Tropical Plants

Grown mainly for its neat form and large leathery deep green foliage, the new growth of the Japanese Blueberry Tree emerges in bronze and reddish tones, ultimately maturing to deep dark green, and as the older foliage prepares to drop it takes on deep bright red tones. In late spring to early summer, large racemes of white to light pink, fragrant, frilly flowers that are commonly hidden among the foliage attract bees and butterflies. The flowers are followed by olive like fruits that ripen to deep blue, purple, or black and give the plant its common name. The Japanese Blueberry Tree, Elaeocarpus decipiens, is a naturally evergreen small to medium-sized tree with a slow to moderate rate of growth and can be used as a screen, hedge, or specimen providing a holly or Magnolia look in areas with mild winters. These can be shaped into very nice specimens if desired and are typically maintained with the foliage going all the way to the ground. Provide a full to mostly sunny site, in a neutral to mildly acidic, fertile, quality soil with average moisture and good drainage. Item# 13419

The fringed recurving coral-red petals are unique to this Hibiscus species. The bright tropical flowers hang like Japanese lanterns from the vigorous branches throughout much of the year. An easily grown, free-flowering tropical, and a definite conversation piece. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.Still one of our favorites! Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item # 9246.

Pink, rose, and burgundy new growth is randomly splashed with white and has the most intense coloration in full to mostly sunny conditions and tends to be in the pink, white, and green tones in shade. The Japanese Snowbush, Breynia disticha 'Roseopicta', is an easy to grow, well-branched, shrubby, tropical with naturally evergreen pinnately compound foliage but it may shed foliage at temperatures below about 50^oF. Adaptable to growing conditions provided it has average or better drainage and a moderately fertile, average moist soil. This is a significantly larger and and darker foliaged version of the Hawaiian Snowbush but both plants are amenable to pruning. Item# 472

A loosely double Tropical Hibiscus with large pumpkin orange flowers that are borne in abundance throughout much of the where kept warm and provided with ample sunlight. Joanne Tropical Hibiscus, we have sold this as 'Double Orange' for many years and have finally discovered its true name, is a fairly full and compact growing, yet vigorous and free flowering hibiscus that lends itself to containers and tropical garden settings. Useful as a medium to large, free flowering informal tropical shrub, as a medium-sized hedge, or for medium to medium-large containers. Provide a full to partly sunny location in an average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and ocntinuous flowering. Item# 9323

The yellow to gold, pinecone-like flower spikes to 18" high are composed of densely stacked bracts that take on pink tones as they age and are produced in late summer and fall. The orchid-like true flowers that emerge from between the bracts are yellow with the lower lips heavily overlayed in deep purple to black netting-like markings and are produced over a long period in late summer and fall. The Jungle Drum or Beehive Ginger, Zingiber spectabile, is a hardy, clump forming, rhizomatous perennial that produces tall, 6-8' high, deep green stems cloaked in equally dark green, large, ovate tropical looking foliage that persists until fall and then re-emerges in mid to late spring. Provide a partly sunny to partly shaded site in an average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Where not hardy, plants are easily overwintered indoors as container plants and are sure to add a touch of the tropics to a porch or patio area. Item# 13485

Clusters of 2" white flowers that are held on long slender tubes release their heady perfume at night, but a curious nose may find fragrance almost any time of day. The Lady of the Night is considered by many to be the most fragrant of all of the Brunfelsias. An upright to vase-shaped tropical shrub with glossy dark green foliage. Grow in containers and overwinter indoors where not hardy. Item# 9617.

Considered by many to have some of the largest flowers among the Brunfelsia's, this Lady of the Night produces clusters of wavy edged, creamy white flowers that are borne on long tubes. The fragrance is released late in the day and into early morning and is sweet, heady, and intense and the flowers are borne throughout the warmer months of the year. Large thick glossy green foliage adorns this upright to arching tropical shrub. Easy indoors or out. Item# 10053

Large clusters of 3" wide, trumpet-shaped, purple flowers, with a slightly darker purple halo and yellow and white throat, may be produced throughout the year under warm tropical conditions or late spring or early summer until fall as a perennial. The large showy flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The Laurel Leaf Blue Trumpet Vine, Thunbergia laurifolia, is a close cousin of the more commonly available and highly popular Blue Sky Vine, T. grandiflora, but appears to have a longer flowering season and slightly narrower foliage than the latter. This is a naturally evergreen, moderately vigorous, tuberous rooted, twining, tropical vine that we expect to be a root hardy, summer flowering, die-back perennial into zone 8B. Where not hardy, it can be enjoyed as a container plant that is overwintered in a bright or sunny window. Provide a full to mostly sunny site, in average moist, fertile, well-drained soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Item#11797

An exceptionally free flowering passionvine, Lady Lavender produces 3-4" wide, lightly fragrant flowers with purple sepals and petals that fade to near white near their base. The flowers are topped by a corona of blue filaments that fade to white and then darken to deep burgundy at their base. Lady Lavender Passionflower is a sterile Patrick Worley cultivar considered to be hardy to near 10oF. It is large and vigorous enough to cover a medium to large trellis easily in one season or it can be enjoyed as a container plant where not hardy. Provide a full to mostly sunny location and a moderately fertile soil with average drainage for the best flowering. 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. Caterpillar host: Gulf Fritillary, Julia Butterfly, Variegated Fritillary, and Zebra Longwing. Item# 11444

Nectar-rich, light purple flowers are produced continuously from spring to fall on tall spikes that butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds cannot seem to resist! Lavender Porterweed is a medium to large growing exceptionally full and vigorous Porterweed was once considered to be a purple form of the highly popular Coral Porterweed although we have learned that this is a sterile or nearly sterile hybrid cultivar. Porterweeds are excellent nectar producers outperforming nearly all other butterfly plants in the garden. Item# 483

Huge clusters of 1-1/2" tubular yellow flowers are borne profusely throughout summer and fall on this vigorous shrub-like perennial and attract hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators. The flowers are sweetly fragrant at night and likely attract hummingbird moths. Lemon Zest Cestrum becomes large and shrub like in mild winter climates whereas in the coldest portions of its range, like zone 8B, it will often freeze to the ground and return in spring. A loose breathable mulch will also help to ensure that your Cestrum returns each spring. If you have purchased Orange or Yellow Cestrum from us in the past it is the cultivar Orange Zest. Item# 13017

A rare and unusual succulent, the Lifesaver Cactus produces burgundy and tan star-shaped flowers that look as though a grape lifesaver has been stuck perfectly in their center. This is a low growing to trailing succulent with softly toothed 4-angled thick succulent stems that root into the soil anywhere they are in contact with it making it an easy plant to share. The Lifesaver Cactus makes for an easy and forgiving container plant for a porch, patio, or window and prefers a well-draining cactus-like soil. Grow it in an area that receives high indirect sunlight as it normally grows in the shade of larger desert plants in its native Africa. Allow the soil to become moderately dry between waterings and never keep the soil soggy wet. Item# 489

Tall, dense spikes composed of large, blue-purple, tubular flowers that emerge from chartreuse colored calyxes beginning and late summer and continuing into fall attracting hummingbirds, larger butterflies, and potentially some larger bees. Limelight Mexican Sage, a selection of Salvia mexicana, is a vigorous, large growing, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial adorned in large, deep green to bluish-green foliage that acts as a nice foil for the lighter colored flower spikes. Grows to about 6'H x 3-6'W by the end of the growing season. *In areas that experience hard freezes, like in zones 8 and 9, provide a breathable but insulative, preferably organic winter mulch. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, not overly fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13580

Much like our old favorite the Butterfly Ginger but with much larger (like the size of a Luna Moth) white fragrant flowers that are borne from early summer to fall on shorter sturdier stems to 3-4'H and large lush tropical foliage. An excellent cut flower whose fragrance can fill a room. Multiplies readily but not uncontrollably. Item# 9775.

A sterile clump forming selection! Machu™ Morado Ruellia produces a summer long display of purple trumpet shaped flowers that attract bees and larger butterflies. This new introduction boasts a slightly more compact habit than the similar Purple Showers but with all the flower power, heat tolerance, and adaptability and with a sterile non-invasive clump forming habit. Machu™ Morado Ruellia or Mexican Petunia is an easy to grow heat and sunloving tropical well suited to container culture as well as in the garden and landscape. Adaptable to soil types but prefers a sunny site in a fertile moist to average moist soil. Item# 12072

Large clusters of 1" wide starry golden yellow flowers with anthers that age to a contrasting red may be produced throughout the year under warm tropical conditions. The flowers attract bees and butterflies and if pollinated they are followed by 3/4-1" wide helicopter-like samaras. Maiden's Jealousy, Tristellateia australasiae, is a naturally evergreen tropical twining woody climber with rich green foliage and purplish stems on the growth. It can be grown in the ground in areas with mild winters and can also be grown as a container plant where not hardy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum flowering. Maiden's Jealousy should be fairly tolerant of soil types as it is a component of Mangrove swamps and coastal forests in Tropical Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Australia. Item# 12026