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sojay_gw

tropicals in containers

sojay
17 years ago

Which tropical plants do you prefer to keep in containers year-round and bring inside as houseplants or store in a garage/basement for the winter - both for aesthetical and practical reasons? And do you position the container prominently or doe you let it mingle in beds with other plants? Pics appreciated!

Comments (14)

  • gardenguru1950
    17 years ago

    That's a lot to ask.

    I can offer this much:

    Potted tropical plants that can be moved into a bright window indoors in the winter (definitely NOT for the basement or garage):

    Aucuba japonica JAPANESE AUCUBA
    Aspidistra elatior CAST-IRON PLANT
    Asplenium nitidum BIRDÂS NEST FERN
    Begonia BEGONIA
    Billbergia nutans QUEEN'S TEARS
    Billbergia pyramidalis and var striata PYRAMID
    Chamaedorea elegans PARLOR PALM
    Clivia miniata FLAME LILY
    Clivia nobilis RED LILY
    Cordyline australis HARDY DRACAENA
    Cordyline stricta AUSTRALIAN TI PLANT
    Cycas revoluta CYCAD, SAGO "PALM"
    Cyrtomium falcatum HOLLY FERN
    Ensete ventricosum ÂMaurelii ABYSSINIAN BANANA
    Fatsia japonica JAPANESE ARALIA
    Phlebodium aureum HAREÂS-FOOT FERN
    Pyrrosia lingua JAPANESE FELT FERN
    Rhapis excelsa LADY PALM
    Schefflera puekleri TUPIDANTHUS
    Tradescantia pallida ÂPurpurea PURPLE HEART

    Joe

  • bihai
    17 years ago

    the only things I keep in containers anymore and move in and out are Heliconias and Plumerias.
    The bromeliads all stay out and get covered only if it goes into the 20's, maybe 2-3 times a winter.
    From the list above from Joe, there is obviously a big difference between his climate and mine. We don't consider the following to even BE tropical in our everyday usage of these plants:
    Cast Iron Plant
    Cordyline australis
    Sago Palm
    Holly Fern
    Birdsnest fern
    Ensete species bananas and most other bananas
    Fatsia japonica
    Lady Palm
    Tradescantias
    Ti plants

    Here, Billbergia nutans is pretty much 100% hardy in an "under an overhang situation"

    All the other stuff I grow in a greenhouse--orchids, more rare rainforest palms, non-hardy gingers like Etlingeras and tender costus, hoyas, anthuriums, philodendrons, stuff like that.

  • gardenguru1950
    17 years ago

    bihai is absolutley correct. Many of the plants I listed are not true "tropicals".

    But this forum is "Tropical-esque" and all of the plants I listed are "tropical-esque" (the suffix "-esque" means "having the characteristics or look of"). Better yet, these plants are better indoor plants than typical tropicals (which do better in a greenhouse).

    There is a "Tropical Plants" forum for true tropical plants.

    Also, my climate is not that different from bihai's. All of the above plants are totally hardy here and I leave them outside -- in the ground -- all year.

    Joe

  • jayferg
    17 years ago

    I do alot of gardening in pots due to lack of space and to keep some from rotting during the winter. I have several ornamental banana's and elephant ears in pots. Cannas, vines, globba gingers, gardenia, hibsicus and begonia's. For most of them I move them under my patio table and keep them dry during the winter. My plumerias sit on top of my dryer in the garage. I have some philo's I move into the bedrooms during the winter and one anthurium. Too much work for me otherwise.

    I'll try and get some pictures tonight and post them later.

  • bihai
    17 years ago

    Yes I know its the "tropical-esque" forum. And I am also perfectly aware of what the suffix "-esque" means.
    But in your own message, you typed:
    "POTTED TROPICAL PLANTS etc etc..."
    You did not type "POTTED TROPICALESQUE PLANTS", so you "misspoke", not I.

  • Datdog
    17 years ago

    sojay- I'm a pot head -so to speak- and each year plant up 100's of annuals or what would be a annual in my zone. The only ones I really winter over are the brugmansia's sometimes the albutilons. Here are a few pictures from years gone by. I'll have pictures of this years containers in a couple of weeks.
    grouping of brugs in pots
    {{gwi:474640}}
    pool deck planter late August-starting to look ratty


    deck planter

    back porch area

    another planting for pool deck

    Have you had enough? LOL

  • watergal
    17 years ago

    I have about 15 tropical hibiscus. For the ones that are in one or two gallon pots, I just sink the pot in the ground and hide it with bark mulch. In the fall, I yank out the pot and bring indoors. Best of both worlds, although you have to water a bit more than if they were in the ground. The hibiscus in bigger pots go in ground and I either dig them up and repot in the fall, or I take cuttings and start over (at some point, they are just too darn big to drag in and out).

    Musa basjoo grows in ground. I used to bring a potted pup indoors for winter but they are now established enough that I don't bother.

    Cannas usually get direct planted and I bring in some rhizomes to overwinter dormant. This past year some actually overwintered outdoors for the first time.

    I personally don't care for the look of a pot sitting on top of a garden bed, but I love them around a deck or patio.

    datdog, your planters are glorious!

  • sojay
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks, anyone bringing out crotons and do they do the transition well?

  • flora2
    16 years ago

    Dagdog: Your pictures/plants are beautiful

  • Datdog
    16 years ago

    Thanks guys! I'd forgotten I even posted to this thread and was going to break out some pictures.

    Planting in the pots is the highlight of my spring! I just spend the last couple of weeks planning and ordering exotics for my pots this summer. I can hardly wait!

  • sprout_wi
    15 years ago

    Gorgeous photos and great informational posts. I hope to see more !!
    Thanks,
    -Sprout

  • User
    15 years ago

    Datdog, I think I saw some ajuga "Mahaogany" in one of your containers. I love the plant, which is quite hardy even up in Massachusetts z5b. The ones planted in the yard up here survived the winter ice and snow. It spreads like crazy if someone needs it to do so, and it takes both sun and shade. The flower spikes are bright blue and stand up to 6 or 8 inches high. They spread into the vinca minor and poke their blue spikes up out of that mass of ground cover.

    Your grasses look fantastic also.
    Do you use any hydrangeas, like the climbing petiolaris?

    And most of the plants listed are hardy in z8B in Alabama, although I cover them with blankets for our hard freeze nights. My monstera deliciosa plants stay in huge tubs all year round. I'm waiting for them to begin climbing the hedges which were trimmed high like umbrellas.

    This forum suits my style just fine. You all talk my language! :)

  • User
    15 years ago

    Here is the photo of my monsteras in the New Orleans style courtyard garden in south Alabama:
    {{gwi:1302553}}

    They spent the last two winters outdoors sometimes covered with blankets. They are still in big tubs, but may soon be planted. Everything in this corner is newly planted as of April 2008, and the old sand-laid bricks came from our old house which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

  • drich30099
    15 years ago

    I have bought a "tropical", I believe, from a local home improvement store intending on bring it indoors this winter. I can't seem to find any info. on it, it's called Cancion, i think but it says "Star of India." Very popular in Florida, i saw tons of it there. It's doing well in dappled shade on my deck and moderate water but I'd like to repot if I COULD before I bring it in. But, so many palms etc. don't like that.
    Thank you!! LOVE THOSE CONTAINER PICS!!!

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