If you weren’t able to escape to a tropical island this summer, we have the next best thing (sorta.) Horticulturist Matthew Fleming highlights his favorite tropical plants, now on display in the Enid A. Haupt Garden behind the Smithsonian Castle.
Hymenocallis maximilian
Hymenocallis maximiliani – A lush plant even when it is not in flower, though it really shines when the 3’ flower spikes present unique 7” white, spider-like flowers in early summer.
Mussaenda‘Queen Sirikit’
Mussaenda‘Queen Sirikit’ – This is one of those plants that makes you immediately grab your phone to snap a picture. Its large pinkish bracts (modified leaves at the base of flowers or flower clusters) cover the plant throughout the growing season.
Rotheca myricoides
Rotheca myricoides – This vigorous grower with its many blue/purple flowers is said to resemble butterflies in flight, hence its common name, Butterfly Bush.
Hibiscus‘Midnight Tryst’
Hibiscus‘Midnight Tryst’ – While this might be only its first year on display (purchased as a cutting a few years ago and finally grown to display size) this crowd-pleaser is getting a lot of attention with its unique contrast of purple/pink tones. Luckily for us, the hibiscus flowers bloom continuously for our many garden visitors.
Cananga odorata
Cananga odorata – The almost creature-like looking, droopy green/yellow flowers have a delightful scent called ylang-ylang that is popular in the perfume industry. It can often be seen covered with blooms since it flowers prolifically nearly year-round.
Brugmansia‘Charles Grimaldi’
Brugmansia‘Charles Grimaldi’ – When in full bloom, Angel’s Trumpet might be my favorite plant I care for in our tropical plant collection. I have personally seen it flush hundreds of yellow/orange to almost gold-like flowers that are up to a foot long! Simply amazing, stop by often to see it in one of its “bloom cycles.”
Gardenia jasminoides and Gardenia jasminoides‘Fortuniana’
Gardenia jasminoides and Gardenia jasminoides‘Fortuniana’ – Semi-cheating here with two plants, but one is a cultivar so hopefully you can let it slide. Our G. jasminoides (top)is a truly special specimen; with a canopy size of around 12-14′ in diameter, it’s not hard to see why it made the list. The white blooms pace themselves to ensure that flowers appear throughout the growing season rather than all at once. ‘Fortuniana’ on the other hand, while not as large, is still around 6’ in diameter and flowers 325 days out of the year. Both plants are fragrant and plentiful.
Dioscorea mexicana
Dioscorea mexicana – If a caudex (stem structure) that resembles a turtle shell isn’t amazing enough, this climber can grow up to 30’ in one year. Our plant’s battle-scarred shell shows the resiliency of plants.
Habranthus robustus‘Russell Manning’
Habranthus robustus‘Russell Manning’ – When not in bloom, one would hardly notice this plant because of its grassy-like appearance. But when it does put on a show, you certainly understand why it made the list. Its flowers are some of the largest among rain lilies.
Mussaenda frondosa
Mussaenda frondosa – Lastly, and yes I know we have one Mussaenda species listed already, but here is another. Arguably, it is one of Smithsonian Gardens’ most popular tropical plants on display. Sited near the benches that surround the Edith A. Haupt Garden’s parterre, this vigorous shrub is an exceptional pollinators plant, both in terms of its prolific quantity and variety. The small, orange tubular flowers are nice, but it is the large white, leaf-like sepals at their base that are the real showstoppers.
Bonus!
Be on the lookout next year for Brachychiton rupestris—this newly acquired specimen is currently spending time growing in its new pot at our Greenhouse Facility!
This post by Matthew Fleming was originally published by Smithsonian Gardens.
