I wish so much that they were reliably hardy here

They are extremely hardy here... it amazes me how a slight change in zone makes such a difference. I didnt know they aren't hardy in 9a. Florida has a wide range of zones. So, when someone says they are growing this or that in Florida, I'll have to be more aware of what zone they are in.

Having started my gardening career in Z5 for the first few decades, hardy to me was a plant that grows back after being killed by winter, under snow. So I'm always a little amused when those in warmer zones insist on evergreen-ness as a required element for calling something perennial.

For ground plants, I have mostly plants that die back to the ground for winter and grow back in the spring, and consider them hardy. Plants that haven't been evergreen but are still root-hardy are Cordyline, Brugmansia, ginger, Tradescantias, Salvia, elephant ears, Curcuma, Plectranthus, Bletilla, Hibiscus mutabilis, Syngonium, Hypoestes, Lantana, some bulbs, a few others that don't come to mind @ the moment.

Gheri they are ok unless it gets below about 25. They will defoliate but still survive. Much less than that for longer and they may or may not make it. That is why I keep Mrs Iceton and Sloppy Painter in my greenhouse (and Rasta). They are large old plants. I'd hate to lose them on a single night of cold here

Being near the ocean makes a huge difference. Central FL does not have that warm humid air for protection during the winter.

Yes, it may get into the 30's here at night briefly. I have to laugh at myself. When I first moved to New England from Mississippi, I thought I was going to freeze to death when it hit 40. Literally teeth chattering and feeling frozen. Then after 25 years, I would walk around outside in seriously freezing weather with wool socks and birkenstocks on with a flannel shirt and Jean's over long underwear. Then, I moved to Florida and was shocked when I saw people wearing coats, hats, gloves, scarves when it was in the 50's. Now, I'm one of them! I really can understand why the plants would freak out with serious temperature changes.
Since I joined NGA, I have acquired many new plants that I had not been aware of previously. I am getting concerned about what to do with some of them if we do get a cold snap. My home came with a wooden pergola. So, I'm considering turning it into a greenhouse.

I have used seedling heat mats on my patio to set pots on during freak cold spells. For my favorite and enormous Ti I use Christmas lights.

Gheri I consider ANYTHING under 70F cold. My husband laughs at me so much. When we lived in Los Angeles, we lived in a part called Culver City. It was 6 miles from Venice and Santa Monica Beach. The daytime temps on summer rarely exceeded 80. But even in summer, the nighttime temp dropped in to the upper 50's. In Winter, it dropped to the 40's. It only actually froze one single time in the years we were there. Its like it was an extremely rare event there. But I always had to wear a coat at night in LA.

I'm the same way, I'm putting on leggings and a jacket when it is under 70F.

Over two decades ago we had a lot more below freezing temps here in FL Z9b, I even stopped trying to grow many tropical plants. Like Gina said, one dang night each year would take it down, by the time it even started to look good if it did survive it would freeze back again. The past decade we've not had as many freezes in my zone, and been 12 years since we dropped into the 20's, which used to happen almost every winter. So I am back to a garden full of tender tropicals again.

My son who lives in Asheville, NC wants us to move closer and the thought of living full time in a climate where it is not only cold but gray during the winter is not appealing at all. I love the sun and warmth where we are now.

I hear that , Alice! I have to admit though growing up in Yankee Land I do miss the fall leaves.

Alice, I know that has to be a hard decision, doesn't seem that long ago you moved here to FL. Ashville can get cold, but on a HOT day like today it sounds kind of nice. LOL. If I lived in a colder climate, I'd have to find a house with a huge greenhouse.

HaHa, a GH would be under consideration. We moved here 4 years ago to be closer to family and they promptly moved to AZ. It was nothing personal

Arizona is sunny and warm but I hate the dry air so we won't be joining them out there.

If you moved to Arizona you'd have to get into succulents and cacti, and you don't like the spiky stuff.

So true! I would need a transfusion every time I went outdoors. DH is worse than me, his skin is so thin now the slightest brush with a shrub and he starts bleeding.

Yeah my husband is like that too, gets blood all over the place. ugh.

I do like the desert xeriscape gardens I see from some of our NGA folks, so interesting how they create such beauty with rocks and succulents.

Croton Franklin Roosevelt Croton and Eleanor in the background, made it through temps below freezing.

Wow! The whole pic is a collage of gorgeous leaves. A great example of how actual blooms are completely unnecessary for a colorful garden.

Eleanor (Sloppy Painter) dropped a lot of lower leaves a week after the second freeze, but is getting some new growth now, so all is good. Franklin only lost a few leaves.

I love my Sloppy Painter, it's my favorite croton! Mine looks just like yours and I have a puppy I can't bring in the front yard without a leash, so it makes it a trying time to take any pics.
But, in back I've got some spots and dots going on.
I'm in love with this Dracaena 'Malachite'




This fittonia is growing from seeds thrown off from the mother plant which is nearby. There are little plantlets all over that area growing in every nook and cranny


This Dracaena isn't looking so great, but considering I thought it was a goner, I'm happy to see it coming back










Aloe rauhii isn't looking so good since transplanting it to a sunnier location, so moving it is now on my list of things to do, to a less sunny place.

Basketball cactus


Astrophytum asterias






This cactus looks like its giving me the finger since I've really neglected it

Haworthias



There are more, but I've got worked to do, so no more goofing off