Gardening and Landscaping Tips: Tropical Gardening

Contributed by Rick Vuyst at Fruit Basket Flowerland

Give Your Garden The Feel Of The Tropics!

I’ve always had interest in growing plants that were marginally hardy to West Michigan. I’m the type of person that loves 80 and 90 degree weather and humidity! (What am I doing here!?) Anyhow, I as well as many other gardeners have for years used Zone 6 plants like Hydrangea Macrophylla, Crocosmia and Agapanthus with success (and a little TLC) in Michigan. Planted in a “micro-climate” like a patio area or near a foundation wall increases your odds of success in both survival and blooming. Combine that with a little winter protection and a layer of mulch, (thank you very “mulch”), and you can have great success with Zone 6 plants here in West Michigan. Now gardeners such as myself have become inspired to go beyond Zone 6 plants to the use of sub-tropical and tropical plants that aren’t supposed to grow in our area. When it comes to hardiness zones, we are the “hearty” types with a high degree of curiosity and a dash of botanical defiance!

Now that you know my “nature” you can see why I anxiously picked up a copy of David Francko’s book ‘Palms won’t grow here and other myths’. He calls them “warm climate plants for cooler areas”. In his book we learn the science of cold hardiness, developing micro-climates and techniques to add two or more USDA hardiness zones to your garden habitat! He now had my attention! With nerves of steel I was determined to try it and not lose my “composture!” I called David and interviewed him on my radio show on NewsRadio WOOD 1300. In all the years I’ve done radio, his subject created the most interest and feedback from our listeners, second only to moles and squirrels. I was hooked.

Aside from establishing micro-climates in our landscape, I have found 4 issues that greatly enhance your odds of success when you “go out on a limb” with plants generally not considered hardy to your zone.
(1) Make sure the soil drains properly and liberally mulch the plant from October to April.
(2) With plants of marginal hardiness, they have to be planted early in the season. Plant them in May and June so they become well established. Tropical plants planted late in the season will generally not survive.
(3) Understand the difference between ground hardiness temperatures and container hardiness temperatures. Temperature drop and fluctuation is significantly different for a plant above ground in a container than a plant rooted in the ground. These plants will not survive above ground in a container. Our goal with “hardy tropicals” is to keep the portion of the plant below ground alive so it can re-sprout the following year. The top will die in Michigan winters.
(4) Michigan often has hot and humid summers perfect for tropical plant growth. The added bonus is that hardiness is greatly enhanced by sugar production inside the plant. The sunny hot weather aids in this production. In more temperate and cloudy environments like England or Seattle there would be less sugar production making it less “hardened” for the inevitable drop in temperatures at the change of season.

Even if you sail into the uncharted and dangerous waters of “non-hardy” plants in the landscape, the worst that can happen is that they die. Many people purchase tropical plants to use as annuals from May to October. If you can get them to survive without bringing them indoors it’s an added bonus!

With your “hardy tropical plants” use hardy plants to our zone like Hostas, Carex, Ornamental grasses, Acanthus, Monkshood, Aruncus, Ferns, Rodgersia, Ligularia, Heuchera, Daylilies, Brunnera, Yucca, Prickly Pear Cactus, Sedum and Pulmonaria that will add to the tropical feel in your garden.

“Branch out” and “go out on a limb” with some of Rick’s favorite “Warm climate plants for our colder area” or for a “seat of the plants” description: “Hardy Tropical Plants"
Musa Basjoo (Japanese fiber banana)
Canna lily. My favorite is ‘Bengal Tiger’.
Hardy Bamboo (Nandina domestica) I noticed extensively planted in the Seattle area.
Monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana)
Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix)
Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

Have Fun!
Rick Vuyst