August 11, 2025 - While you may not realize it, many tropical plants can happily withstand colder weather and continue to bring an exotic allure to your garden. Here, we'll give you some of our favorite picks for these winter warriors plus tips for how to grow them. (Above) Chateau™ de Versailles Rose of Sharon is covered in large, vibrant hibiscus flowers that have a tropical look. Chateau™ Rose of Sharon shrubs like this one are hardy all the way down to Zone 5!

October 9, 2025 - Hardy and architectural, it adds an exotic touch to gardens and containers. ... Hedychium flavescens, or Yellow Ginger Lily, features clusters of spicily-scented, pale to lemon yellow flowers in late summer and fall. Its fragrant blossoms, atop stems with pointed, softly hairy leaves, enhance any tropical-themed patio or deck. This upright perennial adds luminous beauty even when not in bloom. ... Cordyline fruticosa, or Ti Plant, is cherished as a houseplant for its vividly colored leaves ranging from pink to burgundy, green, and cream.

July 6, 2018 - They look tropical, but are actually hardy. It's outstanding for shade gardens and naturalizes well in woodland settings. ... The huge trumpet-shaped flowers and large leaves of angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) make a dramatic statement in any garden. A tropical plant that can grow up to 10 feet in one summer, this plant is great either for containers or the mixed border.

Gunnera manicata, also known as the giant rhubarb or dinosaur food, is a dramatic, large-leaved perennial plant native to South America. It can be grown... View details ... Colocasia esculenta, commonly known as Elephant Ear or Taro, is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia.

We have a large selection of cold hardy tropical plants including Curcuma (Hidden Cone Ginger), Canna (Canna Lilies), Musa (Banana), Hedychium (Ginger Lilies) and more. These exotic plants make your temperate garden resemble a tropical paradise.

December 4, 2024 - Clumping bamboo is a tall tropical plant has none of it’s more aggressive cousins nasty qualities, but all of the good ones. Photo by ‘Bella Bree‘. Elephant Ear is a tender tuber that can be planted anywhere, as long as you lift the tubers after the first frost and store indoors until spring. This mammoth plants can grow to 6 feet tall with 3 foot long leaves, and do well in partial shade. Definitely a plant for drama! Photo by ‘Wayside Gardens‘. The Hardy Banana Plant is hardy down to below zero at the rhizome, but the leaves will freeze and fall off below 28 degrees.

Some of the most stunning varieties of canna lilies feature very dark foliage that calls attention to the plants even when they are not in flower. Some varieties even have striped, multi-colored leaves. Canna Pink Sunburst has voluptuous large leaves that are striped with shades of dark green, dark pink and ivory, with gorgeous pink flowers. Speaking of voluptuous, check out this next show stopper.... HARDY HIBISCUS With its tropical flair and show stopping flowers the size of dinner plates, what’s not to love about the hardy hibiscus??

October 2, 2022 - This will keep the plant coming back every year and in some cases, will grow to over 20 feet tall. The tropical leaves can grow to 12 feet long. The yellow banana-like flower spikes are inedible. To ensure hardy banana survives even in the coldest of areas, try the following to protect the stem:

November 23, 2024 - The hardy banana is considered winter hardy to zone 5 if well-mulched. Although it produces cream to yellow flowers in the summer, followed by inedible fruit, it is mostly grown for its large, tropical looking leaves. In colder zones, it is a perennial that will die down to the ground in the winter. It should be planted in a location that is protected from the wind, since the large leaves are susceptible to wind damage.

May 1, 2023 - Imagine growing tropical bananas in your outdoor garden in Chicago or Philadelphia or Kansas City – or even as far north as New England (Zone 4!). With this Hardy Banana you’ll get a defining tropical look. And, yes, with proper mulching, this tough plant can withstand temperatures below zero.

September 11, 2023 - These hardy palms bring a touch of the tropics to gardens in temperate climates. Tree ferns, like the Australian Tree Fern (Cyathea cooperi), are another excellent choice. They thrive in shady spots with consistently moist soil and add an enchanting, prehistoric charm to your garden. ... For a low-maintenance tropical garden, consider plants like the Elephant Ear (Colocasia esculenta) and Canna Lily (Canna spp.).

February 22, 2023 - Zone 6 temperatures may drop to between 0 and -10 degrees F. (-18 to -23 C.). Finding tropical plant specimens that can survive such cold temperatures can be a challenge. Luckily, there are many hardy, tropical-looking plants that will thrive in zone 6, and a few actual tropical denizens that will survive with some protection.

What is the Most Cold Hardiest Tropical Plant?

Was wondering what your favorite hardy plants are - those that fit well into a tropical landscape. I am surprised at some of the offerings I have seen at nurseries, suggesting that they are tropical like. Those of you in zone 6 and lower - what looks like it belongs in your tropical garden?

February 3, 2025 - Hardy Banana (Musa basjoo). Courtesy of Logee’s Plants for Home & Garden/logees.com · This tropical Rockstar (Musa basjoo) shows off in summer, dies back in fall, withstands sub-zero winter temperatures, then fabulously returns each season. Plant them in full sun in the landscape, keep soil consistently moist and feed weekly with a liquid fertilizer.

January 12, 2023 - A slow-growing palm with a lot of character and interest, European Fan Palms are common North Florida cold hardy tropical plants. Due to the slow-growing nature of this palm, we recommend installing this palm close to the final size you want. Mature sizes are 8-12 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide. With a sculptural feel, European Fan Palm is commonly planted at pools, plazas, outdoor gathering spaces, and patio containers and also stands out well in planter beds.

November 5, 2024 - It’s hardy to zone 9 and must spend each winter in a dormant state in my basement. It returns every year, knock on wood, to put on quite a show. After many years here in my very hot, very sunny foundation border, Summer Storm perennial hibiscus (large flowers on right) gave up the ghost last year. I planted Perfect Storm, a slightly smaller cultivar with similar flowers and dark foliage, in it’s place. It’s not exactly a tropical plant but it certainly has that tropical look I love which explains why I replaced the dead one with another variety.

Tiki discussion for topics not covered in the other forums.

My mother grew up in the Dominican Republic, and was drawn to her current home by the wild forsythia, rhododendrons and Maule's quince draped over a...