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.
You do have a great collection ... I have many similar or same plants in my downunder garden. My Sanseveria has just finished blooming ... I rather like the little flower spikes.
ReplyDeleteI have a different variety of Kaempferia ... the 'elegans' which is dormant right now during our Winter here. Your patch looks great ... and I can imagine how lovely it would be when the plants are flowering.
Great Elephant's Ear too ... mine has really taken off this year ... it's growth has been restricted because I don't want it to grow too big!!
Love that silvery Cornukaempferia ... great foliage colour. I also have a Cycas ... it's amazing how tough they are. I'm sure yours will come through well.
So enjoyed your post ... thanks!
Beautiful! Everything just looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAlready had K. pulchra on my Gotta Get list, but thinking I may have to add K. laotica (I assume its the lighter colored one in the picture?). And I'm liking that Cornukaempferia aurantiflora too. The only thing that might hold me back is if they are too thirsty.
ReplyDeleteWow, that image of the Chinese fan palm leaf arrested me for several minutes. So shiny and shimmery! You have a lot of cool foliage plants, and you know I'm crazy for agaves. Speaking of scoring a perfect 10 on the spike-o-meter, have you tried sharkskin agave? It terrifies and fascinates me. I have a small one in a stock-tank planter, and when it gets big it'll be a beautiful menace. Stiff, unforgiving leaves with a long spike on the end...
ReplyDeleteDavid, I'm having a hard time absorbing the words "alocasia" and "drought tolerant" in the same sentence. And I don't know the Kaempferias at all -- they look like prayer plants. Great foliage followup post.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Most of these plants are possible to grow in a heated greenhouse over here. So for me they are dreamplants!
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