The Lovely Christmas Cassia

How would you like a tropicalesque bush with lush green leaves and showy yellow flowers that makes an amazing statement in a yard in the fall?  If you do, then I present to you the Christmas Cassia.

The flowers are so profuse that they cover the large shrub.  They will fall forming a carpet of fallen petals under the plant too.  Butterflies and bees come in by the droves to visit the blooms in the fall just before that first killing frost.

The plant gets 10' or so tall and can be just as wide.  It likes full sun and reasonably moist soil.  I have mine planted against the south side of my house to keep it going as long as possible before being killed to the ground by frost.  (In the above picture, the large leaves are from a brugmansia plant and the smaller leaves are from the cassia.)  It will come back each year in zone 8 where I live.  Further south it can stay evergreen year-round.  This plant is very fast growing and should be trimmed back to keep it from sprawling and flopping.

The plant is a host for the sulphur family of butterflies - those bright yellow ones you see all over.  This makes it even more attractive to me since I'm so fond of butterflies.  It is not a great plant for northern areas because it needs a fairly long growing season to reach the point of making flowers.  However, when it does reach flowering time, it does so with gusto!  Highly recommended for the Gulf Coast region.

Plants and Elephants

There is a square "courtyard" type area in our yard where we annually put a swimming pool up for our three children.  Last year, I got the bright idea to make this area into a tropical square.  It's perfect for this because it's in a sunny place on the south side of our house and quite sheltered from north winds.  It has become my place to experiment with various tropicals.  No tropical area is complete without some elephant ears (colocasias and alocasias.)  I picked up two beautiful colocasias this year as my first victims.

I love the dark-colored, purplish colocasias.  Purple Ruffles fits that bill and it quickly found a spot in the tropical square.  It is a medium-sized colocasia that should thrive in Louisiana.

This is what is looks like now.  The leaves are burnt around the edges because of the drought conditions we had this year.  Tropicals typically don't fare well in drought!  Still, it's growing and I anticipate great things next year.

One of the colocasias that I really love is Thailand Giant.  It makes such a loud statement in the yard!  This is one that requires plenty of water and fertilizer to look best.  This year was not ideal, but my plant still looks fine with all the supplemental water I've given it.  If it survives the winter well, I really want to baby it next year and get those giant leaves this plant is known to get.

My plant has leaves only about 3' long which is quite below the possible 6' size of this plant.  These plants grow well in zones 8 and higher.  It's best to put them in large pots if you live further north.  They will die back to the ground every winter only to come back strong in mid-spring.  They prefer part shade and moist, rich soil.

Have a Cigar - Mexican Cigar Plant

I usually have at least one blog entry per year singing the praises of this unique plant, the Mexican cigar plant or cuphea ignea.  Looking at the blooms, it should be obvious why it has this name.  The little blooms closely resemble small cigars or cigarettes.  If that's what the blooms are, then hummingbirds are notorious nicotine addicts, because they love the blooms on this plant.  

The blooms usually begin for me in early May and continue right up till the first frost of Autumn.  These plants thrive on heat and humidity, being native to Mexico and Central America.  The blooms are profuse for nearly the whole time.

The plant itself has a pleasing and full form if kept pinched back.  Occasionally through the year if mine starts to look lanky, I'll prune the tips back to encourage a more full look.  The leaves are a pleasing dark green that contrasts well with the bright orange flowers.  The shrub only gets to about 4' high for me and maybe 2.5' wide.

The plant dies to the ground in my zone 8b yard, but it has reliably come back for several years with no special protection.  It comes up from the roots once the ground warms up in the spring.  It prefers a sunny spot and semi-tropical conditions.  I wouldn't use it for a dry spot, though it does take minor droughts well.  As mentioned above, this is certainly one of the best hummingbird plants you can put in the ground, so it's truly worthy for that reason alone.  It's such a no-fuss workhorse that I really recommend it for the South.  It would probably be only an annual in zones any further north than zone 7b.

More Beautiful Foliage

I made a large entry two days ago and with the Blogger trouble, it got wiped out.  Anyway, here is some more plants that look good precisely because of their striking foliage.  Aren't the leopard spotted leaves of this calla attractive?  The flowers it makes are just an added bonus.

Here is a better picture of the glamorous Bengal Tiger canna leaf. You can clearly see the red outline around the perimeter of the leaf and the striking stripes.  This plant makes a terrific statement in a tropicalesque bed.

I'm not overly fond of the ubiquitous elephant ear - at least the common ones you see everywhere down here.  They will easily take over an area and start looking "ratty."  However, there are some cultivars of colocasia that are fabulous.  This one is called Black Ruffles.  The leaves get to be a deep purple color as they age.  Another great specimen for the tropical bed.

And if the above plants don't make a big enough statement, I present to you the Thailand Giant colocasia.  This plant will make leaves over five feet long and over 3 feet wide!  You must keep it well watered and fertilized for that type of performance though.

If you want something a little less bold and demanding, then nothing beats a good old-fashioned fern.  This is one I recently planted in a shady area on the foundation of my house.  Doesn't it look lush?  Foliage plants add so much to flower beds if you need to have a more full look.  Don't neglect to add some of these beauties to your gardens.

Sometimes All You Need Is Foliage

I have a number of plants that are solely placed because of their beautiful and interesting foliage.  Caladiums are among the brightest and best plants for shade precisely because of their delectable foliage.  The caladium above is called White Queen.  It makes a very bold statement in a shady area.

Here's another picture with more caladiums.  Be sure to put these in a shady, moist area.  They should be put out once the weather turns hot.  In the very deep South, they often return after over-wintering in the ground, but elsewhere you must dig them up in the fall.

Another bold statement in a tropicalesque bed is this lush Bengal Tiger canna.   In contrast to caladiums, these do best in bright sun.  They will still do fine in part shade though.  The leaves are grean with yellow stripes and each leaf has a red highlight all around the edge.  These are bold and beautiful and will spread rapidly to make many more.  Keep them well fertilized and watered.  In my zone 8 area, these never need to be dug up and will come back every year.

Yet another plant that makes for striking foliage is the ornamental sweet potato.  This particular one is a chartreuse-green variety called Sweet Caroline.  You can also get these with burgundy foliage and it looks just as good.  These will easily fill out an area under a tree in a dry, sunny, poor-soiled place.  They have almost no pests and require no care once established.  They will completely die once a frost hits and must be treated as an annual.

These plants are just some of the great ones for filling out an area between flowering perennials and shrubs.  They give a garden that "full" look that is so desirable.  Don't neglect the fillers!

Tropical Hibiscus

Tropical hibiscus should be treated as an annual unless you have a nice place to keep them when the temperatures get cold.  They can't take a freeze at all and I've never had success over-wintering them outside.  My wife, Jo, loves them though and always wants one.  She particularly likes the orange ones.  This week is her birthday, so when I saw this one at a nursery the other day, it had to come home with me.  This variety was developed by Dupont Nursery right here in Louisiana, and it is called "Cajun Orange."  It has a lovely "dreamsicle" orange color that doesn't show as well on the computer. 

I planted it in this large pot which it will fill out quite well in a couple of months.  Hibiscuses can get long and lanky, so I recommend you snip them back once they start getting too tall.  They will bloom all the way till frost if you keep them well-watered and fertilized.  They must have full sun to thrive. 

Spending Time With Clockvine

Having written in the past about other members of the thunbergia family, it's time for me to report on the grandest of them all - Thunbergia Grandiflora, often called Bengal Clockvine or just clockvine.  The normal color of the flowers is this purplish-blue, but there are white ones available.

They closely resemble Heavenly Blue morning glories, at least to me.  The blooms don't really start till the days start to shorten in September. 

This flower grows on a lush, tropical vine that is beautiful even without flowers.  The vine is from India and is hardy to zone 8.  It will die to the ground after a freeze, but reliably comes back for me each year.  It's quite fast growing and will cover a fence pretty well in a growing season. 

Here's a picture of the vine so you can see just how lush it it.  It prefers a sunny area and loamy soil.  Mine gets adequate moisture because I have it irrigated.  It's a much bigger plant than its sisters in the thunbergia family - Black-eyed Susan vine, King's mantle, and scrambling sky-vine.  It's yet another of those unusual plants that many people don't know about and you seldom see.  I don't know why this is because clockvines are so easy and do so well in our hot, humid Southeast US.  It makes a nice substitute for morning glories if you want a vine that comes back every year and isn't as invasive.

Fit for a King

These purple flowers with golden throats come from a tropical shrub I have growing in my yard called Thunbergia Erecta, or King's Mantle.  I'm guessing the royal purple color is where the popular name came from.  This is a lesser known member of a family of mostly vines, such as Black-eyed Susan vine, clock vine, and scrambling skyflower.  The flowers closely resemble morning glories, but this plant is certainly no vine.  This grows into a small shrub with shiny, attractive foliage and tons of these flowers in late summer and fall. 

Here is a better picture of the shrub, though it is squashed between an alocasia and some lantanas.  This plant came back for me this year despite the colder than normal winter we had.  It's not reliably hardy in my zone 8b area, but usually makes it.  I bought it on a whim at an LSU Arboretum sale last year and am so glad I did.  It's a very different plant and many people have asked us what it is because it's not common.  Put it in a sunny and sheltered spot where it will get good moisture and still be protected from freezing temperatures.  Mine is thriving with no extra care. 

Turkish Delight

The cute Turk's Cap is a member of the hibiscus family.  It does equally well in full sun or part shade.  The bright red, partially open blooms resemble a turban, hence the name.  It is a favorite nectar source for hummingbirds and so should be planted in any yard that wants to attract them. 

My bush is fairly new and small.  It's planted in filtered sun and gets plenty of water, which it likes.  This is a plant that does not take drought well.  It can get to almost small tree size in tropical climates, but dies back to the ground every winter in my zone 8b area.  It's hardy through zone 8, but should be protected in colder areas where the ground freezes.  At the end of summer when many of my plants are looking ragged, this lovely shrub is thriving and looking its best.

Put On Your Royal Robes

This delightful purple and gold flower is known as King's Mantle.  (My camera does not capture the true purple coloration of the bloom.)  It's scientific name is thunbergia erecta, and it's in the same family as Black-eyed Susan vine, clock vine, and scrambling skyflower. 

The "erecta" in the name comes from the fact that this plant is a bush and not a vine, which is a contrast with all of its cousin thunbergias.  The leaves are deep green and beautiful, as you can see in the photos.  It will get almost tree sized in more tropical climates, such as southern Florida.  It has no pests that I know of.

The plant is not reliably hardy even in my zone 8B area.  However, mine surprisingly survived this last winter which was colder than normal.  I recommend you plant this in a protected place in your yard.  It prefers full sun and tropical conditions, so give it plenty of water.  It really thrives in hot weather.  It would make a unique and different potted plant for Northerners, since it's not often seen.  And for all you LSU Tiger fans out there, there is no flower that more perfectly matches our team's colors than this one!

The Star of the Summer Show

The unquestioned star of the late summer show in my yard is Butterfly Ginger (hedychium coronarium.)  The snow-white bloom clusters on top of lush, strap-like foliage says "the tropics" like nothing else. 

The plant looks something like a corn stalk.  I like them growing close to some sort of support because they can get top heavy and flop over.  They get around 5' tall.  I think they would look great at the back of a tropical bed along with some cannas and banana trees.

The flowers put out a fragrance that is intoxicating and will fill the whole yard on a summer evening.  I have them stategically placed around my yard so as to really get good scent coverage.  This is one of my favorite fragrances of all time - it's very similar to a gardenia smell.

These plants spread very readily from the roots and eventually will form a large grove of stalks.  There will be plenty to share in just a few years.  They do not take drought very well and will not survive winters north of about zone 7b unless really protected.  Mine die to the ground each winter only to return better than ever in the spring.  I have them growing in everything from shade to full sun.  The ones in full sun need more water and don't look as happy as the ones that get at least some shade.  Every Louisiana yard should have some of these.

The Reason I Plant Bengal Tiger Cannas

Folks, this is the reason I plant the Bengal Tiger canna.  It's not for the velvety orange and striking flowers., it's for these striking leaves.  What a statement they make!  I just had to share this photo though it makes for two blog entries in one day.

A Bloom I Can't Wait To Smell

 

Care to guess what this cone-like bud is?  It's the lovely Butterfly Ginger (hedychium.)  There is no late summer flower I love more than this one.  It will fill the whole yard with a delicate, gardenia-like fragrance on a summer evening.  I love it so much that I've spread these around the yard in strategic places to make sure I get good coverage.  They are extremely easy to grow, with new shoots coming up from the roots by the dozens.  They are related to cannas and will grow anywhere their cousins will.  Give them plenty of water or they will look sad.  One issue with them is that they get tall and top heavy causing floppiness unless you give them some support.  Everyone in the South needs this plant.  One whiff and you'll be hooked.  By the way, they are very reliable to come back for me, even after this particularly cold winter.  I'll post pictures of the flowers when they come out.

Have a Cigar

This is a Mexican Cigar plant, or Cuphea ignea.  If this is a cigar, then consider all hummingbirds to be nicotine addicts, because they LOVE this small, flowering shrub.

The flowers are 1" - 2" tubes that are reddish-orange in color.  As you may know, red is also the favorite color of hummingbirds, so this makes the flowers doubly attractive to them. 

The shrub is fairly dense with dark green leaves.  The blooms usually start for me in May.  The plant dies back to the ground after a freeze, so it makes a fresh start each spring.  It's quite reliable to come back in my zone 8B yard.

The plant grows quickly and easily reaches 3' - 4' tall.  It makes a fine foundation plant or back-of-the-border perennial.  It does best in a sunny spot.  I have yet to see any disease or insect damage on my plant.

I recommend cutting this plant back about once a month after it reaches a height of 3 feet.  This keeps is bushier in appearance and less leggy at the bottom.  No gardener wishing to attract hummingbirds should be without this plant.  It grows quickly enough to use as an annual or potted plant in the North.

Lush Tropical Foliage

Nothing looks better in a flower bed or garden in summer than lush, flourishing, tropicalesque foliage to blend in with your blooms and hide the naked legs of tall plants.  In one of my beds, I have a tropical plant that has fit the bill for me over the last three years.  My problem is that I have no idea what it is!  Below is a picture showing off the leaves of this healthy beauty.  A lady that I bought some daylilies from just pulled a piece of her plant off and gave it to me.  I plopped it into the ground, watered, and it promptly took off.

I am quite familiar with elephant ears and this plant does not seem to be one of any type, though it could be related.  It dies to the ground every winter, but faithfully comes back in the spring.  It's growing among my lantanas, roses, plumbago, King's Mantle, and a sago palm.  It really adds and fills in this area when a shot of green is really needed and helpful.  Below is a picture from another angle showing it on the right side of a Ham and Eggs lantana. 

If anyone out there can identify this plant, I would be extremely happy.  Even the lady that gave it to me didn't know what it is.  She just knew it thrived well in our area.  Don't neglect to have a few foliage plants in your garden.  They add so much to a garden.

Addendum: I've since definitely identified this tropical plant as an Alocasia cucullata, also called a "Buddha's Hand."  It's related to elephant ears.

The Angel Trumpet

Here are a couple of pics of some Angel Trumpet (brugmansia) flowers on my plant. This is an easy plant to grow but it takes a little extra care to make it thrive. I've found that mine wants LOTS of water and fertilize in order to bloom and look its best. Brugs are quite easy to get cuttings from - all you have to do is cut a branch off and put it in water and it will shortly begin putting out roots. So they make a great pass-a-long shrub. Many varieties also put out wonderful fragrance, though my particular plant only has a slight smell, much to my chagrin. They die down to the ground when a freeze hits, but usually come back in zones 8 and higher.

A Flower Fit for a King

This lovely purplish-blue flower is commonly called King's Mantle. I suppose it's because of the royal coloration of the blooms. Its real name is thunbergia erecta. It's in the same family as Black-eyed Susan vine and Sky Vine, but it is a bush rather than a vine. King's Mantle cannot take frost and dies to the ground in winter, though it usually comes back in zone 8 if given some good mulching in the winter. Try this lovely bush in a container if you live up North.

King's Mantle

This wonderful blue bloom is on my thunbergia erecta, better known as King's Mantle. This plant is in the same family as the Scrambling Sky flower and looks very similar. The main difference is that it grows on an upright bush rather than a vine. It's not very hardy and may not come back even in Louisiana without lots of protection. It makes a gorgeous plant for a semi-tropical garden and I really like it. I got mine at a sale at the LSU Arboretum last fall, so it cost me very little.