Passion vine usually does well here, and mango..it depends on the type. If you stop by the rare fruit people, they grow their plants locally, and can tell you how they do.

A lot of people lately have been interested in the beautiful orchid cacti, coleus does well here and so do crotons. I enjoy my gingers, and most do well here.

It's such a big question that it's really hard to answer.

Thanks Amber. Perhaps I should have asked what are everyone's favorite, fell in love with instantly, can't do without plants.

Now that's a question I can deal with a little easier. Porterweed, Kings Mantle (thunbergia erectus), coleus, coral vine, many sages including B&B and Mystic Spires, Cat's Whiskers, lemon trees, bananas & plantains, firespike, firecracker, firebush, Belinda's Dream rose, caladiums, the big tropical hibiscus, gingers, plumeria, orchids and every cane begonia I ever saw. Oh yeah, and also brugmansia and bromeliads.

I vote for Sanbokan (sweet like lemonaid) Lemon.
Marion

unique, colorful, beautiful plants

Hmmmmmm....
Well, here is a short list of plants that I grow that I think are unique, colorful, and beautiful in my North Tampa garden. This is stuff that I've not seen growing anywhere else around here, and I do see a fair amount of properties.

- Camellia sasanqua "Star Above Star", a fragrant white/pink autumn and winter blooming camellia.
- Iris siberica "Caesar's Brother", purple iris flowers.
- Gloriosa superba, a viney plant with elaborate yellow-red flowers that look like fireworks.
- Vitex negundo, a small tree with interesting serrated leaves and purple spikes of flowers.
- Leonotis leonurus, tall orange flower spikes that do look sort of like a lion's tail.
- Salvia melissodora, lavender flowers that smell like grapes.
- Clematis henryii, a large flowered clematis; white petals and purple-brown anthers.
- Acacia farnesiana, a native tree with fragrant yellow puff-ball flowers.

Some of this stuff you may find at the USF sales or local nurseries. Others will probably only come from outside (internet) sources.
Happy Gardening!
:)

Thunbergia erecta (Thanks for telling me about this one Kate, I love mine!).
Monarda punctata.
Pipevines for the butterflies.
Milkweeds for the butterflies.
Plumbago just because it is so darn easy:)
Dwarf poinciana (not really poinciana but I forget the name)
Pentas for the butterflies.
Rangoon creeper- A big rambling,woody vine that is gorgeous and extremely fragrant. Has 3 colors of flower as they age. My favorite.
Beautyberry.

Have fun at the sale!

Pat

King's Mantle is amazingly beautiful and carefree! Brazilian Sky Flower is a huge vine but wow!
Purple fire spike.
Costus amazonicus has the best varigated leaves.
Iceberg rose blooms so very much, and smells like honey.
Any of the butterfly type hedychiums.
A whole list of kaempheria, but especially shazzam, white diamonds and raven.
My white noid brugmansia.
Alma fig (Ok, not colorful, but tasty! Very tasty!)
Varigated Myers lemon.
All the walking Irises, but especially the blue Neomerica gracilis. These are usually the first plants I give to people, if they don't have them. They share easilly and are so beautiful.
Ti/Cordyline miss andrea, which looks like it's been hand painted.
The big puffy pink Justica "Flamingo Flower" and it's big puffy orange cousin.
Brugmansia frosty pink.
Pink bush morning glory.

Lots of these are easy pass along plants, and I'm a Tampa girl. Come get an arm load of cuttings.

Musicman...
Where do you find camellias??? I love them, but haven't been able to locate locally. I live near Brandon.

Back in January, I happened to see some at Lowe's. They were mislabeled as Camellia japonica... turned out to be the sasanqua, as they were just finishing up with blooming. There were a few different cultivars.

I know that Treemart up here in Tampa has camellias sometimes.

You know how it is, when the cool weather rolls back around, cool weather bloomers like camellias start showing up for sale.

Hope you find some!

I love:
Caladiums, Mameys (the more sun tolerant Croton), escargot Begonias (for shade), Echinacea (for it's ease and colors), and I have 2 recently purchased Hibiscus I believe are Kopper Kings but am not sure. They have the most incredible copper colored stems and burgundy leaves, cannabis-shaped.

Rangoon creeper, definitely! I'm surprised someone actually mentioned it. Found it 5 or 6 years ago at HD or L but never again.

Have fun!

Crinum lilies are great looking and just about impossible to kill.
Hardy gloxinias
bleeding heart vine
papyrus

Gingers are easy to grow and come in a wide range of shapes and colors. Some of my favorites are variegated crepe ginger, ruby queen, and white butterfly.

If your looking for camelias and are ever in Ocala there is a nursery there that specializes in camelias. It's called Bob Wines Nursery and they have hundreds of camelias ranging from small 1 gallon bushes to large tree camelias.

Kerbys nursery in Seffner/Brandon usually has camellias.

Musicman, Can you tell me more about your Salvia melissodora? I love salvias!

Karalynn, your Ruby queen is beautiful!

ariel,

Salvia melissodora, or grape-scented sage, is a nifty perennial for zone 9+. Although mine is still relatively small, they can get up to 5 feet tall with time. The leaves are delightfully aromatic, and have certain medicinal qualities. The purple-blue flowers really do smell like sweet candy grape and hang around for the warm months, which of course makes this plant quite attractive to butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, etc.

It is drought tolerant, pretty fast-growing, and does well in a partial-sun environment. You'd probably find this sage anyplace that specializes in butterfly/hummingbird plants, or of course online. I got mine from Richters.

Highly recommended!

thank you musicman...if and when it ever cools off, I'll keep an eye out!

Thanks everyone for the great recommendations. I picked up a Ragoon Creeper, a sunburst plumeria, blackberry bush, ground orchid, and a gorgeous Iris called gracilis regina at the USF plant sale. I'm going to write down all your suggestions for future plant purchases and/or exchanges. There were quite a few plants I wish I would have gotten but didn't such as a florida native bleeding heart, a dutchman's pipevine, and a pitcher's plant.