Best Tropical Flowers for Your Patio

Tropical plants, in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, are perfect for adding drama to the deck, patio, or balcony. Treat as annuals outdoors, or if you have lots of indoor light, keep as houseplants over winter for reuse next spring. Get tips to move your tropical plants indoors.

Design and Maintenance

For a stunning accent, grow one tropical flower per large container, add colorful annuals around base.

Hook up drip irrigation for potted plants (one emitter per pot) to stay ahead of watering. Larger containers need less frequent watering. Tropicals prefer moist but not overly wet soil.

Fertilize weakly (half package rate) weekly or monthly. Use bloom-booster formulation with larger middle number (e.g., 10-30-10).

Try these flowering tropical plants:

Flowering Maple

Flowering maple (Abutilon), named for leaf shape, native to tropics. Bell-shape flowers in yellow, orange, pink, red open wide, dangle from slim stems. Some have variegated foliage. Easy to grow, bloom all spring and summer. Medium to bright light; best flowering in bright light ≥4 hours/day. Keep soil extremely moist but avoid standing water. Size varies; some grow into 15-foot trees. Get more tips for growing tropical plants.

Angelwing Begonia

Begonias (Begonia) are annual stalwarts—easy to grow. For tropical display, choose large angelwing varieties (Begonia coccinea), named for elongated wing-like leaves. Many have variegated leaves. Clusters of white, red, pink flowers dangle from each stem. Best in bright indirect light; too much burns leaves. Keep soil evenly moist, avoid overwatering. Learn more about begonia in our Plant Encyclopedia.

Bromeliad

Although exotic-looking, bromeliads are easy. Many kinds; distinctive feature: cup-shape rosette of leaves holding water that nourishes the plant. Large colorful bracts (leaf-like flowers) or flowers emerge from center for fantastic display. Most are air plants growing on trees in nature, gathering moisture from rain/humidity. Keep roots in orchid bark potting mix or quick-draining soil, in pots that look slightly too small. Die if kept in too-large containers or overwatered. For best flowering, high light and warm temperatures.

Angel's Trumpet

Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia and Datura) are patio stunners. Brugmansia offers trumpet-shape white, pink, peach, yellow blooms dangling downward. Plant can reach 30 feet (6 feet in container over season). Blooms fragrant at night when pollinators active. Many Datura have upward-facing trumpet flowers. Outdoors: moist, well-drained soil, bright indirect light. Heavy feeders—fertilize regularly spring/summer with general-purpose fertilizer. Reduce water/fertilizer fall/winter. Beware: all parts poisonous. Learn more about Brugmansia. Learn more about Datura.

Canna

Old-fashioned favorites for bright flowers and dramatic large leaves, cannas (Canna) add vertical interest to containers or in-ground. Look for burgundy/variegated leaves for punch when not in bloom (red, orange, yellow flowers). Some reach 7 feet; others bred to stay 2 feet. Full sun, moist soil (ideal for clay). Rhizomes hardy in ground Zones 8-11. Elsewhere, let foliage blacken from frost, lift rhizomes, store frost-free until spring. Learn more about canna.

Hibiscus

Although some hibiscus are hardy north, most common are tropical Asian natives (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis). Glossy dark green leaves behind 6-inch flowers in red, orange, yellow, coral, pink, blue-purple, white. For blooming, provide high light; several hours direct sun best. Keep soil evenly moist but not wet. Hibiscus flowers on new wood—don't prune or lose buds. For compactness, prune late winter; root-prune and repot in fresh soil. Plant sheds leaves when conditions change but quickly regenerates. Learn more about perennial hibiscus.

Jasmine

For scented treat, grow Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) in patio containers. Star-shape blooms in yellow/white perfume air; some especially fragrant at night. Jasmine twines up to 15 feet, needs trellis/arbor. Full sun or partial shade with protection from hot midday sun. If not blooming, light may be too low. Keep soil evenly moist during growth/flowering; otherwise allow slight drying between waterings. Learn more about jasmine.

Mandevilla

When trumpet-shape five-petal flowers bloom, mandevilla (Mandevilla) vines lend graceful look to patio garden. Train stems to twine around support (trellis/arbor). Vines reach 20 feet in some climates. Flowers on new growth—heavy pruning stimulates new blooms. Colors: pink, rose, red, white. Sap may cause skin irritation—wear gloves. Eating may cause mild stomach upset. Keep soil evenly moist during growing season; allow drying between waterings in winter. Best flowering in bright indirect light or full sun with midday shade. Learn more about mandevilla.

Grow Hibiscus in Any Climate