Just because you live in a land-locked state or have a small outdoor area doesn’t mean you can’t sip a fruity drink surrounded by flowering tropical beauties this summer. You can easily transform your outdoor summer space to reflect the ambiance of an island paradise with just a few plants from your local garden center.
There are a variety of tropical plants that can be potted and placed on your patio. In the fall, bring them indoors. Most tropical plants love hot, sunny locations; all you have to do is water when dry and fertilize monthly to keep them blooming all summer.
Listed here are my top five favorite tropical patio plants and the climate zones where they thrive:
Mandeville (Zones 10-11): This vine with its red, white, pink, yellow or bi-color blooms looks wonderful spilling out of a colorful pot and its green glossy leaves can climb up to 20-feet. It is deer resistant and easy to grow.
Hibiscus (Zones 6-11): The state flower of Hawaii comes in hundreds of colors, ranges in size from 2-inches up to 1-foot and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. They adapt well in containers and love the sun.
Bougainvillea (Zone 9-10): There are more than 300 varieties of these papery flowers in pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white or yellow. My personal favorite is called ‘Raspberry Ice’ and has variegated foliage. Bougainvillea are woody vines and can be thorny. They enjoy bright sun and need to dry between watering.
Red-Leaved Banana (Zone 10-11): Featuring beautiful wine-colored leaves, the red-leaved bananas grow fast and up to 12-ft tall by 8-ft wide, so place them in a big pot. They’re easy to care for and love partial to full sun.
Cannas or Canna Lily (Zone 8-11): Surrounded by banana-like leaves, their red, yellow and orange blooms attract hummingbirds while enjoying a sunny location on your deck.
Other fun considerations include angel’s trumpet, birds of paradise, lantana trees, bromeliads and jasmine.
So, slap on some sunscreen, pour yourself a cool drink and bask in the glow of nature’s tropical flowering plants on your patio.
What are your favorite potted patio plants?