Wendy's Wanderings
September 10, 2020
Tropical Foliage Plants for Florida Fall Color
It won't be long before our plant nurseries and garden centers will be filled with autumn-themed mums to let us know that fall is on the way. Mind you, the temperatures will still be in the 90s with humidity levels to match. You can get chrysanthemums in yellow, orange, and bronze and enjoy them in your landscape, but this fall I am considering a different way to bring that pop of autumn color into the garden. Because Florida often has such a hot and brief fall season I would encourage you to choose plants that provide those orange, yellow, gold, and bronze colors in tough tropical or subtropical selections.
The croton (Codiaeum variegatum) is an easy choice to include for interesting fall color. These were overused where I grew up in South Florida, so much so that I would turn my nose up at them. But over the years I have become very fond of what they can bring to the table as an accent, with beautiful intense colors and leaf form. Choose the wide-leaf cultivar ‘Petra’ for yellow, gold, and red variegated leaves and look to the ‘Mammy’ for intense red and burgundy leaves with a corkscrew leaf shape. These look fantastic in containers near an entrance for a blast of fall color. They also pair well with other plants in containers (read more about that in the Gardening Solutions article, "Add a Thrilling Porch Planter for Fall").
Aechmea blanchetiana bromeliads at
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. UF/IFAS.
Another stunning tropical with fall color is the bromeliad Aechmea blanchetiana ‘Apricot Sun’. Talk about architectural structure. When this bromeliad gets plenty of sun it is a beautiful bronzy-orange color. An added bonus to the dramatic foliage is a flower spike (inflorescence) that is about 5 feet tall. You want to give this plant plenty of space as it is a jumbo-size bromeliad at about 3 feet wide and 4 feet tall. A smaller bromeliad to give you a fall punch of color is the Neoregelia ‘Fireball’. Its red leaves are 4-6 inches long and it looks great in a hanging basket or container and multiplies quickly. Both of these bromeliads can be planted outdoors in zone 10, but are better in containers that can be protected if you garden in Central and North Florida.
For orange and yellow flowers that bloom much longer than a mum consider the Heliconia psittacorum. Also known as parrot heliconia or parrot’s beak this tropical plant has wide green banana-like leaves and is topped with an upright flower stalk with showy yellow and orange bracts. They are usually showing color and the leaves are striking on their own. At 4-5 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide this heliconia can easily fit into the landscape or a planter. Parrot heliconia does best in full sun to bright shade. There is a new variegated leaf cultivar out called ‘Lady Di’ that is a showstopper. I can’t wait to bring ‘Lady Di’ into my next fall show of colorful Florida tropicals. Florida native plants also provide plenty of fall color too (I discussed this in the October 2018 issue). So get creative for a Florida style fall display to include colorful tropical plants that understand that it won’t be cooling down for a few months.
-- Wendy Wilber
Learn More
- Add a Thrilling Porch Planter for Fall -- Gardening Solutions
- Aechmea blanchetiana Bromeliad -- EDIS Publication
- Croton -- Gardening Solutions
- Flowers, Not Foliage, for Fall Color -- Wendy's Wanderings for October 2018