me as I wasn't too happy with its spot being close to a very purple flowering Buddleia lindleyana (that is waaaay too happy in our soil...) and now there a bit more contrast. 

[Teegurr]

New plantings

1. Caesalpinia pulcherrima

2. Schefflera arboricola

3. Alpinia zerumbet

4. Chamaerops humilis

5. Hesperaloe parviflora

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by Teegurr

[Swolte]

Nice selections! No 2 may be hard to keep alive in the long run but I'd love to see you try!
 

[Teegurr]

  On 5/17/2021 at 1:48 AM, Swolte said:

Nice selections! No 2 may be hard to keep alive in the long run but I'd love to see you try!
 

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Thank you, I really like the Caesalpinia. It will go with a mimosa tree near it, along with the C. humilis, Washy, and Hesperaloe - that's sort of the "Mediterranean/desert" area. Yeah, I'm not convinced the Schefflera will make it for very long, but I know it can take 18f with minor branch dieback. Of course protection is recommended.

[Xenon]

  On 5/17/2021 at 1:27 PM, Teegurr said:

 the Schefflera will make it for very long, but I know it can take 18f with minor branch dieback. 

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At 18F it will be dead as doornail but might come back from the ground. Major damage starts in the mid 20s 

[Teegurr]

  On 5/17/2021 at 2:39 PM, Xenon said:

At 18F it will be dead as doornail but might come back from the ground. Major damage starts in the mid 20s 

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I guess the guy in Manchester who had 18 and got only minor branch dieback protected it.