Tropical Plants

The real surprise is how much this perennial blooms! Spikes of lavender and pink salvia like blooms are born from spring to frost. Fragrant mint-like foliage covers this mounding shrub-like tropical perennial. Item # 1222.

Clusters of fragrant, mauve pink flowers from spring through fall are your reward for growing this easy vine. It is a rampant grower in the ground in warmer areas, but is also easy to grow in a large container. It responds well to pruning, which also improves flowering, and can even be kept to a shrub-like form. Evergreen in mild winter climates. Item# 10110.

Pink Wood Sorrel is a beautiful and easy heirloom perennial that produces a mound of dark green, medium-sized shamrock-like leaves that are topped by loads of 1/2" wide, purplish-pink flowers over a long period beginning in early spring, and sometimes lasting throughout summer and into fall under good conditions. Pink Wood Sorrel seems to be good about staying where you put it but is quite durable once established. Makes a beautiful accent in the garden, as a border and along paths, in mass, or as a container plant. Item# 10243.

This lovely, large cryptanthus is rare and very unique. It’s 7” long leaves have bright, ½” crimson-pink edges with a zebra-like band down the center of coppery green, which are cross-banded with uneven strips of white, making a beautiful, large rosette. Item # 563.

This a very easy and strong-growing, perennial vine with beautiful glossy leaves, exotic white and purple flowers, which are followed by large purple, rounded fruit, about the size of tangerines, with a nice flavor. Possum Purple is considered to be a self pollinating Passionfruit but having another cultivar for cross pollination may be beneficial as well. Item# 1191

2-3" long, medium pink, slightly flaring tubular flowers are produced in large hanging clusters designed for hummingbird pollination. An unusual color in Iochromas, Pretty in Pink is a prolific flowering selection on a vigorous growing upright to spreading, naturally evergreen tropical shrub. This miniature cousin of the Angel's Trumpet is easily enjoyed as a container plant where not hardy. Provide good drainage and fertile, average moist soil in partial to filtered sun for the best results. Iochroma, Tubeflower, or Mini Angel's Trumpets flower on new growth so keep them growing and healthy for and endless display. Item# 11064

 8-14" high pyramidal clusters of up to 40 pinkish-red ball-like buds open to yellow butterfly-like blooms, then fade to a deep orange and gold, and finally turning to a deep reddish-orange to red. The Pride of Barbados, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, is a large growing tropical to subtropical shrub to tender shrub-like perennial that makes a fantastic show throughout summer. Give it plenty of room and a well-drained, moderately fertile soil, preferably in full to mostly sunny site. Plant with caution as butterflies and hummingbirds will repeatedly attack the flowers. Sometimes they drop all leaves during shipping, but will grow more with good sun.  Item# 571

Fully double, bright raspberry pink, 3-4" flowers are borne atop the dark green foliage. A vigorous, free-flowering, and upright growing Hibiscus, Pride of Hankins lends itself to pruning and shaping. Often used as a grafting rootstock but is free flowering, beautiful, and vigorous enough to have a place in the tropical garden in its own right. Item# 875.

Widely flaring 2" long light plum colored nectar rich tubular flowers that darken as they age are produced in large clusters from spring to frost or year-round under warm tropical conditions. The Princess Iochroma develops into an upright to spreading exceptionally free-flowering naturally multi-stemmed tropical shrub that is easy to maintain in medium-sized containers or in the garden and landscape where winters are mild. Iochromas are close cousins of the Angel's Trumpets or Brugmansias and the flowers of this hybrid very much resemble their shape only on a much smaller scale. Provide good to average drainage in a fertile soil in a full sun to partly sunny position for optimum health and flowering. Item# 11697

6-8" wide, soft to deep orange, spidery, star-like flowers can remain open for 2-3 days. An easily grown cactus-like plant with 1.5-3" wide, flat, scalloped branches to 8'. Great in hanging baskets. Item# 10314.

6-8" wide, soft to deep orange, spidery, star-like flowers can remain open for 2-3 days. An easily grown cactus-like plant with 1.5-3" wide, flat, scalloped branches to 8'. Great in hanging baskets. Item# 11581

Spikes of soft golden-orange upward facing funnel-shaped flowers are produced non-stop from mid to late spring to fall atop the medium green foliage attracting hummingbirds, occasional butterflies, and long-tongued bees. Pumpkin Pie Hummingbird Bush, a selection of Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii and potentially the same as the cultivar 'Bennie's Gold', is a small decidous native shrub from South Texas with excellent flower power. This easy and reliable heirloom has an upright to spreading busny habit rarely exceeding 3-4' in height (3'x3' is fairly typical in our zone 8B gardens) and it revels in the heat and sun of summer and is undaunted by the high humidity and high rainfall of the southeastern US. In the northernmost portion of its hardiness range, zones 7A-8A, the Hummingbird Bush may freeze back to near groundlevel in the hardest winters but readily returns to flowering by mid to late spring. Provide a full sun to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, fertile, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Small enough for containers but makes a no-maintenance addition the garden and landscape. Item# 9671

3-5" wide exotic looking flowers with dark purplish-red petals and sepals are topped by a corona of contrasting indigo, purple, and white filaments that are produced throughout the warmer months or nearly year round under warm frost free conditions. Pura Vida Passionflower is a vigorous growing and exceptionally free flowering tropical vine that may reach 30'H if given support but can be easily maintained on a 3-6'H trellis. The nectar rich flowers are adored by larger bees and the foliage is a host to a variety of butterflies like the Gulf Fritillary and Zebra Longwing. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a moderately fertile, average moist, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering although it seems to flower nearly as vigorously in bright shade to part sun conditions. Click on "More Details and Growing Info" or the image to learn more about growing Passionvines as perennials in containers or in the garden and landscape. Item# 11241

Large, 3" wide deep purplish red trumpet shaped flowers are produced throughout the warmer months of the year to potentially year-round under warm tropical conditions. The Purple Allamanda, we originally thought that this was the dwarf form, is a vigorous growing and very free flowering, naturally evergreen, scandent (or vine-like shrub, rambler, etc.) and can be trained to espelier, trellis, or arbor or periodic pruning will help to keep it semi-shrub-like. Rich green smooth foliage adorns the upright to arching stems on a plant that grows to about 8-12'H and may get larger with age under good conditions. Provide the Purple Alllamanda with a full to partly sunny site in an average moist but never soggy wet, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Where not hardy it can be easily overwintered in a warm sunny window as a container plant. It should make an excellent container specimen that is sure to add a little tropical flair to any sunny setting. Item# 12976

A purple form of the Blue Butterfly Bush, producing large clusters of violet and purple butterfly-shaped flowers beginning in spring and early summer and continuing into fall under good conditions. For years the only cultivar of Blue Butterfly Bush available was 'Ugandense' the common Blue Butterfly Bush, Rotheca myricoides (syn. Clerodendrum myricoides 'Ugandense'), a.k.a. Oxford Blue and Cambridge Blue, this darker purple to violet flowered cultivar was shared with us by plantsman Heidi Sheesley of Treesearch Farms, Inc., Houston, Texas. The specialized butterfly-shaped flowers are pollinated by Bumblebees and Carpenter Bees. The Purple Butterfly Bush can be enjoyed as a colorful container plant or in the garden and landscape where hardy. Item# 11765

Deep blue to purple tubular, 1" long flowers emerge from the center of the purple, rounded, chinese hat-shaped calyces typically throughout summer and in to fall. The Purple Chinese Hat has a naturally upright to vase shaped habit. We have seen it return from the roots after experiencing 24F if the base of the plant is mulched with a breathable but insulative organic mulch. Easily grown as a medium sized container plant where not hardy. Item #574

Deep velvety purple blooms are produced continuously from spring to fall on this upright to spreading perennial. The Purple Porterweed is a medium sized variety becoming fairly dense as it matures. Porterweeds are excellent nectar producers outperforming all other butterfly plants in the garden. Item# 578.

Huge drooping panicles of long lasting, lavender, star-shaped calyxes that are centered by royal purple 1/2'' rounded verbena-like flowers that may be produced anytime between January and August. The medium-green leaves are textured like sandpaper. A vigorous, naturally evergreen tropical twining vine that lends itself to use on arbors, large trellises, fences, or on nearly any sturdy structure. Queen's Wreath can also be trained into a tree form if given a supporting post. The flowers of Queen's Wreath attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Item# 12153

These beauties are about 18 inches tall above the pot, and healthy.  As of 4-17-2022

Exceptionally dense spikes of 1-1/2" long purple tubular flowers are produced from late summer, throughout winter, and into spring under frost free conditions on this vigorous and unusually shade tolerant Salvia. Purple Sage, or Autumn Purple Sage is a vigorous easy to grow species from south of the border with a mounding to upright habit. Attracts hummingbirds as well as larger butterflies. Item# 11173

Extra large dense spikes of warm red tubular buds change to creamy peachy yellow at maturity creating a stark contrast with the flowering season beginning in late spring and continue through much of summer. PYROMANIA® Rocket's Red Glare Kniphofia was selected as much for its exceptional flower power as for its color combinations and vigor. The Red Hot Pokers, Tritoma, or Kniphofias are clump forming, naturally evergreen, heat and sun loving perennials that are drought, deer, and rabbit resistant.  Enjoy them as part of the border, as part of a low maintenance garden and landscape, as well as container specimens. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Walter's Garden, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13099

An exceptionally cold hardy and easy to grow bromeliad! The Queen's Tears Bromeliad produces large arching stems covered in big showy pink bracts the last bracts on the stems open to reveal hanging clusters of green flowers with delicately recurving petals edged in deep bluish purple, contrasting bright yellow stamens along with matching pink calyxes. The tropical, nectar rich flowers are produced in mid winter. The blue gray rosettes of foliage provide excellent contrast for the brightly colored flower spikes. Queen's Tears readily multiplies by rhizomes creating a dense mass of foliage and can be grown in a well draining soil or as a semi-epiphyte on a board. Item# 11117