Trees and Bushes with great showy summer flowers

[dukeofdoom]

I love Hawaii but, I live in Windsor, Ontario zone 6b/7a. It drops below -18 Celsius one day a year or so. I like palms and I'm trying to grow a few as other people here. But I also want to fill my garden with flowering trees and bushes. They don't necessarily have to be tropical, as long as they remind me of Hawaii or put on a show in the summer.


The most tropical looking plants that seem to do very well here are the mimosa tree, rose of sharon and trumpet vine. The rose sharon bushes can grow very large here. I've seen some mature ones pruned into a ball shape tree, and they look very tropical when in bloom. There was a 50+ year old trumpet vine, sadly cut down, that was spectacular. And I love the blooms of the Mimosa tree in the summer.

I was wondering if there are other such flowering shrubs or small trees that will give a Hawaii look in my zone.

Things I already have:

1. Trumpet vines
2. Chocolate Mimosa trees
3. Hardy Gardenia
4. Rose of Sharon
5. Hardy Banana
6. Rhododendrons
7. Windmill Palms
8. Wisteria
9. Hardy Camellias


Your best recommendations for Bushes and Trees with great flowers or berries for my zone 6b/7a +/- ...

Please and thank you

[seedscanada]

ponicirus hardy orange, magnolia grandiflora, you have cannas? Maybe a nice Ensete? Tropical can be a trunking Yucca like Y. rostrata or Y. gloriosa...
And welcome to the forum!

[canadianplant]

I second magnolia. Try and find Magolia tripitala, virginiana, hardy grandiflora hybrids (24 below/edith bogue), stellata or kobus. I do believe some pteris species make it there as well.

I would try hardy kiwi species too. Actinidia Argura, or kolkimitka variaties. Big leaves, small, scented flowers, and if youre lucky, some super sweet kiwi fruit. I would possibly try some figs down there, same with pommegranates. The figs should be ok to come back from the roots, but the pomm, should be espaliered againts a super hot south facing wall.

You could get away with some bamboo there too. I know hawaii has a large population of phyllostachys nigra natrualized in the hills. You could proably get away with nigra there, with some protection, but the hardy Fargesia species seem to do good down there.

You mentioned Mimosa. IS that albezzia julberesian (spelling)?. Im pretty sure theyre hardy there. There is also a native hibiscus. Hibiscus moeschetos. The flowers are HUGE, and look identical to the tropical tree hibuscus, cept the plant is herbaceous. I would also recommend a pawpaw tree (asimina triloba). SMall, shade tolerant native tree, that produces the largest edible fruit in north america. Large 3 lobed leaves, tropical looking small flowers...... and hardy to -30C.

[canadianplant]

Oh! Do NOT forget the brugmensia and datura!!!!!!

[Paul Ont]

I'm not into flowers to much, but I do try to use hardy plants for the tropical look whenever possible. So, a quick list includes:

Try to find, if you can, some of the big leaf Rhododendron hybrids and species. You should be able to grow things like R. calophytum, R. sutchuense, R. praevernum; and hybrids like R. 'Hardy Giant', R. calo x maximum, etc. These will have to be sought out (I know Rhodoland might have 1 or 2 of these). Flowers on most are on par with the usual hybrids.

People often ignore the big-leaf varieties of hosta, these are completely hardy and are, IMO, necessary in a cold climate to give the tropical look.

Agree with jesse on bamboo. You're warm enough in 6b to have to worry about spread of the Phyllostachys species. Fargesia may not like your longer, warmer summers. I'd reccomend Phy. atrovaginata since it quickly upsizes and gets very thick culms. No flowers on these obviously!

Evergreen Magnolias are a must. You shouldn't have to worry much about cultivars since most will do well down your way. Perhaps seek out, if you can find them, the Springgrove selections since they are from a nearly identical climate. If I were you I would also try some of the bi-leaf magnolia types, M. macrophylla grows into Ohio and has massive leaves. Also consider M. obovata, M. tripetala, M. x thompsoniana, and similar. M. macrophylla has both the largest flowers in the genus and the largest leaves ( to 3 feet).

I assume you already grow bananas, but they are a must. Wonder if a hybrid citrus would make it down there?

I also like tree hollies, but they won't satisfy your flower demand. The berries can be very nice, however, and they can really brighten the winter landscape.

What about Aucuba, should be hardy for you, has fairly large leaves, and nice berries. Flowers are small though... Looks somewhat like Croton.

That's all for now. Will post again if I think of others.

[canadianplant]

Some "new", "hardy" species of banana that ive read about:

Musa Itinerans (and var.) (ive seen zone 6 with multch)
Musa "helens hybrid" (supposedly zone 7)
Musa Yunannensis (6 or 7)
Musa "mekong giant"
Musa Sikkimensis

All are experimental below zone 7 as far as ive read.

I forgot one thing as well. You cant have a "hawaian" garden without Taro (colocasia and alocasia). Most are hardy to zone 7, if they stay dry in the winter, or just dig them up and store them liek dahlia. They do well indoors too. You can get small Taro bulbs from loblaws/superstore for pennies each. ITs a staple food in Hawaii, would be fum to experiment with them down there.

[Paul Ont]

Jesse- Be wary of those zone 7 ratings, those are for areas with much shorter/less intense freezes than anywhere in Ontario... besides we only have one 'borderline' zone 7 area in the Niagara region, and a couple more zone 6b areas (Southwest of the province, most of Niagara, some areas along the Erie shore, and the immediate north shore of Lake Ontario as far east as Scarborough).

For hardy bananas I know of people in zone 7 Tennesee (again very different climate) who've had luck with M. itinerans, M. sikkimensis, M. yunnanensis, M. velutina, and even M. rajapuri... In Ontario I only know of people who have overwintered M. basjoo and M. sikkimensis with any regularity... Perhaps due to the rarity of the others?

I tried and lost M. velutina 2x, and M. sikkimensis 1x. I have small plants of itinerans, sikkimensis and yunnanensis. However, basjoo is the only one that I've ever had luck with. That is,, if you call a 7' banana 'luck'!

[dukeofdoom]

Thank you all for the great suggestions.

I've seen Magnolias under planted with big leaf rhododendrons, in a park in Amherstburg, Ont and it looks great. Any recommendations for a Canadian source of the ever green magnolias, pawpaw tree or kiwi? Ontario or online?

Canadianplant - yes it is Albizia julibrissin, but with brown leaves. I only have it planted for year or so.
But there are many people that plant the ones with the green leaves here and they grow well.

Can burgemisia overwinter here? Average yearly low in the last ten years for Windsor is -18.35 (btw, wolfram alpha is great for getting this information for any city) this year is dropped to -15 for a few hours.

Any other flowering trees? In Hawaii many people plant flowering hedges on the side of their driveway. Are there any flowering plants that would form a nice hedge here.
I was thinking of using weigela

[lucky1]

Welcome aboard!

You only get to -18C once or twice a winter?
And you're only a Zone 6b 7a?

Weigelia are fairly expensive but do look tropical when in bloom.
Mine don't bloom long enough to consider for a focal point like a driveway hedge.

I know...I know...it's still not Plumeria.

Barb

[canadianplant]

Jesse- Be wary of those zone 7 ratings, those are for areas with much shorter/less intense freezes than anywhere in Ontario... besides we only have one 'borderline' zone 7 area in the Niagara region, and a couple more zone 6b areas (Southwest of the province, most of Niagara, some areas along the Erie shore, and the immediate north shore of Lake Ontario as far east as Scarborough).

For hardy bananas I know of people in zone 7 Tennesee (again very different climate) who've had luck with M. itinerans, M. sikkimensis, M. yunnanensis, M. velutina, and even M. rajapuri... In Ontario I only know of people who have overwintered M. basjoo and M. sikkimensis with any regularity... Perhaps due to the rarity of the others?

I tried and lost M. velutina 2x, and M. sikkimensis 1x. I have small plants of itinerans, sikkimensis and yunnanensis. However, basjoo is the only one that I've ever had luck with. That is,, if you call a 7' banana 'luck'!

IT would be interesting to see how they would do either way. I personally have two M itinerans "burmese blue" that are doing well in pots, they grow decent even in relative cool temps, like basjoo. I would definitely say rarity is an issue in canada, where its hard to find a basjoo! In snowless winters the key would be a deep multch.


Dukeofdoom - I dont think brugs will over winter there. However, theyre easily dug up and kept indoors for the winter. As for hedges, try some azalea maybe?

One more thing to mention for you. Try Passiflora Incarnata. ITs native to ohio, and I think rare parts of southern ontario (someone correct me if im wrong please). I may also suggest growing soem pinneapple tops indoors for a year or 2, then planting them outdoors for a summer...

[seedscanada]

Coles greenhouse in Grimsby currently has Magnolia grandiflora 'Edith Bogue' and 'Brackens Brown Beauty' Mori greenhouses had Edith Bogue four years ago when I bought mine there.

I sell Pawpaw seeds from mid August to early November as SeedsCanada on eBay:

http://myworld.ebay.ca/seedscanada/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

And I sell pawpaw seedlings every so often. But you can buy pawpaw trees from grimo nut:

http://www.grimonut.com/catalog.php?catID=70

They will ship bare root to you in the spring.

I want to say I bought my Actinidia arguta 'Issai' from connon nurseries in waterdown, but that was 7 years ago, and I really am not impressed with the hardy Kiwi.

[Paul Ont]

A closer source, for you, for So. mag. is Southcoastgardens. Not sure what stock he'll have left, but it would be worth an email.

http://southcoastgardens.ca/index.php

[canadianplant]

Hortico has some Mags listed. THey have a decent selection of rhodies too. Their catalogue is massive. The mags are pricey, but some are 170cm tall...


http://www.hortico.com/roses/products.asp?v