Too many favorites to pick from, but love my Plumeria, Banana trees, African Fern Tree, Gingers of many types, Always favor whatever is in bloom at the moment.

jt

Jonnie, African fern tree? Would it also be called
"Brazilian fern tree?" And would it be Schizolobium,
and, if so, did you buy it locally?

I purchased some seeds for a wood rose vine (the dried seed pods are used for flower arrangements) they germinated easily and the vine grows like a weed. I have to check it almost every day to make sure that it has not climbed up my dracinia again. Another favorite is my tropical caladium. I got 2 slices (in a trade) from a stem, each was about 2" in diameter and about 1" thick. I planted the slices in moist soil and waited. One slice produced 2 plants, now over 3 feet tall and the other only one plant. I keep them in North windows with the soil moist.

Like Jonnie, I have too many to name all of them, but for starters, Bananas, Gingers, Colocasias,
Alocasias, Heliconias, Bamboos, Castor Bean, Cannas, and on and on...Deb

Frangapani! I have moved to the Blue Mountains which is an hour and a half west of Sydney and it's too cold to grow them but I miss them so much! One of the great pleasures of living in Sydney in summer was the fragrance of frangapani and honeysuckle on the night air.
Deb

Passion Flower!!

My favorite is plumeria because of its size and variety of flowers.

Just got back from vacationing in Los Angeles- the Jacaranda were in full bloom, and also the silk floss tree-chorisia- a native of Brazil. There are many many lovely plants here in the midwest but I was so envious of these beautiful exotics....

Brugmansias!

I love my little banana, although it is hard to keep up with its repotting needs- It grows so fast! Super-love this enormous 'inky fingers' coleus I have. My mother came over and said, "What's that furry thing taking over the living room?". It's my Gynura. I love the fuzzy devil. Adore my Norfolk Island pine. It's like a friend. My fittonia, which everyone one said would hate houseplant life, has completely taken over this huge wooden bowl I potted it in. I love that one. Oh, and my Hoyas. They smell so incredible. Chocolate-vanilla-rose-cake smell. I'm constantly artfully arranging their wild, all-over-the-place tendrils. Plus, all scented geraniums for obvious reasons. I have all of these nostalgic plant memories of growing up in California, but I won't get into it. You are probably falling asleep already!

I am in my first year with Amorphophallus, both A. konjac
A. bulbifer, but what unusual plants! They produce very
smelly flowers(A. konjac can be over 5') with a strange shape. The leaves are very nice with their mottled colors.
The leaf A. bulbifer produced was really beautiful. The combination of light green and pink on the petiole was eye
catching. Even the leaf had pink on its margin. If one wants something truly unusual look at Amorphophallus.

Hi,

So far the Clerodendrum ugandense, blue butterfly flower. The flowers look just like blue butterflies and are intense sky blue with white stamens. The flowers are about 1" across and incredible . They bloom all season for me- soooo easy!
I have some jpgs if anyone wants to see!

Boca Joe

caesalpinia pulcherrinia

grows in the deserts of arizona
orchid like flowers, mimosa type foliage

I agree with you, June T, about caesalpinia pulcherrima (The
Pride of Barbados, also called Mexican Bird of Paradise)...
mine are in bloom now...started them from seeds I gathered
in Palm Springs, CA...and the blooms are just electric in
the afternoon sun. But, my most favorite of all are my
collections of bougainvilleas...I have 48 right now...most in bloom presently and just dazzling. My brugmansias are
also in bloom now and the fragrance of those huge trumpet
flowers just blows me away...

Ludisia discolor - an orchid grown for its leaves, which are velvety black with with a few iridescent red stripes running lengthwise down the leaves. Plant form is somewhat like a wandering jew - only stems are succulent and a dusky red about the size of someone's fingers. Takes the same culture as an african violet - with somewhat less light. Dozens of small white 1/2" flowers grow up on a spikes 6 to 10 inches long. But, what everyone notices are the black velvet leaves with the irridescent red stripes.

Bamboo, Banana, Bird of Paradise, African Fern Tree.. All the big leafed rubber plants too.

HEY.... Is anyone open to start an exchange group of cuttings? Or mini seedlings? Naturally we can't send out of the country, but within the States we could if we find a smart way of keep them alive under postage transportation.
Let's expand our Tropical plant haven!
Karen

Plumerias, Adenium, and my tapioca plant (manihot esculanz)
The tapioca plant has beautiful yellow and green leaves with red stems joining the trunk. It is bare just now and I have pruned it and planted the cuttings - hope I haven't seen the last of it.

My favorites are: Euphorbias, Adenias, Sedums, and this strange but endearing Senecio Pendulus. Also I'd love to get my new baby Umbrella Tree(papyrus) going strong. It's great that I can now over water a plant and it does good :o)

My favorite ones are all fragrant (they bring childhood memories): Hedychium coronarium, Cananga odorata(Ylang-Ylang), Kaempheria rotunda, Ixora alba, clerodendrum fragrans....and on, and on....

My favorites are feijoa selloiana called pineapple guava and grows in zone 7 no problem. Also I grow both the Oriental persimmon plus the seedless American persimmon. I am fortunate to have pink ladyslippers growing on my suburban lot.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bittersweet Gardens

My fave is Matilija Poppy. The flowers are so huge that my friends thought it was a tropical plant.

Another is Island Bush Poppy. The yellow flowers smell like a combo of watermelon and peaches!

Hate to see this drop off. There are so many great tropicals in my garden that whatever is blooming now is my current favorite. What's blooming now are Thunbergia grandiflora and Clerodendrum ugandense. I also love begonias, all kinds of rhizomatous and cane begonias, and ludisia discolor. Of course, ask next week and it'll be something else.

Ludisia Discolor. For its beutiful loliage and off white flowers. I have one my self but i'm not sure how its going to do.

Amorphophallus-Anything! Arum

bulbs, bulbs, bulbs! Arum

OK this has got to stop! Just when I think I have everything I need some one talks about a plant they have that is beautiful, has a wonderful fragrance, etc and I must search for it and plan a place in the garden. Will it ever stop.....I hope not. I can not pick a favorite, it changes every 30 seconds or so.

OK where do I find these caesalpinia pulcherrima and clerodendrum ugandense?

Brassavola nodosa
Jasminum sambac 'Maid of Orleans'
Hedychium coronarium

Ficus are a long-time favorite of mine. I have successfully germinated nine Ficus religiosa seeds and am loving watching them grow!! A stunning plant with an amazing history. I also enjoy the many, many cultivars of Ficus benjamina.

Philodendrons are also a favorite (hence my user name). None specific, I love all of them - vining, self-heading. Still have lots on my wanted list, but I need a bigger house first!!

For the great outdoors here in Missouri, coleus are amazing. So many colors and patterns. Can anyone not love them?

This year Amorphophallus Konjac, or something.

I love my plumbago - it grows like crazy, blooms constantly, it can mound like a shrub or be taught to climb up a wall. The pastel blue-purple flower clusters were even blooming in our chilly January...

This is hardly a tropical, but as I posted here already, my favorite unusual plant is the Himalayan Blue Poppy, Meconopsis.

Many tropicals grow here even in Northern CA, but the following are lovely plants that are very rare to grow outdoors here:

Bauhinia, or Orchid Tree. Stunning flowers!
Angel wing begonias. Love those stunning leaves.

PANDORA VINE

Oh My! I live in the tropics and it would be impossible to choose. I want one of everything in my yard. I also love my dwarf ponciana (pride of barbados), and my jatrophas. Red flowers all year round and really no care needed. But then there's the cassia bicapsularis. Only blooms once a year, but my what a show of yellow flowers! Or brugs, or orchids, or...you get the point.

I could never pick just one.

My favourite these days is thunbergia erecta for it color. I also love Allamanda cathartica, passionflowers, and my tiny buddeja davidii which has a spicy (I call it vanilla) smell.

Here is a link that might be useful: thunbergia erecta

It's not a tropical, I don't think but it's called the False Aralia. I love it. I bought one, and it sprouted two sprouts, now I have three! They are apparently hard to grow and culture, but I've had no problem. I prune mine to look more like a bonsai, and had some leaf drop so it's not as full but I love them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant picture page of False Aralia

Ok, so they aren't tropical, or even all that unusual, but I have to say peonies! I have hot pink doubles in my garden, for the second year, growing like mad, and I love them! In the spring I check the buds almost dayly to see if they are opening yet! I watch the little ants munch away, and encourage the little forragers to work, work, work! Get those buds open! btw, they are the ONLY pink flower allowed in my garden =)