FOLIAGE FOLLOW-UP FOR AUGUST 2010

Welcome to Foliage Followup; a celebration of cool greenery during a very hot month. Pam at Digging is the mastermind and master gardener behind this group. Thanks and hang on for some great garden pics from this very creative group! Go to http://www.penick.net/digging/  to see the participants. :-)
It's no secret ~ I'm a foliage plant nut and an avid collector of both spiky and lush looking tropical plants.
FROM THE SPIKY COLLECTION:

Agave lophantha (small leaf version)

Aloe transvaalensis (Transvaal Zebra Aloe)

This lovely Sanseveria hasn't notice that it's been 97 for the past 10 days. Bulletproof!

An artsy view of a Sago Palm frond that's been through a lot in its short life.

Part of our Agave collection. The large A. lophantha on the left is up front near the street as a dog deterrent.

I'll probably move it next year. It scores a perfect 10 on the Spikometer. I cut the tips off for safety.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR PLANTS FROM THE LUSH COLLECTION

Isn't this the coolest plant? This is Cotyledon orbiculata and it almost died in the last freeze. I left it outside in 21 degree weather!

I'm bringing it in this winter.

These are Kaempferia pulchra and Kaempferia elegans varieties from Thailand.

This is the only group of plants I sprinkle with water daily. They are in the cooler part of the yard and worth the extra trouble.

This is a Chinese Fan Palm. They are the heart of the back garden.

Alocasia machrorrhizia is unbelievably drought tolerant for having such a big leaf.

I got these from Castroville, Texas.

And finally this silvery plant is called Cornukaempferia aurantiflora.

I have only 2 or 3 of them.

Thanks for stopping by Tropical Texana in Houston, Texas.

What's Your Garden's Most Unusual Plant?

Hands down, I'd have to say this one is right up at the top. Called Kaempferia galanga, it puts out exactly TWO leaves each year. The rest of the plant is an underground rhizome. It's from Thailand.

As you can see, the flower pops up in the middle. The two leaves are like giant green pancakes that lie flat on the ground. But...the most amazing part is 'how' the leaves form

The green funnel erupts from the ground for about a week, then lies flat!

The fuzzy underside, burgandy tint, and thin green veins will be gone in a flash.

Thankfully, you can still enjoy the small, but lovely flowers for most of the summer