PP
Joined: Jan 04, 2017
Posts: 982
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PP
Howdy Mike! Thanks for the comments. My climate issues go beyond simple winter lows--we dropped down to 22F for a day or so last December, which damaged my bananas and satsumas, but we dropped below freezing only twice more the rest of the winter (30F or thereabouts) and didn't receive enough chill hours for my apple, pear and plum trees to fruit. And only one of my low chill peaches fruited. So our winters are mild, but we have more brief freezes. The opposite end of the spectrum is more problematic. Summers get hot and are often dry. August can be depended on to exceed 100F most or all of the time. Which you're no stranger to. The problem is that we have high humidity (not Florida humidity, but still) above 80 percent even during droughts. Our nights don't cool off like in the desert or California coast. Whereas others in hot climes are enjoying respites from the heat with 50F nights, our "lows" only drop to the mid-80s. That's really rough on many plant species. So, let's discuss each plant you suggest, because this is a good list that can benefit others with the same questions:
Cape Honeysuckle climbing vine with orange flowers-- Good choice. The Texas native is coral honeysuckle. Beautiful coral-colored flowers and drought tolerant. Japanese honeysuckle is common here but invasive, and the flowers aren't as showy.
Gardenia-- Hadn't considered gardenias. Not sure they'd like my moderately alkaline clay soil. Will investigate further.
Canna Lily-- Cannas are great. They add a quick tropical flair to any garden. I already have some, but hope to add some "Pretoria" types, as the foliage is even more striking.
Cardboard Palm (Zamia)/Sago Palm-- Drought tolerant. Sago, at least, grows very well here. I have four in my front yard. A note of caution: Every part of this plant is toxic, particularly the walnut-sized seeds, which dogs love to chew on. I just removed one from my backyard last spring because of this.
Bird of Paradise-- I have one in-ground. The roots may or may not survive our occasional freezes, but I intend to wrap it with C9 Christmas lights and a frost cloth for protection. That's worked for my bananas, so we'll see. There's also Pride of Barbados, which is a gorgeous, durable flower often mistakenly called "Mexican Bird of Paradise." Drought-tolerant and regrows from the roots after a freeze.
{i]Hibiscus--[/i] Many folks don't realize there are native and cold-tolerant hibiscus available. I have two Rose-of-Sharons, which can grow to 10' tall, but other hardy types are smaller and more shrubby. The amazing Lord Baltimore type is high on my wish list. And as an added bonus, these are all edible and can be used for hibiscus tea.
Ponytail Palm-- Wouldn't survive in the ground here because of the cold. Strictly a potted plant. But a good accent plant and pest-free.
Pineapple plant-- I've started several pineapple plants in the past year, all of which have fallen victim to our beagles.
Foxtail fern-- Great accent plant. Regrows from the roots after a freeze. We've got similar asparagus fern growing here.
Rubber Tree-- Gorgeous plant, but toxic to dogs and cold-sensitive. No go for me.
Taro/Elephant Ear-- Water hog. It'd need heavy watering during our summers, and we're in perpetual conservation mode. Also, these have become terribly, terribly invasive in our waterways.
Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum)-- Attractive, tropical vine. Can become invasive. Best for pots.
Large-leaf Philadendron-- Can survive in-ground here with some protection. They're common in San Antonio, particularly on the River Walk. Unfortunately, they're quite toxic to humans and pets, so I'm avoiding.
Mint-- Mint is easy to grow and can be invasive, but from my experience, it's no match for Texas in August. We had quite a variety at our old house, but didn't give it supplemental water one summer and it all withered. I want to add some here, but haven't figured out the best location.
Plumaria-- I have a plumeria in-ground, where it seems to be happy. Will try to overwinter it with frost cloth and C9 lights. If that doesn't work, there are dwarf types suitable for pots.
Caladium-- Very attractive and common throughout the South. Easier to care for than the bigger Elephant Ears (they don't need as much water, at any rate). Not sure about invasiveness issues. I've become intrigued by the related Alocasia (African Mask) recently. It's more cold-sensitive, so would be strictly a pot plant.
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