I'm going to visit a friend in MD in late Sept and I wanted to take some tropicals with me. I've looked at 2 maps and she's either 7a or 7b. I think hedychiums will do well, maybe EEs. Strictly outside plants. Is it basjoo banana that's hardy there? I have ice cream banana but I don't want to dig any of that monster up right now.

Yes, Japanese Hardy Banana (Musa basjoo) is hardy in that zone.
I believe some Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia) are hardy to zone 7a.
Some Canna Lily's will do well in zone 6 and 7 if heavily mulched over winter: http://garden.org/plants/searc...
I think some Colocasia would make it in zone 7 with heavy mulching also: http://garden.org/plants/searc...
A couple of palms are listed to zone 7b:
Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)
Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor)
Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) should work for that zone.
Orange Bottlebrush Ginger (Hedychium coccineum) is listed for zone 7.

Hopefully others who live in the north and grow tropicals will pop in with suggestions!

Lin, thank you, I didn't even think about cannas, I have tons of those. I have my first hibiscus from a trade this spring, I didn't think I would care for it but it's gorgeous. I'll have to see if my crinum will tolerate the weather up there too.
You've given me some ideas to start with.

Kabby, I don't know much about Crinums but the database lists zone 7a for a few of them, including these two:
Crinum Lily (Crinum americanum)
Crinum 'Ellen Bosanquet'

Some gingers, such as the 'White Butterfly' and some hardy orchids, such as the Bletilla. Most people never even think "orchid" when looking for hardy plants. The Bletilla easily handles even zone 6 temperatures. Also many hosta will work.

I'd be hesitant to give your friend drugs, But who knows? Based upon my abuse of plants, crinums might work. Don't know if the should, but mine are outside in pots - very large pots - and went thru an unusually cold winter here with ice and snow. I have the Ellen B's and they are so gorgeous.
Drdawg - don't most hosts go dormant in the winter?
Brain drain time. Will come back if brain does.

Yes, the orchids, hostas, and the gingers will go dormant in zones colder than 9.

You scared me Ken, an orchid outside over winter my mind was screaming. Bletilla is that what they call a ground orchid?
My friend has successfully overwintered canna outside so I may be good on that one. I'll take the Ellen crinum for her south facing bed. Also I think I will send her a Daniel Weeks hedychium next spring, it only gets 4 ft tall and it will have a head start here before mailing it to her.
She adores hostas so I'm already collecting some on sale for her. Of all things she wants 4 o'clocks. I had completely eradicated all of my neighbors(that seeded in my yard) but 2. So I'll dig up those tubers for her too.
Only 2 weeks to go and DH and I will be on our way!

Yes, the Bletilla is one of the hardy ground-orchids, Kabby.

Ok. I maybe scared y'all or just me. I don't know if I made a typo (possible) or spellcheck changed what I typed when my back was turned (also possible). My post, a couple up from here starts by saying that I'd be hesitant to give someone drugs. Which is true. It's not the 60s anymore. But what I thought I was saying was not 'drugs' but 'brugs' (aha! it was spellcheck), meaning brugmansia. So hope we're clear on that in case anyone noticed.

LOL .....

😵😵😵 Kabby after using brugs.

tx_flower_child said:Ok. I maybe scared y'all or just me. I don't know if I made a typo (possible) or spellcheck changed what I typed when my back was turned (also possible). My post, a couple up from here starts by saying that I'd be hesitant to give someone drugs. Which is true. It's not the 60s anymore. But what I thought I was saying was not 'drugs' but 'brugs' (aha! it was spellcheck), meaning brugmansia. So hope we're clear on that in case anyone noticed.

Yes you made me go back up topic trying to figure out what drugs was suggested. My reason for looking is because I am pretty dumb about drugs and I am always trying to find tropical type plants and anything that would look tropical. I did not want the police knocking at my door and carting me away for growing something illegal.

@Cinta have you tried castor beans? This is my first year, and yes they're poisonous but perfectly legal! Until you deliberately kill someone with them. In that case Forensic Files tells me that arsenic and cyanide are the way to go.
I have green and also purple. The green is about 2 ft taller, the purple has gigunda leaves. Definitely would give you shade and something to talk about too. AND tropical!

I have seen them. Next year I am going to see order some seeds for the purple one. I saw a purple one in front of a public building this week it was gorgeous.

Oh, that was entertaining. We all get bit by the autocorrect from time to time. Glad drugs are not on the gift list.

I grew the purple ones along the road in front of my house. A neighbor stopped to ask what they were. I am going to share seeds with her. I planted 8 all germinated but one was broken and didn't survive. They look great with my caladiums and elephant ears and brugmansias.

Well including my small seedlings, I now have 7 drugs but I do not use them cause then I would die. Had to lug them into my basement and 2 big ones were in full bloom. And they got really unhappy.

WRT Castor beans I am growing both the regular (12 plants - bad drugs btw - Ricin) and a giant one. I doubt I will see blooms on it which is too bad as it is ~ 12 feet tall and sposed to frost tonight. The stem is 3 inches diameter. FWIW very tropical looking. I really wanted seeds from it.

Where did you get the giant one from? It sounds like something I would like to try.