Tropical Plants for Containers
|
Email Page
Print Page
|
|
|
Extras
|
Add Photo to Journal
|
|
| Photo Credit: Stokes Tropicals |
| Let the colorful, sweet-smelling blooms of ginger take you away to a tropical paradise in your own back yard. |
Have you dreamed of a tropical destination but haven’t had the time or money to get there? No matter where you live you can experience the beauty of the tropics in your own back yard with container tropicals. These beautiful, lush, colorful plants can really liven up any garden or home and make it feel like an amazing oasis. For an immediate showy effect, start creating your tropical look with these foliage showstoppers: bananas, elephant ears and Hawaiian Ti plants. Bananas are well-known in the tropics and are used for their beauty and delicious fruit. Some varieties are strictly ornamental and are used for their unique foliage, such as dark red striping. The fruit-producing varieties only have green leaves, but their great quantities of sweet fruit more than make up for it.
| Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: AgriStarts 4 | | Welcome to the tropics – here is your host, the Hawaiian Ti plant. |
You might consider using each type in your garden.
Elephant ears, also known as alocasias, provide large, ruffled foliage that really gives a lush jungle feel when added to a back yard or patio. Similar to the bananas, elephant ears are fast-growing plants and fill out large pots nicely. Hawaiian Ti plants, also known as cordylines, come with bright red, orange or chocolate hues in their leaves. They are beautiful and add a dazzling effect – almost like a sunset in your garden (without the sun).
|
| Tips |
- Form, texture and color are three guiding principles when creating an inviting outdoor landscape. Try to vary the types of tropicals you use accordingly so that you have a mixture of many different types.
|
| Tools |
- Since tropical plants need high humidity levels to thrive, try getting a watering wand and use it to mist your plants daily.
|
| Facts |
- Musa basjoo is an ornamental cold hardy banana that, if mulched properly, can survive winter in the landscape up to Zone 4.
|
| Faqs |
- Q: Are elephant ears poisonous?
A: Yes, they do contain an irritant, calcium oxalata, which is released if you, your children or your pet chew or ingest the leaf, stem or root of an elephant ear. This can cause mouth and throat irritation with swelling and an itching or burning sensation. Typically animals and humans are not affected since a few small bites are often a deterrent. Elephant ears are used as a food source in other countries and are safe to eat after they have been cooked.
|
|
|
Page 1 of 2
|
Next Steps
|
Courses | View All
-
Creative Containers
Containers can go anywhere, add value and provide luxury to a gardener regardless of experience. Take the Creative Containers course to learn great ways to get started in gardening.
|
Articles
-
Grow Your Own Pineapple
Instead of tossing the top of your pineapple in the trash, turn it into a tasty treasure! Once rooted (and with a little patience), pineapple is an easy-to-grow tropical plant that can reward you and your family with sweet fruit for years to come!
-
Temper That Tap Water for Tropicals
Don’t shock tropical plants with water that’s outside their comfort range! Learn the importance of suitable water temperature when it comes to giving your indoor tropicals a good drink.
|
|
|
|
|