Papayas. From what I hear, they barely ever ripen here, but I'm determined to see if I can get one to grow fast enough to ripen before frost. I won't do it forever, though. Not really into the green ones too much.

I thought there would be no citrus up here, but I find out that there are quite a few varieties that are cold hardy enough for 9a. I've even seen huge grapefruit trees, and everyone said you can't grow grapefruit up here.

In my experience, there are a lot of things that will grow further south, they just won't bear.

I moved to SW FL with a carload of my most precious plants from SC, including a purple-leaf plum, royal honeysuckle, and yellow bells. Only the purple-leaf plum survived, and while it was beautiful, it never was the mass of cottony pink blooms it was in SC. I've tried over the years to grow so many plants I knew wouldn't grow there. I moved up here in N. FL in part so I could grow my favorite plants, and found out most of those won't grow here either, but a lot will, like redbud, azalea and camellia. Still, I can't grow the sweet little dwarf azaleas that I loved so much, and it seems anthracnose has killed all the dogwoods.

I have to concentrate on growing things that survive in both places, like wild violets, daylilies, crinums, brugmansias, daturas, and amaryllis. I now look for plants that are hardy from zones 7-9, so I can find things I used to grow.

But now I have reverse ZDD -- After so many years in Z9b/10a, I miss growing my tropicals, which are not happy here and many have died since I've been here. Still, I have to find bromeliads, gingers and such that thrive in my climate, and I'm happy to say there are many. I've given up on orchids, though, after my last little remnant of my purple epi died.

I don't think I'll ever get to a place where I will completely give up my tropicals, though. I just love them too much.

Two citrus trees:

Clementine x Yuzu hybrid (so-called "Ten Degree Tangerine")

Satsuma x Changsha hybrid mandarin

planted it out in March, when it was full of foliage and beginning to fruit, but the temperatures were too prolonged cool/cold that early in the year and it died back and all the leaves fell off, except for one lone leaf coming out of the bottom. It has now begun to push out a little bit of growth from the bottom, although most of the branches are dead. probably wasn't a good idea to move it outside right as it was fruiting, or should have waited another month or two.

Olympia, WA

consider that that's actually just a tiny bit further north in latitude than Duluth, Minnesota, or even Quebec City, Canada.

As you can see in the pictures, these are both in the ground (havn't actually gone through the Winter yet, but I have a Satsuma in a plastic sheet enclosure and a very small Yuzu that did make it through the Winter, altgough it was a very mild Winter in the PNW this year.

The PNW climate is pretty different from Northern Florida. There are extreme long stretches of cold/cool temperatures throughout half the year, but the tiny amount of freeze we do get rarely gets very cold. The cool marine influence leads to a very stable climate, no storms to bring in freezing cold air.

I've read some reports around here that people have managed to keep Meyer Lemons alive outside in the ground in a warm spot, typically south side against the wall of a house with lots of sun and wind protection, although they suffer a lot of damage in the winter. The two (rare) varieties shown in those pictures have more cold hardiness than Meyer Lemon.

Mandarinquat may be another one to try in Northern Florida (if you're in zone 8 ). It's a fairly common variety, with more hardiness than most, nearly as much as kumquat.

Now of course trying to grow citrus in the PNW (and that pretty much means special rare cold hardy varieties) is far from a cakewalk. It's a good example of zone denial. There's good reason few people have tried growing citrus out in the ground here.

Here's one that won't grow in many regions of the country.

It's a species rhododendron called R. yuefengense. I talked to some other rhododendron enthusiasts and they said it's really difficult to grow in many parts of the Northeast for them (they referenced Long Island in particular) because the summers get hot, and this rhododendron species in particular, with its broad leaves doesn't tolerate long hot summer temperatures very well. Of course, being a rhododendron it can't survive extremely cold winters either.

With it's big lilly-pad like oval leaves (and they're evergreen here in the winter too) it looks almost tropical. But of course it would never be able to survive anywhere in the South (maybe in parts of Appalachia high up in the cool mountains).

I suppose some of you with extreme zone denial in Northern Florida could attempt to grow it. Possibly if it got complete shade during the middle of the day and afternoon, but got some morning sun exposure, and if it was kept well watered throughout the summer to help combat the heat stress.

That's pretty. I love white flowers.

I thought rhododendrons were good with cold. I know people who grow them up north. I was in Mass. once, and they had a nursery full of them.

I'm not sure they qualify for ZD because they are supposed to be native here but I brought a clump of my favorite wild white daisies with me from up north along with a clump of my evening primroses.

The primroses made themselves at home right away and bloom every year. The daisies are nice and green but have never bloomed. In fact they hate the mid-day June-August sun…they get wilty. So now that clump has a cover over it made of smokey pilycarbonate leftover from the GH. No more wilting, looking peculiar in the middle of the bed and no flowers. But I decided to keep the plant even if it never flowers. It's my anchor to my cottage beds from up north.

Two citrus trees:

Clementine x Yuzu hybrid (so-called "Ten Degree Tangerine")

Satsuma x Changsha hybrid mandarin

planted it out in March, when it was full of foliage and beginning to fruit, but the temperatures were too prolonged cool/cold that early in the year and it died back and all the leaves fell off, except for one lone leaf coming out of the bottom. It has now begun to push out a little bit of growth from the bottom, although most of the branches are dead. probably wasn't a good idea to move it outside right as it was fruiting, or should have waited another month or two.

Olympia, WA

consider that that's actually just a tiny bit further north in latitude than Duluth, Minnesota, or even Quebec City, Canada.

As you can see in the pictures, these are both in the ground (havn't actually gone through the Winter yet, but I have a Satsuma in a plastic sheet enclosure and a very small Yuzu that did make it through the Winter, although it was a very mild Winter in the PNW this year.

Citrus in Olimpia,wa that is zone denial for sure.