Gardening In Okinawa, Japan
I received an email from Richard today asking me about gardening in Okinawa. Hmmm. Well, other than there are Marines there and I think Mr Miagi (Karate Kid) may have lived there, I don’t know a whole ton about Okinawa. BUT, I do know gardening zones and climates!
It took a little bit of research, but come to find out, Okinawa’s climate is pretty similar to my own climate here in Central Florida. I’m zone 9 and so is Okinawa. So the long and short of it is - if it will grow in zone 9 (Central Florida), it’ll more than likely grow in Okinawa.
Richard listed some flowers he was interested in growing:
- Petunia - Good to go in Okinawa. - Pansy - I have no luck with Pansies down here. I’ve seen them around, but they are really zoned for lower zones like 6-8. I’d mark them as a possible, but iffy plant.
Begonia - Good to go in Okinawa. - Hollyhock - I love these, but they are rated for zones 3 through 8. They need cooler weather than what Richard will have. It also depends on what type of Hollyhock you choose. There may be some zone 9ers floating about, but it appears the majority cut off at zone 8.
- Sweet William - Also known as Dianthus. Rated zones 4-8.
Don’t worry, Richard, I’ll have some suggestions for you! 
Cockscomb - Good to go in Okinawa. 
Cosmos - Good to go in Okinawa. 
Shell Flower / Shell Ginger / Pink Porcelain Lily / Light Galangal - most commonly known as Shell Flower or Shell Ginger - will do just fine in Okinawa.
Just in case you think I’m the Universe’s gift to Hardiness Zones - think again. I had almost zero luck finding anything online - and I consider myself a master Googler. So I did it the old fashioned way and hit The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and also Simon and Schuster’s Guide to Plants and Flowers. These books may be old, but they work and are valuable additions to your garden library. Did I mention they’re cheap because they’re old?
Ok, so here is a partial list of things I believe can grow just fine in Okinawa, as well as in any zone 9 environment (sub-tropical) in the world:
Chalice Vine/ Cup of Gold/ Turmeric Hornflower (Solandra Maxima) 
The Blue Trumpet Creeper (Thunbergia Laurifolia) 
Black-eyed Susans 
Taiwan Flowering Cherry (prunus campanulata) 
Peruvian Lilies
Amaryllis
Bird of Paradise
Gerbera Daisies
African Daisies
Dahlias
Bougainvillea
Morning Glory-
Easter Cactus 
Hibiscus
As with any foreign travel, Richard needs to check with local customs agents before importing any plants. There may be laws prohibiting their import and he could innocently break the law by bringing them in. Always check local laws before bringing plants into a country to avoid needless hassle.
Finally, from my research, it looks like zone nine is Richard’s best bet, but anything from zones 9-11 will do the trick. As with all plants, a little trial and error may be in order, but the plants listed above are a good start.
Tags: Dahlia, gladioli, Hallmark, Lucifer Montbretia, petunia, Pompon Dahlia, Pop Willo, Small World, verbena, William John Newberry