Gardening tips on overwintering tender and tropical plants
Yes, I sleep with bananas all winter long. A ‘Super Dwarf Cavendish’ banana plant, that is! See my techniques on how to overwinter tender tropical plants—mandevilla, hibiscus, citrus, and many others!
My banana plant is a quiet, green guest that doesn’t snore, unlike my husband! The plant is about four feet tall, in a 14-inch blue ceramic pot that sits in front of the west-facing window in my bedroom.
My Buddha Belly plant (‘Jatropha podagrica’), on the other hand, is extremely noisy. Its seed pods explode to expel ripe seeds, sounding like shotgun blasts as seeds collide with walls, furniture and metal file cabinets. That’s why it overwinters in my office rather than the bedroom.
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Treating tender tropical plants as houseguests is one way to preserve the gorgeous flowers, fruits and foliage of plants from hot climates that grace your patio, deck and outdoor living spaces during the summer.
It may look innocent, but my Buddha Belly plant has seed pods that expode with sound of a shotgun blast, hurling seeds 20 feet away.
I was given two tropical hibiscuses by Costa Farms last June (in the spirit of full disclosure) with flowers that are uniquely colored and stunning. We enjoyed them in our outdoor living space, so I brought them inside for the winter. They’re in front of a south-facing window in the family room and thriving.
‘Mango Daiquiri’ hibiscus is one of two wintering in front of south-facing windows in my family room. It even has buds!
Other tender plants that can be treated as houseplants include agapanthus, citrus, croton and mandevilla.
Techniques on Overwintering Tropical Plants
Choose a south, east or west facing window. Citrus will flower in strong southern or western light and set fruit if you hand-pollinate blossoms. Three to four hours of sun daily will sustain most plants.
Do not repot plants brought indoors, as they will not add roots during the winter months. Extra soil will only encourage root rot.
Some large tropical plants can be forced to go dormant when stored in a cool, dark area such as a basement or garage where temperatures remain above 35º F. The trick to keeping them alive in a state of suspension is to maintain root moisture. Once roots dry out, they die, and so does the plant. Water every two to three weeks, depending on temperatures. Bougainvillea, brugsmansia, datura, fig, passion flower and plumeria will winter this way.
Cannas, colcassia (elephant ears) and other tropicals grown from bulbs or tubers are easy to store for the next season.
Lift and store tropicals that grow from underground bulbs, corms or tubers, even though they may reach six feet in height. When nights drop into the low 40’s or high 30’s, leaves of these plants will brown and begin to die. That is your cue to dig up them up. Remove dirt from bulbs and set them on newspapers in a shaded area or the garage to cure for a couple of days. Cut off top growth, and pack the bulbs, corms and tubers in a box filled with dry peat moss or vermiculite. Store in a dark area where the temperature is between 40ºF and 60ºF.
When spring arrives, plant again for another year of enjoyment. Bulbous tropicals will increase their numbers and produce bigger bulbs, corms and tubers for larger plants when saved from year to year in this manner. Dig up these to save: amaryllis, caladium, calla lily, canna, dahlia, ginger, tuberous begonia, colcassia and aroids like ‘Titan’ and ‘Konjac’.
Did I miss any plants? See more about overwintering your plants including geraniums, herbs, roses, and more!
Doreen G. Howard
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My previous comment was concerning the winter months and I know as a tropical plant it can't be outside. It's where can I place it in my house to try and save it? We keep the house around 70-72° hence my concerns even in a Westward window it's going to lose all it's leaves again. Also I didn't transplant it from the store yet and will not do so until late next spring as you mentioned there is more more for root rot if I do so now.
My garage freezes and the basement is heated so my only alternative is to put my Brugmansia in a Western or Eastern facing window? I don't have windows on the other sides of the house. When I first purchased this beautiful plant the leaves all fell off. After putting it outside in the warmer temperatures it recovered somewhat but not to its lovely original state.
Does it have to go through a wintering period as a normal cycle like a bulb per se?
Thanks
Rhonda Murff
I enjoyed your comments re wintering tropical plants indoors when living in cold climates. My husband and I are moving to north Florida from Tampa in a few months. I favor tropical plants, especially ones that bloom, i.e. Bougainvillea, hibiscus, and day Lillie's. Is is possible to have day lillies when living north of Gainesville with winters frequently have consecutive days of below freezing temps?
Daylilies are cold-hardy all the way up to the Canadian border. I live on the Wisconsin-Illinois border where it reached -24F this winter and the daylilies are growing like crazy in the ground. I merely much them in late fall.
My mandeville vines are still blooming. Can I winter them. If so, how do I do it?
Mandevilla is easy to winter indoors. Cut vines back to save space and help the plant conserve moisture. Place in a bright window; water when soil in pot is dry an inch below the surface and enjoy! Don't fertilize until next spring.
Thank you so much. Does room temp matter? I have a heated but cool breezeway with South facing french doors. Geraniums over winter there. Will it be good placement for the Mandeville vines?
The breezeway sounds perfect if it stays above 60F.
