2025 Houseplant of the Year and Talking Tropical Plants | 125

Warm up this winter with the 2025 Houseplant of the Year! We also talk tropical hibiscus and a mystery plant predator.
Show notes | Episode 125 | 1-25-2025
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For more information on BAMBINO™ Variegated Orange Bougainvillea visit, www.provenwinn...
To see more on the Gardening Simplified Show visit, gardeningsimpl...
Have a question you want to be answered? Send them our way! Stacey and Rick will answer them on the show. Leave your questions in the comments below or visit our website!
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[@barbrivoli4420]

I learn so much from you 2! Thank you for helping me be a “more informed” Nursery Manager and come visit us in Oregon at Bauman’s Farm & Garden💜

[@pwcolorchoice]

It's so nice to hear that you enjoy and learn from our show! Thank you so much for the support ☺❤

[@Rustytoolgardener]

Just returned from the Caribbean so catching up on last weeks show. After looking at all the tropicals in the islands, I’m motivated to grab a few more tropicals for the house. My bananas and oleanders are holding tight so I’m hopeful that my tropical overwintering skills are getting better each year. I’ve never been able to get a Bougainville to survive a winter indoors with any stamina (or flowers). Perhaps I’ll give a new proven winners variety another chance😊Great show.

[@pwcolorchoice]

I'm sure your trip was good for some tropical inspiration! Having tropicals inside during the winter can definitely be a nice pick-me-up 😄☀

[@MourningDove-bn4dk]

I have kept a container hibiscus and a container bougainvillea indoors during the worst parts of the winter, for three winters now. (including other container tropicals) I take them out in the sun when I can, and I bring them back inside my bathroom at night. By January, it is no longer possible to take them out regularly. By late January, they start heavily defoliating. I cut off most of the branches that are bare, and only keep the branches with leaves. It helps conserve the plant's energy. Both plants will flush back out fast with new branches as soon as they get regular sun again. This year, I have been using a grow lightbulb I connected into a light bulb wall adapter. So far there is no defoliation, and the leaves look great.

[@pwcolorchoice]

Wow, that's amazing! It sounds like you've got it figured out! 😍🤗

[@ScaredOfPlasticBags]

I like Rick's idea of doing a video about plants that like to move and those that don't. LOVE this channel, keep up the amazing work.❤❤❤

[@pwcolorchoice]

Yes, we jotted that idea down for a future show! Thank you so much for the support, we so appreciate it! 🤗❤

[@angelaanderson5360]

I am impressed by Stacey's use of her vocabulary indescribing the plants.

[@pwcolorchoice]

Stacey's vocabulary is always top-notch! 😄

[@TheImpatientGardener]

Rick’s “flair” is back!

[@pwcolorchoice]

😆🤗

[@jeanettebright3378]

I garden in SW Missouri and have had great luck with Hollywood Hibiscus. I bring my pots into the unheated attached garage to overwinter. Water very little throughout winter. (maybe every 4-6 weeks) They usually drop most of their leaves by warmer weather, but I give them a good "haircut" when I bring them back outside, put them in a partial sun/sun location, water and fertilize. Before long I'm rewarded with new foliage and beautiful blooms.

[@josweatt898]

@@jeanettebright3378 so do they not get sun? Would love some but they are an aphid magnet in my greenhouse .

[@pwcolorchoice]

That's fantastic! 😍 They are such fun and colorful plants 😄

[@theresabrooks7901]

Had a chance to visit proven winners in Michigan. It's an amazing place. Great people and technology

[@pwcolorchoice]

So glad you had a chance to come and visit! 🤗☺

[@elainewashington3004]

Thanks for the info regarding fertilizer for hibiscus. Learned something today!

[@pwcolorchoice]

Wahoo! Glad to hear you found this episode helpful ☺

[@theresabrooks7901]

Bougainvillea is awesome in Palm Dessert California! Old growth is dense.

[@pwcolorchoice]

It certainly grows well out there! 😄

[@theresabrooks7901]

My favorite this year in proven winners leaf joy is the kelp grove hoya.

[@pwcolorchoice]

Excellent choice! I love how the darker margin on the foliage allows for the inside color to pop more 😄

[@zeniazenia2787]

Okay, I’m back. I can pot up an orange Bougainvillea for an annual this summer. Thank you

[@pwcolorchoice]

Definitely! It provides so much color 😄

[@ElizabethMcManus-j2n]

I’ve always been lucky moving my Hibiscus and gardenia indoors and out for spring and summer. When my hibiscus gets too large for indoors I let it die and get a new one. My gardenia I’ve had for 15 years and will soon be blooming. I live in zone 6 in CT.

[@pwcolorchoice]

Oh wow, that's wonderful! It certainly sounds like you have a great method going 😍🤗

[@lindahall1971]

❤❤I'm in Southern central Michigan ❤ it's cold as expected, a balmy 23°❤ I fill my house with house plants every winter to get me through ❤ looking forward to new plants, ty for great information as always ❤❤

[@pwcolorchoice]

A fellow Michigander! It can be really nice to have some plants to enjoy indoors while we wait out our long winters ☺

[@josweatt898]

My Standard Barbara Karst absolutely loves living in my greenhouse and is usually full of colorful blooms when it is time to go back outdoors. (Z8 April) I love those oranges and have been looking for one! Those photos of your area look absolutely frigid!

[@pwcolorchoice]

Such vibrant color on that plant! It was certainly freezing for a bit here - now starting to warm up a little 😄

[@heatherderganc5984]

❄️❄️❄️Beautiful! We even had a little snow in North Texas a few weeks ago! ❄️❄️❄️ Great timely information on Bougainvilleas. I am attempting to overwinter one here in zone 8 outside since I really don’t have a good spot indoors. I tucked it in on a protected masonry counter next to our home. I placed big Christmas lights around the pot and cover with landscape fabric when temperatures turn freezing. 🤞It was blooming its head off late fall and I didn’t have the heart to toss. Thank you for annnother great show! 🌺🌺🌺

[@pwcolorchoice]

Love your commitment! 🤗 I'll be curious to hear how overwintering it goes, they are really beautiful plants!

[@8helenjhouston8]

Thanks for another GREAT show! Are there other blooming plants that need lower phosphorus fertilizer? That has always been my “go to” for blooming plants.

[@pwcolorchoice]

Most woody plants benefit from low phosphorous, but the truth is that overall, phosphorous is way too abundant in most residential soils so high P fertilizers are best avoided in the ground. It's fine to use them in containers with potting mix, but I'd generally recommend against high P as a general use fertilizer for anything in the ground. ☺

[@elainelight9286]

I like that First Lady hibiscus.

[@pwcolorchoice]

It's a beautiful plant!

[@jeanettebright3378]

My garage does not have windows. When we have a warm day (50°+) I open the garage door for awhile to give them some sun, but they go long periods without sunlight. I haven't had a problem with aphids. I keep them pretty dry.

[@pwcolorchoice]

That's fantastic! 😄

[@meredithnichols3572]

Adriana: camera recommendations for all viewers please!

[@pwcolorchoice]

Twist my arm! 😄 To start off, for monitoring any activity in the landscape/garden there are a few main things to keep in mind - weather durability, battery power, and device storage. For these reasons I often recommend trail cameras that are built for this type of situation. There are trail cameras that allow cellular connection so you can just download an app on your phone to see what the camera is capturing vs having to upload the files to see. This can be really handy but also can lead a camera to being a bit more expensive than those without this feature. Picture quality, trigger speed, and nigh vision should also be considerations. Of course, each camera is different and what is best for you will come down to budget and desired features. Here are a few I suggest looking into, GardePro E6 Trail Camera TACTACAM Reveal X Gen 2.0 DEATTI Trail Camera There are situations where I've recommended a GoPro but those aren't always the best option. All this being said, if you have a specific situation and would like help figuring out which camera would be best for you, I'm always happy to help! ☺

[@peggyriordan9857]

Great show!! I am wondering though about the zone numbers for the Bambino plant...It said on screen that it could take a low of -20F, but it only grows in Zone 9 for best results. -20 is in my Zone 6A! Was this just a typo? Thanks!

[@pwcolorchoice]

Yes, that was indeed a typo! It's supposed to be 20 not -20 😅

[@vickies2855]

Help, Help!! The San Diego area has more Bougainvillea better that even Floride!!!! Not only Spanish arthitecture but every style of house had Bougainvillea!! I have "San Diego" which 😁😁😁is a more bush type. It's runners are not crazy lone and the blooms change color. I will get a picture and send it on my next email. It is a deep futhsia color and is so gurgeous by the entry gate. Please don't forget the best place to grow Bougainvillea in the US is San Diego, CA!!!

[@pwcolorchoice]

Yes please send us in a photo of yours, we would love to see it! 😄🤗

[@Patricia-lg8vg]

? we don't have snow like we used to - nw suburbs of Chicagos - we only have an inch right now but we haven't had snow we need. Will that be a problem for plants this summer? Last year we had a long spell of no rain and everything struggled especially the animals.

[@pwcolorchoice]

Without the insulation from the snow, it's possible plants can be affected by the colder air and soil temperatures but that being said, plants are resilient and capable of handling temperature fluctuations. You may see some more winter burn to exposed plants and they may need some additional water come spring (without the moisture from melting snow) but overall the plants should be okay ☺

[@LinusCello75]

@16:50 USDA zone 9 temps are 20 to 30 F (not -20 F) Presumably the variegation makes this a slower grower and dwarf.

[@heatherderganc5984]

Thank you for this! I saw the -20 😳 and needed to look it up! 😆

[@pwcolorchoice]

Thank you for catching that typo!

[@tholiman1911]

LOL, Gofer's can not climb lemon trees.

[@rickvuyst]

LOL Clay said in his note "no matter how small" so my assumption is these are seedings he planted. Regardless a camera to record the action would solve the mystery. I see many backyard wildlife cameras available that are quite affordable! Thanks for watching the show.

[@zeniazenia2787]

No houseplants. Thanks anyways