Question
Hi,
I'm in zone 7 (almost 8) and planted cannas,elephant ears,and 1 windmill palm last spring. Am I supposed to keep on watering these through the winter or stop. Most people say I have to dig them all up too, but I have neighbors that don't. Also, I'd love some more palms and other tropicals, which ones would you suggest?Thanks for any advice!
Lisa

Answer
Hello Lisa,

Your cannas and elephant ears will go dormant with the first hard frost and as such there is no need to water them. Your windmill palm will slow in growth as the weather gets colder but will never go fully dormant. During spells of mild weather during the winter you may find that it continues to push out new leaves. If your winter temperatures drop below 10 degrees you may want to consider wrapping your palm with a blanket or similar until the cold spell passes. I live in the colder part of zone 7 (close to zone 6) and I have to give protection every year to my windmill palm. You will not need to water your windmill palm during the winter unless you live in a desert area.

Other palms you can try in your area are needle palm (rhapidiphyllum) and sabal minor. The needle palm is hardier than the windmill palm but is shorter, shrubbier and slower growing. Sabal minor is also a short growing palm but has huge round leaves.

Musa basjoo is a banana that is perfectly hardy in your area. It will die to the ground in winter but resprout in the spring. It will not produce edible fruit. If you are close to zone 8 you might try oleander in the warmest sunniest area you have. Look for the variety called "Hardy Red", it is supposedly the hardiest of the oleanders.

Gingers will do well in your area as long as you give them some shade and keep them well watered during the summer. The flowers are spectacular and incredibly fragrant in some.

You might also try gardenias. Look for the varieties called "Chuck Hayes" of "Kliems Hardy". These are single flowered extra hardy varieties with the same intense fragrance of the larger double flowered greenhouse grown types.

You can grow just about any type of camellia in your area as well. The are fall blooming and spring blooming types. If you plant both, you can have blooms from September to April during a mild winter.

All of your sub tropicals will do best with plenty of water during dry periods in the summer. They will also need a warm microclimate such as close to the sunny south side of the house. The camellias are the hardiest of the bunch and will be fine out in the open. They also appreciate some shade. A deep mulch during the winter will ensure that your plants will come back the following year.

I hope this information was of help to you.

Vito Nettis