Greetings!

Plants of the Tropics

Yellow Hibiscus

It's so hot and humid around these parts that we sometimes think this is the tropics, but not quite. Our climate is a little different, and though we love tropical plants, sometimes we have to make adjustments for them.

Many of the tropicals we love best are from rainforest regions, a warm and humid environment that encourage fabulous variation. Plants adapt to fierce competition for light and food in unusual ways that to us are beautiful and interesting.

Hibiscus 'Pink Lemonade'

One thing to remember is that most smaller-scale tropicals aren't adapted to the hot afternoon sun of our area and may perform better with a little bit of shade. Ixora and hibiscus in particular will signal their distress with yellowing leaves. Heat- and drought-stressed plants are also much more susceptible to insect attack (see Mealybugs, below).

To keep your tropicals at their very best, try to keep plants evenly moist (I know, it's hard during a drought). Rainfall usually provides enough moisture in the fall, but if not, you may need to water, although not as much as in the summer. Some dryness in the fall encourages dormancy, which will help plants weather our winter frosts. Fertilize about three times per year, using more nitrogen in spring and summer than in the fall. Healthy, strong plants have the best chance of making it through both summer droughts and winter chills.

Interesting facts: The plant we know as hibiscus isn't found anywhere in the wild, and is thought to be a very ancient hybrid. In Old Malaysia, the petals of hibiscus were used to produce a black dye for polishing shoes and darkening eyebrows.

Shrimp Salad!

Yellow Shrimp

Shrimp plants, that is!  We love these old-fashioned flowers for the afternoon shade, and we've gathered together a few of our very favorites.

Yellow Shrimp, or Pachtstachys lutea, has intense golden-yellow flowers, and blooms all summer in a tropical corner of your garden.  Grow in afternoon shade in rich, fertile soil, and you'll be rewarded with bright green foliage and yellow flowers.  This is a Zone 9 plant, so it may winter over, but I'd protect it, just in case.

White Shrimp, Forest & Kim Starr

White Shrimp, or Justicia betonica, is a larger plant, up to 4-5' tall and is much more rare.  Its abundant flowers start off white, and then gradually turn to mauve or lavender.  It's a little bit more cold-hardy than Yellow Shrimp, but also prefers rich, well-drained soil in the afternoon shade.

Red Shrimp

Red Shrimp or Justicia brandegeana,  is a traditional favorite in the Southern garden, and it's easy to see why!  Butterflies and hummingbirds love the rosy-red flowers, and they're in luck -- red shrimp plant is almost always flowering.  Red Shrimp is native to Mexico, can take more sun than yellow or white shrimp, and will also be damaged by hard frosts or freezes.  It should be root-hardy in our area, though.

Find a spot for one of these tropical beauties in your garden!

Scale & Mealy Bugs

Cottony Cushion Scale

Scale insects and mealybugs are among the most serious pests of ornamental plants. They cause damage by sucking plant fluids from the leaves. They are tiny and don't move much -- at first glance, they might appear as spots or little specks. To remove them, first try a strong jet of water.  That may be all you need to dislodge a minor infestation.  Need more help?   Organic methods of control include horticultural oil products and insecticidal soaps. Conventional pesticides like Neem and systemics containing imidacloprid are also effective against scale and mealybugs.

Here's a link to an old article about scale and mealybugs -- 8 pages with great photos!

Please stop by and visit!  Have a glass of world-famous lemonade (or a beer!) -- we'd love to meet you!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Barrow
Papershell: A Garden Gallery