Tropical Flowers, Trees & Vines to Plant

Flowers

• Hibiscus flowers are perhaps the most recognizable tropical flower, and they come in many varieties and colors. To get many blooms on a hibiscus plant, it should be fertilized weekly during spring and summer. Orchids are also tropical flowers, but they can be easier to grow indoors where you can control growing conditions. Tropical flowers that thrive in an outdoor garden setting are begonias, jacrandas, lantana, bromeliad and varieties of flowering ginger.

Flowering Shrubs

• Many tropical flowers grow on shrubs. Oleander is a beautiful and hardy tropical shrub that produces white or pink flowers, but be careful because oleander flowers are poisonous. Other tropical flowering shrubs include crepe myrtle, candle bush, brugmansia and gardenia. Shrubs without flowers include acalypha wilkesiana, a shrub with colorful curling leaves, and tropical ferns like the bird's nest fern.

Palms

• Nothing makes a garden look tropical like palm trees, and there are many different varieties of palm to choose. Miniature and dwarf palms like the pygmy date palm are small palm trees that thrive in pots, and some varieties, like the Kentia palm, even grow indoors. Larger varieties of palm trees like coconut palms, the Florida royal palm or the European fan palm will grow tall. Some palm trees like bamboo palms will thrive in shady areas of the garden.

Fruit Trees

• Fruit trees like lime or papaya trees grow wild in tropical climates, and they can also make fragrant additions to a tropical garden. Many citrus trees are relatively small, but larger tropical fruit trees like banana, mango and avocado trees can get up to 30 feet tall. If you plant larger fruit trees, make sure to include height in your garden plan. Most fruit trees will require regular watering and fertilizing to produce fruit.

Tropical Vines

• Vines are a great way to camouflage a fence or add color to a tropical garden. Perhaps the most popular tropical vine is the bougainvillea, which comes in many different varieties and produces various colored flowers. Jasmine is another popular tropical vine that releases a lovely scent in the evenings. Another famous tropical flower, the passion flower, grows on vines. Passion flower vines will also attract butterflies.