Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 86 5/24/17 11:07 AM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 87 5/24/17 11:07 AM

86 chapter 2

Tropical Plants

Tropical plants are species native to tropical

regions. They are well-adapted to warm and

humid environments, though with the right care,

tropical plants can be grown almost everywhere.

Tropical plants are not winter hardy except in very

warm climates, and they often have large leaves

to maximize sunlight exposure. Many houseplants

are foliage tropicals that happen to be adaptable

enough to thrive indoors.

In addition to large leaves, many tropical

plants have brightly colored flowers with a

heavy fragrance or exotic forms and shapes, all

designed by nature to tempt and lure very specific

pollinators. Tropical forests offer a wealth of

plants with unique attributes perfectly suited to

container gardens.

Because of their beauty and uncommonness,

tropical plants are a bit pricier than most garden

plants. They require optimal care, so greenhouses

charge a premium price for these beauties, but

you shouldn’t let that stop you from growing

them, if you’re willing to put forth a little effort.

They aren’t winter hardy, but most tropical plants

are easily overwintered either in a dormant state

or as houseplants. I delve into exactly how to

accomplish this in Chapter 5.

The following chart features ten of my favorite

tropical plants that thrive in containers. Because

each of these plants is big and bold and beautiful,

tropicals are perfect for featured-specimen and

monoculture-style container designs, though they

also work well as the thriller in layered designs.

There are many tropical plants that do beautifully in containers. One of the most popular is the

tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), which comes in dozens of dierent flower colors.

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Designing and Planting Your Containers 87

Recommended Tropical Plants

COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME USE HEIGHT GROWING CONDITIONS COMMENTS

Tropical hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-

sinensis

Flowers 3 to 10 ft. Full sun to part

shade

Large, disc-shaped flowers come

in many different colors; each

flower lasts only one day; tree or

shrub forms.

Gardenia Gardenia

jasminoides

Flowers 4 to 6 ft. Part shade Fragrant, pure white flowers

on dark, glossy foliage; look for

cultivars with double-petaled

flowers.

Bird of paradise Strelitzia reginae Flowers

and foliage

3 to 4 ft. Full sun to part

shade

Broad, gray-green, stiff, upright

leaves; orange and purple flowers

resemble plumage on a bird’s

head; excellent cut flower.

Angel’s trumpet Brugmansia spp. Flowers 4 to 8 ft. Full sun Huge, pendulous, trumpet-shaped

flowers hang from the tree-like

plants; highly fragrant flowers can

be white, yellow, peach, or pink.

Frangipani Plumeria spp. Flowers 10 to 15 ft. Full sun to part

shade

Fragrant flowers pollinated by

moths; keep plants on the dry

side; flowers can be white, yellow,

pink, or peach colored.

Red Abyssian

banana

Ensete

ventricosum

‘Maurelii’

Foliage 8 to 10 ft. Full sun to part

shade

Broad, deep red, tropical leaves.

Variegated ginger Alpinia zerumbet

‘Variegata’

Flowers

and foliage

4 to 5 ft. Full sun to part

shade

Yellow and green striped upright

leaves; fragrant white flowers.

Variegated

Japanese aralia

Fatsia japonica

‘Variegata’

Foliage 4 to 5 ft. Full to partial

shade

Glossy, lobed, dark green leaves

with creamy yellow variegation.

Stromanthe Stromanthe

sanguinea

‘Triostar’

Foliage 2 to 3 ft. Full shade Visually striking, variegated green

and white leaves with bright

pink undersides; impressive

plant makes a great thriller in

containers.

Variegated rubber

tree

Ficus elastica

‘Tineke’

Foliage Up to

20 ft.

Full sun to part

shade

Prune to maintain a shorter

height; leaves are variegated

white and pale green with striking

pink and burgundy splotches;

needs bright light if overwintering

indoors.

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