My garden tour started early this morning. Upon stepping outside I was greeted with South Florida’s summer signature – a wet blanket of humidity. The slimy blanket was countered by the combination of several lovely scents from new flowers inspired by the onset of the rainy season.
This is Aloysia virgata, Sweet Almond. It actually smells like almond extract. I cut this out of control shrub back to the ground during the winter and this is the second flush of growth.
What would summer be without Gardenias? This is a Tropical Gardenia (Tabernaemontana diviricata) it’s deciduous, probably 15 feet tall and blooms all summer. The scent is more prominent at night.
The Frangipani is also gearing up. This is a variety of Plumeria rubra. It is too tall to get a close up.
The straw flowers of the tropics, Aechmea rubens. Another Bromeliad I acquired somewhere.. The flowers last for months. These are easily three feet tall and will open further.
It doesn’t get much more tropical than this. Lobsterclaw Heliconias (Heliconia rostrata). I gambled and put some Holly tone fertilizer around these. It has paid off handsomely, although no one recommends it. The ‘soil’ in my garden is sand with virtually no nutrients and nearly neutral pH.
A much happier Alcantarea odorata Bromeliad. These are grown for their grey foliage and usually love full sun – except this variety. It’s recovering nicely with lower light. The tips of the leaves were burning before I moved it.
That’s the story from South Florida this Saturday. Visit Jim at GardenRuminations to tour gardens around the world.
Happy Gardening!
The Shrub Queen 
Thank you, I find it fascinating to see plants from other climatic zones. The lobster claw is so exotic.
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Love lobster claw plant ! My sister in law grows a few in her garden in Reunion island. Lovely plumeria too. What do you do with Aloysia virgata ? Only a shrub with an attractive almond scent ? Other uses ( herbal tea like other aloysias ?)
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Thank you. I can never figure out if you can make Almond Verbena tea from this? Some say it is toxic.
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Probably,… be careful . Tonight it’s a tea for my wife and I with aloysia polystacha : this one is safe.
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Heliconia rostrata can supposedly grow here. I suspect that if it could grow here, I would have noticed it somewhere already. Even if it tolerates the minor chill here, I doubt it would be pleased about the minimal humidity.
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It gets brown edged leaves with low humidity. Surprisingly fast. I think it would be a challenge to grow it there.
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That is what I suspected, and likely why I have never seen it before. Heliconia psittacorum is the only species that I see here. I grow two.
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Oh, I always love seeing the tropical beauties in your garden. Love the lobster claw, and the gorgeous bromeliad.
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Thank you.
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LOVE those heliconia! 🤩 💕
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Nature fascinates me as to what will grow and where it will find a happy home.
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It is so interesting.
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Such a shame we can’t smell them! All your ‘exotic’ plants look wonderful and lush and glossy though. 😃
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I often wish for smell o vision on blogs.
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What would summer be without gardenias? Indeed, I can’t imagine what summer would be with gardenias. And frangipani. And an almond smelling aloysia, I just know the lemon one. I would like to come to your garden and have a good sniff at all the exotic scents. If I lived in Florida my bromeliad collecting would get out of hand too.
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Alas, I am from the American South, Gardenias are a summer staple. You know Bromeliads can be crossed and grown from seed??
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No I didn’t know that. I will try to forget it. My greenhouse is full of nerines and epiphyllums. I haven’t got room for a new greenhouse.
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I’m not going to try!
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I was just thinking that the scent explosion in your garden would be a little overwhelming, but I can’t think of anything nicer than getting a waft of frangipani and gardenia walking through a green jungle. I’d be out there, wandering around with cups of tea all the time!!
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There is usually a breeze and the tea would be iced!
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The soil in my garden is also like sand. In fact when we had the house buillt I thought it was built on the beach and it’s been a constant battle to improve it. Your Lobsterclaw Heliconias is beautiful. You have some amazing plants in your garden. You remind me I need to gradually move Broms outside in the sun. They look healthy enough but I think to reflower they need more light.
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Sand is a trial. It is surprisingly difficult to get bromeliads in the right spot. I had them in too much shade for a long time.
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Oh, lovely photos. I’m always fascinated by Heliconias, and enjoy seeing them when I travel south. Currently, we’re hitting the “perfect” weather time here in S. Wisconsin: May through mid-October, when the highs are consistently 65-90F. Love it. 🙂
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What is about the Heliconias? Just so weird, I guess. I like them too. The weather does sound perfect, enjoy!
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