If you live in an area where tropical plants will thrive, then you can grow some of the most beautiful plants. Bird of paradise, banana trees, citrus trees, succulents, herbs and more will love growing in a tropical environment. A tropical environment will be one that never freezes. Hardiness zones of nine or ten have great success in growing tropical plants. If you live in a hardiness zone of less than nine then you can still grow tropical plants, but it will be much more difficult. You will have to protect your plants from the cold during the winter.
Tropical plants prefer heat and humidity, but not necessarily full hot sun. Some plants can be burned if planted in an area that receives too many hours of hot sun. Choose your tropical plants to suit the microclimate area in your yard. Some tropical plants can tolerate hot winds, and others can not. Read your plant tags or ask your nursery professional about the plants you purchase. Look around at plants that are doing well in personal and business landscapes near you. This will give you an idea of what may do well in your yard. Many businesses will have low maintenance tropical plants, including both perennials and annuals, in their landscapes. Look at the locations closely, to learn just what kind of area each type of plant is in. Are they in partial shade? Are they protected from the wind by being located near a building? Are they grouped among many other plants for protection? Are they doing well in their location? Be aware of plants and landscapes near you, and if you mimic those you will be more successful with your own.
Tropical plants tend to attract birds of many kinds. Birds that migrate will be visiting tropical areas each year. So be sure you want to have these birds in that area of your yard. Too many birds can be a problem for some people. For instance, do not plant a lot of tropical flowering plants near your bedroom window if you don’t want to wake up to quite a few birds early in the morning. Use common sense. Don’t plant a tropical tree that will grow over the driveway and attract birds to roost over your car. Think about the location before planting anything. If you like citrus trees, be sure they are in a location that the falling fruit won’t be a problem.
Tropical plants that are also native to the area will thrive with less water than other tropical plants. Some tropical plants may prefer to be in a moist area of your yard. If you have a pond, then plant some tropical plants near the edge of the pond. Group the plants in odd numbers for a more natural look. They look best when planted in large groups. If you like flowering tropical plants, you should not have too many different colors as this will make the landscape look too busy. Choose plants of all sizes. The rear of the planting bed should be home to the taller plants. As you move forward in the planting bed use the shorter plants etc. Choose perennial and annual plants for a great look all year. Don’t worry about choosing evergreens because in tropical areas you will not have a freeze during the winter. You can have evergreens mixed in with your tropical plants for a different look.
Most plants will thrive in tropical areas. Try growing something from seed. Some seeds will have to be soaked overnight or nicked in order to germinate. Hibiscus is one tropical plant that will do well in cooler areas. These can be protected during the winter. But if you grow hibiscus in a tropical area, where they never freeze back, then you will have a beautiful display of flowers several times a year. Asparagus fern and other ferns are one kind of plant that most people put in containers. In tropical areas, you can grow ferns almost anywhere. Asparagus ferns do well in shady locations under trees. This is an area where many other plants do not thrive. Usually there is very dense shade under a tree and because of the trees shallow roots, there may not be much soil for planting beds. You can add more topsoil but be careful not to add too much as this will harm the tree.
Fox tail fern will spread and grow well in a tropical landscape. Mother in law’s tongue spreads will thrive outside in the soil of tropical areas. Ficus trees will get large if left outside. You can still put each of these plants in containers if you wish, but if they are planted in the ground, they will thrive. In most areas of the country these are all considered container and house plants. In tropical areas, you can grow just about anything outdoors in the soil.
