That's a great list!

The only thing I can think to add right now are bougainvilleas. I grow them in pots and it's about the only thing I bother with bringing into the green house anymore.

Also several of the sennas are very tropical looking and will come back from the roots most years in San Antonio. I especially like the candelabra variety which which will grow large from seed if given plenty of water. It has the larger very tropical looking leaves.

I can't think right now what a Justica-Brazilian Plume is. Does it look like this:

Here is a link that might be useful:

I've seen some of the candlestick sennas around. They look nice.

The picture is what Brazilian Plume looks like.
Magnolia Gardens has a picture too.

How did your Macha Mocha Manfreda do? Did it die back in the winter?

Here is a link that might be useful: Justica Brazilian Plume

As for the Macha Mocha Manfredo I chickened out and carried it into the green house for the winter since it was young and still in the pot.

I noticed this spring that the one at ARE got the tips burned during the mild winter we had last year and it didn't look very nice. It would have been better had it frozen all the way back and come back out from the roots like the regular manfredas do.

This plant was going to be for my 'desert' garden you know, but then when it rained all summer and everything grew like crazy I couldn't find a place to put it so it is still in the pot.

I still like it. Here's a picture I took last week:

I like manfredas. I think they look more lush than desert plants.

We were discussing spicy jatropha in another thread. I didn't think it would be hardy in San Antonio.

I was in Leon Valley today, in a neighborhood just off of Eckerd Road. They do a lot of gardening in that neighborhood and I went only with the intention of seeing which varieties of crape myrtles were still blooming.

To my surprise, guess what I saw a whole bunch of?

These were large mature jatrophas that had been there for quite awhile. They were the size of oleanders.

Guess what I now own.

These plants can tolerate drought and reflective heat. It fit a spot in my yard perfectly.

DH is going to be surprised!!

What about that Pride of Barbados? Lots of my neighbors here in Austin have those. They get really big, look very tropical. They die back every year, but come back from seed. I have gotten some seeds to try next year.

I have some Coleus in pots for the first time this year. They are in big pots, and got HUGE! I bought them at Lowe's for cheap. I mixed them with some Sweet Potato Vine, and it's a good combo. I had some Zinnias in there too, but the mildew got them early. The Coleus seem to want lots of water, more than my other stuff in pots.

Thanks for the great list!

I didn't see cannas or Elephant ears-we have the running (not bulb) type here, especially in wet spots and it's very tropical. CJ

HA! Looked again and saw cannas (must.get.eyes.checked.), I wanted to add ferns, banana tree, hibscus (hardy, rose of sharon, or tropical), and anything viney-I have a hyacinth bean thats just crazy in the sun right now (yes, it loves the water). I think in steamy TX, tropical plants have a cooling affect. CJ

Gingers, gingers, gingers, esp. Hedychiums, Curcumas, and Zingibers.

Steve

Yea,

Rose of Sharon. Good one!! By itself it looks like more traditional landscape or cottage garden, but when combined with other types of plants, it can take the look of a drought tolerant hibiscus. I recently bought some that have large single hibiscus looking flowers. It was blooming away at the nursery, so I picked this variety, "Coeletsis". (Probably misspelled)

Here is a pic of my giant elephant ears. I'm sure they look like this due to all the rain. This bulb is two years old. As to whether the bulbs are winter hardy is "iffy". Three years ago I bought a bulb and we had a mild winter and the EE kept growing all winter. But, the leaves came back much smaller.

Last winter, I decided to force this new bulb into dormancy. Don't know if that's what "did the trick", or if it was some other factor.

[IMG]http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff101/PricklyPearSATX/EE1.jpg[/IMG]

Couldn't get the pic loaded. Also, perennial hibiscus does look very tropical. (I think it looks more tropical than tropical hibiscus.) It just needs a lot of water. But, when you're going for a "focal point" in the landscape, I guess it's worth the extra water.

I can't figure out much sun perennial hibiscus need or "tolerate"?

My roses are only able to tolerate 4 hours per day. Would perennial hibiscus need more or less?

Thanks

I like your idea of a list.

Thanks pricklypear.

Tropicals have always been one of my favorites.

I like Rice Paper Plant, Umbrella Plant, Brugmansia, Austrailian Tree Fern, Mandevilla, Datura and Plumeria.

I have to bring my Plumeria, Mandevilla and Tree Fern in for the winter.

What I really want is a Lime Zinger EE. Maybe next year.

PP, I'll help you download your pic.

That looks like a Tropical Rain Forrest. Very pretty.

Tropical with no bamboo?

I have a Bambusa tuldoides (clumper, not runner) that is both hardy at least from Austin, and is evergreen, and sways beautifully in the breeze, and is fun to watch each July-Oct as the culms shoot to 10 ft per month.

Next March, I'm going to add Bambusa chungii (blue culms)

and Bambusa pervariabilis 'Viridistriatus'

I like the tropical look of my firespike, phillipine violet (barleria), Brunsfelsia, clerodendrums, calla lilies, justicias, turks cap and papyrus. These plants have proven to be more hardy than some of the "true" tropicals, which I limit the use of in my garden as they are a nuisance when it comes to winter care. Of course, can't do without many of the ones mentioned above!

That bamboo is huge.

Here is my Rice Paper Plant. It's pretty big.
{{gwi:1372653}}

Sorry, my pics above worked in preview, but apparently bambooweb.info blocks "deep linking".

This primitive gardenweb software doesn't allow editing or deleting your own messages.

I saw the bamboo in the first picture earlier this morning and it was gorgeous! Yes, very tropical! If I had room I'd plant bamboo.

I see the bamboo perfectly.

I see it too.

Maybe it's like Fairies. You have to believe in them to see them. hehehe

Been spending way too much time with the munchkins! lol

LOL-That picture of me, it was supposed to be a thumbnail.

Thanks for the info on clumping bamboo.

I've thought about clumping bamboo too.

I also wondered if clumping bamboo was evergreen. It would be great to fill the winter void left by those elephant ears.

I also read somewhere that clumping bamboo needed acid soil? (I guess not, if it's thriving in Austin.)

I'll have to put that one in next year's budget.

Manual Flores, in San Antonio, sells a type of umbrella grass that is evergreen. He has an online nursery at: www.floresflowers.com

I haven't been able to find the evergreen umbrella grass in the nurseries. But, that would be a nice one too.

Tradtional umbrella grass is: Cyperus Alternifolius.

Wouldn't an evergreen umbrella grass would be nice to fill the winter void left from cannas, bananas etc.

Pricklypear, that looks like a little fairy sitting among the giant leaves of the EE! Do you mean it's you???? :-)))))

The elephant ears will come back in S.A. How big they get depends on the amount of water they receive. They got plenty this year, that's for sure!

Happy gardening!

Expect to see lots more sun tolerant types coleus. I have carried about 15-20 types this year in 4 inch and some of them in tubs for those wanting instant gratification. With all the variations of textures and colors they really look to fill areas of sun to dappled light quite well. I am seeing semi-trailing to very upright types. Google coleus and you will be amazed at the diversity they have been coming out with. I had several types out in full sun this year and most if not all did very well but this year is not a good test year for the true summer sun brutality as we are all aware so I will have to do more testing again next year.

I would add Thyrallis to a great choice for not big leaves but its almost continuous blooming from May-Oct. and it is quite drought tolerant and should grow and come back in all but the coldest areas of the state even when they say zone 9.

Loquat is pretty cold hardy especially if you can give it a protected area with southern sun exposure for winter should be OK for most DFW area. I see one growing wild along the road on the north side of the lake. It has been there for years so has survived thru at least the last 7 years that I have been here at Canyon Lake with out human intervention drought, flood, icestorms and it is still growing strong.

I agree that that compact Jatropha should grow further north than most realize but with the caveat that a protected southern winter sun exposure would be best for longer term success. Yeh lots of sun makes it happier and bloom almost continuously much like Thyrallis just not as drought hardy and not as cold hardy.
Perennial Hibiscus is great but til the luna series needed to be in background areas because of the height issue. I can say that after a second year now with a luna 'red' and a luna 'pink swirl' (more dramatic than blush IMHO) neither has not gotten past 3 feet so can be high front or easily mid-ground drama for the tropical garden (think watering with EE in lots of sun and hibiscus food). Can be grown from seed. Look for more being available in 1 gallon in coming years.
The nursery industry is stretching the zones for tropicals because it continues to be in high demand so expect more variations over the coming year(s).

Don't forget coral vine or queens's crown or wreath (antigon leptus (sp?) May not be hardy for the coldest parts of the state but most of us should be able to use this tried and true Texas vine (great grandma would have planted this because it is sooo durable once established) drop dead hot pink blooms during the hottest part of summer and neat looking heart shaped potato type leaves complete the tropical look for this winner.

Coming from Hawaii (10 years there but 12 year here now) that is great for me because I love the tropical look on my deck if not in my Hill Country landscape. (I do have a spot in the landscape that is more hidden that I am working into a more tropical look but deer are the problem there ):
Happy Growing to All David

I grow castor bean and it gets 10-12 feet in one season! Also, I throw in some papaya seeds and they get almost as big. Even though they're annuals here, they get so big in one summer that they're worth it... the leaves are huge.

I grew cassia alata last summer but can't find seeds. Does anyone know where a person can get them?

David:
Thanks for the info on coleus. I bought some "super sun", but end up planting it in the shade. Coleus is a bargain plant!!

I've lurked on the hibiscus forum.

So, perennial hibiscus needs lots of sun? More than roses? (My roses seem to want less sun than what they're getting. They get about 4-6 hrs per day. I've noticed that roses in my neighborhood do quite well in part/dappled shade.)

The local Sonic drive in around here has quite an display perennial hibiscus in full sun.

Do both tropical and perennial hibiscus need the same amount of sun? I see a lot of tropical hibiscus in my neighborhood, and they're always growing in part shade. I don't know exactly why?

Another tropical discussed in another thread was variegated tapioca. Plant's Delight in North Carolina carries a non variegated tapioca which is hardy to zone 7b.

Variegated tapioca is a TX superstar and is supposed to be able to be grown in full hot sun. I've never seen it, or known anyone who has grown it. I just read about it at the plantanswers.com site. It is not cold hardy in most of Texas.

I don't know anything about growin papayas, so I never thought about them??-LOL. They're sold and grown here for the fruit, but a greenhouse is needed. Bet no one around here thought of them as cool lookin ornamentals??-LOL They always seem to have the plants at my local nursery. I've seen them growing at the SA Botanical Gardens. I wouldn't be surprised if they're root hardy in San Antonio. I'll have to look into that one!!

I got a free castor bean plant last winter. I love the way they look!!! But, I started to get "fears" about the poison seeds from that plant. Even if I picked off all the seeds, they could get dragged or blown wherever. (Too easy for them to somehow get mulched around) I could just picture them poisoning something or someone. So, I let my castor bean die.

I recently bought a copper plant. I saw some growing in full sun in front of some apartment complexes. I don't know what their normal growing conditions are. (As this has not been a normal summer!!)
I do know that they are tropical and not hardy in zone 8.

Rosalee: That is me under those EE's. They sure got huge. Those are Alocasia, which are not as hardy as the common Colocasia. They sure have surprised me this year!!

Rice Paper plant is apparently root hardy in most of Texas!

Another root hardy tropical around here is Root Beer Plant. I don't know the botanical name. It needs to be grown in part shade. It is a foliage plant, with leaves like small elephant ears.