- Cobaea Scandens It's a tropical plant, and if it's from the warm tropipcs and not the cool mountains, it should do OK - Rhodochiton atrosanguineus Barely makes it in Phoenix AZ because of our frost episodes in winter. Might need winter protection. - Maurandya 'Magic Dragon' Grows in Phoenix AZ, and we are hotter and dryer than your area. ========== Your winters might be too cool for them without some sort of protection.

I checked Calflora.org for plants native to that area and noticed these particularly desirable plants listed: Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) Brodiaea minor (dwarf brodiaea) Calochortus kennedyi (desert mariposa lily) Calochortus splendens (splendid mariposa lily) Calochortus striatus (alkali mariposa lily) Calochortus venustus (butterfly mariposa lily) Cupressus arizonica (Arizona cypress) Dichelostemma capitatum (blue dicks) Eriogonum fasciculatum (Eastern Mojave buckwheat) Fremontodendron californicum (California flannelbush) Iris missouriensis (Rocky Mountain iris) Keckiella breviflora (gaping bush beardtongue) Lupinus excubitus (grape soda lupine) Lupinus formosus (summer lupine) Lupinus grayi (Sierra lupine) Lupinus latifolius (broadleaf lupine) Mirabilis laevis (wishbone bush) Mirabilis multiflora (desert four o'clock) Oenothera californica (California evening-primrose) Penstemon grinnellii (Grinnell's beardtongue) Penstemon incertus (Mojave beardtongue) Penstemon laetus (mountain blue beardtongue) Penstemon rostriflorus (beaked beardtongue) Penstemon speciosus (showy beardtongue) Ribes cereum (Squaw currant) Stanleya pinnata (desert prince's plume) Since my garden's conditions are very different from those of the Mojave desert, I can't grow most of these. But I do grow the common yarrow and the Eastern Mojave buckwheat, and I like them both very much. I would grow all the plants on this list if they would grow where I live!

We grow them here is San Antonio and it gets fairly cold. But in San Antonio as well as many other places their biggest issue is water and food. I've found them to be a relativley "needy" tree. They don't have a particularly big root system, so in dry climates, they must be watered. In Florida the water table is three feet below the ground, so trees never need water. In San ANtonio the tree can't find water and need water all summer, just like any other plant. They also are prone to mineral deficiencies like manganeze and magnezium. But that's easily work-able if you use supplimental palm fertilizer. And oh by the way, use the fertilizer from the get-go. Once a tree starts going bad, it may be too late. I planted three "five-footers" by my pool last year and they made it through this winter fine. Keep in mind it was a lite winter in SA, though we did have many nightly freezes. To protect them on freezing nights I made sure they had water. "I was told this should be done, no idea why it works". SO if you're willing to invest the time and money into water and food, and will watch those trees likes "hawks" in the winter, things have a good chance of working... California, Mexican fan palm or date palm would be the easy choice for you. WIth the Queens you'd have to baby-sit them much more. But in the end, you'd have a much more tropical looking tree. BTW, Queen Palms are not good looking speciman plants, they like to be planted in groups. Groups of three seem to be ideal. Good Luck!

Hi, I have following vines germinated from seeds few weeks ago and wondering will they survive my subtropical hot climate. Right now it is early summer and temps are around 30C, they will crawl to 40C and remain 40C for many months until monsoon. I am keeping them in full shade but still temperature will be very high. Any thoughts? - Cobaea Scandens - Rhodochiton atrosanguineus - Maurandya 'Magic Dragon' (Tuberous i guess) BTW, here is the temperature chart of my city Lahore: January:- Night:0C Day:20C February:-Night 16C-18C Day:25C March:- Night 25C Day:31C April:- Night 28-30C Day:-35-37 C May:- Night 35C Day:- 42C June:- Night 37C Day:- 46/47C July:- Night 38-40C Day:-46/47C August:- Night 30C Day :- 38C September:- Night:- 26-28C Day:- 32C October:- Night 20C Day : 28-30C November:- Night 15-16C Day:-26C December:- Night 3C Day:18C Regards, Khabbab Lahore (Pakistan)