Plants That Compliment Palm Trees

[Patrick Palms]

Which Plants do you like , Next to your palms,  to bring out the Best of Them ?

Dwarf Bougainvilleas   ?

Tradescantia ?

Blue Plumbago ?

Hibiscus ?

Tecoma stans ?

or Any other not Mentioned ?

 

 

[Patrick Palms]

[Patrick Palms]

[Patrick Palms]

[Tracy]

Boy, lots of plants complement palms and selections depend on one's climate as well as the palms.  I have used Aloes, Agaves, Bromeliads, Aroids, Orchids, flowering trees, big leafed trees and my personal favorite Cycads to create a partial list.

[Kim]

For a long time I have felt like my garden needs more "garden jewelry" -- more colorful accent plants. I have quite a few, but they seem like a drop in the bucket. My climate is wet and warm, basically a rainforest. I use ti plants, orchids, bromeliads of various types, crotons, anthuriums, vireya, alocasia, philodendron, etc.  I can get contrast just by using different leaf shapes and textures, too.  A few samples below.

So many plants, so little time to plant them!

 

 

 

[Rivera]

Here in San Francisco, I grow some of the plants Tracy mentioned. Some of my favorite agave are those from the Huasteca Canyon area.

My neighborhood is built on sand dune, and I have a special affection for cliff, bluff, and dune plants that are well adapted to a cool but mild maritime climate.

I grow many California native herbaceous perennials and shrubs. Something native is in bloom almost year round and these plants attract a plethora of local wildlife. Native plants don't just provide nectar and pollen, but also play host to various lepidoptera. When I began to utilize my flora to support my local fauna, my garden came alive in short time. 

For me, this means Eschscholzia californica, Polystyichum munitum, Diplacus aurantiacus, Monardella californica, Arctostaphylos sp., Lyonothamnus floribundus, Dudleya sp., Artemisia sp., Monardella villosa, Salvia sp., Eriogonum sp., Carex sp., Festuca sp. and many others.

[Kim]

2 hours ago, Rivera said:

Here in San Francisco, I grow some of the plants Tracy mentioned. Some of my favorite agave are those from the Huasteca Canyon area.

My neighborhood is built on sand dune, and I have a special affection for cliff, bluff, and dune plants that are well adapted to a cool but mild maritime climate.

I grow many California native herbaceous perennials and shrubs. Something native is in bloom almost year round and these plants attract a plethora of local wildlife. Native plants don't just provide nectar and pollen, but also play host to various lepidoptera. When I began to utilize my flora to support my local fauna, my garden came alive in short time. 

For me, this means Eschscholzia californica, Polystyichum munitum, Diplacus aurantiacus, Monardella californica, Arctostaphylos sp., Lyonothamnus floribundus, Dudleya sp., Artemisia sp., Monardella villosa, Salvia sp., Eriogonum sp., Carex sp., Festuca sp. and many others.

Would really love to see photos! Your description sounds wonderful -- cliff, bluff, and dune plants.

[Darold Petty]

Rivera's garden is only three years old, very different from mine, but very interesting.   

[JLM]

Anything with vibrant color, it really pops against any palm. My hawaiian ti looks really nice with my majesty.

[Rivera]

27 minutes ago, Kim said:

Would really love to see photos!

Thanks Kim, I'll throw a few photos up later.

[idontknowhatnametuse]

Coccoloba Uvifera

[DoomsDave]

Here’s some big bromeliads at the bases of some big palms.

 

 

[Brad Mondel]

Hibiscus, Plumeria, Oleander, Jasmine, Bougainvillea, Tecoma, Mandevilla, Salvia, Calibrachoa, Cordyline, Lantana and Cacti.  Anything with hot bright colors and continuous blooms are my favorite and fragrance is a bonus. 

[Silas_Sancona]

Here in the low " subtropical" desert, or in the warmer parts of California,  the " list" of plants one can plant to complement palms is nearly endless..  Having 4K Native species itself, AZ has LOTS of options, As does California.. Being next door to one of the most diverse regions on the planet, ..ahem, Mexico...  that list grows considerably.  Then there is everything else from the Caribbean, Central and S. America..  ..that will tolerate heat and extended periods of drought and look great, if treated right..

 There are more than enough options for any application ..low desert, middle elevation, cloud forest ( Mexican, Central, and S. American stuff  from those elevations for cooler aeas in California / Pac. N.W./ Interior West ( hardiest stuff from those areas for the interior west of course ).. ) to provide color, texture, movement, and seasonality for each and every season.. 

I could list some examples, but ..Think i have laid that out quite extensively already..

In a nutshell, start with Natives / near-natives FIRST,  then consider / extensively research any tame, non native-to-your-hemisphere options.. There are plenty of good ones out there.

[Rivera]

10 hours ago, Kim said:

cliff, bluff, and dune plants

Ok Kim, here are some photos. As Darold mentioned, it's a young garden. 

Silvery looking Artemisia pycnocephala (sandhill sagebrush) foreground center. Tanacetum bipinnatum (dune tansy) just up and to the left of it. Both are native to these sands. Sagebrush seems to attract small moths which hide in it during the day. I think these moths are their main pollinator because I've never seen it pollinated by anything during the day.  The dune tansy is very popular with tiny native bees.

Agave bracteosa in the foreground with a few other limestone cliff dwellers in the midground.

Dudleya brittonii, sedum stenopetalum, Artemisia californica.

Dudleya sp.

Young Aloidendron tongaense, native to sand forest and dune. 

Overall, my garden is pretty dry, but there are a few small areas that get regular water. Here's native Diplacus sp. (monkeyflower) in the foreground, Polystyichum munitum (western sword fern) behind it and a Rhopalostylis sapida in the rear.

-chris

[Jim in Los Altos]

Some of my favorites throughout the garden starting with assorted bromeliads…

Canna

Pencil Cactus

Shell Ginger

Heliconia ‘Fire and Ice’

Monstera

Irisine (Bloodleaf)

Clivia

Clivia

Spider Web Aralia

Oxalis

Ashook tree

Hobiscus

Begonia

 

[TropicalGardenSpain]

7 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Some of my favorites throughout the garden starting with assorted bromeliads…

Canna

Pencil Cactus

Shell Ginger

Heliconia ‘Fire and Ice’

Monstera

Irisine (Bloodleaf)

Clivia

Clivia

Spider Web Aralia

Oxalis

Ashook tree

Hobiscus

Begonia

 

Hi James, you have some amazing plants! How do you look after the bromelaids? I know we have similar dry climates and they seem to struggle for me. I guess they just need a good sprinkler system with frequent watering? 

[Marie Nock]

In South Florida, Crotons are called palm jewelry.

[SeanK]

12 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Here in the low " subtropical" desert, or in the warmer parts of California,  the " list" of plants one can plant to complement palms is nearly endless..  Having 4K Native species itself, AZ has LOTS of options, As does California.. Being next door to one of the most diverse regions on the planet, ..ahem, Mexico...  that list grows considerably.  Then there is everything else from the Caribbean, Central and S. America..  ..that will tolerate heat and extended periods of drought and look great, if treated right..

 There are more than enough options for any application ..low desert, middle elevation, cloud forest ( Mexican, Central, and S. American stuff  from those elevations for cooler aeas in California / Pac. N.W./ Interior West ( hardiest stuff from those areas for the interior west of course ).. ) to provide color, texture, movement, and seasonality for each and every season.. 

I could list some examples, but ..Think i have laid that out quite extensively already..

In a nutshell, start with Natives / near-natives FIRST,  then consider / extensively research any tame, non native-to-your-hemisphere options.. There are plenty of good ones out there.

This is a very important topic, as too many pal enthusiasts ignore the landscape at large.

I agree that a good place to start is with natives, as those plants evolved in your climate with its pests. Near-natives from same hardiness zones.

It would be handy to have an alphabetical photo-encyclopedia,  along with a list for z10b+, z10, z9, z8, z7. Landscapers could copy the list for the zone, then quickly scan color pix of the plants in flower.

[Jim in Los Altos]

7 hours ago, TropicalGardenSpain said:

Hi James, you have some amazing plants! How do you look after the bromelaids? I know we have similar dry climates and they seem to struggle for me. I guess they just need a good sprinkler system with frequent watering? 

Very little maintenance on them. They just need overhead spray irrigation (no drip) and partial shade to full but bright shade. I have some in full sun as well but they struggle a bit. In the summer they are watered three times per week. 

[Christopher Dillman]

 

On 3/31/2023 at 3:05 PM, Patrick Palms said:

Gold Medallion tree?

Edited April 2, 2023 by Christopher Dillman

[Silas_Sancona]

14 hours ago, SeanK said:

This is a very important topic, as too many pal enthusiasts ignore the landscape at large.

I agree that a good place to start is with natives, as those plants evolved in your climate with its pests. Near-natives from same hardiness zones.

It would be handy to have an alphabetical photo-encyclopedia,  along with a list for z10b+, z10, z9, z8, z7. Landscapers could copy the list for the zone, then quickly scan color pix of the plants in flower.

Can't speak for areas back east ..though Florida has something like this.. but, out here, and in CA., there are ..seemingly endless resources that follow this logic / idea ..which landscapers / homeowners can reference.. Yes, there are numerous things ..the really interesting native / near- native  stuff that can be hard to access.. Many nurseries, ..good nurseries.. working on that challenge. More will follow ( My goal for sure )

The biggest challenge ..Which i understand, to a certain point at least, is some landscapers, home owners are stuck on this idea that inclusion of Natives often = boring ..or plants that will look good only for certain portions of the year.. This is Soo far from the truth, especially when you expand your research to include natives which might not be native to your particular part of the state, but are regionally native ( IE: someone in San Diego looking at interesting native stuff from S. AZ, S. Texas ..or even Florida  ..to fill in gaps at various times of the year when local  natives might look a bit ..blah..  )

 With a little planning, and some deeper digging / forward thinking, you can have interesting plants which add color / texture / movement, etc all year..  Ferns, which can withstand drought, a plethora of tropical looking trees which can also withstand drought, etc..

Not saying never to include stuff like Bougainvillea ( Prefer the easier to manage dwarf types myself ), Crotons and Ti Plants ..if you enjoy them,  ..or  endless lists of cool stuff from areas far removed from your hemisphere in your landscape.. Those plant options, non invasive / overly aggressive ones preferably,  have a place on stage in the yard too, in the right settings / areas.. 

Just suggesting  start w/ what plant options will offer the most benefit to everything connected to your landscape, which will withstand everything the climate of X area will throw at your garden first.. Add the other stuff as those extra dashes of  " sugar on top " 

The best gardens i enjoy visiting / seeing pictures of are full of seemingly endless diversity, not boxed in to one, two, or very few gardening / landscape design ideas..

I want my landscape to be as maintenance / worry-free / cost efficient as possible, ...but still filled to the brim with cool stuff.  A garden should be enjoyed, not a slave master, ..if that makes sense.

Edited April 3, 2023 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[Tomas]

On 4/2/2023 at 1:50 PM, TropicalGardenSpain said:

Hi James, you have some amazing plants! How do you look after the bromelaids? I know we have similar dry climates and they seem to struggle for me. I guess they just need a good sprinkler system with frequent watering? 

 

21 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Very little maintenance on them. They just need overhead spray irrigation (no drip) and partial shade to full but bright shade. I have some in full sun as well but they struggle a bit. In the summer they are watered three times per week. 

There are bromeliads for every exposure, from full sun to heavy shade, I am talking about the tank bromeliads, not about the succulent ones, that obviously behave as succulents. It is important to choose the right one. I water mine maybe once a week, there are many that will be happy this way.

Here are few that are impossible to scorch or dehydrate

[Silas_Sancona]

23 minutes ago, Tomas said:

 

There are bromeliads for every exposure, from full sun to heavy shade, I am talking about the tank bromeliads, not about the succulent ones, that obviously behave as succulents. It is important to choose the right one. I water mine maybe once a week, there are many that will be happy this way.

Here are few that are impossible to scorch or dehydrate

Some of my personal favorites pictured here, but guarantee ..without shade and access to -some moisture ..at least a few times a week, they'll melt / turn to piles of crispy brown nothing-ness in no time here full Arizona Sun.

[Kim]

@Rivera  Thank you for posting your photos! Beautiful little rock garden you have going, love the chubby blue succulents and the variety of plants!

@Jim in Los Altos  Never tire of seeing photos of your very accomplished garden. You have the eye.

[Patrick Palms]

So Whats the Correct name of this Bromeliads  that takes Full Sun ?

 

 

[Billy]

57 minutes ago, Patrick Palms said:

So Whats the Correct name of this Bromeliads  that takes Full Sun ?

Aechmea blanchetiana is a great option for full sun here in coastal southern California. 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, Billy said:

Aechmea blanchetiana is a great option for full sun here in coastal southern California. 

Agree with Billy on many possibilities for bromeliads that can get by with a little less water in coastal California or equivalent climates, unlike some of the Neoreglias that Jim has that demand a bit more attention to the watering schedule.  Many Aechmea's would fit that description including Aechmea recurvata and its many variants.  My personal favorite of that species is the "Aztec Gold".  Alchantarea imperialis is another one that just due to the shear size of it's "tank".  Mentioning the succulent varieties... many, more there that are options and make excellent palm companions, whether one is trying to achieve a full complement of plants with ones palms or just an accent piece that is complimentary.  Dyckias, Hechtias, Puya's are all mostly full sun except for the harshest of environments.  You can look them up over in the TROPICAL LOOKING PLANTS - Other Than Palms 

section. 

[Patrick]

Everyone's suggestions are great and I second all of them.

There was one thing I saw that really surprised me was when I was at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the big island. They used Neomarica caerulea, Walking Iris, as a low level planting en masse in one area towards the big ocean view. Really pretty, glossy foliage, strap leaves, and the flowers aren't bad to look at either. They take freezing temperatures (9B) and so I've been trying them in my yard. Check them out, you may like them. Tough plants that look good. That's what I have to grow in my yard.

 

Here's the spot. They are all around, to the right of the path. Maybe to the left as well, but It's hard to say, 100%. Definitely to the right.

https://www.google.com/maps/@19.8084365,-155.0928956,3a,75y,55.35h,83.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4pEkjVd4uFRvFWt95YqYKg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Also, Crinum asiaticum, the green form and var. procerum that has port/ magenta leaves. It's hardy down to zone 8.  One of my favorites for understory.

 

I wish I would have NOT planted my one Bougainvillea.  Yes, they are colorful but I really dislike those thorns. It's the worst if you are wearing sandals and you step on a thorn, or even in work boots they go right through to your foot. Plus, I must be a little allergic to nightshades because I get a runny nose and sneeze a bunch when I cut it back- which I have to do quite often. I now know why Bob Vila from This Old House would always have a quick little scene to point out how those plants would have to go on all the remodels he did. Nice inside joke. "This thing's gotta go..."

Edited April 4, 2023 by Patrick

[Silas_Sancona]

24 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Everyone's suggestions are great and I second all of them.

There was one thing I saw that really surprised me was when I was at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the big island. They used Neomarica caerulea, Walking Iris, as a low level planting en masse in one area towards the big ocean view. Really pretty, glossy foliage, strap leaves, and the flowers aren't bad to look at either. They take freezing temperatures (9B) and so I've been trying them in my yard. Check them out, you may like them. Tough plants that look good. That's what I have to grow in my yard.

 

Here's the spot. They are all around, to the right of the path. Maybe to the left as well, but It's hard to say, 100%. Definitely to the right.

https://www.google.com/maps/@19.8084365,-155.0928956,3a,75y,55.35h,83.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4pEkjVd4uFRvFWt95YqYKg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

Also, Crinum asiaticum, the green form and var. procerum that has port/ magenta leaves. It's hardy down to zone 8.  One of my favorites for understory.

 

I wish I would have NOT planted my one Bougainvillea.  Yes, they are colorful but I really dislike those thorns. It's the worst if you are wearing sandals and you step on a thorn, or even in work boots they go right through to your foot. Plus, I must be a little allergic to nightshades because I get a runny nose and sneeze a bunch when I cut it back- which I have to do quite often. I now know why Bob Vila from This Old House would always have a quick little scene to point out how those plants would have to go on all the remodels he did. Nice inside joke. "This thing's gotta go..."

If you like the look of Bougainvillea ..but despise the thorns / having to hack the "standard " varieties back all the time ..Who doesn't,  haha,   look into the thorn-less, more upright dwarf / "bush" types like "Torch Glow" / "Pixie", or the " Sun-Villea"  series  MUCH less maintenance, And again, ..NO thorns, ...look better than the hard to keep looking good standard types overall, imo of course..

Have two standard Bougs in the back yard that i'm done dealing with ..one of which will get yanked once a Cascalote ( Caesalpinia / Tara cacalaco ) i relocated to a spot between them gets taller.. Other will be hacked back by at least 50% ..or replaced w/ another Torch Glow ( Already have one planted in another area out back )  ...Have 4 of those planted in a bed between out hoarder neighbor and us as well. Have only trimmed them once since i planted them last Spring.  Can't count how many times i have trimmed the standard Bougs already this year..  Easily the biggest PITAS on earth.

[Tomas]

On 4/3/2023 at 11:29 PM, Patrick Palms said:

So Whats the Correct name of this Bromeliads  that takes Full Sun ?

 

 

Aechmea recurvata, Billbergia Titan, Neoregelia Tough Love in my photo.

Here is a couple more that like the full sun here and will be content with very little water. They are above my head on the terrace in Rome, and before watering them, I have to check whether my neighbour is not strolling through his garden, he would get watering himself too. This after hours of watering other plants on the terrace, so you can imagine I skip the bromeliads willingly.

#1 N. Tiger and N. Tough Love #2 Hohenbergia leopoldo horstii, N. Rainbow, Aechmea phanerophlebia and ?

[Kim]

23 hours ago, Patrick said:

Everyone's suggestions are great and I second all of them.

There was one thing I saw that really surprised me was when I was at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the big island. They used Neomarica caerulea, Walking Iris, as a low level planting en masse in one area towards the big ocean view. Really pretty, glossy foliage, strap leaves, and the flowers aren't bad to look at either. They take freezing temperatures (9B) and so I've been trying them in my yard. Check them out, you may like them. Tough plants that look good. That's what I have to grow in my yard.

Here's the spot. They are all around, to the right of the path. Maybe to the left as well, but It's hard to say, 100%. Definitely to the right.

https://www.google.com/maps/@19.8084365,-155.0928956,3a,75y,55.35h,83.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4pEkjVd4uFRvFWt95YqYKg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Also, Crinum asiaticum, the green form and var. procerum that has port/ magenta leaves. It's hardy down to zone 8.  One of my favorites for understory.

 

 

These wild irises are mostly welcome volunteers in my garden. They are easy to control, should they overstep the desired boundaries, and in general play nicely with the bromeliads and ti plants. The Crinum lilies are lovely if kept groomed. Have to keep an eye out for the self-seeded keikis, though easy enough to control. Love the flowers! Good to know these can be grown in a broad range of climates to add a tropical touch. Caladium can also be grown in zone 9, I believe, very colorful and returning year after year.

Irises playing among the ferns, ti, and bromeliads:

Caladium at their peak:

[Looking Glass]

I didn’t think they’d come back, but some caladiums returned this year…..

 

Im constantly trying to get this planter right….

Sanchezia is a pretty fast grower and looks good in sun or shade, but likes water….

[Foggy Paul]

We have tried quite a few tropic imitators in our San Francisco garden. Not all have done well and some have been removed. The ones that are still there include Justicia carnea (struggling to put on size but flowers well), various bromeliads, canna lily, Hedychium 'Tahitian Flame', Epidendrum and Cymbidium orchids (came through this brutal winter pretty well), various cycads, Acacia 'Cousin Itt', Lomandra 'Breeze', Aeonium, Philodendron, Blechnum gibbum (miniature tree fern), birds of paradise, Aloe 'Hercules', Tradescantia Purple Heart, and probably a few others I can't recall. If we didn't have such a moist summer climate here I'd never try many of these as they can be pretty thirsty.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Foggy Paul

[Silas_Sancona]

@Patrick

Here are some shots of the " Torch Glow"-type Bougainvillea.. Local chop n' mop landscape "folk" cut these a bit much for my taste, but you get the idea..  Doing something similar out front at the house.  Like other Bougs, Torch Glow flowers in cycles year round ..Here at least..







A container-grown example of  what will be the centerpiece between the "Wall of Torch Glows" here.




As far as staying "dwarf"??  ..Local Vet Clinic has Torch Glows as a 10-12ft tall 30ft long barrier around part of their building that faces a busy street.

[DoomsDave]

19 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

@Patrick

Here are some shots of the " Torch Glow"-type Bougainvillea.. Local chop n' mop landscape "folk" cut these a bit much for my taste, but you get the idea..  Doing something similar out front at the house.  Like other Bougs, Torch Glow flowers in cycles year round ..Here at least..







A container-grown example of  what will be the centerpiece between the "Wall of Torch Glows" here.




As far as staying "dwarf"??  ..Local Vet Clinic has Torch Glows as a 10-12ft tall 30ft long barrier around part of their building that faces a busy street.

Obscenities they are screaming…

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, DoomsDave said:

Obscenities they are screaming…

Being Thorn-free, perhaps there is a lack of obscenities?  ...Esp. while trimming, haha..

 

[Bkue]

On 3/31/2023 at 5:55 PM, Patrick Palms said:

Which Plants do you like , Next to your palms,  to bring out the Best of Them ?

Dwarf Bougainvilleas   ?

Tradescantia ?

Blue Plumbago ?

Hibiscus ?

Tecoma stans ?

or Any other not Mentioned ?

 

 

Where are you? Need weather to make real suggestions. I could post tons but different areas have different needs. 

[Patrick Palms]

On 4/7/2023 at 6:48 AM, Bkue said:

Where are you? Need weather to make real suggestions. I could post tons but different areas have different needs. 

These For our Holiday Retirement Home in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands