Patio Tropical Plants

Decorating with tropical plants is an easy way to add color and drama to decks, patios, containers and planting beds. Their bright flowers and bold textures look fantastic partnered with annual and perennial flowers. Of course, many look great all by themselves. Although not hardy enough to survive our winters tropicals may be brought inside at the end of the season.This “overwintering” allows you to start out with fairly large plants early in the season for instant impact, not to mention the cost savings. Care and overwintering information is at the end of the handout.

Common & Botanic Name	Light	Description
Agave Agave species	Full Sun	A rosette-forming succulent with large, fleshy, rigid leaves available in unique forms, and colors ranging from blue, green and gold to variegated. Needs sharply drained soil. Ideal container specimen.
Angels’ Trumpets Brugmansia species	Full Sun	Grown for its large, usually fragrant, solitary, pendant, trumpet-shaped flowers blooming from late spring to fall. Available in a range of colors and forms. Great for containers and mixed borders.
Australian Tree Fern Cyathea cooperi	Part Sun	Broad, bright green, finely cut fronds spread from a slender trunk. Prefers moist but well-drained soil. Never let dry out. Makes a stunning specimen for containers.
Banana Ensete & Musa species	Full Sun – Part Sun	Fast growing plant with large paddle-shaped leaves on tall stems. Stunning wine-red, variegated or green colored foliage. Keep evenly moist during summer months. Excellent specimen in pots or planting beds.
Bat Plant Tacca species	Part Sun	Handsome foliage with spectacular white, green or purple blooms that resemble a bat. Keep evenly moist during summer months.
Blue Sky Vine Thunbergia grandiflora	Full Sun – Part Sun	A vigorous, twining climber that bears wonderful 3” lavender-blue to violet-blue flowers with yellow throats. Prefers moist but well-drained soil.
Bougainvillea Bougainvillea species	Full Sun	Vividly colored flowers (bracts) in shades of purple, yellow, orange, red, pink or white. Available in tree and shrub form. Prefers well-drained soil. Allow the top 2-3” of soil to dry out before watering. Do not overwater. Great for mixed containers.
Canna Canna species	Full Sun	Fast growing plant with large 1’ to 2’ paddle-shaped leaves in solid or variegated colors. Flower colors include red, orange, yellow and pink. Water freely during dry spells. Rhizomes can be lifted and stored for winter. Great for containers and mixed borders.
Copperleaf Acalypha wilkesiana	Full Sun – Part Sun	A spreading, upright growing plant with spectacular variegated foliage in shades of copper-maroon, orange, pink, cream or green. Prefers moist but well-drained soil. Excellent for containers.
Cordyline Cordyline australis	Full Sun – Part Sun	Slender trunk with a rosette of 1’ to 2’ long, slender leathery leaves. Comes in an array of colors including green, burgundy, red, pink and variegated. Prefers well-drained soil. Excellent for containers.
Duranta / Golden Dewdrop Duranta erecta	Full Sun	An erect and spreading plant that produces long panicles of small blue, purple, lilac-blue or white blooms followed by beautiful yellow-orange fruit. Available in tree and bush form. Prefers moist, well-drained soil.
Elephant’s Ears / Giant Taro Alocasia species	Full Sun – Part Sun	Grown for its large, deeply veined, arrow-shaped foliage in shades of green, cream, burgundy, black or silver. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Tubers can be lifted and stored for winter. Excellent for containers and mixed borders.
Eugenia / Common Myrtle Myrtus communis / Eugenia myrtifolia	Full Sun	Comes in many shapes and sizes including spirals, globes and cones. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Requires regular pruning or shearing to maintain shape. Excellent for containers.
Euryops Euryops pectinatus	Full Sun	Bright yellow daisy-like flowers contrast nicely with lacy, emerald green foliage. Available in tree or shrub form. Colorful accent in containers and mixed borders.
Firebush Hamelia patens	Full Sun – Part Sun	Boasts showy, tubular, waxy bright reddish-orange to scarlet blooms adored by hummingbirds and butterflies. Great for containers and mixed borders.
Firecracker Fern Russelia equisetiformus	Full Sun	Rush-like bright green stems resembling horsetail. Bears tubular, bright coral-red blooms all summer. Prefers well-drained soil. Ideal for containers and mixed borders.
Flame of the Woods Ixora coccinea	Full Sun	A bushy, rounded plant with beautiful glossy, deep green foliage. Boasts bright red, orange, pink or yellow flowers all season. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Great for containers and mixed borders.
Flax Lily Dianella tasmanica	Part Sun - Shade	An upright, tufted tropical with grass-like, strappy leaves either variegated or green. May produce blue to lavender flowers borne on long stalks. Prefers a humus rich, well-drained soil. Great for containers.
Gardenia Gardenia jasminoides	Part Sun	Tropical shrub with glossy, deep green leaves. Produces highly fragrant, double, pure white to ivory 3-4” blooms. As blooms age they fade to a creamy yellow shade.Available in tree and bush form.Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Ideal for containers.
Ginger Lily Alpinia species	Part Sun	Robust and beautiful plant with upright variegated or green leaves. Prefers moist soil. Great for containers.
Hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis	Full Sun	Produces a profusion of blooms in a vast array of colors and styles including single, semi-double and double. Available in tree, bush, spiral and braided styles. Prefers full sun and heat for best performance. Keep moist during summer. Ideal for containers and mixed borders.
Kimberly Queen Fern Nephrolepis obliterate	Full Sun – Part Sun	Bushy, upright tropical fern with sword-shaped leaves. Can tolerate heat. Prefers well drained soil. Makes a stunning container plant and also works well in hanging baskets.
Lantana Lantana species	Full Sun	Riot of color from masses of pink, yellow, orange, red or lavender flowers. Available in tree and bush form. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Great for containers and mixed planting beds.
Lily of the Nile / African Lily Agapanthus africanus	Full Sun – Part Sun	Long flower stalks bearing vivid deep blue or pure white flowers rise above mounds of strap-like foliage. Attractive seed head follow the flowers. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Wonderful as a container specimen
Macho Fern Nephrolepis biserrata	Full Sun – Part Sun	A fast growing, carefree and beautiful fern. Lush, coarse textured, upright and symmetrical fronds. Prefers slightly moist soil with good drainage. Allow the top 2-3” of soil to dry out before watering. Do not overwater. An excellent landscaping or container specimen.
Jasmine, Arabian / Sambac Jasminum sambac	Full Sun – Part Sun	A loose shrub with bushy growth. Strongly scented pure white blooms fading to light pink are set against lustrous foliage. Prefers well-drained soil. Great for containers.
Jasmine, Madagasgar Stephanotis floribunda	Full Sun – Part Sun	Twining vine with thick, waxy, glossy deep green foliage. Produces highly fragrant, waxy white flowers in groups of 3 to 6. Prefers humus rich, well-drained soil and protection from hot midday sun. Great container specimen.
Jasmine, Star / Confederate Trachelospermum jasminoides	Full Sun – Part Sun	This vine is prized for its very fragrant, star-shaped, pure white flowers. Beautiful glossy dark green foliage. Use in containers or allow it to cascade as a groundcover.
Mandevilla Mandevilla species	Full Sun	Twining vine with exquisite trumpet-like flowers that last for days. Colors include pink, red, white, yellow and bi-colors. Blooms consistently all season. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. The vines will easily cover an arbor or trellis in a single growing season.
Mexican Petunia Ruellia species	Full Sun – Part Sun	Vibrant violet-blue trumpet-shaped blooms are borne atop attractive glossy, dark green foliage. Available in tree and bush form. Prefers moist, humus rich soil. Butterflies adore this plant.
New Zealand Flax Phormium tenax	Full Sun	A clump forming plant with long sword-like foliage in a broad range of colors from deep burgundy to purple, red, pink, yellow, cream and many shades of green. Leaves may be solid colored or variegated. Stunning textural accent in containers and mixed planting beds.
Oleander Nerium oleander	Full Sun	Fast growing, carefree plant with panicles of single or double flowers in shades of white, pink, red or yellow. Lance-shaped leaves are waxy dark green. Prefers well-drained soil. Available in tree, bush, braided or spiral form. Extremely adaptable. ***Oleander is toxic if ingested. ***
Plumbago / Cape Leadwort Plumbago auriculata	Full Sun	Huge, vivid, deep blue flower clusters cover this sprawling vine-like shrub. Prefers moist, well-drained soil.
Princess Flower / Glory Bush Tibouchina urvilleana	Full Sun	Boasts leafy panicles of satin-textured, intense purple flowers up to 2”. Blooms consistently all season. Velvety, emerald green foliage. Comes in tree, bush or braided form. Prefers moist, humus rich soil. Great for mixed containers.
Pygmy Date Palm Phoenix roebelenii	Full Sun – Part Sun	Upright or curving trunks topped with a dense, full crown of gracefully arching, 3 foot long leaves. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Protect from hot midday sun. An excellent container specimen that can easily stand alone or be incorporated into mixed borders.
Red Shrimp Plant Justicia brandegeana	Part Sun	Produces stunning hop-like, arching to pendant blooms with overlapping, salmon-pink bracts that resemble shrimp. Comes in tree, bush and braided forms. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Great for mixed containers.
Sago Palm Cycas revoluta	Full Sun	Robust-stemmed cycad with arching, glossy dark green leaves. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Excellent as a container specimen.
Spicy Jatropha Jatropha species	Full Sun	New foliage is bronze-red maturing to a beautiful, finely divided leaf. Bears clusters of bright coral star-shaped flowers. Prefers a humus rich, well-drained soil. Ideal for containers.
Tasmanian Tree Fern Dicksonia Antarctica	Part Sun – Shade	Bright green, feathery arching fronds on a dark brown trunk. Slow growing. Requires consistent moisture, especially in dry conditions. Water daily in hot summer months. Great for containers and as a dramatic accent.
Thryallis Galphimia glauca	Full Sun	Clusters of 4-6” deep yellow flower spikes are followed by interesting seed capsules. Blooms consistently with little maintenance. Once established can tolerate dry soils. Great for containers.
Ti Tree / Good Luck Plant Cordyline fruticosa	Full Sun -Part Sun	An upright, clump-forming plant prized for its stunning variegated foliage in in bright reds, purples, pinks, pastels or creams mixed with shades of green. Prefers well-drained soil. Great for containers and mixed borders.
Waxleaf Privet Ligustrum texanum	Full Sun – Part Sun	Glossy, dark green evergreen foliage with a profusion of small white flowers if left unclipped. Elegant container specimen if sheared into formal shapes.

SUMMER CARE

Tropicals prefer a sunny spot (6 hours or more direct sun) and evenly moist soil. Exceptions are noted above. For container grown plants check regularly for adequate moisture (daily when summer temperatures soar) since potted plants dry out more quickly than plants in the ground. Make sure you water thoroughly. Water should escape out drainage holes at the bottom the container.  Feeding container plants regularly is recommended because soil nutrients are lost with each watering. A long-acting timed release fertilizer such as Osmocote 14-14-14 takes the guesswork out.  Alternatively, you may use a balanced water soluble fertilizer every 2 weeks. For plants grown in the ground keep evenly moist and feed every 2 weeks with a balanced