Look Inside
Trees and Shrubs for Warm Places by John Mason
This book was written as a guide for anyone wanting to extend their knowledge of plants grown in any type of warm place – tropical, sub-tropical, greenhouses, and court yards that have become heat traps in temperate places.
Tropical Plants grow both in the tropics and sub tropics; and in protected parts of some temperate gardens. Many are also grown as indoor plants. This wide use of tropical plants makes this book a valuable reference to horticulturists, nurserymen, gardeners or any plant enthusiasts, in whatever climate they might live. Many of our most magnificent gardens can be found in hot places. The range of plants available for such situations, provide a palette of unique textures, colours and shapes.
The heat, and humidity in moister areas, encourages diversity of plant life. With the right approach, and careful selection of plants, a hot place can be turned into a very livable garden.
Plants in fact can help modify the temperature in a hot place. Large plants not only shade the ground below keeping it cooler; but will keep the temperature lower by not trapping and radiating heat in the same way as other surfaces, such as rock, paving, metal or glass. Plants also lower temperatures in their immediate vicinity through the release of water vapour from their foliage during photosynthesis.
This book is relevant to gardens in tropical and subtropical climates; and to hot places in cooler climates such as: growing in Greenhouses; "heat trap" courtyards; and arid sites.
Contents
Chapter 1 : Introduction
What causes an area to be warm?; Common hot garden areas
Chapter 2 : Cultivation of trees and shrubs in warm places
Spacing plants; Soils; Mulches; Fertilizers; Planting; Water and the
garden; When to water; A guide to pests and diseases of plants;
Preventative medicine in the garden; Pest problems on plants; Fungal
diseases on plants; Weeds in the garden; Mulch; Growing plants in
containers
Chapter 3 : Warm gardening in special situations
Greenhouses and shadehouses; Greenhouse contruction materials;
Shadehouses; Pergolas; Gardening on balconies and courtyards; How to
grow plants on balconies; Hot dry areas; Hints for dry sandy soils;
Humid tropics; Coastal areas; Windy areas
Chapter 4 : Trees for warm places
Acacia; Acmena (Syn Eugenia); Agathis; Agonis; Albizia (Sometimes Spelt
Albizzia); Allocasuarina (Allocasuarina Was Previously Part Of The Genus
Casuarina); Aleurites; Alphitonia; Adansonia; Angophora; Araucaria;
Argyrodendron (Syn. Heritiera); Artocarpus; Azadirachta; Averrhoa;
Backhousia; Banskia; Barklya; Barringtonia; Bauhinia; Bixa; Bombax;
Brachychiton; Buckinghamia; Caesalpinia; Callitris; Cananga; Cassia;
Castanospermum; Casuarina; Ceratopetalum; Ceiba; Cercis; Chorisia;
Chrysophyllum; Cinnamomum; Citrus; Colvillea; Couroupita; Crescentia;
Cupaniopsis; Davidsonia; Delonix; Diploglottis; Dysoxylum; Elaeocarpus;
Erythrina; Eucalyptus; Fagraea; Ficus; Flindersia; Fraxinus; Geijera;
Grevillea; Harpullia; Hicksbeachia; Hymenosporum; Jacaranda; Khaya;
Kigelia; Lagerstroemia; Cultivated Varieties Of Lagerstroemia Indica;
Litchi; Lophostemon; Macadamia; Mangifera; Manilkara; Melaleuca; Melia;
Melicope (Syn. Euodia); Microcitrus; Metrosideros; Mimusops;
Mischocarpus; Moringa; Myristica; Nuytsia; Nolina (Syn. Beaucarnea);
Olea; Omalanthus (Syn.Homalanthus); Owenia; Pachira; Pandanus;
Peltophorum; Persea; Pimenta; Pithecellobium (Syn. Ignea); Pittosporum;
Plumeria; Polyalthia; Pterospermum; Pullea; Robinia; Samanea; Sambucus;
Santalum; Schefflera (Syn. Brassaia); Schinus; Schizolobium; Schotia;
Spathodea; Stenocarpus; Sterculia; Genus: Syncarpia (Syn. Choricarpia);
(Note: Classification is sometimes confused with some, but not all,
botanists placing one or more syncarpia species under the name
choricarpia); Syzygium; Tabebuia (Syn Tecoma); Tamarix; Tectona;
Terminalia;Theobroma; Tristaniopsis; Waterhousia; Xanthostemon;
Xylomelum
Chapter 5 : Shrubs for warm places
Acalypha; Adenium; Allamanda; Alternanthera; Aphelandra; Aralia;
Ardisia; Aucuba; Bauhinia; Barleria; Bouvardia; Breynia; Brugmansia;
Brunfelsia; Buddleia; Caesalpinia; Calliandra; Callicarpa; Callistemon;
Camellia; Capparis; Carissa; Carphalea; Cassia; Cestrum; Clerodendrum;
Codiaeum; Coffea; Coleus; Combretum; Cordyline; Crossandra; Cuphea;
Datura; Dichorisandra; Dipladenia (Syn Mandevillea); Dracaena ; Duranta;
Eranthemum; Eremophila; Ervatamia (Syn. Tabernaemontana); Eugenia;
Euodia; Euphorbia; Eupatorium; Euryops; Evodiella; Fatsia; Feijoa;
Franklinia (Syn. Gordonia); Furcraea; Galphimia; Gardenia; Gmelina;
Graptophyllum; Grevillea; Grewia; Greyia; Hibiscus; Holmskioldia;
Hypericum; Impatiens; Indigofera; Ipomoea; Iresine; Ixora; Jasminum;
Jatropha; Justica; Kopsia; Lantana; Lawsonia; Leea; Leptospermum;
Lobelia; Lonicera; Mackinlaya; Malphighia; Malvaviscus; Manihot;
Medinilla; Megaskepasma; Melastoma; Michelia; Miconia; Montanoa;
Morinda; Murraya; Mussaenda; Myoporum; Nandina; Nerium; Ochna;
Odontonema; Orthosiphon; Osbeckia; Otacanthus; Pachystachys (Syn.
Jacobinia); Pavetta; Pedilanthus; Pentas; Phaleria; Phyllanthus;
Plumbago; Polyscias; Protea; Pseuderanthemum; Psidium; Punica;
Raphiolepis; Reinwardtia; Rhododendron; Rondeletia; Rosa; Ruellia;
Russelia; Solanum; Stachytarpheta; Strobilanthes; Syzygium - See Trees;
Tecoma; Tecomaria; Tetrapanax; Thevetia; Thunbergia; Tibouchina;
Turnera; Viburnum; Vitex; Westringia
Chapter 6 : Trees and shrubs for specific purposes
Plants suited to wet soil gardens; Windbreaks; Plants for hedges, windbreaks and screens; Lime loving plants
What Causes An Area To Be Warm?
There are a number of things which contribute to a garden space becoming hot. Most heat will come directly from the sun. Generally the closer an area is to the equator the warmer it is. The average maximum daily temperature will generally increase the further you move away from coastal areas. The sea or ocean has a temperature moderating effect. Temperature also decreases as altitude increases, so even in tropical regions high altitude sites will normally be significantly cooler than adjacent lowland sites. Some coastal areas may also remain warmer than other areas at the same latitude (distance from the equator) due to the presence of warm ocean currents.
Cloud cover has an effect on air temperature near the earth's surface, by keeping it cooler in the day, but warmer at night as warmth cannot escape the atmosphere.
Existing vegetation can dramatically modify temperature over a large land area. Vegetation will buffer the temperatures by keeping air slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Some materials will absorb and/or store, and radiate heat more than others. Materials such as metal, stone, glass, and paved areas can contribute to increased heat in a garden. The more these materials are used, the more likely the garden is to warm up, and stay warm. Heat can also be generated (to a lesser extent) by human activity such as burning off, factories, motor cars, etc. Factors such as these often mean that temperatures in a city are likely to be higher than in the surrounding countryside.
Gardens in Hot Places
Many of our most magnificent gardens can be found in hot places. The range of plants available for such situations, provide a palette of unique textures, colours and shapes.
The heat, and humidity in moister areas, encourages diversity of plant life. With the right approach, and careful selection of plants, a hot place can be turned into a very livable garden.
Plants in fact can help modify the temperature in a hot place. Large plants not only shade the ground below keeping it cooler; but will keep the temperature lower by not trapping and radiating heat in the same way as other surfaces, such as rock, paving, metal or glass. Plants also lower temperatures in their immediate vicinity through the release of water vapour from their foliage during photosynthesis.
This book is relevant to gardens in tropical and subtropical climates; and to hot places in cooler climates such as: growing in Greenhouses; "heat trap" courtyards; and arid sites.
What Causes An Area To Be Warm?
There are a number of things which contribute to a garden space becoming hot. Most heat will come directly from the sun. Generally the closer an area is to the equator the warmer it is. The average maximum daily temperature will generally increase the further you move away from coastal areas. The sea or ocean has a temperature moderating effect. Temperature also decreases as altitude increases, so even in tropical regions high altitude sites will normally be significantly cooler than adjacent lowland sites. Some coastal areas may also remain warmer than other areas at the same latitude (distance from the equator) due to the presence of warm ocean currents.
Cloud cover has an effect on air temperature near the earth's surface, by keeping it cooler in the day, but warmer at night as warmth cannot escape the atmosphere.
Existing vegetation can dramatically modify temperature over a large land area. Vegetation will buffer the temperatures by keeping air slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Some materials will absorb and/or store, and radiate heat more than others. Materials such as metal, stone, glass, and paved areas can contribute to increased heat in a garden. The more these materials are used, the more likely the garden is to warm up, and stay warm. Heat can also be generated (to a lesser extent) by human activity such as burning off, factories, motor cars, etc. Factors such as these often mean that temperatures in a city are likely to be higher than in the surrounding countryside.
ISBN: 978-0-9871022-3-2
Pages: 208
Images: 284
Credits:
Text: John Mason Dip.Hort.Sc.
Photography: John Mason & Leonie Mason
Editorial and Research Assistance provided by staff of the Australian Correspondence Schools:
Iain Harrison Dip.Hort.Sci.,Grad.Dip.Env.Stds.
Paul Plant B.App.Sc. (Hort.Tech.)
Andrew Penney B.Soc Sci (Environmental Studies)
Kathy Travis B. Sc.Ag., Assoc.Dip.Sc.(Hort)
Rosemary Lawrence B.Sc., Grad.Dip.Hort.
Thanks for advice from the following on the classification and cultural information of some difficult species:
National Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, South Yarra.
Phil Cameron: Botanic Gardens, Mt. Coot-tha, Toowong, Qld
Bill McDonald: Queensland Herbarium, Indooroopilly, Qld
Alex & Mirella Jackimoff: Alexanders Nursery, Coombabah, Qld.
Graeme MacDonald: Toona Rainforest Gardens, Mudgeeraba, Qld.
Brendan Hicks: Rainforest Seclusion Nursery, Thornlands, Qld.
John Bunker: Redlands Nursery, Qld.
Yandina Nursery, Yandina, Qld.
Alison Buck: Hawkins Home and Garden Centre, Chandler, Qld.
Thanks to the assistance in obtaining photographs and information from the following Hawaiian authorities:
Fred Rauch, University of Hawaii
Michael Kristiansen, Director, Honolulu Botanic Gardens
Keith Wooliams, Waimea Arboretum and Botanic Gardens
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