Here Are 5 Tropical Plants That You Can Grow in Birmingham, AL
by Lois Crouse
March 20, 2017
Your Birmingham neighbors have beautiful lawns. Crepe myrtles are spilling over with their bounty of white blossoms. Jasmine vines crawl along trellises and fences, their distinctive fragrance perfuming the air. Zinnias, petunias, geraniums—colors everywhere you look. It’s an exquisite sight without question. But. It’s all been done. The azaleas, camellias and gardenias. And there you are—never one to go along with the crowd. Why not bring a bit of the tropics to your landscape with exciting and exotic plants and flowers that reflect a style that is uniquely yours.
1. Florida Anise
Photo: Flickr / Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail
Florida anise is an evergreen shrub that is covered in broad, glossy leaves year-round. The leaves smell delicious—like licorice! In the spring, the shrub blossoms with exotic, large, carmine flowers with tentacle-like petals. The scent, however, is a whole different matter—the flowers smell like old fish. So you’re not going to bring them indoors for centerpieces for your next dinner party. In the late summer and fall, star-shaped pods appear, burst and germinate new shrubs.
2. Tea Olive Tree
Photo: Superpages
Tea olive trees are also evergreen. The dark leathery leaves give the plant its other name, “false holly.” The individual flowers are tiny, usually a creamy white, but can vary from pure white to yellow to orange, but grow in large clusters so that the tree is overflowing with the beautiful blossoms. Plant the tea olive near windows or outdoor living spaces: The flowers have the sweetest scent imaginable—a little peach, a little orange, a little jasmine. The best part is that the tree blooms several times a year, so you enjoy the beauty and fragrance over and over.
The foliage is very dense, if you need a super-attractive hedge or privacy screen. You can prune the trees if you like, but they grow into nice shapes if left alone.
3. Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate
Photo: A Corner Garden
The name alone is fun, but the best reason to include the spectacular Kiss Me in your Birmingham landscape is that there is nothing not to like. It grows fast with very little maintenance. While an annual, it self seeds in the fall. Plant it once and let it go. The stems can grow to more than 12 feet high, dripping with cascades of long, delicate flowers. The spiky blooms are usually a rosy magenta, but vary from white to red, and you will have them to enjoy from late spring to the first frost. The flowers add flair to any fresh-cut or dried arrangement.
Kiss Me was wildly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries (a favorite of Thomas Jefferson known for his sumptuous gardens). It is now coming back, so why not get there first?
4. Tangerine Beauty Cross Vine
Photo: Yard and Plate
The Tangerine Beauty Cross Vine brings the tropics to you with its mass of two-inch orange and yellow trumpet flowers from late spring throughout the summer. The vine is really easy to get along with; it grows in almost any condition and latches onto just about any surface with the adhesive disks on its tendrils: trellises, tree bark, masonry. In fall and winter, it remains decorative: the foliage takes on tones of orange, red, bronze, and purple when grown in full sun.
5. Honey Bush
Photo: EzyED
The honey bush is dramatic with its graceful arches of long, blue-green-silvery pinnate leaves and dark red or brown-bronze plumes that rise majestically above the foliage. The honey bush grows fast, up to eight feet tall, and is a very popular container plant. You (and the butterflies and birds it attracts) can enjoy the beautiful display from late winter through late spring. The flowers add a memorable touch to fresh flower arrangements.
The leaves smell like peanut butter, but don’t be tempted to see if they taste like peanut butter. Every part of this plant is toxic.
Have more questions about lawn care? Visit our Birmingham lawn care page for more information.
Top Photo: AL.com
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