Dombeya cacuminum “Strawberry snowball tree”

Oh you lucky people in USDA Zones 10 & 11! This fabulous, rare, showy tree is SO desireable and you have the perfect climate for it! Mongo flower clusters ONE FOOT ACROSS bloom in Winter and are a shocking cerise pink in color. After this stunning floral display it drops its blooms to make an attractive strawberry colored carpet. A native of Madagascar, this fast growing tree is easy to grow so long as you provide it with protection when the weather gets colder than 28 degrees F, at least when the plant is young. In its native habitat it can reach a height of 50’ tall by 20’ wide, but cultivated specimens are likely to be smaller, and Dombeyas seem to be fairly easy to shape as garden trees. Once established it requires only occasional deep watering. There are some reports of people being able to grow this tree in USDA Zone 9, and I certainly think that it’s worth a try!

Sun/Part Sun. Infrequent water once established.
Perennial Shrub/Tree
USDA Zones 10a-11

Geranium maderense

This Martian monster of a Geranium is never on a predictable schedule at the nursery, and our big crop is NOW so get ‘em while you can! In its first (and sometimes second) year this species makes a rosette of leaves that can be 3’ across, with the individual leaves sometimes becoming one foot across! Once mature, the leaves lever downward, and up comes the inflorescence – a black, purple, and pink mass of sticky stems that bear a huge profusion of magenta flowers that appear ongoingly for about one month before the plant retires and dies. I think that when it’s in full bloom it bears a resemblance to some crazy science fiction creature – like a monster squid, or (forgive the nerdy reference) one of those “Sentinel” robot-things from the Matrix! Most everyone who hasn’t seen one before will be stopped in their tracks! Rich soil and regular water will yield the biggest show, but this species will survive with less than perfect soil and with only moderate water, as long as you keep it on the shady side. (Hear that? Dry shade!) Also it reseeds, so even when the mother monster is gone you’ll have lots of baby monsters for next year!

Part Sun. Avg/Regular Water. Monocarpic.
USDA Zones 9-11

Solanum pyracanthum

Weird and spooky! Is this the perfect Halloween plant or what? Starry purple flowers contrast beautifully with the specious orange thorns that adorn the midrib of every leaf on this tough and beautiful perennial. Growing to 3’ wide by 3’ tall in time, it’s a great mid-border plant or pot specimen, and is a MUST HAVE for the dry and/or goth garden. It’s semi-tropical, so during particularly hard freezes it will need protection if you don’t want it to die back. I also consider this to be a hilarious alternative to the white picket fence! Rich soil is best, but not required. Drought tolerant once established!

Sun. Avg./Low Water. Perennial
USDA Zones 9-11

Streptosolen jamesonii “Marmalade Bush”

Just about the best orange one can ask for in a garden plant! If you aren’t already familiar with this gorgeous shrub you really should be! Almost always in bloom once established, this South American evergreen shrub with an informal and somewhat arching habit is remarkably easy to grow. Flowers emerge a golden yellow and darken to a deep orange for a glowing, multi-hued effect. Our pot specimen in the nursery is frequented by hummingbirds, and always asked after by our garden visitors. Grows best and fastest in rich soil with at least average water.

Full Sun/Part Shade. Avg. water. Perennial Shrub.
USDA zones 9-11

Viola nigra
“Bowle’s Black”

This heirloom from 1901 is our most popular plant for Halloween bedding schemes, and one of the toughest Violas around! We so love this plant for it’s friendly habit of popping up here and there in the garden to add a bit of contrast and spook! It always re-seeds true, and never reseeds so much that it becomes a problem. Blooming in cycles throughout the year in temperate zones 9 and up, it’s more heat tolerant than most Violas, and can be cut back for repeat bloom, as it’s actually a perennial that people usually just treat as an annual. The dark and dainty flowers are charming in drifts or intermingled with other winter bloomers, like Linaria reticulata ‘Flamenco’, or Ursinia anthemoides ‘Solar Fire’. Named for Edward Augustus Bowles, a renowned horticulturalist and gardener of the early 2oth century,

Sun/Shade. Avg Water. Perennial
USDA Zones 7-11