Zone 12 Flowers recommendations

[Klona]

Hey!
Any flower recommendations for zone 12? It's pretty hot and humid all year and the summer is scorching. What flower would survive the summer and what flower bloom before summer comes?

 

[Becky]

What conditions would they be planted in? Eg would they be in full sun or do they get shade? Is there any irrigation? etc

 

[Klona]

What conditions would they be planted in? Eg would they be in full sun or do they get shade? Is there any irrigation? etc

I'm very new to gardening.
I can put them in shade or full sun and I'm going to water them manually. It would be really nice if there's an easy to grow indoor plant.

 

[MaryMary]

Ok, so I dusted off my google-fu and went looking around for you! I went looking for flowering annuals, suitable for containers, hardy in Zones 11 &12. I had a lot of fun "shopping" for a different zone!!


Unless someone from a zone more similar to yours comes along with a reason why these are not suitable, I'd start here!! (I admit, I'm not really sure of my suggestions.)

I tried to be open minded about it, but in the end, I stayed true to my nature. I hope you like pinks, purples, and blues.



Brazilian Fireworks (Porphyrocoma pohliana) - purple-pink spikes of tubular flower clusters, the leaves also have attractive silver veins. The plant is well suited for growing in containers. It likes shade, so might do well indoors. Blooms in summer.

Calibrachoa (Calibrachoa hybrid) - blooms resemble miniature petunias in shades of red, orange, pink, purple, white, apricot, yellow, and blue. Blooms in summer, likes full sun.

Heliotrope, Cherry Pie (Heliotropium arborescens) - velvety blooms and lush, glossy foliage, its fragrance makes it a butterfly and gardener magnet! It can be grown as a houseplant, likes full sun. Purple flowers.

Kalanchoe - popular indoors and out for their ease of care, low water requirements and attractive, succulent leaves. Locating them in a warm, brightly lit location will assure the added bonus of dainty blooms in shades of red, orange, pink, white, and yellow. Also good as a houseplant.

Others to check:
Lantana
Livingstone Daisy
African Daisy
Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea.)

Hope that helps!

 

[Beverly]

Egyptian Star Cluster Penta lanceolata "Butterfly Pink, from South Africa originally, does very well in containers, likes sun (in moderation in your zone)

Zinnias and Comos also would do well where you live. Also Hojas (google Hoja Plants) that have beautiful waxy star clusters of flower divinely fragrant.

 

[Klona]

Egyptian Star Cluster Penta lanceolata "Butterfly Pink, from South Africa originally, does very well in containers, likes sun (in moderation in your zone)
View attachment 16732
Zinnias and Comos also would do well where you live. Also Hojas (google Hoja Plants) that have beautiful waxy star clusters of flower divinely fragrant.

The Hoja plants seemed interesting but after some research it looks like it can harm animals. I do have some cats at home, I'm worried they'd eat it.

 

[Beverly]

The Hoja plants seemed interesting but after some research it looks like it can harm animals. I do have some cats at home, I'm worried they'd eat it.

Hojas can be hanging plants, but still cats are very clever. I was not aware that they are toxic, but i am glad this came up, because so many tropical plants are toxic and that is definitely something you want to check on before you introduce a plant into your environment. I am not sure about the Pentas, so you might want to check them as well. A friend has a pre-school around the corner from where i live and she occasionally (well, not so much now because all the butterflies have gone to live elsewhere because of our exploding volcano) would bring a small group of children to the garden to see the butterflies and caterpillars. The children are mostly 4,5,6 years old, but the first thing we always do is point out which plants not to touch and they don't. It is more complicated with pets. I suppose a good rule to follow would be, assume a tropical plant is toxic unless you know otherwise. There are different levels of toxicity though so one may be toxic to insects, but not to small animals. There is a beautiful lily, called the Glorioso Lily (a clilmber by the way), that is drop dead toxic to anything that eats any part of it, including adult humans. I had some seeds to grow this extraordinary plant, but decided not to due to the fact the plant is really lethal and, for me, i would not take the risk. So,you don't just want to know if the plant is toxic, but how toxic.