South American plants

I'm starting to put together a list of South American plants that do well in the PNW. I'm hoping on planting a continent-themed garden. Anyone have suggestions? Trees, shrubs, perennials, palms, etc.

growin, I know of Gunnera for one. Heronswood had plants from there but I don't remember what they were. so I'll watch this thread for ideas. thanks, Jim

You mean plants that are hardy through our wet winters? Or just plants you can grow here but have to overwinter inside.

I mean plants from South America that can take our winters outdoors such as the Gunnera hostajim1 mentioned. I'm curious, both of you are listed as 8a? Are you colder than Seattle?

You know, I didn't even think about that. I should probably change it to 8b. I think I am about the same as seattle as a general rule, sometimes warmer. It depends on the year. I'm right on puget sound, so that moderates the temp at my place quite a bit.

Okay I will add a couple of my favorites. Vestia Foetida, from Chile should be hardy for you. Embothrium, the Chilian Flame tree should do well for you in a sheltered spot. And Cantua buxifolia the "magic flower of the Incas" from Peru should do well with a little shelter. If you look for the flora of southern Chile, their zone is close to ours and they have some awesome plants. Most of the brugmansias and passion vines I think are from S. America. Oh and another nice one is the chilian purple bell vine, billardia longiflora (hope I spelled it right).
Rebecca

I forgot to post my list:
From Chile:
Lobelia tupa hardy to zone 8
Sisyrinchium striatum - a staple in my garden.

Nicotiana langsdorfii - from Brazil - it's hardy in my garden.

Yes, the passifloras are native to South America, lots of different species there. And also the brugmansias, but I'm in zone 8 and have to overwinter mine inside.

Cool idea. I'd like to see pics when you get it done.

Ahh, I forgot lobelia tupa!! One of my all time favorites and easy from seed.
I love this thread, want to hear the other things people suggest.
There is a brugmansia that will tolerate frost. Its from Chile and it has survived the hard frost in 1990 here. I am not sure which one it is, there is one growing near me that I took cuttings off. The flower is not as big as most, its yellow with a slight orange edge and the leaf is a bit differant. It did not lose leaves during the frost last winter. The main plant that I got cuttings off has a trunk that is just huge, its at least 15-20 years old.
Rebecca

Is it B. sanguinea? I have one that is now better than 6 feet tall and I understand it is only marginally hardy where I live. I'm trying to decide whether to dig it and put it in the greenhouse to overwinter or to leave it where it is and wrap it in burlap. I'm afraid that if we get a hard winter, I'll lose it and next year it should start blooming. You are a little bit warmer in your zone.

This is great information - Thank You! I'm certainly interested to find out which Brug you have. Let me know if you find out. I kinda figured if you plant in rocky, sandy soil they can sometimes make it through the winter...but not the rare cold one. You've all mentioned plants I've forgotten and should include. I'll take pics when its done and its a big project that should complete mid-next year. Most of the plants are Chile so I'm trying to figure out what works from other parts. I've always wanted to try Cantua but have trouble finding it and some of the hardiness references say it won't take our climate. I guess this would be a good experiment.

Here's a Lobelia tupa pic I took this summer at UBC Botanical Gardens.

I looked up sanguinea, thinking that was the brugmansia. The pictures I found showed flowers more red and larger and it appear the leaf was longer and smoother that this one. This leaf has points, hard for me to explain, but like a poinsetta leaf. All my other brugs have smooth edged leaves. Its very differant looking, I am really going to have to take some pictures of the big plant in bloom. It blooms almost all year. It really is cold hardy. The plant is at a motel where I do landscaping, years ago it was owned by a plant collector and there are lots of interesting things there, I am always finding cool plants.
I am going to plant files to see if I can find a photo of this, if I am lucky, will let you know. It should do fine in your zone, its been through some very cold years here. My cantua did survive the frost last year, we did have lots of frost on the ground, it was the coldest winter we had in over 5 years.
Rebecca

I'll take a photo of

I hate when I hit 'send' instead of 'browse'.
Here's a photo of mine.

That sure looks like the leaf. Yours is not flowering? Its a strange thing, there is one big one at the motel and it flowers all the time. There are 2 others, they are also very large and they never flower. We are going to chop them down, they are taking so much room and have not flowered in 5 years. But no damage from frost, of course they are old and maybe a young one would not be so cold hardy. I would mulch at the bottom with branchs and leaves, nothing that would hold water, and I would leave it outside. But first I would take a cutting.....
Rebecca

You've certainly got my attention. Let me know if you find out what it is. So, rebeccane & Pixydish, ya think I'm going to have good success with Cantua if I situation it right? I saw it in the wild in Peru and it was fairly rocky soils and I did get a name of someone with a dozen varieties but I never had time to track him down.

Shame on you! Boy I would like a few more varieties. I found someone locally with just one bush of cantua that I "pruned" for her. I have about 5 plants, the tallest is a foot or so now. I have not had it bloom yet but it did overwinter fine and we did have frost. I think you should track that person down!

Another fairly common thing is the chilian glory vine, cannot remember the latin, ec something. I have a ton of seed, here it blooms all year and took the frost beautiful but does get some die back on it. Probably because I do not take good care of it.

I also have the bomerea caldasii vine from Peru. I babied it along and it is planted in poor soil where it is doing good, for that plant, I think. It has annoyed me as it took me a long time to get it and after 4 years it finally bloomed. The bloom is nice, not as pretty as the pictures on the web, and the vine is actually quite ugly. I would not recommend that one but I will keep it as I suffered so to get it to bloom.

Of course the alstromerea do well and you probably already have those. I hope some more people write in as I am always looking for neat plants I have to have. Oh, almost forgot, I do have the mayten tree, its a nice little tree, has a weeping habit and is easy. Mine is small and not blooming yet. Oh, and I do have the crenodendron patagua tree, I think that is the right spelling, its got small lily of the valley looking flowers, a nice tree, evergreen here. The other one in that family is the hookeri, called the red latern tree. I am looking for that one, this is a tree from Chile. Oh, and I almost forgot the Luma Apriculata, I have some on order. I am getting it from Washington, its a small tree with neat white flowers in late summer and has berries that are supposed to be good to eat. The Chilean Guava is something I have heard of but do not have, the strawberry tree as well, that is a member of the madrone family, arbutus, I think. I believe these would be hardy for you. I think I am done now...finally.
Rebecca

growin, I just ordered Fascicularia bicolor canaliculata, Chilean Bromeliad. it's supposed to be hardy to zone 8. but I'll stick it in my greenhouse to overwinter. Jim

Thank You! I knew I could count on DG members to come up with a great list. Proves many great minds are better than 1. In a few days I'll put this list (with links) on my webpage so we can all look it over.

hostajim1, where did you get your Fascicularia? I have the terrestrial coastal form but not canaliculata which I believe is the epiphytic form and supposedly hardier.

rebeccanne, I propagate Chilean Guava and the fruit is heavenly. It's a neat little shrub that grows like Salal but much more compact and neat. You can order it from my friends nursery, www.tropic.ca or from Northwoods. It apparently naturalized in Ireland. Strawberry tree is native to Europe. I'm glad you found that Luma apiculata but did you also find the variegated form? I've got both of the Crinodendrons and they both seem to do well here with some shade. I'm working on getting some of the species Alstroemerias from Ursula. Maytenus boaria I have. I've heard the same about Bomerea so I'm kinda hesitant about that one. The Chilean Glory Vine is Eccremocarpus scaber which I have but there are some nice cultivars out there.

Keep the names coming! This is awesome! :-)

Ok, so threw it on the web so we can watch the names grow: http://members.shaw.ca/magnolia/South_American_Plants.mht
I'll add info as I find it. Ignore location. Native is the origin by country code. I'll be adding nursery links for sources.

edited to add new list location.

This message was edited Oct 3, 2006 1:38 PM

This message was edited Oct 7, 2006 11:53 PM

Okay I forgot one. Just went out and happened to see it. Its Hummingbird Vine from Chile.
Mitaria coccinea. I love this one and its evergreen and the frost did not hurt it at all. Its rather a shrub, but looks better tied on a trellis. And I did notice some nice fat round seed pods on it. Not ripe yet but soon. If anyone has an interest in the seeds, I can save them. I love this thread, I did not know the luma came variegated, now I gotta find one of those as well.

I definatly would not recommend the bomerea. Nothing good to say about it, the vine is truely ugly, flower just okay.

I would love to get a seed exchange going for South American plants, I know there will be a lot of new things I will NEED.
Rebecca

Rebecca: just looked it up and would love to have seeds.. LMK
I'm not as advanced as ya'll in S.A. plants.. but give me time... LOL

Viv

I might take you up on the seed offer if I can't find plants locally. I've added a pic of the variegated Luma that I think I mentioned on a previous thread. I've also done some reading on Tibouchina 'Athens Blue' and it appears to be hardy to zone 8 so that should be included for testing.

That B. sanguinea isn't blooming because they don't start blooming until their second year. That's next year for this one, so I'm really wanting it to survive! Maybe I'll wrap it in burlap during the really cold part of winter, if we have one this year. That's what I'll do for the New Zealand tree fern. Growin, that's a fine start you have there!

I do have fresh seeds for the embothrium if anyone would like some. I have heard they germinate better when the seed is fresh, just collected them and they are in the frige now. I am only going to try 20 or so, but you know how it is when there is seed....got lots.

I will save the seed from the mitaria. I would highly recommend this plant, its beautiful. Has small evergreen leaves like the huckleberry and then these huge blooms and the hummers love it. Easy from cuttings, like a fuchsia. Will post here when its ready, the pods are still green, don't know how many seed is in there, they are big pods, but the seed could be big. I didn't pay attention to it last year.

Mandevilla Laxa is a very nice vine, very fragrant blooms, hardy to 15 degrees. Will lose leaves here but comes back, not problem. I have 2 nice long seed pods forming on that one. Easy from seed.

I also have seed that is ripe now from the billardia longiflora, hope that is the right name. Its the purple bell vine from Chile. Anyone want some, can send, its evergreen and very unusual with its little purple eggplant looking pods. Also evergreen.

I am going to check your friends nursery, did we correspond before, somehow its lurking in the back of my mind. Hope I didn't commit to something and forget, sometimes I need to be reminded, I have the attention span of a fruit fly.
Rebecca

Growin, I tried the link and it would not load for me. Tried it twice, assuming it was something I did wrong, but nope, won't load for me.
Rebecca

Oops, growin, my face is red, I have it TWICE. Gonna put it on my favorites before it runs away from me.
Rebecca

very cool spreadsheet! Now I have to take some time and look all these things over! And cool nursery too. I've bookmarked that one, as if I need any more plants!

growin, I found the fascicularia at Forest Farms fall catalog, I'm also looking for more terrestrial hardy orchids. I have two. Bletila striata, Epipactus giganteus. if you hear of any let me know. Jim

I'm seeing fuschia magellanica on the list. I have a ton of it if you want some.

Edited because I can't spell.

This message was edited Oct 3, 2006 8:09 PM

ok you guys... STOP IT!!!! dang


I want some Mandevilla Laxa and fuschia magellanica, what a gal to do???


Viv

I have quite a few varieties of Fuchsia m. The column market "location" means I have it.

Jim, Can you tell if your plant is the true F. b. canaliculata or pitcairnifolia? The leaves on canaliculata are not succulent but pitcairnifolia are slightly succulent. If it is the right plant, you can grow it as an epiphytic and is reported to be hardier. Are those orchids from South America?

My Mandevilla laxa bloomed for the first time this year. It was subtle but certainly nice. I was surprised to find out its not from Chile but Argentina. I was surprised to find out this year that Acnistus australis is perfectly hardy here as long as it gets good drainage. It's also easy to propagate.

Growin, watch for the seed pods on your mandevilla. They will come where it bloomed and they are so strange, very long, narrow pods. It took a couple years for mine to bloom well, now its covered with flowers and you can smell it just walking by. I love the fragrance. I guess everyone thinks its from Chile as the common name is "Chilian Jasmine".

I noticed on your list you had drimys. I have the d. lanceolata. It does not get as big as the winteri and has the most beautiful bark and foliage. Its really pretty in winter with bright red stems and deep green leaves. Mine is only about 20" high so no flowers but I really love it.

I was going to open up that nursery page, but I am scared....lol
Rebecca

growen, I don't know where they're from, I guess I got off track. but if there are hardy terrrestrial orchids from South America native to the Andes I would like to grow them. Jim

Viv, I can give you some with the oregano. Want me to just mail it? Mine is the species, not a specific cultivar.

That would be great Pixy, and I'm planning on sharing some of that hardy ginger with you next season when it can be divided. The ginger I picked up at the sale.

Viv

sounds like a plan!
So many beautiful south american plants! So little yard! LOL!

Amen

growin, I ordered Fascicularia bicolor canaliculata, Jim

hostajim, I think they have the coastal form which is a little less hardy and can't be used as an epiphytic. I contacted them.

My list continues to grow. If any of you have comments about any listed, feel free to contact me. I've also added sources if you wish to go on a shopping spree. Check out this little gem that would probably do well for Rebeccanne: https://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/a/alonsoa_meridonalis_a.htm From what I gather, it is hardy to 9a and possibly 8b if situationed right. I've also started to add public gardens where the plants can be viewed.

Growin,
That was just cruel. Boy it that a beauty. Annie's is another place I try and stay away from, she is just dangerous. I just got my 10 luma apriculata by Fed Ex today. They are in 4" pots and just huge. Really gotta get them repotted tomorrow. The roots are all through the bottom of the containers and they are 3-4 feet tall! They have them tied tightly to a bamboo cane, do you know if they need to be staked or better not? My first time trying these things.

I will post the seed I have available in a day or two and anyone that wants some is welcome. I know I will have embothrium and lobelia tupa. The pods on the mitaria are still green, very cute pods and at least 4 of them.
Rebecca