Bring On the Heat with Plants That Love Hot Weather




Coral Bells Culture Part III: Propagation, Pests and Diseases

Heuchera, Tiarella and Heucherella are easy to propagate. The plants are generally self-sterile and so gardeners who want seed will need to plant more than one species or cultivar. The flowers appear in the summer and the seeds will be ready 6 weeks after pollination.

Sabal Palms Part II: Sabal minor

Sabal minor contains many cold hardy cultivars that are popular in southern landscapes. Below is a discussion of this important species. Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto) This southeast US native can be found from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas.

Caulescent (Upright-Stalked) Helleborus Species

I am a big fan of the caulescent (stemmed) Helleborus species. My favorite is certainly Helleborus foetidus, the so called “stinking hellebore”. While folks often expect smelly flowers, the only part of the plant that is fetid are the leaves, which leave an unpleasant odor on your hands if you fondle your hellebores too much.

Hardy Palms: Sabal Palms – Part 1

Sabal is the largest group of hardy palms available today. The genus has 15-16 species from the New World and seven are native to the southern US including Sabal etonia, Sabal mexicana, Sabal miamiensis, Sabal minor, Sabal minor var. louisiana, Sabal palmetto, and Sabal x texensis.

Learn About Planting Flower Bulbs For Your Garden

Flower bulbs are fantastic because they require very little care and once planted, you get many years of great blooms and flowers. They even often easily multiply and you can move them around your yard to spread the great flowers or give them to neighbors.

Cold Hardy Palm: Guihaia, Nannorrhops, and Rhapidophyllum (The Needle Palm)

The next three of genera in the cold hardy palm group includes the needle palm (Rhapidophyllum), one of the most popular and most cold hardy. Guihaia This genus of only two species of small clustering palms, Guihaia argyrata and Guihaia grossefibrosa has potential for southeastern gardens. I had a species in the ground for several years, before moving it and subsequently killing the plant.

Acaulescent Hellebore Hybrids

The most commonly known acaulescent Hellebore species name is Helleborus orientalis, the Lenten Rose. As mentioned in previous articles in this series, these are actually complex hybrids involving an array of acaulescent species. These plants are correctly called Helleborus x hybridus.

Acaulescent Helleborus Species and Hybrids Between Acaulescent and Caulesent Helleborus Species

Helleborus are split into two basic groups, acaulescent (without stems) and caulescent (with stems). Acaulescent (Non-Stalked) Helleborus Species One of my favorite acaulescent species is the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger. While rumored to be difficult to grow in the South, the large clumps in both my garden and others throughout the South confirm this rumor to be unfounded.

The Hardy Palm: Introduction

There’s something magical about growing a hardy palm in your garden that makes otherwise sane gardeners go through heroic measures to try and keep them alive outside of their natural range. Perhaps it is the tropical feel that comes with growing palms, despite many of them originating in temperate climates. That being said, there are a large number of palms native to the southeastern US that you can add to your garden.

Bletilla Hybrids

Bletilla is the best hardy orchid for gardeners to start with because they are flexible and can survive in a wide range of garden sites. Orchid breeding is a widespread and popular pastime for amateur and professional growers alike. The foremost breeder of Bletilla is Richard Evenden of Spalding, United Kingdom.

Bletilla Striata – The Most Widely Collected Hardy Orchid

The most widely collected species of Bletilla is Bletilla striata, the Chinese Ground Orchid. Below is a description of several B. striata cultivars that are popular in the trade.

Bed Preparation and Fertilization for Hardy Orchids

Hardy orchids are generally herbaceous perennials that form a small clump. Although many tropical orchids are epiphytic or lithophytic, most hardy orchids are terrestrial, living in the ground. Orchid roots tend to be short, fleshy, thick, fragile and occur near the soil surface.

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