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Tropical Gardening in Our Zone Marjorie Ernst and Linda Wilhelm Master Gardener Training Program Class of 2013 1 Setting the Stage Tropical plants have moved from being in a conservatory/ greenhouse environment exclusively, to containers brought indoors during the winter, to the use of more coldhardy cultivars that can overwinter outside. 2 Overview • • • • Know Your Plant Climate Zones Consider other Factors Contributing to Microclimates Check Authoritative Sources for Making Plant Selections Conditions for Several Cold-Hardy Species 3 Know Your Climate Plant Zones We are in a transition zone between warm-weather and cool-weather growing zones. According to: • USDA’s newly updated Plant Hardiness Zone map: We are in zone 7a, so the average annual extreme minimum temperature over the 30-year time period ending in 2005 fell between 0°F and 5°F. • American Horticultural Society Plant heat zone map: We are on the dividing line between zones 6 and 7. The average number of days per year over 86°F is 46-60 for zone 6 and 61-90 for zone 7. • Southern Living Garden Book: We are in the Middle South Climate Zone, a zoning scheme that considers the summer heat and the winter cold temperatures. • USDA maintains the website www.plants.usda.gov for determining plant species growth ranges. 4 5 Other Factors Contributing to Microclimates • • • • • • Elevation Topography Prevailing winds Sun exposure Relative humidity Nearby Structures 6 Check authoritative sources for making plant selections. 7 Authoritative Source UMD Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) fact sheet “Overwintering tropical plants” recommends a range of plants and advice on how to rotate them indoors for the winter. – Red Banana Plants (Musa spp) – Caladrums and elephant ears (Colocasia spp) – Chinese hibiscuses (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) – Ficus Trees (Ficus spp) – Mandevilla vines (Mandevilla spp) – Palms (Livistona chinensis) – Schefflera (Schefflera actinophylla) 8 Authoritative Source • US National Arboretum factsheet “Creating and maintaining that tropical flair in your garden” recommends using subtropical plants that are more cold hardy – Japanese ginger (Zingiber moiga) – Butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium) – Spiked ginger lily (Hedychium spicatum) 9 Conditions and Cold Protection Strategies for three Cold-Hardy Species 1. Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei ) ---withstands temperature of 5° F or below if in a sheltered spot; grows to 10 -20 feet high ---recommend growing in a container until well established then place in well-drained soil that can retain moisture so can work in our climate zone with protection 2. Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) ---hardiest palm in the world; tolerates a wide range of soils; reaches 6-8 feet; resistant to damage by deer ---known to survive to 0°F; sun or shade 3. Japanese banana (Musa Basjoo) ---hardiest of the banana plants; full sun or partial shade; needs most fertile soil; grows to 15 feet w/leaves that are about 8 feet long ---can withstand temps down to 18° F but needs winter protection 10 Questions? Thank You! 11