Tropicals
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Exposure | Flower Color | Plant Zone | Height | Plant Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alocasia plumbea 'Nigra' | Nigra Elephant Ears | Pt Shade/Shade | Giant dk green leaves | 9-10 | 3-5' | TENDER - 'Nigra' has 12-24'' wide leaves that are glossy dark green, almost black and somewhat metallic with ruffled and indented edges. Great texture and color for containers! |
| Asparagus d. 'Sprengeri' | Sprengeri Asparagus Fern | Sun/Pt Shade | Annual | 16"-24" | Asparagus fern is often thought of as a fern but is truly related to the vegetable asparagus which also has fern-like foliage. Use in hanging baskets or containers and provide some shade for brighter green foliage color. | |
| Canna 'Australia' | Australia Canna | Sun/Pt Shade | Orange Ruffled flowers | Annual | 4-5" | The foliage is truly black, with a satin-like sheen and a thick, waxy texture that helps it keep its color right through the strongest summer sun. The blooms are a brilliant, warm-toned orange-red, and keep coming from early summer right into fall. |
| Canna 'Black Knight' | Black Knight Canna | Sun | Dark red flowers | Annual | 32" | These bold, exotic looking tropicals are most effective when planted in groups. This one's long-petalled, dark red flowers are paired with dark bronze foliage for a stunning effect. |
| Canna 'Pretoria' | Pretoria Canna | Sun | Orange flowers | Annual | 4-5' | A lush and flamboyant tropical native that is nice planted in the mixed border or large container. Variegated foliage is topped with splashy orange flowers. |
| Canna 'Striped Beauty' | Striped Beauty Canna | Sun | Yellow flowers | Annual | 3-4' | These tropical natives are nice planted in mixed borders or in containers. Lush variegated foliage is topped with bright yellow flowers. Cut back and store in a cool dry place for winter. |
| Canna 'Wyoming' | Wyoming Canna | Sun | Orange flowers | Annual | 5-7' | Beautiful brilliant orange blooms rise above the dark bronze foliage of this tropical beauty. Makes a great splash in the garden when grown en masse! Dig roots in the fall and overwinter indoors. |
| Chlorophytum comosum | Spider Plant | Sun/Shade | White flowers | Annual | 12-15'' | One of the most common and well-known of all houseplants. It is especially popular with beginners, being easy to grow and propagate, tolerant of neglect, and able to thrive in nearly any type of condition. |
| Codiaeum varieg. 'Picasso's Paintbrush' | Picasso's Paintbrush Croton | Sun | Colorful foliage | Tropical | This unique Croton has very narrow leaves with multi-colored center stripes. Free form growing habit. Easy to grow as an indoor houseplant or outdoors in summer. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. | |
| Codiaeum variegatum 'King of Siam' | King of Siam Croton | Sun | Colorful foliage | Tropical | At about 2 1/2 feet this clumper is a busy looking plant with top growth starting out bright green and yellow and fading to a dark green and yellow with some red. A great accent plant. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. | |
| Codiaeum variegatum 'Mammy' | Mammy Croton | Sun | Colorful foliage | Tropical | One of the most popular crotons, easy to grow as an indoor houseplant or outdoors in summer. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. | |
| Codiaeum variegatum 'Petra' | Petra Croton | Sun | Colorful foliage | Tropical | One of the most popular crotons, easy to grow as an indoor houseplant or outdoors in summer. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. | |
| Colocasia esc. 'Heart of the Jungle' | Heart of the Jungle Elephant Ear | Sun/Pt Shade | Purplish-black leaves | Annual | 36-60'' | NEW for 2011 - TENDER - Deep black leaves and burgundy stems with great branching and height. |
| Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' | Elephant Ears | Sun/Pt Shade | Purplish-black leaves | Annual | 48-60'' | TENDER - Huge, glossy dark purple to black leaves with dark purple petioles (stems). Makes a statement poolside, in a container or the border. Needs plenty of moisture, especially if in full sun. |
| Colocasia esculenta 'Diamond Head' | Diamond Head Elephant Ear | Sun/Pt Shade | Purplish-black leaves | Annual | 48-60'' | TENDER - Huge, glossy dark purple to black leaves with dark purple petioles (stems). Makes a statement poolside, in a container or the border. Needs plenty of moisture, especially if in full sun. |
| Colocasia 'Hawaiian Eye' | Hawaiian Eye Elephant Ears | Sun/Pt Shade | LARGE leaves | Annual | 48-60" | TENDER - Black leaves with silver veining, age to a gray-green, highlighted by a darker purple eye. Cranberry colored veins on the undersides of the leaves and glossy jet black stems. A beautiful plant from every angle! |
| Colocasia 'Illustris' | Illustris Elephant Ears | Sun/Pt Shade | Almost black leaves | Annual | 12-48" | TENDER - A real conversation starter, this is also know as Black Caladium and features almost black elephant ears with dramatic green venation. Needs constant moisture to look its best. |
| Cordyline 'Cardinal' | Cardinal Cordyline | Sun | 8-9 | 36" | Cardinal has rich red foliage throughout the growing season. It is easy to grow, and useful in patio containers. Burgundy foliage makes this heat and drought-tolerant plant a colorful addition to the landscape. | |
| Cordyline 'Coral' | Coral Cordyline | Sun | 8-9 | 36" | Variegated foliage of red, pink and purple intensifies with age. A beautiful contrast in containers or the landscape. This tough variety is less susceptible to burn. | |
| Cordyline 'Red Sensation' | Red Sensation Cordyline | Sun | n/a | 8-9 | 36'' | TENDER - Also known as Giant Dracaena, this plant features upright foliage of maroon-green in grass-like plumes. A wonderful focal point in beds and containers. |
| Dionaea muscipula | Venus Fly Trap | Part Shade | 8-10 | 4-12'' | NEW for 2011 - The Venus Fly Trap is a carnivorous plant native to North and South Carolina found in nitrogen-poor environments such as bogs and wet savannahs. Can be grown as a houseplant in winter or outdoors in summer. | |
| Dionaea muscipula 'Dente' | Dente Venus Fly Trap | 8-10 | 4-12'' | NEW for 2011 - The Venus Fly Trap is a carnivorous plant native to North and South Carolina found in nitrogen-poor environments such as bogs and wet savannahs. Can be grown as a houseplant in winter or outdoors in summer. | ||
| Dracaena Bi-color | Bi-color Dracaena Spike | Sun/Pt Shade | n/a | Annual | 3' | TENDER - A green spike with red and cream edges. Lovely in a container, and makes a great houseplant! |
| Dracaena Marginata | Marginata Dracaena Spike | Pt Shade/Shade | n/a | Annual | 3' | TENDER - A dracaena spike in magenta! Add this burgundy-leaved plant as a vertical accent in container plantings. May turn green in low light. |
| Duranta repens 'Sapphire Showers' | Sapphire Showers Skyflower | NEW for 2010 - | ||||
| Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii' | Red Abyssinian Banana Tree | Dark red edged foliage | 9 | 8 - 18' | Huge ornamental banana with leaves up to 10' long. This fantastically colorful plant w/red leaf surfaces and axils looks like it has been hand painted. In northern climates rarely exceeds 8' in height. A gorgeous addition to large tropical containers. | |
| Fern - Adiantum pedatum 'Fragrans' | Maidenhair Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | Green fronds | Annual | 12-18'' | A popular tropical maidenhair. The soil must be kept moist at all times. Fertilize every 3-4 weeks with a balanced fertilizer. Bright light will cause yellowing on the fronds. |
| Fern - Australian Tree | Australian Tree Fern | |||||
| Fern - Cyrtomium falcatum | Holly Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | Glossy green fronds | Tropical | A coarse-textured handsome fern with glossy dark green foliage. Can be grown indoors and withstand dry indoor air well. | |
| Fern - Davallia | Rabbit's Foot Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | Tropical | Rabbit's Foot Fern are grown for their feathery green foliage and their interesting fuzzy grayish rhizomes (above-ground roots). Rabbit's Foot Fern are grown for their feathery green foliage and their interesting fuzzy grey rhizomes. |
||
| Fern - Didymochlaena truncatula | Mahogany Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | Tropical | This beautiful fern gets its name from the stunning mahogany color shown in the fronds of new growth, which will eventually age to dark green. | ||
| Fern - Nephro. exaltata 'Fluffy Ruffles' | Fluffy Ruffles Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | Annual | 8-12'' | Smaller and fuller than the Boston cultivar, its shorter 12-inch fronds extend outward and curl upward with overlapping ruffled leaflets, creating the fluffy appearance for which it's named. | |
| Fern - Nephrolepis cordifolia 'Duffii' | Lemon Button Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | Annual | 12'' | This great little fern does well in a wide range of conditions but best of all is that it is compact in size and is one of the few ferns that fairs well with neglect and does extremely well in moist habitats. | |
| Fern - Nephrolepis ex. 'Kimberly Queen' | Kimberly Queen Fern | Pt Shade | n/a | Annual | 36'' | One of the easier ferns to grow and popular for use on covered patios or decks in summer. Grow in bright filtered light both indoors and out and keep soil moist but not soggy. |
| Fern - Pteriscretica albo-tiniata | Variegated Cretan Brake Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | n/a | Annual | 2' | A pretty tropical fern to add to mixed shade containers or grow as annual in a shady garden spot. Adds a touch of light with it's variegated foliage. |
| Fern - Staghorn | Staghorn Fern | Pt Shade/Shade | n/a | Tropical | A tropical fern that in nature grows on a tree, sending its roots into the bark. Create a root ball around the roots using sphagnum moss and coarse peat moss. Hang in a location with bright, indirect light. Dip the root ball in a bucket to water. | |
| Gardenia jasminoides 'Aimee Yashioka' | Aimee Yashioka Gardenia | Part Shade | Creamy white flowers | Annual | This double flowered gardenia is said to be the finest and largest flowered of all. Powerfully fragrant flowers of excellent form, handsome glossy green foliage. | |
| Gunnera manicata | Giant Rhubarb | Sun | Annual | 3-5' | Also known as Dinosaur Food, this native of Colombia and Brazil sports huge ornamental leaves that need a lot of space, which are fitted for big gardens with damp areas or ponds. | |
| Hedera canariensis Variegated | Algerian Ivy Variegated | 7 | A clinging ivy closely related to English Ivy. Can be used in mixed planters or hanging baskets. | |||
| Hedera Green | Green Ivy | Sun/Shade | 5 | Green ivy makes a nice filler/spiller for container plantings. | ||
| Hedera helix 'Needlepoint' | Needlepoint Ivy | Sun/Pt Shade | n/a | 6 | Small | A miniature bird's foot ivy that is self-branching and has small dense, bright green, three lobed, pointed leaves with slightly wavy margins. Hardy to Zone 6 with protection. Nice for troughs and containers. |
| Hedera variegata | Variegated Ivy | |||||
| Lantana Std. (Asst.Colors) | Lantana Tree (Asst. Colors) | Sun | Assorted colors | Annual | On Standard | This tropical genus blooms abundantly and continuously all summer long, and is ideal for pots or planters. Fantastic for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. |
| Mandevilla (Yellow) | Yellow Mandevilla | Sun/Pt Shade | Yellow flowers | Tropical | Vine | A vigorous vining mandevilla with luxurious dark green foliage that provides a nice foil to butter yellow flowers. |
| Mandevilla 'Alice Du Pont' | Pink Mandevilla | Sun/Pt Shade | Pink flowers | Tropical | Vine | A woody, twining tropical vine. It grows to a height of 20 feet but is much shorter when grown in a container. Pinch off tips of new stems to induce dense growth. |
| Mandevilla Sun Parasol 'Giant Crimson' | Giant Crimson Sun Parasol Mandevilla | Sun/Pt Shade | A vigorous vining mandevilla with luxurious dark green foliage that provides a nice foil to the incredibly large (4 to 6 inch wide) warm red flowers with orange throats. | |||
| Mandevilla Sun Parasol 'Pretty Pink' | Pretty Pink Sun Parasol Mandevilla | Pink flowers | NEW for 2010 - The Pretty group of the Sun Parasols offers superior branching, vigorous growth and can be grown in smaller pots without support. They are ideal for the balcony or patio. | |||
| Mandevilla Sun Parasol 'Stars & Stripes' | Stars & Stripes Sun Parasol Mandevilla | Red/white flowers | NEW for 2010 - The name Stars & Stripes (synonymous with the American flag) derives from the red star-shaped petals, streaked with white stripes. | |||
| Mandevilla Sun Parasol 'White' | White Sun Parasol Mandevilla | Sun/Pt Shade | White flowers | Tropical | Vine | A vigorous vining mandevilla with luxurious dark green foliage that provides a nice foil and 4 to 6 inch wide white flowers with deep yellow throats. |
| Manettia cordifolia 'John Elsley' | John Elsley Firecracker Vine | Sun/Pt Shade | Bright orange flowers | Annual | Med vine | Hundreds of 1 inch tubular, red-orange blooms repeatedly over green leaves. The flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. |
| Musa 'Siam Ruby' | Siam Ruby Banana | Sun/Pt Shade | Annual | 2'-10' | EXCITING may be the best way to describe this banana. Its sensational red color through out the leaf is dazzling. At maturity it will reach 10' and it should be grown in very bright light with high humidity and constant warmth. | |
| Nephthytis 'Pink Candy' | Pink Candy Arrowhead Plant | Shade/Pt Shade | Tropical | This common houseplant can be a lovely foliage addition to tropical outdoor planters in a shady location such as a covered porch or under tree canopies. | ||
| Nephthytis 'White Butterfly' | White Butterfly Arrowhead Plant | Shade/Pt Shade | Tropical | This common houseplant can be a lovely foliage addition to tropical outdoor planters in a shady location such as a covered porch or under tree canopies. | ||
| Tropical Hibiscus rosa-rin. (Asst Clrs) | Tropical Hibiscus Braid | Sun/Pt Shade | Tropical | These tropical beauties are fun to grow as an annual in northern climates. The dramatic large flowers show for a day or two and are attractive to hummingbirds. Hibiscus have active periods of bloom, and then rest. |