Tropicals in Canada

How many Canadian gardeners try growing tropical plants? I have an unheated stand alone greenhouse and an unheated sun room attached to the house. So far I have only tried growing Mandevilla. They do very well in the sun room during the summer as they can stand the high temperature that the room sometimes gets to. As soon as the temperature drops to freezing in there I cut them back and bring then in the house for the winter. It would be interesting to hear what varieties other Canadians have had success with under similar conditions.

I have had similar success with Tibouchina urvilleana (Princess Flower) native to Brazil.

I had a bird of paradise for 5 years. it bloomed for 4 years running but died over this last winter when we had 2 weeks of snow and freezing temperatures. I had it in my plastic covered area but it collapsed under the snow. I also have one of the purple flowers above, it too died over this winter as well as all my brugmansias. I have 3 lovely brug cuttings that are growing well and will definitely be in the house over this winter. My ginger lasted 2 years. I never had any luck with the musa banana, they died every year so I gave up on them. I keep my eyes open for another BoP. I got the first one at Zellers for something like $10.

I move my jade plants into the garden. Have a really nice Hibiscus as well.

I grow some tropicals and keep them in my heated greenhouse over the winter. I keep my brugmansias in my unheated garage and some of them died right back this year and although they have regrown, it will be touch and go whether they bloom before they have to go back into the garage for this winter. I have a lovely orange ginger "Tara" which stays in the ground all year and is just beginning to bloom. I also have bananas, hibiscus, bouganvilla, oleander, plumeria,orchids and of course my hubby thinks I am crazy but what can I say, I have "zone denial" !!
Heather

Heather
I have Zone Envy!
Ann

Oh yeah, zone envy for sure. I grow Bougainivillea, Oleander and Plumeria down south in Arizona, but they wouldn't stand a chance in my zone 5 here in BC.

We all wish for a higher zone number. Heatherbelle's zone 8b is probably about the highest in Canada and the rest of us are envious. The zone number is only part of the story however and does not account for hot dry or cool wet summers. Here in Nova Scotia I live in zone 6a. This summer was wet and very humid with the dew point over 23 deg on many days. The Mandevilla was a happy camper but other plants suffered from the continual damp conditions. Last winter was mild with the coldest temperature I recorded -17.4C so not so bad although very windy. No doubt.I'll try pushing the limits in the future until clobbered by an extra cold winter.
At the other end of the spectrum is Grand Forks where I almost went when I retired but at the last minute we decided to stay in NS. It can be very hot and dry there so that must also cause problems. DonM47 could tell us about that,

Yes, eastjack, definitely a dry, hot semi-arid climate in my neck of the woods. My Roses suffered this past summer with the extreme hot conditions with temperatures at 35 + for extended periods. Thankfully we don't get much wind. Our winter conditions are very much the same as yours, with temps not going down below -20, but again, very dry. They were talking about an El Nino winter this year which means very mild. As much as I would enjoy this, it can cause havoc with plants, especially if there isn't enough snow cover. We shall see...

I love my tropicals! here are a few that are blooming right now:

Wilsonara "golden afternoon"

Clivia

no id Cleodendron (hope that's spelled right) enjoying the last of the summer heat on the porch - before its winter in the greenhouse

and of course, my hibiscus

Looks like Cleodendron Ugandense...Butterfly Flower. Love them.

This message was edited Sep 11, 2009 1:05 PM

Thanks for the id Don, I own over 400 tropicals that spend the winter crammed in the greenhouse, sun room and spill into the rest of the house. I definitely have a serious case of zone denial ;-) I find the biggest challenge to growing tropicals in Canada is locating plants. Lets face it, there are very few nurseries that offer a good variety, and starting from seed is very frustrating.

Hello all, This is my Toronto garden. The hibiscus are hardy, as are the bananas with loads of mulch. After a few years of wrapping the bananas I decided that it was easier to cut the tops off and put the bulbs in the basement. Robb

I put two hibiscuses and a duranta outside for the summer. The yellow hibiscus will bloom all year round. When I bring the hibiscuses back in the house for the winter, the one with red flowers will lose all its leaves, and then while its leaves are growing back, it will start blooming its head off.

This summer I also put my Norfolk Island Pine out because it was slowly dying on me - it is now growing- go figure; its mostly in shade.

The rest I keep inside, just under 200 tropicals, mostly hoyas, and most of which will eventually bloom on and off all year. The attached picture is first flowers for Hoya sp Molukken; it's a four year old plant. Lots of patience needed for these. People who can put their hoyas outside usually are able to get them to bloom faster. I just won't at this point; I only have patience because I keep getting more hoyas, and the more I get, the older ones start blooming by default and it appeases my patience to see the flowers on the new ones...lol.


Christine

Your Hoyas are a legend, Christine. My collection pales in comparison to yours. But I agree, much patience is needed to grow them and see them through to blooming. The excitement is worth it though. And even without blossoms, I chose varieties with the most interesting foliage.

Robb, your Toronto Garden is lovely and lush. Just gotta know what's in the cage I see?

I have a neighbour with a black walnut; the squirrels are frantic this time of year. I have magnolia macrophylla seedlings growing in pots and if I don't cage them the squirrels will dig them out to hide walnuts. Every spring I have black walnuts appearing everywhere. Robb

I bought a Mandevilla for the first time this spring. It was just starting to bloom and we had a couple of cold nights so brought it in. Then it dropped all buds and flowers..I think it didn't like the dryness of the house, or it had suffered a bit from the cold nights. Can they be put into a hanging basket?
I have oleander, hibiscus and bougainvillea which always do well indoors in our winters. The bougie is now just brought in and starting to bloom already. The hibiscus (3) bloom continually, in or out. A poinsettia is brought indoors after a series of cold (above zero!) nights, and gradually the bracts start to color up usually in time for Christmas. I do not put it in the dark at all.

Nancy,

I think the mandevilla vine does like it on the humid side. I have left mine outside with the exception of Sunday night, it went into the greenhouse and I put the electric heater on low. It has blooms & buds. I didn't have success last year in a sunny location, so this year it is in under the Russian Olive tree, in a tall pot, which seems to do ok. Rita at the corner of Queensland Drive & Canyon Meadows has a huge mandevilla every year and they always look spectacular. We will have to get some pointers. She has that huge poplar on the city greenspace that also must protect it some

The mandevilla does indeed like high humidity and temperature. My unheated sun room faces west and gets the south exposure from the end. I have to hang a white sheet inside to shield the sun from June to September or the temperature will get into the 50's. It has gone over 40 deg on some days but that does not seem to bother the mandevilla's although if exposed to direct sun the leaves will burn. I use a spray bottle to wet therm down and they flowers from August onwards. It will usually get to cold sometime in late October and the flowers will fall. Then I cut them down removing most of the foliage and bring them in for the winter. During the winter I keep them near an east facing window to limit the sunlight to the mornings, stop all feeding, and keep the soil slightly moist but on the dry side. They do grow a little over the winter but easy to keep under control. I put them out in the sun room sometime in May bringing them in at night for a week to get them used to the cooler temperatures. Next spring I will re-pot them as it has been two years now since last re-pot.
I have had visitors ask me if they are are real! The pictures were taken on September 21st.

Its great to see all those other Canadians who think tropical.

Dave

I have a hibiscus as well; it likes being outside in the summer and blooms prolifically while outdoors. I also have a bougainvillea, but not much success getting blooms out of it yet. Oh, and two anthuriums that died this summer due to lack of watering (oops....), and a coffee plant that someone had left in the garbage room of our apartment building (!), complete with a woven outer pot and a little ceramic Buddha sitting on the soil surface.

There are lots of options for tropicals in Canada! Managing the desert-like conditions indoors in winter (in most of Canada) seems to be the greatest challenge. Pebble/water trays and a good mister can help.

Shannon

That is one gorgeous plant, Dave. WTG!

That is a stunning mandevilla! Thanks for the inspiration.

Super wow Dave! To have flowers so lush and beautiful at this time of year is just what we all need.

My yellow hibiscus is still blooming outside despite the cloudy, rainy weather we've been having. The temps are supposed to drop dramatically by this weekend though so I'd better get them all in by then.


Christine

I love tropicals.. I have a beautiful pool in my backyard, and wanted to make my own paradise.. I started with Castor bean plants and 2 Brugmansia last year and they were great.. I have tried tropical hibiscus but cant seem to keep them over the winter.. This year I added about 6 different cannas I would highly recommend the banana canna.. wow does this ever look like a banana tree.. Plus you store it bare root so no need to keep it alive all winter.. The Red stripe canna is also a nice one.. A new addition to my garden this year was some elephant ears.. They did so well for me, I planted them in a pot in the ground.. now i will just cut the tops off and store the whole pot in the basement for winter.. I have ordered a few more since i loved their look so much.. and Hardy hibiscus' will be the flower of choice form now on...

Your backyard does sound like Paradise, smurf428. Hope you'll post some photos; we'd love to see it. Welcome to the Canadian Forum. ^_^

Hey Smurf
I have two canna's that I overwinter, Wyoming and Cleopatra (I think).
Wyoming has greenish darkly edged leaves with vibrant orange flowers and Cleopatra has lovely dark leaves and another type of orange with a red tinge flower.
I wasn't very happy with a new one called Australia which was too leggy.
Here is the Wyoming at the front of my house.

WOW, Ann that one is huge!

I have overwintered cannas for several years and they are spectacular. Lots of blooms this year. Also colocasia and passionflower (I cut the plant back and put it in a cold root cellar). This year I am trying to overwinter my mandevilla and callas from dahlianut. I love daturas and plan to try overwintering a brugmansia next year.

Joanne
Yep she is and that is the big piece I keep for my self. I have to dry it out in the pot then tip the pot and pull out the whole thing, wash off the root and dry it then into my neighbors basement. I cut it into chunks in the spring and save a big one for me.
The Cleopatra one is at the end of it's second summer so next year will be amazing
here is a photo of it.
yikes I can't figure out how to rotate the photo for you. It shows fine on my computer and not on the web site?
Sorry for the sideways view.
Ann

Ann, your containers are spectacular!

Joanne
Thank you !
Ann

Violist, I'm curious, why do you put your passionflower in a cold root cellar and not keep it as a houseplant over the winter? Is it not a tropical passionflower?

I am awestruck! How fantabulous that you all have so many! I am greeeeeeeen with envy.

And here is my St. catharines tropical garden

Maryanne

On this grey and dreary day what a treat it is to look at everyone's tropical (and COLOURFUL :) beauties!

Good growin' Canada! ^_^

Maryanne
Where the heck do you put them all for the winter? They look so lovely you must feel like you are on holidays all the time in the summer.
Ann

Ceedub I am trying keeping the passionflower this year as a houseplant, it is under lights and looking healthy. Thanks for the idea. Annabell, the winter storage is always the problem isn't it. When do you start up your beautiful cannas?

Theresa