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butterfly15_ca

want to make a 'tropical rainforest' garden

19 years ago

I was wondering which tropical plants would be best to surround a small pond. I want to make the pond look very lush and tropical (not just queen palms and bird of paradise). I am planning on installing mist piping in the larger plants to provide humidity if needed. I live in Sunset zone 15/ USDA 9b and would appreciate help choosing plants. Thanks!

Comments (5)

  • 19 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    there are hardy bananas! :o) and if you have some shade, clerodendrons, and cannas....

  • 19 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    There are plenty of plants that will give you the "tropical look" while still being hardy for your climate. None of them need your special misting and many of them are actually quite drought tolerant.

    MEDIUM SHRUBS --

    Abutilopn hybrids FLOWERING MAPLE
    Camellia sasanqua (and related) SMALL CAMELLIAS
    Cordyline stricta AUSTRALIAN TI PLANT
    Fuchsia triphylla SHRUB FUCHSIA
    Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (hardiest: Agnes GaltÂ, ÂBrilliantÂ, ÂCrown of BohemiaÂ,
    ÂRoss EsteyÂ, ÂWhite WingsÂ) HIBISCUS
    Malvaviscus arboreus TURKÂS CAP
    Salvia darcyi RED MOUNTAIN SAGE
    Salvia regla MOUTAIN SAGE


    SUBSHRUBS--

    Impatiens sodenii (I. oliveri) POOR-MANÂS RHODODENDRON
    Lobelia laxiflora angustifolia MEXICAN LOBELIA
    Melianthus major HONEY BUSH
    Rusellia equisetiformis FIRECRACKER PLANT
    Thunbergia battiscombei SCRAMBLING SKYFLOWER
    Trachelium caeruleum BLUE THROATWORT

    SMALL VINES--

    Asarina antirrhinifolia VIOLET TWINING SNAPDRAGON
    Asarina barclaiana MEXICAN VIPER
    Bauhinia corymbosa CLIMBING BAUHINIA
    Hibbertia scandens GUINEA GOLD VINE
    Lapageria rosea CHILEAN BELLFLOWER, COPIHUE
    Maurandya barclaiana CLIMBING SNAPDRAGON

    LARGE PERENNIALS --

    Alpinia zerumbet SHELL GINGER
    Anigozanthos species and hybrids KANGAROO PAW
    Hedyciuim coronarium WHITE GINGER
    Hedychium gardnerianum KAHILI GINGER
    Musella lasiocarpa HARDY "BANANA"
    Phormium species and hybrids NEW ZEALAND FLAX
    Salvia involucrata ROSELEAF SAGE
    Salvia guaranitica BLUE ANISE SAGE
    Strelitzia reginae BIRD-OF-PARADISE
    Zantedeschia 'Green Goddess', 'Hercules'

    SMALL-MEDIUM PERENNIALS --

    Asparagus densiflorus ÂMeyeriÂ, ÂSprengeri ASPARAGUS FERNS
    Astelia chathamica SILVER SPEAR
    Begonia grandis HARDY BEGONIA
    Bergenia cordifolia, B. crasifolia BERGENIA
    Clivia miniata KAFFIR LILY
    Cymbidium hybrids CYMBIDIUM ORCHID
    Dianella intermedia NEW ZEALAND BLUEBERRY
    Epipactis gigantea HELLEBORINE
    Liriope muscari BLUE LILYTURF
    Ophiopogan jaburans GIANT LILYTURF
    Salvia buchananii BUCHANANÂS FUCHSIA SAGE
    Setaria palmifolia PALM GRASS
    Tradescantia pallida ÂPurpurea PURPLE HEART

    GRASSES AND GRASSLIKE PLANTS --

    Austrostipa ramosissima AUSTRALIAN PLUME GRASS
    Baumea rubiginosa ÂVariegata STRIPED RUSH
    Carex dissita BUSH SEDGE
    Carex phyllocephala 'Sparkler' SPARKLER SEDGE
    Chondropetalum giganteum GIANT CAPE RUSH
    Chondropetalum tectorum CAPE RUSH
    Elegia capensis BROOM REED
    Elegia equisetacea HORSETAIL RESTIO
    Juncus effusus ÂSpiralis SPIRAL SOFT RUSH
    Ophiopogon planiscapus ÂNigrescens BLACK MONDO GRASS
    Rhodocoma capensis ELEGANT RESTIO
    Rhodocoma gigantea DEKRIET, BAMBOO RESTIO

    FERNS --

    Cyrtomium falcatum HOLLY FERN
    Pyrrosia lingua JAPANESE TONGUE FERN

    HARDIEST BROMELIADS --

    Aechmea recurvata and vars. benrathii and ortgiesii
    Billbergia distachia and var. maculata
    Billbergia nutans
    Billbergia pyramidalis and var. striata
    Billbergia ÂSanta BarbaraÂ
    Bromelia balansae
    Dyckia ferox
    Dyckia fosteriana
    Dyckia fosteriana x brevifolia
    Fasicularia pitcairnifolia
    Puya alpestris
    Puya berteroniana
    Puya chilensis
    Puya raimondii
    Puya spathacea
    Tillandsia grandis
    Tillandsia ionantha
    Tillandsia recurvata

    Joe

  • 19 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Look at plants from the "elephant ear" families...Colocasia, Allocasia
    Papyrus
    Calla lillies
    Day lillies

    I have Azara micophylla, Kniphofia (red hot poker)
    Tuberose, Black Calla, Salvia patens, Japanese iris, Variegated Azara, Baby tears and creeping Jenny (lysomachia nummularia) among others around mine.

  • 19 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    A few smaller palms with a maximum height of 10-20 ft. that might lend themselves to your project:

    Phoenix roebelenii, takes low of 25F, max. height about 10 ft, nice and feathery, but with spines at base of fronds, (not kid friendly), easy to find. Full sun. Nice planted in groups.

    Dypsis baronii or Dypsis lutescens, takes low temp. to 28F, multi-trunked, nice rings on trunk, elegant feather palm to max. 20 ft. Baronii is green, lutescens has yellow petioles and trunk, fronds will yellow in cold. Probably best in part shade. Might be harder to find; check Lowe's.

    Chamaedorea elegans, the old parlor palm. Shade, short sun exposure ok. Tolerates lows to about 26F. Will not exceed 6 ft. I have one several years old, it's maybe 3 ft. Nice dark green feather palm, very tropical looking. Look in houseplants. Chamaedorea cataractum, with multiple stems in pot, looks similar but isn't as cold hardy, needs *lots* of water.

    Rhapis excelsa, or Lady Palm. Expensive. Beautiful dark green fan palm with an elegant "drape" to the fans. Shade, low temps to low 20's. You see these in hotel lobbies a lot, we should use them in our gardens more. Height to about 10 ft. some varieties taller, slow growing. Readily available at HD, at least around here.

    All palms require good drainage, attention to soil preparation is a must.

    You could always set colorful neoregelia or aechmea bromeliads out in pots (I sometimes tuck the pots into the ground or mulch) in summer and bring them indoors when the weather gets too cool for them. They will need at least part shade, or filtered light; a few varieties like full sun.

    Aechmea blanchetiana and no-name tillandsia:
    {{gwi:487270}}

    Quesnelia quesneliana blooming over neoregelia concentrica hybrids:
    {{gwi:551845}}

  • 19 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I'd want plants near a pond to be low-litter, so that constant cleanup of the pond is not required. Something to keep in mind.

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