Wow. Very nice. Those bananas look like they are getting bigger and bigger, not to mention all the colors that the flowrs bring. Great job, everything works really well together.

Good luck!

Hi, very nice.

What is the sort of lacy, compound-leaved plant to the right of the large bannana and in front of the window and fig tree in the first two photos?

It looks a lot like Devil's Walking Stick/Hercule's Club/Aralia spinosa. I have a very small one that is growing every so slowly here in Michigan, and it looks similar, but mine is only a foot or so tall.

Thanks tropicalzone, I think this is the biggest the M. basjoo has ever grown, and the growing season isn't anywhere near finished yet. It has been in the ground about 7 years, and just gets bigger every year.

Denninmi, the tree is Aralia elata, an Asian relative of Aralia spinosa. It's very tropical-looking and attractive, especially from a distance, hardy and easy to grow but like our native species is viciously spiny and suckers prolifically. Here's another example of the same species, growing at the National Zoo:

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BTW if your Aralia spinosa is growing slowly, try giving it more water and fertilizer--it will really respond.

I always envisioned my yard chock full of tropicals like that, similar to many I've seen in Key West. But with a soon to be 5 yr old boy loaded with energy roaming the premises, it's just not possible. Have to settle for basjoos and a windmill in a protected area. At least you can see them from my tiki bar. Bottom line, that layout of yours looks incredible. Kudos on a great job.

Beeeeeeeeeeeautiful Johnnie,how are your T.wags doing?
Your Tetrapanax looks nice,how cold hardy are yours?
I am wondering if I should dig mine up or protect it outside like the palms only with a little less protection.

Thanks Trishmick and Jimhardy.

Trish, I would suggest planting just one or two big tropical plants that will give maximum effect for minimal effort--things like bananas, elephant ears, or cannas.

Jim, the waggies are recovering, but slowly. They won't be quite as nice-looking as last year once winter comes. I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping for a mild winter so they can recover some more next year. If they are set back by another hard winter, I don't have high hopes for their survival.

Tetrapanax papyrifer has been completely hardy for me. It produces woody stems but dies to the ground every winter (even with a good mulch) and acts more like a giant perennial. It returns from the roots but rather late, not amounting to much until mid-summer, so even if it survived in a colder climate I'm not sure it would worth growing. The 'Steroidal Giant' selection is supposed to be much hardier and might be worth a try.

John B.
DCTropics