The Greyia does quite well here at Strybing(now San Francisco) Botanic Garden with typical cool foggy summer conditions and relatively dry habitat. It blooms more prolifically and longer at the UC Berkeley Botanic Garden with the hotter summers and less fog. I have only seen the Stropthanthus in more tropical climates, where it grows luxuriously in the hot humid tropical climate of Malaysia and Bali. I don't know how much tolerance it actually has for coastal southern California winters, I am sure that extra heat and protection from cold and wet winter rains would help, and rich soils, regular irrigation and feeding would also keep it happier. I don't think you should treat it as a drought tolerant plant.

Thanks for the information David. Since I posted this, I've also got a small Strophanthus pearsonii and an African Lonchocarpus.

The Greyia has done really well. It's about three feet tall now. The San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park both have Greyia sutherlandii. At some point in time, I might try that as well.

A lot of these more exotic plants are a gamble I know. I'm fortunate in living in a fairly moderated climate, so I attempt a lot of things.

-Ron-