13 New Tropical Plants For 2014
New tropical varieties are great options for containers and combination planters, and boast bold-colored foliage which is sure to draw attention to patios and landscapes.
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Alocasia 'Ebony'
Alocasia ‘Ebony,’ the newest addition to Oglesby’s Safari line, is a fast-growing, well-branched cultivar with an upright growth habit. The deep-green, arrow-shaped leaves are highlighted with light green to silver veins, contrasted by distinct deep ebony stems. It is perfect for 4-, 6- and 8-inch container production with close spacing.
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Aloe 'Piranha'
The Fish series of aloes comes exclusively from Rancho Tissue Technologies, bred by Larry Weisel. Each has fabulous foliage, color and texture. They're great in 4- to 8-inch pots and perfect for patios and containers. Aloe ‘Piranha’ is a small to mid-sized option, displaying bright markings.
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Caladium 'Debutante'
Though it is a strap leaf variety, Caladium ‘Debutante’ will remind you of the classic variety ‘Candidum,’ with bright white leaves and deep green veins. ‘Debutante’ has short pot crop time and a beautiful habit with or without de-eyeing. It is perfect for 4-inch pots and larger with a compact mounded habit. ‘Debutante’ is useful as a border plant in combination patio planters or in shaded landscapes.
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Caladium 'Rio Red'
Looking like a slice of watermelon, caladium ‘Rio Red’ from Abbott-Ipco breeder Bob Hartman of Classic Caladiums is sure to recall pleasant summer picnics. This new strap leaf variety is said to be the deepest red of any caladium variety and creates beautiful rivers of red in the landscape. The red leaves are contrasted by black stems. ‘Rio Red’ is sun tolerant and is suitable for pot sizes 4 inches and up, including baskets and combination patio planters. De-eyeing improves habit in smaller pots.
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Caladium 'Summer Breeze'
As its name implies, the fancy leaf variety caladium ‘Summer Breeze’ is reminiscent of a warm, breezy summer day. ‘Summer Breeze’ boasts large leaves, which are real showstoppers in shaded landscapes if not de-eyed, but should be de-eyed for pot production. The variety is best for pot sizes 4 inches and larger.
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Colocasia 'Noble Gigante'
Colocasia ‘Noble Gigante,’ bred by Brian Williams, is a large hybrid with Colocasia gigantea in its blood, growing 6 to 8 feet tall in a single season. Its leaves are purple-blue in full sun and a softer purple with a green tint in the shade, with veins that emerge light-green and fade to deep purple. The colorful selection is happy in the ground or in a large container.
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Colocasia 'Puckered Up'
Colocasia ‘Puckered Up,’ bred by Brian Williams of Brian’s Botanicals and introduced by Plants Nouveau, has deeply puckered, dark-chocolate-colored leaves, supported by near-black stems on a bushy-yet-compact plant. Light plays off of each pucker, making the foliage look like a shiny turtle shell. The habit is compact with many stems, which makes for an attractive presentation in a retail setting in a 1- to 3-gallon pot.
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Colocasia esculenta 'White Lava'
Colocasia esculenta ‘White Lava’ from PlantHaven has fresh tropical green foliage with distinct white markings and veins and glossy red stems. It has a tidy, clump-forming habit and reaches about 4 feet at maturity. ‘White Lava’ is ideal in a 6-inch pot, and is best used for containers, garden borders and mass landscape planting.
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Echeveria 'Raindrops'
Echeveria ‘Raindrops’ from Rancho Tissue Technologies is produced from tissue culture for maximum consistency. ‘Raindrops’ has light-green, rounded leaves, highlighted by soft, reddish-pink margins and a single drop-like nodule in the middle of each leaf. It is great for small containers.
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Echeveria 'Red Ruffles'
Echeveria 'Ruffled Red' from Rancho Tissue Technologies is produced from tissue culture for maximum consistency. ‘Ruffled Red,’ a Kelly Griffin selection, is a succulent with silvery-green carunculate leaves that are wavy and red at the margins. It grows up to 8 inches in diameter and prefers sun to part sun, with the sun bringing out the red colors.
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Ficus petiolaris 'Rocky'
Oglesby’s Ficus petiolaris ‘Rocky’ has metallic blue-green, heart-shaped leaves with contrasting dark-pink veins. A woody basal caudex develops with age, providing a natural Bonsai look. ‘Rocky’ is very drought tolerant and a vigorous grower that is best in 4-inch pots and larger. It makes a great container accent plant for the patio, as well as a tough interior plant.
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Hibiscus 'Honeymoon'
Hibiscus ‘Honeymoon’ is a striking new introduction from Floranova. Available in three colors, including a deep red, Honeymoon is an eye-catching variety with real shelf appeal. It creates a naturally well-branched plant that reaches 2 to 2½ feet, which is ideal for large containers or for planting in a sunny garden spot.
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Mandevilla 'Ruby Splash'
A new collection of Fine Vines mandevillas are available in three colors: Ruby Splash, Deep Pink Paradise and Soft Pink Breeze. The Fine Vines mandevillas are climbing, bush-form vines with colorful blooms and heavy flowering. They offer better disease resistance and more vigorous growth than more traditional mandevillas. The varieties are part of the HGTV HOME Plant Collection. HGTV worked in conjunction with Agricola Management Group to develop the new mandevillas, which join the 2014 Expressions Annuals Collection and the Smart and Stylish Shrubs Collection.
View all
Alocasia 'Ebony'
Aloe 'Piranha'
Caladium 'Debutante'
Caladium 'Rio Red'
Caladium 'Summer Breeze'
Colocasia 'Noble Gigante'
Colocasia 'Puckered Up'
Colocasia esculenta 'White Lava'
Echeveria 'Raindrops'
Echeveria 'Red Ruffles'
Ficus petiolaris 'Rocky'
Hibiscus 'Honeymoon'
Mandevilla 'Ruby Splash'
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