Small tropical plants in Arizona

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As September comes to an end here in The Tropical Paradise, the tiny tropicals in the understory are starting to really look their best. They should be fine until the really cold weather hits in December. It can get below 20F here in the desert, and while it may not kill these tender tropicals, they will look pretty bad.

Pictured, left to right, spearmint (poking up behind the light fixture), Phoenix roebellini (dwarf date palm), zamia cycad (the ferny-looking plant), begonia (next to the light fixture, haworthia (the spiky plant poking up behind the rock, coleus (dipt in wine is the variety), African Mask Plant (behind the coleus), natal plum boxwood beauty (below the coleus), more haworthia, aloe (right foreground). In the background are cannas and elephant ears. And at right is a caladium "Gingerland". The groundcover is carpet bugle.

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