Five Tropical Plants & Tips to Keep �Em Growing

Everyone loves the appearance, not to mention the pure fragrance and ambiance of tropical flowers. Most of us don't live in the tropics either! That doesn't necessarily mean that we can't enjoy the beauty of the tropics in our own backyard and if you live in a temperate climate, you may be able to enjoy the spectacular beauty a tropical plant can bring to your garden.

Passion Flower (Passiflora)

No one can imagine the perfect tropical flower without mention of a passionflower with huge five inch colorful blooms, growing up to a bossy twenty feet in warm temperatures and they love full sun!

What more could a gardener ask for?

One of the best aspects of the passionflower is the variety of selection because there are so many species to choose from boasting luscious colors the islands are famous for and as an added bonus … they also attract butterflies making them a perfect addition to a butterfly garden. Be careful not to over fertilize passionflowers because you'll give up bloom for foliage!

Firecrackers (Crossandra infundibuliformis)

Cantaloupe orange doesn't even give this flowering frenzy justice. This flower blooms probably the most beautiful shade of orange on the planet with rich green leaves that give at an added boost of electric, providing a texture of soft petals and the hard appearance of thick bountiful leaves.

To keep these beauties blooming just pinch the tips. Firecrackers will grow in full or partial sun but they love moist soil and if you live in a warm temperate area that usually sends out water conservation warnings in the summer, you may want to rethink planting them if water supply may be an issue.

Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia)

Fragrance! Fragrance! Fragrance is absolutely budding from Angel's Trumpets but as angelic as the aroma may be … she's very poisonous! Beauty apparently does come with a price but even though this is a poisonous plant, it's beautiful coming in white, yellow, pink, light orange and lavender.

This flower has hanging blooms shaped like trumpets and grows to a staggering six feet that loves full sun as well as shade every now and then. This plant also likes moist soil but well drained, making them perfect for container gardens that need a touch of exotic flavor.

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)

If you like the color of vermilion, magenta, white or orange, you'll love Bougainvillea because this plants tiny white flowers are surrounded by cradling colors that aren't so common. Bougainvillea is probably one of the easiest tropical varieties to grow because it's a vine type plant that can even be grown in a hanging basket or container letting the leaves flow over the sides, it even likes a tall trellis.

You wont see lots of flowers though, this plant usually produces more foliage, and however, when left to dry out between waterings blooms are more likely. Plant this one in full sun light and water keeping in mind that this plant is practically drought proof, so water moderately as needed.

Butterfly Clerodendrum (Clerfodendrum ugandense)

If you love butterflies and hummingbirds too, plant this gentle giant to add something bold and blue! This variety does like to be fertilized once every other week but who can resist the temptation of this four to six feet tall princess with two-toned blue flowers lovingly shaped my Mother Nature herself to resemble dainty butterflies!

This dainty plants draws butterflies from near and far and it loves full to part sun, making this selection an easy addition in terms of where to plant it in the garden.

Time to Enjoy!

Unfortunately these beauties that bring the tropics to you are annuals in the states only lasting a mere six to eight months. In some zones they may over last winter and particularly in zones two and three the growing seasons may be even shorter.

The good news is here are some tips to keep your plants healthy … indoors to replant!

Small Plant Tips

Smaller plants like the Firecracker should be placed in a pot to keep them healthy until next year to replant them! You can enjoy small tropical plants in your windowsill in your favorite pots until it's time to take them outside next season. Point them to the South for better results!

Large Plant Tips

Passionflowers should be cut back to about a foot and a half tall. Pot them in larger decorative pots to adore your home near sunny windows for all to see. Placing them beside a large sliding glass door to look over the patio all day is an ideal place to admire them until the next season.

Other larger plants should be kept in darker, low light areas to keep them in a dormant state like Angel's Trumpet or Bougainvillea. Simply cute these back to about six inches above the soil. Pot them and place them in areas such as a closet, a spare room in the house or in frost free areas like the shed out back or the garage as long as it's a rather dim lighted space.

You don't have to live in the tropics to enjoy them and you don't have to visit to be envied by the neighbors, just plant some tropical plants in your garden to be the talk of the neighborhood. Everyone will enjoy the garden … especially you!