Spring is the best season for any gardening enthusiast. You see your efforts rewarded as your flowers bloom, surrounding you with color. However, you must choose the right flowers to get to all that.
Tropical flowers are popular because of their vibrant colors and beautiful scents. Your gardens aren’t the only thing that these flowers can brighten up. You can use tropical flowers in bouquets, home decor, and more.
What Are Tropical Flowers?
You might hear people referring to tropical flowers as exotic flowers. However, not all exotic flowers are tropical. Tropical flowers grow in areas near the equator, with warm and humid weather. You can grow them in your garden or greenhouse by mimicking these conditions.
Red Pearl Amaryllis
The Crimson Pearl Amaryllis has dark red, velvety blossoms that are indigenous to South America and the Caribbean. These plants usually grow from a bulb and can reach up to two feet in height.
Botanical Name
Hippeastrum Red Pearl
How to Care
These plants grow in soil that’s rich with organic matter. You must also make sure that the soil is properly drained. Otherwise, the bulb will start rotting because of too much moisture. It is also important for the plants to receive plenty of sunlight, so place them in areas that receive regular sunlight. Move the plant indoors to a warmer environment if you live in a region with subfreezing temperatures during the winter.
Jasmine
The Jasmine is native to the Asian regions, including Pakistan, Iran, China, and other warmer regions. It has delicate white flowers. However, these flowers aren’t just pretty to look at; they produce a beautiful scent too.
Botanical Name
Jasminum officinale
How to Care
The plant has vines that can grow up to 15 feet. Thus, you’ll need to provide a support structure. Train the vines by loosely tying them to this supporting structure while they are growing. You can plant the Jasmine in areas that receive partial to full sunlight (6 hours). You’ll need to water the plant once a week if it’s in the ground or multiple times a day if it’s in a pot.
Blood Lily
Blood lilies get their name from the red spherical flower clusters at the top of the plant’s stem. The plant grows from bulbs and is native to the South African Region. Some species are toxic if you eat them.
Botanical Name
Scadoxus multiflorus
How to Care
You can’t place these flowers in sunny places. Instead, opt for shaded areas that don’t get intense sunlight. The plants require rich organic soil. You can mix this soil with sand to ensure the water drains well. You need to water the lilies well in the beginning. However, once they start growing, stop watering them. These flowers won’t survive low temperatures so move them indoors in winters.
Flame of the Forest
Flame of the Forest is a tree native to the South-East Asian region, especially India. The tree gets its name from the glorious orange-red flowers that bloom in the warmer seasons. The tree can go up to 30 feet; however, it’s slow growing.
Botanical Name
Butea monosperma
How to Care
The tree needs six hours of sunlight, so grow it in a sunny area. As the plant grows, the soil needs to be kept moist. However, once it has matured, you won’t need to water it as much since it’s drought-resistant.
African Violet
As you can probably tell from the name, African Violets grow naturally in the East African region. These are small green plants with velvety flowers. You can find them in purple, blue, and white colors with yellow stamens at the center.
Botanical Name
Streptocarpus ionanthus
How to Care
Water these plants at the roots as the stems can develop mold. Keep the soil moist, but ensure that it drains well. African Violets prefer bright light. However, they can’t stand direct sunlight. So keep the plants in areas that receive indirect sunlight. Moreover, you’ll need to repot the plants if they grow too large for their container.
Bougainvillea
You can find Bougainvilleas in South America, where the winters are milder than in the North. These vines can grow as long as 40 feet and tend to be thorny. You can find them in purple, orange, white, red, yellow, and pink.
Botanical Name
Bougainvillea glabra
How to Care
Bougainvilleas are drought-resistant, so you just need to water them thoroughly once in a while. The plant prefers sunny, warm temperatures. Furthermore, you should regularly prune the vines to help them bloom more.
Dahlia
You can find Dahlias in Mexico and Central America. You can grow Dahlias from tubers. However, you can’t leave these tubers in the ground during winter. The flowers are usually pink, orange, purple, white, red, and yellow.
Botanical Name
Dahlia genus
How to Care
Water the plants two times a week. If the days are sweltering, you’ll need to water them more. Trim the plants regularly to encourage growth. Avoid nitrogen-based fertilizers. Instead, you can use phosphorus-based fertilizers.
Orchid
Orchids usually grow everywhere, but they’re more abundant in tropical regions like Asia and South America. Generally, Orchids are incredibly fast-growing, so you’ll need to keep changing their containers.
Botanical Name
Orchidaceae
How to Care
Orchids usually grow on other trees and like their roots to be well-aired. So you should be careful about watering them. Furthermore, you must let the roots dry out after a watering session. Keep the plants away from direct sunlight in a well-lit area.
Bleeding Heart Vine
The Bleeding Heart Vine is an evergreen plant native to West Africa. When it blooms, it produces flower clusters surrounded by dark green foliage. Usually, the flowers are red and white; however, you can also find them in pink.
Botanical Name
Clerodendrum thomsoniae
How to Care
The plant prefers moist but well-drained soil. So, you’ll have to water the vines a lot, especially in hotter seasons. You also need to plant it in sunny areas. Since it is a vine, you’ll need a structure to support it.
Chinese Hibiscus
The hibiscus is an evergreen shrub with showy red flowers; however, other cultivars have different colors. These plants are native to South-East Asia. They are also Malaysia’s national flower.
Botanical Name
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
How to Care
The hibiscus can’t take too much sun, so plant it in partial shade. Furthermore, the soil should be organically rich but well-draining. Too much water can harm the roots. The plant needs plenty of water, so water it once a day or more if the temperatures are high.
Urn Plant
The Urn Plant is an epiphyte native to South America, specifically Brazil. Being an epiphyte, it grows on other plants, which is what you’ll try to mimic. The plant has green leathery leaves, and its flower has a spiky appearance, like a pink star.
Botanical Name
Aechmea fasciata
How to Care
You need to place the plant in a sunny area without exposing it to direct sunlight. The urn plant can store water, but you have to replace that water every two to three weeks. You can also water the soil after it’s completely dry.
Peace Lilies
Peace Lilies usually grow in American and South-East Asian tropical regions. You can keep these evergreens as houseplants. Contrary to its appearance, the white part of the flower isn’t a flower; instead, it’s a leaf bract growing over the yellow flowers.
Botanical Name
Spathiphyllum
How to Care
You need to place the plant in a sunny area, but they shouldn’t get direct sunlight. When it comes to water, underwatering is better than overwatering. Peace Lilies can go a while without water, but you can check the soil to see whether you should water the plant.
Sacred Lotus
Lotuses are native to Australia and Asia. They’re usually aquatic plants, but you can grow them in a pot. After that, you can choose to shift them to a pond.
Botanical Name
Nymphaea nucifera
How to Care
Lotuses prefer full sunlight. Ensure the soil has a three to four-inch layer of water when growing the plant in a container. This water layer will ensure the plant is always underwater. Additionally, you must use aquatic fertilizers for your lotus plants.
Christmas Cactus
Coming to you from Brazil, Christmas Cactuses are here to light up your room every fall and winter season. When in bloom, each stem is adorned with a red tubular flower.
Botanical Name
Schlumbergera bridgesii
How to Care
The plants should grow well in your house under average conditions. You should protect the flowers from direct sunlight. By inspecting the soil, you can determine whether you need to water the plant. If it’s dry, water the plant and do it thoroughly.
Barberton Daisies
Although they are indigenous to South Africa, you can grow Barberton daisies indoors. It’ll take thirteen to fourteen weeks before you see any flowers.
Botanical Name
Gerbera jamesonii
How to Care
Keep the daisies away from too much heat. They can take in the sun but ensure the temperature isn’t too high. Water the plants regularly. You can also examine the soil to see whether it is too dry.
Rose Grape
Rose Grape plants are evergreen epiphytes. You can usually find them in the Philippines and the tropical African region.
Botanical Name
Medinilla magnifica
How to Care
You can use a bright light, but the temperature must be considered. Usually, the plant only requires moderate watering after the topsoil has dried up. However, when it’s dormant, reduce the watering frequency even more.
Molokai Ohaha
The plant gets its name from its native island in Hawaii. Molokai Ohaha is actually an endangered species. The plant has green leaves that become adorned with white flowers in late summer and early fall.
Botanical Name
Brighamia rockii
How to Care
It may seem unlikely, but these plants are relatively easy to grow. Just water the plant regularly and use sufficient fertilizer. It likes the sun, but you must protect it from direct sunlight exposure. Keep it dry during colder temperatures. However, it can’t survive freezing temperatures.
Blue Jacaranda
Blue Jacarandas are evergreen trees that are native to the South American Region. During the spring and summer time, clusters of fragrant purple or blue-purple flowers bloom on the tree.
Botanical Name
Jacaranda Mimosifolia
How to Care
Plant these trees in an area with plenty of sunlight because they require a lot of light. Otherwise, you’ll get smaller, less vibrant blooms. To prevent the roots from rotting, the soil must have good drainage. You’ll also need to water the tree regularly. Moreover, you must go easy on nitrogen-based fertilizers, which can mess with the bloom.
Garden Cosmos
Garden Cosmos are small herbaceous plants that flower annually. It takes about eight weeks before they reach full maturity, but they bloom the entire summer and fall season. Garden Cosmos is native to the American continent.
Botanical Name
Cosmos bipinnatus
How to Care
It doesn’t matter how high the temperature goes; these plants can take it. Place them in full sun for the best bloom. Once these plants are fully grown, you will only need to water them during a drought. Avoid using fertilizer for these plants.
Angel’s Trumpet
Otherwise known as the Moonflower, Angel’s Trumpet is native to South America. These plants can be toxic to people and animals if ingested. Thus, you should avoid planting it if you have pets, kids, or anyone likely to eat plants. The flowers tend to be fragrant, especially at night.
Botanical Name
Brugmansia
How to Care
Moonflowers need about eight hours of sunlight every day. However, if it’s too hot, you can place them in a slightly shaded area. To prevent water logging, you must grow these plants in well-drained soil. Regularly watering the plants will prevent the soil from ever drying out.
Conclusion
That was our pick of twenty tropical flowers. For a splash of color in your surroundings, you can nurture these plants in your house or yard. But, to ensure you see the entire bloom, pay attention to each plant’s instructions. Furthermore, you need to check the plants for toxicity before planting them as your pets or kids could get hurt.
