CHARLES REYNOLDS: Don’t underestimate ti plants
As brilliantly colorful as any plant on the planet, varieties of ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) add instant tropical flair to ho-hum settings. Native to New Guinea and several Pacific islands, ti plants grow 6 to 10 feet tall in sun or shade, though specimens in light shade are the most attractive. While best used in small groups to provide panache, ti plants can be massed to good effect, especially if plants of varying heights are used. Old, leggy specimens can simply be decapitated. Stick the top portions where they’re to grow permanently; the lower, still-rooted portions will develop new foliage.
APPROPRIATE DOGWOOD FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA
In the 1970s and '80s, dogwood trees (Cornus florida) seemed to be everywhere. These deciduous, white-flowered, red-fruited trees were common in both woodlands and landscapes. But their numbers gradually dwindled to the point that they’ve become rare in Central Florida. A combination of development, pollution and — most of all — climate change made the species, which is at the southern edge of its natural range, here — a loser.
But a smaller relative called swamp dogwood (Cornus foemina) grows throughout Florida and — though it prefers boggy sites — adapts to irrigated landscapes. A deciduous shrub or tree up to 15 feet tall, swamp dogwood grows in sun or shade, featuring white springtime blossoms on wide-spreading branches. Clustered, dark-blue, quarter-inch fruit that are esteemed by birds ripen in summer and autumn. Improve sites with organic matter and maintain a deep layer of mulch. Propagate with seeds, cuttings and transplanted suckers. Plants are hard to track down but occasionally offered online.
HOME-GROWN GUACAMOLE
Avocado trees — large, handsome and leathery-leaved — are fine subjects for good-sized gardens. Depending on variety, they range from moderately to extremely cold hardy. Regardless of variety, however, these trees require sunny, well-drained sites: Specimens installed too close to lakes and ponds — or in seasonally inundated locations — eventually perish. And while growing avocado trees from seeds (pits) is fun, you’ll have to wait five to 15 years before they bear fruit — and that fruit might well be inferior.
DWARF CAVENDISH BANANAS
Although it’s not as imposing as most banana plants, Dwarf Cavendish’s 5-to-7-foot height makes it considerably more manageable. In addition, its tasty fruit, relative cold-hardiness and wind tolerance make Dwarf Cavendish — a variety of Musa acuminata — a popular choice. Plants bear large bunches of thin-skinned, sweet fruit, but only if grown on moist sites heavily enriched with organic matter and kept deeply mulched. Locations protected from wind are ideal.
Propagate with suckers left after fruiting stalks die. Note: an even smaller variety of Musa acuminata is Super Dwarf Cavendish, which grows 2-to-4 feet tall. It produces mini-bananas, though not reliably. Banana fans should consider purchasing ‘’The Banana Lovers’ Cookbook’’ by Carol Lindquist, published by St. Martin’s Press. It’s available from Amazon.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: WEEKEND PLANTINGS
