What tropical or tropical looking plants do well in the FT.Worth area especially doing the winter. I heard Sago Palms, Mexican Fan Palms and Wind Mill Palms do fairly well, but may need covering in freezing weather.
I have a pool and I want to give it a tropical feel.

Thanks,
RDuty
reggieduty@hotmail.com

I love elephant ears and all caladiums.

You can also plant small taro roots that you can get get cheaply by the pound from oriential grocery stores. They look like great elephant ears.

I am in the same boat, late last season I planted 2 banana trees, I cut them back before first freeze, and only one made it to spring, I just planted 2 mexican palms, and still searching for that tropical paradise.

I grew a lovely musa basjoo bananna last year. I dug it up and wrapped it in newspaper to store in a cool outdoor store room. I planted it out two weeks ago and it is already starting to leaf out. This winter I plan to put a cage around it and fill with lots of leaves. I also grow brugamansia's. Those are cut back to the ground and mulched each fall. They come back. You might also try tetrapanex if you have enough room. Huge leaves. Of course, hibiscus is very beautiful and tropical looking also.

I think the large green leaves of the cast iron plant would give you a tropical look.

I agree with the cast iron plant (aspidistra), but aralias and aucuba do well too. Howard warns that a severe winter can kill them, but we have had ours for the last several years, and they have not any problems making it through the fairly harsh winters we have had lately. Both of these are best in at least parital shade. If you have a lot of shade, add elephant ears, and holly fern.

I have had good luck with the following plants. I have a Mediterranian Palm that is 6 years old and has never had any frost dammage. It is a bush type of palm forming a ball of fronds all the way to the ground with many off shoots around the base of the main trunk. Sago palms have done moderately well for me as well. This past spring when we had the one day of ice some of the fronds were damaged but they have never died back to the ground.

The umbrella plant (Cyperus alternifolius) is rather tropical looking, and a fun plant to grow. In Howard's "Plants of Texas", he says they can take "sun to part shade". They seem to do better in my yard in filtered sun rather than the full blasting sun.

By the way where do you and all the other respondents like to buy your tropical plants?