Tropical Plants

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.

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

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

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

Large dense spikes of bright sunny yellow tubular flowers are held above the deep green foliage beginning in late spring and continuing into fall attracting a variety of pollinators. Lemon POPSICLE™ Kniphofia is a dwarf, repeat flowering perennial and is small and compact enough to enjoy in containers or as easy, colorful, and low maintenance additions to the sunny garden and landscape. The Red Hot Pokers, Tritoma, or Kniphofias are clump forming, naturally evergreen, heat and sun loving perennials that are drought, deer, and rabbit resistant. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 13325

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

Small clusters of 2" long tubular red and orange flowers with a yellow throat emerge from the leaf axils on long peduncles, the stem that supports the flowers, to offer up its nectar reward to hummingbirds and larger butterflies. Under warm tropical conditions Lobelia aguana flowers nearly year round with the heaviest flowering in summer and fall. A shrubby Lobelia with long deep green narrow foliage it quickly matures into a 5'x5' specimen. Lobelia aguana hails from the Mesoamerican Cloud Forests of Central America. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist soil with average or better drainage. Item# 11802

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

One of the most cold hardy and easy to grow bromeliads! The Matchstick Plant produces dense spikes of purple tipped, pink "matchsticks" beginning in mid-winter on sturdy upright to arching spikes that emerge from the center of the medium green glossy rosettes of nearly spineless foliage. This easily enjoyed bromeliad readily produces pups or offsets and is typically grown in soil but can also be grown as a semi-epiphyte on a board as well. 3 plants per pot. Item# 10888.

A White Butterfly Ginger on steroids! The spike-like clusters produce 4" wide, fragrant, butterfly-shaped white flowers with a creamy heart in late summer and into fall atop large sturdy upright stems with large tropical-looking rich green foliage. The Maximum Giant White Butterfly Ginger, likely a tetraploid or hybrid of Hedychium coronarium, has some of the largest stems, flowers, and (up to 2" diameter) rhizomes of any Hedychium we have grown to date! A naturally evergreen, rhizomatous slowly multiplying tropical, it acts like a die-back perennial in areas where freezes occur, reliably returning in zones 7B to 10. The Hedychium Gingers typically grow and flower best where they receive at least some direct sunlight for 3-4 hours during the day and generally have the best looking foliage where they receive shade during the heat of the day. A planting on the east facing side of a house, tree or other structure where they receive morning sun is often optimum. Provide an average moist to moist, average to well-drained, moderately fertile soil to keep this easy and reliable heirloom growing and flowering. Item# 13184

Medium pink trumpets with deep pink throats are born freely from late spring or early summer until first frost to year round under warm tropical conditions atop sturdy stems. Mayan™ Pink Ruellia or Mexican Petunia is a relatively new seed and pollen sterile selection that can spend more energy on flowering instead of adding unwanted seedlings to the garden. In many regards it is similar to but outperforms Purple Showers in overall flower power and disease resistance. It is also a tetraploid so the funnel-shaped flowers are slightly larger than your typical Mexican Petunias. The Mexican Petunia is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous or spreading, tropical perennial that is grown as a die-back perennial in zones 8-9. It can be grown as a low maintenance container specimen plant, in mixed container gardens, as well as in the garden and landscape. It can also be used as a tall groundcover in difficult sites. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide Mexican Petunias with a full sun to part sun site in an average moist to wet, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12436

Deep violet trumpets are born freely from late spring or early summer until first frost to year round under warm tropical conditions atop sturdy stems. Mayan™ Purple Ruellia or Mexican Petunia is a relatively new seed and pollen sterile selection that can spend more energy on flowering instead of adding unwanted seedlings to the garden. In many regards it is similar to but outperforms Purple Showers in overall flower power and disease resistance. It is also a tetraploid so the funnel-shaped flowers are slightly larger than your typical Mexican Petunias. The Mexican Petunia is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous or spreading, tropical perennial that is grown as a die-back perennial in zones 8-9. It can be grown as a low maintenance container specimen plant, in mixed container gardens, as well as in the garden and landscape. It can also be used as a tall groundcover in difficult sites. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide Mexican Petunias with a full sun to part sun site in an average moist to wet, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12435