Tropical Plant Information

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Overview

Blasts of color, pleasant perfumes and extravagantly shaped flowers are a welcome addition to any garden. If you live in a warm and humid climate, you can certainly make space in a planter box for an array of tropical-plant species. Even if you live in a cooler climate, these plants can be grown indoors.

Tropical Plant Varieties

There are many different varieties of tropical plants, including heliconias, gingers, orchids, bananas, plumerias, bromeliads, elephant ears and hibiscus.

The Right Climate

Tropical plants thrive in warm, humid climates, however, they can be maintained as an indoor plant in cool climates, as long as the air doesn't get too dry, which is often the result of heating and cooling systems. Tropical plants can also be grown in greenhouses.

Sunlight

Tropical plants need plenty of sunlight to grow. Most need at least four to six hours of partly shaded sunlight.

Watering

Tropical plants need plenty of water in order to thrive. The soil should remain moist and, if the plant is potted, allow the water to drain thoroughly.

Feeding

Tropical plants, as with most plants and flowers, do well with a little extra nourishment. Consider providing fertilizer once a month to spur vibrant blooms and lush leaves.

References

The Master Gardener
Raintree Tropical Plant Database

Keywords: tropical plants, humid, climate

About this Author

Alexa Evans is a freelance writer and marketing editor based in San Diego, Calif. Evans has been published in "Tango Diva," "Map Vivo" and "Trazzler." She earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of California, Santa Cruz.