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Duranta, mandevilla, ruellia, and bougainvillea are the names of just a few
of the toughest tropical plants we can grow in our hot summer gardens. To me,
the names of these plants sound lush and exotic. I have often thought how
much I would love to travel to the tropical countries where these plants grow
natively to see them in their natural habitat.
Sky flower duranta
I discovered duranta several years ago in a garden center in Georgia and I
simply had to have it. Its tiny, beautiful, most commonly sky-blue flowers
hang in rows off the tips of the branches almost like water. Native to South
America, it is a member of the verbena family, which is where I’m sure it
gets its toughness. It bloomed all summer long in my container, and
fortunately was very drought-tolerant given my watering schedule.
I over-wintered it for a few years in my basement with great success, but it
took a long time for it to become lush and bloom profusely once I returned it
outside. It is said to be root-hardy as far north as zone 7. This means that
if you plant it in the ground, it will die back to the ground each winter and
return from the base in the spring like many perennials. Officially, Kentucky
is hardiness zone 6, but I am certainly going to give this a try.
Brazilian jasmine
Mandevilla sanderi or M. amabilis, the Brazilian jasmine,
native to Central and South America, is a wonderful tropical vine that is very
commonly found growing throughout Kentucky in the summer. It has amazing
2-inch-long and wide trumpet-like, deep pink flowers and it blooms nonstop
all summer. I first saw this plant more than 15 years ago when my sister
bought one and planted it near her mailbox.
It will over-winter outside only as far north as zone 8 but more likely zone
10. It is so vigorous that even if you start out with a new small plant in
the spring, it won’t be long before it has grown 4 to 5 feet. In its native
habitat, it’s not unusual for it to grow 15 feet in length or height.
Mandevilla is also available with white flowers, and recently a new red
cultivar that is quite stunning can be found.
Blue Mexican petunias
Ruellias, or Mexican petunias, are native to the tropics of South America and
Brazil and are grown for their abundance of flowers. The most popular variety
with impressive blue flowers is Ruellia brittoniana. The small
1-inch-wide and long trumpet-like flowers are almost a lilac blue and can be
found all over this naturally shaped plant. It can grow easily to 3 to 5 feet
tall, so plant it in a larger container or in the ground where you will enjoy
it all summer long. It looks a bit unkempt in the garden center, but when
combined with other annuals in a container or flower bed you will not be
disappointed. We planted one a few years ago with ‘Radiation Orange’ lantana
in a large flower bed, and after about mid-July we had three or four people a
day stopping to ask us what the plant was with the blue flowers.
Bountiful bougainvillea
Last but not least is the bougainvillea, a South American native that is
hardy to zone 9. It is most commonly sold in a hanging basket, but really
needs a larger growing environment to adequately show off its beauty. Its
signature colorful paper lantern-like bracts house the true flowers that can
be found in almost every color imaginable. The showy bracts and flowers can
be found in large clusters at the end of the branches. It is hard to describe
its habit because it is both shrubby and vine-like at the same time. Its
stems can become quite woody, so it will not climb on its own and requires
training. Most varieties bloom year-round with a resting phase in the winter.
To encourage bloom, let the plants dry between waterings and prune back any
long gangly growths that emerge. This will also keep the plant more compact
and the flowers concentrated because they can grow quite large. This tough,
drought-tolerant plant is also easy to over-winter inside. Before winter’s
end, cut it back hard and when the new growth emerges in the spring, you will
be rewarded with a beautiful plant for another year.
Traveling to far-away countries is a dream of mine, as I am sure it is for
many of you. Sometimes I feel very spoiled that I can grow and enjoy all these
lush tropical beauties without leaving the comforts of home. I can imagine
them for now in their native habitat and enjoy them as they grow at home in
my simple, yet beautiful, Kentucky garden.
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