Tropical Landscaping Ideas

A friend recently purchased a new home and would like to landscape in a Tropical/Hawaiian/Tiki theme. Her backyard is really huge with an elongated heart-shaped pool with 9 beautiful existing palm trees (3) on each side of the pool.

What plants, palms, trees, shrubs, flowers (flora & fauna) would you suggest for our Southern California climate? What works? What to avoid? What is easy to care for and maintain?

Any suggestions as to informational websites, books, computer landscaping programs. She's a "do-it-yourself" type of person, but vendor, landscaper or contractor information would be a good idea too. Any and all input will be appreciated. Thanks!

Cheeky Girl, take a look at my website below this message. I'd be happy to give you and your friend whatever info you need to do-it-yourself.
Unfortunately since I've moved from So. Cal. I have to be careful what I plant up here in the valley as we get frost in the winter and I have to be selective with the palm trees, but I don't think that's a problem in the San Fernando Valley. Is it?

There's no need to fear
Jungletrader's here!

Spade of lightning, antifungal
Plants and trees he will not bungle
Jungletrader...JUNGLETRADER!

Cheeky. pm me the name and ph# of your friend. I'll have someone call them. I got somebody to help too. Top notch .

i know a guy, who knows a guy...

On 2003-10-29 21:40, thechikitiki wrote:
Cheeky. pm me the name and ph# of your friend. I'll have someone call them. I got somebody to help too. Top notch .

Hey Chiki, you never got back to me as to if your friend can get fair prices on cycads. I'm really looking for Cycas circinalis and any variety of Encephalartos. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks

Oh and, Wow a heart shapped pool! Sweet!

Cheeky, if your friend is interested in palms or cycads, I can send some links to excelent info websites. It's a hobby that can be very pricy. If not, I always suggest giant bird of paradise. They grow very fast and don't take the beating bananas do in the winds we get.

Gingers and Heliconias - a few different kinds.
http://www.stokestropicals.com

Also a few oddities like Eucalyptis Ficus, Fishtail Palm, Malaysian Palm.

Bamboo is a bit difficult to grow well in a container but it looks very tropical.

You've got to have at least one Ti Plant.

I believe there's a palm called Yellow Butterfly Palm - here in FL we call it a Bamboo Palm - but they really look good.

There's this other plant - Cannab... oh, never mind.

Laney, I was given a business card from someone (don't remember who) for a man named Jeff Earl. The card says Jeff Earl: Grower of Exotic Plants Tropical Fruit and Rare Palms. I've never met him but I kept his card. His website and contact info is at http://www.geocities.com/calrarefruit
He resides up here in Modesto
Check out the video of him on the website

[ Edited by: jungletrader on 2003-10-30 07:56 ]

[ Edited by: jungletrader on 2003-10-30 08:02 ]

Some of my favorite exotic Southern California-friendly fauna are:

Bird of Paradise & Giant Bird of Paradise - Heliconias that love SoCal.
Cycads - you'll probably have to find smaller American grown specimens, they're not easy to get imported from the major South African growers.
Jasmine - as a ground cover, climbing vine, or short hedge, I love that smell.
Plumeria - a number of plumerias like SoCal, a touch of Hawaii for the Valley.
Hibiscus - the classic.

Cheekygirl- If your friend is also in the S.F. Valley, she should check out PCC this Sunday (11/2). There is a guy who was on the east side parking lot (perhaps now in the parking structure) who imports some common and not so common tropicals from Mexico. He's incredibly knowledgable and can tell you about sunlight exposure, water needs, etc. And he's cheap. :)

Laney , I PM'd you.

If you want bamboo, go to http://www.endangeredspecies.com . The best place to get live bamboo in socal. We got black bamboo (phyllostachys nigra) and tropical timber bamboo (bambusa oldhamii) from them and both are doing great. We have them in our Japanese garden. I've read tons of stuff on bamboo, so please let me know if you have any questions. The basics though; buy clumping if you're really worried about invasive species, a few basic precautions can make even the most invasive running bamboo safe for planting.

As for tropical stuff, a few things in our polynesian garden; hibiscus - basic and hybrids (try Armstrong's for a nice hybrid selection), plumeria, ti trees, monstera, brunfelsia, tropicana, different bananas, heavenly bamboo, birds of paradise, palms, ferns, zebra grass, oh jeeze there's a whole bunch more I can't remember off hand.
A

[ Edited by: Andrew on 2003-11-04 11:00 ]

Thanks everyone for all the input. I've been so incredibly busy at work that I haven't had a chance to check e-mails and all that good stuff. I'll talk to my friend and see what she would like to do...you guys are just too cool!

There is a plumeria specialist who sells to all the other nursuries right in your own backyard - he's in the yellow pages in northridge.
they die back in winter, but you can grow them here.
also we've had especially great luck in the valley with bird of paradise, banana palms and japanese arelia. queen palms have been just ok. and the hibiscus for some reason have been more finicky.

FuturaGirl, there are Hybiscus now that don't mind the colder weather, or you can put'em on a hill. It's warmer in the winter & cooler in the summer on the side of a hill.

On 2003-10-29 18:46, CheekyGirl wrote:
Her backyard is really huge with an elongated heart-shaped pool with 9 beautiful existing palm trees (3) on each side of the pool.

Um, isn't she already living in a tropical paradise? I have a 3 foot by 5 foot balcony, always in the shade, made of concrete, that is frozen most of the winter... you Californians. Sheesh!

:)

Don;t worry. I'm just jealous!

On 2003-10-29 18:46, CheekyGirl wrote:

What plants, palms, trees, shrubs, flowers (flora & fauna) would you suggest for our Southern California climate? What works? What to avoid? What is easy to care for and maintain?

elephant ears, cannas, banana trees, plumerias, hardy hibiscus. you can easily find these on ebay or bananagarden.org. they have links to their other sites where they sell heliconias,gingers etc.

good luck and post some pics for us fellow gardeners to enjoy!