Zabby - don't give me any ideas. ;-) Actually, if I didn't have a roof over the balcony, I'd probably have some sort of tree like that. But alas, many trees do best with some sort of overhead sun. victrola - sorry to hear about the sand cherry. I have had my share of winter or spring casualties this year - mostly due to overwatering in a time when overcast, cool, and/or rainy seems to be the trend for this year. I always see those sand cherries for sale at a number of places here every year but manage to resist. I know there are other red-foliaged shrubs, including those having red new growth (a few of which that I have - pieris "Valley Rose", "Wine and Roses" weigela, leucothoe "Girard's Rainbow"), but I'm not sure how they would do in a desert climate... However, there is something that should do well and that's one of the red-leafed ficus elasticas that they sell so much of over here. Particularly the one that WP mentioned. I know you're looking for leaves that aren't "too large" but a good ole ficus would still be cool. :-P A smaller guy might include that ubiquitous sweet potato vine "Blackie".

Although this is a very old post...I'm hoping that someone will be willing to answer a question or two for me. In 2009, struwwelpeter said in this thread "Is it cold hardy in zone 5 (unlike any of other variegated canna)?" I'm in zone 6a (NE Ohio--Cleveland area) and would like to try overwintering some cannas outside. Actually I don't have any cannas yet, but my first bulbs should be arriving soon from an eBay seller located in NC. Neither of the cannas in that order are variegated, but I would like to try some variegated ones too. That said, can anyone tell me if there are any variegated cannas that are or aren't cold hardy to zone 6? I'm assuming that the others will do fine if planted 4-6in deep, on the Southern side of the house, not too far from the foundation, and mulched. On another note, can anyone recommend any sellers or places that are known to have healthy cannas? I have no experience with spotting problems other than bad-looking foliage, and although the seller I've just purchased from has had some virused plants on her property, she seems to know what she's doing in planting new additions at a distance and minimizing risk to the rest of her yard. Her area does have problems with canna leaf rollers, but I'm hoping that there is little/no risk in her bulbs bringing eggs into my yard (if there aren't some in mine already, which I'm assuming there aren't). Any other tips, I'm all ears... Not new to gardening, but definitely new to canna.

Lisa, I think the common name thing is a BIG problem. On second look, the one I bought as "Tropica" does look like the photo that you have of Tropica. But my psitt x spathno "ALan Carle" looks a lot more like "Guyana". I bought a "supposed" H. caribaea "Prince of Darkness" years ago, from what was SUPPOSED to be a reputable nursery... finally got it to bloom size (its 20+ ft tall) and it ends up "probably" being "Criswick" instead.(I already HAD a blooming Criswisk...now I have TWO. I really wouldn't have used additional greenhouse space for the second one, had I known...)ALso, I bought what was labeled as "H. purpurea" several years ago from a very reputable vendor at the Fairchild Gardens...when it bloomed it was the classic caribaea flower, but a weird color like a purplish, not a red...I deduced later that it might be a cultivar called "Burgundy", which, according to Berry and Kress, is another name for "purpurea", however, while it may be another name for the same plant, this isn't exactly the same plant. And it too is very large growing and a real space taker. I may remove it and let the Wagneriana "Rainbow" planted near it have the space. This reminds me of the debate a few years ago over H. schiediana, and whether there were REALLY actually 2 separate cultivars..."plain" H. schiediana, and H. schiediana "Fire and Ice". Many people said that a certain nursery in Louisiana had tacked the name "Fire and Ice" onto regular old schiediana in order to make people think that there was a "new" plant on the market that was actually more cold hardy than the "old" one and therefore sell more. Now, I know that this happens all the time. Take Musella lasioscarpa...when it first came out from tissue culture, it was sold as "Chinese Yellow Banana". Now it has also acquired (here in FL, anyway)the name "Golden Lotus Banana". Who stuck THAT name on it? I think that there are a lot of vendors who perpetuate the name confusion to their benefit. I also think some vendors make up new names for plants to try to sell more. There is a NOTORIOUS aroid seller on eBay who does this. They make up all sorts of named for Colocasias, ALocasias and Xanthosomas to make people think that there is a "new" elephant ear out there to collect. They have even tried to sell regular old Caladiums before as new, rare elephant ears and made up names to go with them. Fortunately, there is a hard core collector on Aroids who stumbled onto this vendor early on, caught on to what they do, and exposed them (at least to the folks on Aroids). But it doesn't stop them. They list and list, and when they get complained about for fraud, their auctions get yanked, but it doesn't phase them. I think that there has ALWAYS been a difference in names between Hawaii and the mainland on heliconias. When I first got Golden Torch in, gee, I guess 1992, I got it from a lady in Hawaii and it was labeled "Parrot". She also sent me Golden Torch Adrian (labeled TORTUGA) and Keanea Red (which a friend of mine grew as St Vincent's Red)

Thanks for looking Fox and thanks for the encouragement to grow the Bird of Paradise plant, Element. Thought some might be interested in an upcoming event at the S. A. Botanical Center: Walk Across Texas at the Botanical Garden Take a "walk across Texas" at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, enjoying the beauty of spring wildflowers right in the heart of San Antonio. Hike the loop trail system of the Texas Native Trail which winds through an 11-acre native area of the Botanical Garden, where you will experience the diverse ecosystems of the Hill Country, East Texas Piney Woods and South Texas Plains. Enter the world of early Texas by visiting the historic cabins and living historians dressed in period clothing from the Sons of the Republic, Chapter 7. Enjoy Pioneer biscuits and gravy, compliments of sponsor C.H. Guenther & Son. The Alamo Area Master Naturalists will offer various displays, bird walks and art activities. PLANT SALE: Just in time for spring planting, gardeners may purchase all types of plants made available by various plant societies. Botanical Society members may enter early at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, April 19, 9 a.m. Â Noon Free admission! San Antonio Botanical Garden 555 Funston @ N. New Braunfels San Antonio, Texas Free admission from 9 a.m. to noon on this day. For more information, the public can call 210-829-5100 or visit www.sabot.org.