I'll be happy to list some for you, but first: Will these be in full sun, partial or dappled shade, or part sun? And, if in part sun, what time of day will they get the sunlight?

Also, (and I hate to ask this in the middle of the worst summer wind season that I've ever seen here) how sheltered is the back yard from the wind? Lots of tropical-looking plants have big leaves, and the wind can just shred those leaves if your back yard isn't fairly sheltered.

Finally, what kind of soil do you have? How much organic material is in the soil? How well does it drain? Do you know your soil pH?

Dawn

I have grown a lot of tropicals and they are my favorite plants, but I have a greenhouse and dig most of mine up in the fall and overwinter them inside. Here are a few of the plants I am able to leave outside in the ground.

a lot of the Alocasia, Colocasia, & Xanthosoma elephant ears
Voodoo Lilies - Sauromatum venosum, Amorphophallus 'Konjac'
Arum Italicum
Musa 'Basjoo' , Musella Lasiocarpa 'Golden Lotus Banana'
Musa 'Sikkemmensis' is supposed to be hardy here but I've lost it twice, once in Murray Co. & once in Garvin Co.
Cannas
Brugmansia & some Datura
Zantedeschia aethiopica 'White Giant' - giant calla lily
Hedychium coronarium - Butterfly Ginger
Purple Heart
Justicia brandegeana - Shrimp Plant
Pineapple Plants - not hardy here but easy to overwinter inside. Will produce pineapples their second year and give your garden a tropical feel
Passiflora 'Incarnata'
Passiflora 'Caerulea'
Passiflora 'Lutea'
Bears Breech - Acanthus Mollis - has a large leaf, tropical appearance
castor bean plants in red & green both give a very tropical look in the garden
I grow lotus in large pots, and they give a tropical feel

I highly recommend the book The Exotic Garden: Designing with tropical plants in almost any climate by Richard Iversen. This is by far my favorite tropical plant book and I took a lot of his ideas/designs for my own gardens.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Exotic Garden

I knew that Dawna would have the answer for you! She's got great talent in growing a lot of tropicals. They are discovering each and every year that a lot of tropical plants can survive in colder temps. Probably won't be long before we can grow Bird of Paradise outside in the ground! LOL!

Another large-leaved plant that I grow (it does sucker, so you have to be on top of it), is Rice Paper Plant (Tetrapanax). The leaves can get to be 2' long and wide! It's a monster!

To me, the large leaved hostas give a tropical feeling. I have two that get quite large - 'Blue Angel' and 'Sum & Substance'. The blue takes more shade, and the S&S can take more sun because of it's yellowish green leaves.

Now, the Bird of Paradise SHRUB is also quite tropical looking (flowers), and is hardy in Oklahoma. The flowers are gorgeous.

Petasites gigantea variegated has large leaves and is hardy here. Gorgeous in spring to early summer, but gets kind of ratty in the heat, but comes back in the fall.

Mayapple (a native) is the same.

Ostrich ferns, which are very tall and plumy, also give a tropical feel to the garden.

I grow hardy begonia, too (begonia evansiana), which is hardy in the ground. The leaves get reasonably large, are a bright green with maroon back, and panicles of bloom in late summer-early fall.

Daturas (lots of different cultivars and species) have large leaves and even larger trumpet shaped flowers (about 6-8" long or longer). I haven't tried to grow Brugmansias here (datura flowers face upward, and brugs flowers face downward; same family). Lots of brugs out there. Mulch them well to winter over.

I have heard the philodendron bipinatifia is hardy in the ground in zone 7, but haven't tried it - have you, Dawna?

Susan

Susan

Sorry its been a few days,
I have some sooil samples off being tested now so I dont know my ph yet. As far as wind... we got pounded this past thursday night and I lost two old trees that provided most (if not ALL of my shade. Apparently in SW Oklahoma your garde can change dramatically in a matter of minutes. SO... now I have a bunch of crushed plants in a garden that gets almost full sun from about noon until dusk. My focus has shifted from planting to replacing trees and re-establishing my micro climate (as well as repairing the roof damage) and other storm related clean-up.

I do want to thank all of ya for the input, and maybe next spring I'll be ready to use some of the good advice.

Nubieflea,

I am sorry to hear about your trees.....well, that changes things doesn't it. I hated to read that you not only lost trees, but other plants and had roof damage as well.

And, I agree, pretty much anywhere in Oklahoma the winds can change your garden....and your life....in minutes. This past winter, many in central Oklahoma and northern Oklahoma suffered massive tree losses in a very severe ice storm, and it was (I think) the second year in a row to have massive ice storm damage in some parts of the state. We've had ice storm damage here once in 10 years, but it was minor compared to what they had up north earlier this year.

We've been here in south-central Oklahoma for 10 years and the trees we planted around the house after it was built are just now (finally!) large enough that I am changing from some full-sun to part-shade plants underneath them.

Good luck with the clean-up and repair. It seems like our motto around here ought to be "There's always next year!"

Dawn

Whatever you do, don't plant Bradford Pears (not that you intended to). They will go in the slightest wind.

I have a tree that I adore and that has not been affected by ice storms or straight line winds. It's a contorted mulberry. Small by most tree standards (gets up to 25' tall). But, it grows faster than Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. I love the limbs in winter, when there is little interesting in the garden. The leaves on it get humongous, up to 10" long and 8" wide.

It provides lots of shade due to the foliage on it. Doesn't fruit either.

I am so sorry that you had so much damage! Here in OKC, the ice storm was horrific. So many people lost trees, their property was damaged, and driving was just simply a "no no" for a few days. You couldn't drive down a single street with a tree lying across the road. It was bad, really bad!

...and we'll be here next spring!

Susan

Thanks for the condolences - I appreciate it, and I am choosing to look on the bright side. The trees were pretty ugly anyway. So we'll clean up this spring and summer, plant trees (probably large and costly ones) in the fall, and next spring we'll just see what we have. So the next obvious question is... what trees would grow rapidly, provide shade w/o fruit, can stand some serious wind, and maybe even provide a little winter interest? I dont have a clue aside from the typical spruces and and evergreen/arborvitae stuff. The Mulberry sounds kinda cool

Well, it depends on how far west you are. The farther west you are, the fewer trees that will do really, really well.

I've linked a publication that lists some trees recommended for Oklahoma.

If you are in extreme southwestern Oklahoma or extreme western OK, you might want to check with your county agriculture extension agent to see what grows well there. Trees that are generally recommended for NE Oklahoma, for example, probably are considerably different from ones that would grow where you are. (Considerably different soils and rainfall.)

Here in south-central Oklahoma, I spent time studying and identifying the native trees before I decided what to plant in our landscape.

Many of the trees that grow well in south-central OK probably would grow well in southwestern OK, too, though they might not get as large. Here's some trees that are native or naturalized in southern OK:

SHADE TREES:
Hackberry (Celtis laevigata)
Texas Ash (Fraxinus tesensis)
Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) aka as mossy-cup oak because of the mossy fringe around the edge of its huge acorns) prefers moist forest-type areas, but is growing well in our thick red clay soil with a pH similar to yours, and it has huge leaves. It is a slow grower the first couple of years, but then really takes off.
Post Oak (Quercus stellata) Very solid-looking trees with
fairly short stubby branches
Shumard Red Oak (Quercus shumardii) LOVELY red fall color
Kentucky Coffee Tree
American Elm (Ulmus americana) larger leaves, long-lived
Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) smaller leaves
Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana)
Wooly Bumelia
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) VERY adaptable and almost impossible to kill(invasive water guzzlers)
Willows and Cottonwoods--on creekbanks and pond edges
Honey Locust
Pecan (Carya illinoiensis)(esp. in river bottom areas and in deep soil)
Sycamore
Osage Orange
Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)(deep-rooted and very drought tolerant but only make light shade and I don't know if they are available commercially)
Catalpa

UNDERSTORY TREES:
Possumhaw Holly (Ilex decidua) (shrubby tree)
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Rough-leaf Dogwood
Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)
Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum rufidulum)

OTHER TREES THAT MIGHT GROW WELL IN SW OK:

Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) NOT a true willow and NOT actually a desert tree, but it does best in really well-drained soil. Very drought-tolerant and has few pests that bother it. The flowers are tubular and quite lovely...a pale lavender on the native one. One named selection, "Bubba", has flowers that are a dark wine-purple and is more compact than the native. Other selections include "White Storm" and "Burgundy Storm". This is a member of the same family as the trumpet creeper vine.

Chitalpa "Pink Dawn" (Chitalpa tashkentensis "Pink Dawn") is a hybrid of catalpa and chilopsis. Very well-adapted to hot, dry climates.

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)--Deciduous, flowers, needs irrigation in dry spells. Comes in all sizes, from small weeping ones to very tall tree-like ones.

Southern Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera) Actually a very tall shrub, but can be pruned up tree-form. Tolerates almost any soil conditions, but may need irrigation in dry periods. Handles slow-draining soil really well.

Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus-Castus) A tough deciduous shrubby-type tree that can eventually get about 20 feet tall. Will spread out pretty wide, but you can prune it up into a tree form. Flowers are generally blue, but there are pink-flowered ones as well. Butteflies love them. Very drought tolerant.

Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) One of the more cold-hardy palms, but may not survive in SW OK. Survives without irrigation once established except during very dry spells.

If you are very far west, you might need trees that are more commonly found on the High Plains of West Texas, and there aren't a lot that I can think of off the top of my head. Your annual rainfall as well as how much you are willing to irrigate will help you determine what to plant. If you get 30" of rain a year, or you're willing to irrigate up to that level, you have more options. If you get 25" of rain a year, you have significantly fewer choices. When annual rainfall drops below 30" per year, natural woodlands begin to disappear. If you soil is sandy to sandy-clay, that is better because water soaks in deeper to get down into the root zone of trees. If your soil is very thick, very dense clay, it will be hard to water trees deeply so you'll need trees than can thrive on little water.

Mesquite, mentioned on one of the lists above, would be one tree that could handle very little rainfall.

Mohr Oak (Quercus mohriana) aka Shin Oak This is a small live oak that is very drought tolerant (but not as drought tolerant as Vasey Oak). It grows in sand, sandy loam, caliche clay and on limestone and needs well-drained soil. Is a small tree, only getting 10 to 20 feet tall at maturity. It likes to sucker and form colonies. You can get a larger tree by pruning to a central and leader and letting the tree put all its energy into that one trunk. In very sandy soil, it can stay as short as 3' at maturity.

Western Soapberry (Sapindus drummondii) In very dry soil it will mature at 10-15 feet but in wetter conditions it can get as tall as 40 to 50 feet. Has lovely fall color (yellow) and the berries (amber-colored) are very attractive to bluebirds.

Prairie flame-leaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata) aka Lanceleaf Sumac. Grows well on limestone and in calcareous soils, including sand, loam, clay, and caliche, but it needs to be well-drained soil. Provides very vivid fall color and tends to get 10' to 20' tall depending on the annual rainfall. Makes a gorgeous contrast to western soapberry in the fall. It also provides food for a lot of bees, mammals and birds which can be very important in western parts of the state where food can be scarce.
Harvard Oak (Quercus havardii) aka Shinnery Oak or Harvard Shin Oak--it is really a tree, but a very short one. Maxes out at 2' to 3' tall but can grow in the driest conditions imaginable. Once it is sort of old (4 or years old) it will begin to sucker and form a thicket.
Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei) Gets 15-20' tall and grows in well-drained sand, loam, clay or limestone. Has a shaggy bark that peels off in long strips. Very dark green foliage.
Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) Gets 30' to 35' tall (eventually). Slow-growing but is very long-lived and tolerates tough growing conditions.
Oneseed Juniper (Juniperus monosperma) Gets 15 to 20' tall, and grows in any well-drained soil. Probably the most cold-hardy juniper.
Silverleaf Mountain Mahoghany (Cercocarpus mntanus var. argenteus) Usually grows about 10 to 15' tall and maybe a little shorter in very dry sandy soil in a hot climate. Has dark green leaves (on top)with a fuzzy silver underside. Very slow growing. Very hard wood. Tolerates drought very well and grows in any well-drained soil.
Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis) Is a pretty short tree (around 10' tall) that can eventually reach 20' if well-irrigated. Grows in any well-drained soil. Extremely drought tolerant.
Cottonwood (very well adapted to dry western areas but not used in home landscapes much....just thought I'd mention it, but I wouldn't recommend it because it tears up sidewalks, roads, foundations and plumbing lines). Now, if you have two acres and could plant it far, far away from the house, it might not be a bad choice.

This is a very long answer and I hope the info is helpful. I'm too tired to proofread it for typos, so please forgive any you find.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Trees for Oklahoma

Dawn your awesome. Thanx so much for all of your knowlwdge and help. As I said earlier I've got some soil samples out being tested and when I get some results hopefully that (or the people at the OSU extension office) will help me decide what to plant. Your list is quite long and informative but I'm sure I can wittle (pardon pun) it down and find the perfect tree or three for our yard. To clarify for ya'll I'm about as far west and south as you can get (Jackson Co) so there is a lot of native mesquite here but I dont find those very appealing for landscaping purposes. I live on Elm St and I soon will be one of the many houses here w/ NO elms in their yard. We all had 'em but the storm and age has changed that considerably. I will keep you posted as to what I decide, and I'm sure I'll have many more questions in the near future.

Speaking of the Windmill Palm, I bought two a few years ago, the first of my atempt at a San Diego feel in my yard, and they have done very well in their "whiskey Barrel" home. They havent grown much height wise but have stayed very full, green, and survived the recent storm. They wintered over w/ a burlap wrapped trunk and mulch, and are located in a south facing spot thats wind protected. One of the few things I've done right since getting here.

More clean up today... and w/ a pretty blank slate I'm kinda excited about "the new" yard this coming spring.

Thanks again
Kenny

Dawn, I hope you don't mind if I comment on some of the trees you mentioned.

Hackberry (Celtis laevigata) trees produce berries, and if you don't pull up all the seedlings (and there will be 100s), you will have hackberry all over.

American Elm (Ulmus americana) larger leaves, long-lived (this tree also seeds everywhere on my property)

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) VERY adaptable and almost impossible to kill(invasive water guzzlers) (this tree--you can't plant some things near it; very susceptible to fire blight; I have a crataegus and a malus (crapapple) near them and they get fire blight from the cedar; not a pretty sight).

Willows and Cottonwoods--on creekbanks and pond edges (the fluff from cottonwood when it seeds flies everywhere and gets into the vents in my A/C which I then have to clean with the hose)

Honey Locust (get the thornless if you can; otherwise big thorns all the better to poke you with, my dear!).

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis)(esp. in river bottom areas and in deep soil; also grows from fruit). I don't have a large pecan anywhere near me, but the squirrels bury the pecans and I have seedlings all over the place. Very difficult to pull up where you don't want them.
Osage Orange (produces those huge fruit, and has vicious thorns, too).

However, a lot of these trees provide shelter, food for birds and caterpillars of beautiful butterflies, like the Elm (Question Mark), the hackberry (Hackberry Emperor and Tawny Emperor), Willow (Red Spotted Purple and Viceroys). So, I wouldn't be without them around the perimeter of my house.

Another smaller tree (up to 30') is Ptelea trifoliata (wafer ash, not a true ash, but in the Rutaceae family). It likes some shade and is food for the Giant Swallowtail butterflies. Has large leaves to give lots of shade as well.

Tulip Tree (liriodendron)--host for lots of butterflies as well, and beautiful large leaves.

The Soapberry (sapindus) that Dawn mentions is also a host for the Soapberry Hairstreak butterflies.

If you don't mind the messy fruit (plant it away from the house, driveways and roads, is Prunus serotina (wild cherry). The birds go wild over the fruit, and it also hosts numerous butterflies and moths.

Magnolia virginiana is a nice magnolia with smaller flowers that macrophylla. It is a host for Tiger Swallowtails.

Hope this helps as well, if you'd like to have lots of butterflies and hummingbird moths around.

Susan

Hi Kenny,

You are welcome. One of the most important lessons I have learned in gardening is that native plants in any area provide the best clue as to what will grow in that area. And it goes way back to my grandmother who taught me that the best "easy care" flowers to grow in Texas were the ones that "wanted" to grow there, and not wimpy imports from cooler, wetter parts of the country. That doesn't mean I only grow natives because I don't, but I look at the natives I have, try to research and understand their growing conditions and then try to choose landscape plants that grow in similar conditions.

In choosing trees, shrubs and groundcovers that would grow here in Love County, I really focused on using natives and a few very well-adapted plants that could handle our soil and weather with little assistance from me. I cheat some on the flowers, although I still tend to focus on very reliable and tough ones.

Now that I better understand which part of the state you're in, I'll think about your growing conditions today while I am out in the veggie garden pulling weeds, etc., and see if I come up with anything else. The results of the soil test will be MOST helpful for you in determining where you go from here.

I'm glad windmill palm has done well for you, and I think there may be a couple of other palms that can handle your climate, but I need to research them first.

As far as the statement "one of the few things I've done right since getting here" I'd just like to add that, even though I was a VERY experienced gardener when I got here, I have done plenty wrong and lost lots of plants too. I thought the conditions here would be very similar to Ft. Worth's where I'd grown up and gardened forever--and they are and they aren't! But, I've learned so much more about our climate and soil and understand them better now, and don't lose nearly as many plants as I used to. Plus, I think most gardeners are "adventurers" and sometimes try to push the limits a little to "see if _______ will grow here". Then, if it doesn't, we kick ourselves for trying it to begin with. It's human nature!

I'm linking a website for you for High Country Gardens and I encourage you to visit it AND to request their catalog. They feature EXACTLY the kinds of plants that will grow in Jackson County, I think, and their catalog is full of helpful tips about plant selection and soil improvement. They go to great pains to tell you which plants grow in which soil and how much moisture they need, etc. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this company. Their plants are top-quality and their reputation is outstanding. Best of all, they have conditions very similar to yours. If they can grow it there, you can grow it where you live! (And you will be AMAZED at all the plants they offer.)

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: High Country Gardens Website