A guy I know near Sterling, VA, planted some nice salmon-colored impatients around his tropical bed. Looked great to me! Check out the Spanish moss for that true Southern effect!

That's gorgeous, but impatiens are so overused here, especially in all the shady older subdivisions, that they still make me think of Maryland. I need something exotic looking.

The Spanish moss is pretty cool. Where does one find that? I bet the birds would steal it for nesting in no time, though - the finches rip apart coir hanging basket liners, I can't even use them here!

how about coleus? i lived in your neck of the woods once upon a time and i know that coleus, like impatiens is often used in shady areas. but it comes in so many colors! maybe you could find something.

i do like the above effect with the spanish moss. wonder if its alive or from a package of dried stuff like you can find at hobby stores.

Coleus is a good idea, thanks!

We use Spanish moss as a topdressing for tropical foliage plants that we install indoors for corporate clients. It comes in big boxes that say "Do not shrink wrap - moss must breathe". So I guess it's at least sort of alive, not that I've ever seen it grow or anything. Of course, keeping the boxes in my car in the winter likely kills it off anyways.

Some of the sun-loving coleus are really nice but not all coleus will take full sun (although wet soil will definitely help). The dark-colored ones can usually take more sun. 'Sedona' has a nice vivid orange color that's quite unusual for a coleus, but I'm not sure how much sun it can take.

You cannot beat lantana for brilliant color all summer.

If the soil isn't too wet try Asclepias curassavica, a tropical milkweed that will be an annual but loves sun, heat & humidity and is easy to grow from seed. Comes in shades of orange & yellow and best grown in masses for "oomph". As a perennial alternative, the native A. tuberosa provides a brilliant orange. Your soil might be too wet for both of these; if so, try Lobelia cardinalis--yes it's a native but does provide nice bright color and will take full sun if it's in wet soil. Likewise Spigelia marilandica, another native perennial which is underused enough to seem exotic.

Not sure just how short you're looking for, but you could try some of the smaller crocosmias--they have very brightly colored flowers and are quite exotic-looking. Last year I picked up 'Walbreyes' at Plant Delights--it's fairly short (for a crocosmia), and the flowers are a brilliant orange that their catalog photo just doesn't represent well.

Some of the dwarf kniphofias will provide a good orange to red color. And don't rule out daylilies; some of the spider-flowered ones are quite exotic looking and there are few hardy perennials that can provide such brilliant reds and oranges. Finally, tithonias usually grow quite tall but some of the more compact selections might do the trick; they grow fast, the flowers are a brilliant orange and they are fun to grow (and butterflies and hummingbirds love them!).

Also don't rule out salvias--there are many species and cultivars other than the horrendously overbred and overused S. splendens, and some of them are quite nice.

johnnieb,

Thanks! Exactly the kind of ideas I needed! I appreciate your help.

What about calla lilies? There are a number of hot colors available. I also have been using cigar plant cuphea ignea.
Steve