Tropical Plants in Benicia

Q: I really want a tropical look in my garden but I am not sure what plants I can use to get that look. I have a few gardenias, but they are a little spindly. I have a bougainvillea but it gets so big that it needs to be cut back all the time and never seems to flower much. In some winters, it freezes and it doesn’t even look good for months!. What else can I do?

 A: This is the time of year when people are having their final outdoor celebrations before school and the impending long cold California winter. It is not unusual to see Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops on the street. That means it’s the time of year when tropical plants are looking their best, luring you with their colorful, leafy splendor.

Nothing screams tropics quite like palm trees, but there is more to the tropics than a few palm fronds. Typically, tropical plants have big shiny leaves and large colorful flowers. Most tropical plants are at least a little frost-tender and need a substantial amount of irrigation. 

In the tropics, it rains most of the time. In Hilo, Hawaii, one would expect at least 170 inches of rain a year. In Benicia, we expect almost 20 inches of rain. Since we have clay soil, the water we supply to plants tends to stay available longer than in sand, but it is still a big difference. In general terms, to grow healthy tropical plants we need to give the plants access to consistent water all year, with great drainage. 

So, with all that said, plenty of tropical plants do well in all parts of Benicia. 

Bougainvillea: There are plenty of colors and styles of bougainvillea.  I have found that San Diego Red is quite frost-hardy, but it gets big!  Raspberry Ice is a nice variegated variety that makes a good ground cover, especially trailing over a retaining wall. Torch Glow is an upright form and can be espaliered or trained to hug a wall. Expect any Bougainvillea to go out of flower in the winter, and even drop most of its leaves. If you live at the top of the hill in Benicia, you would be well advised to keep your bougainvilleas in a sheltered south-facing area.  Bougainvillea is one of the most water-efficient of the truly tropical plants.

Canna: I love cannas. The varieties range from two feet to six feet tall. Some have green leaves, some dark red leaves and some striped. The most robust are green or red-leafed and have red or orange flowers.  They lose most of their leaves in the winter, in most areas. Mine sometimes keep some leaves all winter, but they are so ratty that they need to be cut back in March anyway. They grow in a dry part of the yard and in the pond.

Gardenias: Most gardeners with a love of tropical plants have a real love-hate relationship with gardenias. I see hundreds of them a year, and only about a third of them are really good-looking. It seems that the ones in planters and large pots look great if they are repotted every three years or so. The healthy gardenias in the ground seem to be planted in an area that drains well in the winter, gets water about once a week in the summer and has bright shade or partial sun.

Hibiscus: Yes, hibiscus in Benicia. I have seen a hibiscus growing eight feet tall and wide in Benicia. It was by a south-facing, protected wall. I have seen them do well in pots for years but they are a bit stressed by the confinement. If you want hibiscus, give them room and protection.

Palms: Many palms do well here. There are plenty of Mexican fan palms downtown but they are not polite neighbors, spreading from seed with abandon. Better to choose from the 20 or so other palms that do well here. The queen palm has gained in popularity in the past few years and looks lovely in the breeze. Just be sure that you keep in mind how tall they will get. You don’t want to see all trunk and no tree.

Princess Flower: These have lovely purple flowers on a shrub with big velvety leaves. These plants do well outside of the wind and in a partially shaded place. Plant them near your gardenias.

All of these plants are considered medium to high water need plants.  If you want to have a “water wise” landscape with a tropical feel, you will be a little more challenged.  To achieve a tropical feel with little water, it is better to look for interesting textures and-non plant elements to achieve your goals.

I like to tell people to choose “Hawaiian tropical” (medium to high water) or “Mediterranean tropical,” medium to low water. The latter will require less water and less plant material but more of an influence. Go to Hawaii in your mind: banana plants (yes, we can grow them here), palm trees, vines, hibiscus, leaves, lots of big green leaves and over 100 inches of rain a year. Now hop a jet in your mind and go to Puerto Vallarta: palms, red roofs, bougainvillea, small leaves and only about 20 inches of rain in the year.  Of course, Puerto Vallarta gets most of its rain in the summer, but we can deal with that.

In looking for inspiration for the “elements” (non-plant material), surf the web, flip through books or, if you have the funds, travel. Keep a scrapbook of what speaks to you and use those pictures as well as you can to shape your garden. Allow for plenty of planting space and take it from there.

Alison W. Fleck is a California Certified Nursery Professional, an associate member of the California Landscape Contractors Association and an active member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. She would love a tropical getaway about now.