Old Fashioned Plants for the Wet Tropics

What is wet tropics? Is it your zone?

High humidity, but not too much over 35 degrees C perhaps? 

In Australia, we would say that Cairns, Babinda, 'cyclone alley' but not the Atherton tablelands, would fit the bill.

Darwin also, although, the Summer's are much hotter.

So what are the plants that would love that?

Let’s find out

I'm talking with Peter Nixon, garden designer and project manager of Paradisus garden design

Peter mentioned: 

Pisonia umbeliffera-bird lime tree.

Mussaenda philippica or M. erythrophylla-showy bracts-large shrub with pink or white bracts.

Warszewiczia coccinea-Pride of Trinidad-bract type red flower.2m sprawly shrub.

Plumeria spp-P obtusa, P.rubra, P. caracasana, P. pudica- but not hybrids like P acuminata who get rust in this zone.

Plumeria rubra photo M Cannon

Perennials, and sub-shrubs:

Pseuderanthemum laxiflorum-purple Prince, open habit, 1m, purple flowers all year.

Heliconia rostrata-red and yellow

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora-Blue ginger.

Persian Shield

Rhinacanthus nasutus,, commonly known as snake jasmine, white butterfly flowers.-Low groundcover

ForShade: try these

Crossandra spp. Firecracker Flower-apricot flower, 400m

Crossandra infundibuliformis- Firecracker flower, (another form)

Strobilanthes dyerianus-Persian shield 
Xanthostemon youngii-red penda, brushlike

If you have any questions either for me or for Peter, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville