Page 68 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2025

HOME & GARDEN
It's a bit daunting to write about growing tropical plants in coastal Mississippi soon after the area experienced its first snow and ice storm in more than 60 years.
As Barbara Duncan Smith, member of Beach Garden Society, put it, “It's going to be tough to find any tropical plants grown outside around here that survived the freeze. Quite a few people grow ginger. It can be cut back and will re-grow but that will take time. Anything very tropical that blooms had to be brought inside. I brought my orchids in but they are not looking all that great.”
However, under normal circumstances there are tropical plants and fruits that do well in
this area. Pine Hills Nursery owner Polly Cuevas says, “There are several edible tropicals that
can be grown here to eat the fruit. Most will need additional protection in hard freezes such as in the mid to low twenties or colder. Be sure to check into ways to protect any specific varieties.”
Cuevas lists bananas, citrus, avocados, Barbados cherries, and papayas. She says we may not know until later in the Spring if various tropicals that went through the snow and cold temperatures survived.
“Depending on the type of tropicals, there will be a set group of steps to take to try to save them as Spring emerges,” she adds. “Check with your local garden center for advise as well as on
the internet.”
Another passionate gardener, Elizabeth Register, who was bitten by the gardening bug
at a young age, says, “As far as tropicals, my experience has been that we can't do as well with these when we get a few days in a row with freezing temperatures. In fact
farther north they do better with them because their temperature does not do what we have here – 75 degrees for a week and then overnight 30 degrees
for two early mornings. Our tropicals do not have a gradual swing into dormancy and then gradual warming weather.” Mississippi State Extension Service retired horticulturist
Gary Bachman wrote, “Almost every gardener I know loves tropical house plants. But did you know these
plants can make great landscape plants too?” He points out a favorite, Pink Bleeding Heart,
that is a great choice for summer landscapes and gardens. “Pink Bleeding Heart is an easy-
to-grow flowering vine from the tropics that offers a steady display of red and pink flowers all
summer long when grown in containers.”
story by
Lynn Lofton