Canna, Hibiscus, Ruellia

[TerdalFarm]

My son took this cell phone snap of my today. I'm standing where the big Sabal palmetto was last year at this time; a tiny one that came back from the dead is doing well at my feet.
The bedding plants here are Canna (Tropicanna, City of Portland), Ruellia (mexican petunia) and Hibiscus coccinea "texas star". All came back great from -22 F / -30 C and loved the heat (to 113 F / 46 C). Basically neglected as we have had, uh, challenges, but they look good regardless.
If any one wants tropical-looking plants that can take both cold and heat, and thrive on neglect, consider these inbetween the palms



<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/P ... site"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BPAR ... AG0839.jpg" height="800" width="505" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm ... >September 2011</a></td></tr></table>

[TimMAz6]

your S. palmetto died after a low of -30C? I want my money back!!! I recall that strange cold night you had. What was your biggest surprise after that low?

[TerdalFarm]

The huge cabbage palm died in Autumn, causes unknown. I wrapped the corpse in heat tape and burlap and mulched the heck out of it in hopes of a Lazarus thing, and was rewarded with the little guy in Spring.

That low was record-setting (typical of 2011 !). The "trick" was that January was freaky warm, so the soil was warm when before we got record snow. Thus, perennials such as these sailed through the record cold that BLEs were killed by.

Colocassia and Musa basjoo also came through--thanks to soil that was +1 C when the air was -30 C.

Of the plants you like, I have to give a shout-out to Hesperaloe. Mine had its leaves out in the air at -30 C, and baked in the sun in the rock garden when the air was +46 C (had to be MUCH hotter where it is)--yet it flowered.

[TimMAz6]

Hesperaloe is one tough plant. They don't seem to thrive up here in my climate........do they dislike low pH soils? I'm not sure why the 2 plants I have do so poorly. I can't remember the last time they bloomed here......2005?

[sidpook]

I have been noticing the ruellia all over here now. Even if they die back in winter, they come back very thick in spring. Never noticed them before this year.

[TerdalFarm]

I think "trendy" is the word for Mexican petunia.
Every garden in Belize has them, and many in the southern US.
In my garden, they require minimal care. I mulch them after the first frost, and water them some when we have temps >105. Hummingbirds like them.

They can get weedy and even invasive, so I think they should be used primarily at the northern edge of where they can be grown. Tim, do you know if Bill's came back after winter?