Glad you've watered and posted!

Love Crape Myrtle for their longevity. LOTS of them around DC area, LOTS of colors.

THANKS, Den!

Although they shifted the 5b/6a boundary outstate a LOT in the last revision of the zone map. 6a used to be just a little pocket in Metro Detroit, the urban heat island where I am, plus the immediate Great Lakes coastline from the St. Clair River to Toledo.

Now the 6a goes basically west to Lansing and north to Saginaw. There is a corresponding warm area on the west side from Grand Rapids to the Indiana border.

But, FWIW, most of the subtropicals are in pots. The only thing I posted from this batch of photos that is marginal and in-ground, to the best of my memory, is the silk tree in the Lounge post.

ON EDIT -- from this thread, the crape myrtle and the star fruit are potted and come indoors in fall. The rest are either annual or hardy.

I don't know about this plant---is it annual, perennial that survives the winters, or one that you bring inside?

Actually originally grown as the source of amaranth seeds and flour for baking. Many people just grow it for its beauty. Produces millions of seedlings, though,the next year if not carefully cleaned up in the fall.

Comes in burgundy, rusty orange, and pale greenish/orange forms. Many seed catalogs carry the seed.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/amaranth.html

about it going crazy. I am one who likes to leave things with seeds out in the winter for birds and critters, but that may not be a good idea with this.

It is a very interesting plant.

Thanks for sharing, very nice!