Posted on: March 17, 2008

Topical Tropicals

Growing exotic plants isn’t as complicated as it may seem. In fact, you may already have some sprouting out back

By Paul Rogers
CTW Features

To some home gardeners, the idea of adding palms, bananas or almost any tropical plant to the backyard is, well, bananas. They are harder to cultivate, so the story goes, and they’ll die at the first sign of cold and, for that short lifespan, the cost is exorbitant.

Such criticisms are largely misconceptions, say the experts. The biggest obstacle to injecting a touch of the tropical into your garden is not climate or cost, but state of mind. Don’t let weather dissuade you from the bold textured foliage and exotic blooms of elephant ear palms, Monstera, Brugmansia and other tropicals.

“Many people tell me that they don’t grow tropicals because [the plants] won’t return,” says Norman Winter, a horticulturist at the Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center, and author of “Paradise Found: Growing Tropicals in Your Own Backyard” (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2001). “I ask them if they grow impatiens, lantanas, peppers, tomatoes – and they usually say yes. These are all tropical in nature.”

If you already grow the ubiquitous tomato, there is no reason not to treat lesser-known tropicals as annuals. These days, an abundance of previously unavailable plants are sold in temperate regions at enticing prices. Most major home improvement stores sell plants like hibiscus, palms and other exotics at costs similar to many disposable annuals.

Why is a vine like the Mandevilla, which blooms from the moment you get it until the first freeze in the fall, a poorer buy than a petunia basket, asks Winter?

But treating tropicals like annuals is only one option for adding an exotic dash to a garden. Depending on the climate zone, certain tropicals and tropical-looking varieties can actually weather the winter.

For years, Will Giles, author of “The New Exotic Garden” (Mitchell Beazley, 2004) and “The Encyclopedia of Exotic Plants for Temperate Gardens” (Timber Press, 2005), has been growing a mixture of plants that look exotic but are in fact hardy – and they’ve been thriving in his garden in decidedly un-tropical Norwich, England. Many of Giles’ selections are higher-elevation relatives of varieties that grow in hot climates.

“Gingers like Hedichium gardenarium look very tropical with their big leaves and stunning flowers, and they come from the foothills of the Himalayas where the nights get cold,” says Giles. At the same time, gingers also grow in the tropics.

The Japanese banana Musa basjoo can survive temperatures down to 20 degrees below zero. Giles has had one growing in his garden for nearly 20 years. The clump of thick stems now covers a 15-by-20-foot area and actually produces bananas. Hardy palms like the Trachycarpus fortunii (also from the Himalayas) can survive down to nearly zero degrees, as can yucca. Staghorn sumac, Carolina jasmine and Cannas all lend a tropical look but are much more hardy than many exotic varieties. Many gardeners will even cut back hibiscus, and if winter is not too severe, it can come back, says Internet tropical plant guru Paul Nawrocki.

Another option for that tropical look is containerization – above or below ground.

“If you move a Ficus inside during the winter, why not a Satsuma orange or a variegated ginger?” asks Winter. “Gingers are easy to grow outside and some, like the variegated shell ginger, make excellent indoor plants.”

As long as the container has adequate drainage, it can be planted with the rest of the plants in the garden. Simply pull them out before the first killing frost and move them indoors.

“Be prepared to lose leaves and not get alarmed. As long as it retains green foliage, it’s fine,” says Nawrocki.

During the spring and summer, planting and care for tropical plants are only slightly different from traditional. They should be planted at the same depth as they are growing in their containers, mulched and fed monthly with a slow-release fertilizer.

“During the frost-free months, the sky is the limit with subtropical to fully tropical plants, such as Bromeliads, Monstera, Brugmansia, Calathea and Alocasis, to name only a few,” says Giles.

To a certain extent, you should try to recreate their natural growing conditions. Many tropicals, especially the non-flowering varieties, are shade-loving plants and do well with morning sun or partial shade. Tropical flowering plants generally need more sun. Lush tropicals may need more water and those from arid climates less.

But primarily, don’t think of it as an alien species.

“Enjoy the plant. Don’t fret over it,” says Nawrocki. “Just watch for the same signs you get with other pants. If the foliage is drooping, it needs water. If the ground feels moist, it’s probably fine.”

The process may require some trial and error, but experts say don’t be afraid to jump into the tropical realm, even if the foliage looks exotic and unfamiliar. If you’re still nervous, start small, advises Monica Moran Brandies, author of “Landscaping with Tropical Plants” (Leisure Arts Inc., 2004). “Don’t invest large sums of money at first. Bring home cuttings from your friends in Florida or California,” she says.

The only real limit is your imagination. Anyone can get the look of the tropics in a backyard, year after year, with the right combination of annuals and perennials and normal plant care. “Be prepared to be amazed at what you can do,” says Moran Brandies. “People are growing bananas in Ohio and palm trees in every state except Alaska.”

Really impress the neighbors by planting exotics like Ricinus communis, which grow from seed up to 10-feet in one season, says Giles. It will create an entirely unique garden image and put you in a different state of mind.

As Winter says: “Once you have these plants in the ground around your patio, put on your Hawaiian shirt, play a little Jimmy Buffett and cook some jerk chicken on the grill. You will feel as though you are in Jamaica even if you can’t go.”

Copyright © CTW Features