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Can You Grow Tropical Plants in Southern California Even Though It’s Very Dry?
Written by Kelsey W.
If you’re lucky enough to spend a week in a tropical place like Puerto Vallarta in Mexico or on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, you’ve seen the beautiful tropical landscape create a lush, green world. At home in Southern California, it’s easy to want the same plants for your yard that make it feel like you own a little piece of your own paradise.
But is it really possible to create a tropical wonderland in your yard, or are you just asking for trouble with plants that need a ton of water and that won’t survive the harsh summer temperatures and windy winter days of a Southern California year?
In fact, you have quite a few options for infusing your lawn, balcony, or home with tropical splendor, whether that means houseplants that you keep in your humid bathroom or plants for your yard that love the Southern California sun as much as they do life in a tropical rain forest.
If you’re thinking about switching things up in your yard from cactuses and hedgerows to something more tropical, you’ll want to read below about all the plants available to you that can help transform your home into inviting tropical surroundings.
Understanding Tropical Ecosystems and Plant Placement
The diverse ecosystems that cover the planet grow an incredible array of different plants that are used to all sorts of growing conditions. You’ve got the African violets that grow on the canopy floors of rainforests and the saguaro cactuses that command attention on the sparse expanses of the desert Southwest.
Could you ever grow a saguaro anywhere near the vicinity of an African violet? You can’t even get the leaves of an African violet wet, let alone sit it in a place where it might get direct sunlight all day, like you might a saguaro cactus.
Well, you don’t need to go to such extremes in any direction to reach your dream of a tropical garden or tropical landscape. Sure, there are some tropical plants out there that would probably scream and run for the hills if you tried to plant them in full sun during a California summer day, but there are a surprisingly large number of tropical plants that would adapt rather easily to SoCal’s climes.
One of the most notable is the canna lily, which is actually native to the subtropical areas of the Americas like the Southern Atlantic states and the Gulf region (as well as South America). These lilies absolutely adore full sun and may actually spread too quickly if you give them too much room to grow.
Their giant leaves look absolutely tropical when the plants are allowed to spread and grow into a big, bushy bunch. Just note that they do like a big drink of water, especially on days when it gets particularly hot in the middle of the summer. But they’re not so large as a tree that they need gallons and gallons of water. A few trips with a medium-sized watering can is plenty.
Here are a few more tropical plants that will tolerate the Southern California environment as long as you give them a little more water when they’re young and getting established.
- Hibiscus: Make sure their soil drains well and aerate their soil every year with a soil aerator
- Giant Bird of Paradise: Great as a tall focal point for your topical-themed yard
- Soft Tree Fern: Fill your shady areas with these ferns, which actually grow up to 15 feet tall!
- Kafir Lily (or Clivia miniata): Beautiful as indoor plants near windows with bright, indirect sunlight
Plants That Look Tropical But are Enthusiastic SoCal Residents
With enough water, it’s possible to grow just about anything in Southern California, but what if you’re interested in tropical plants but not all the mosquitoes that might come along with a tropical landscape?
Well, even though the mosquitoes seem to come whether we want them or not, and no matter what plants we might have in our yards, it is possible to fake your way into a tropical landscape by using plants that are actually quite drought tolerant.
The Sago Palm & Bismark Palm
A few of the most obvious choices are various types of palm plants, with the sago palm offering one of the best tropical silhouettes of any species of palm. The sago palm is at home in a pot as much as it is in the ground on your front lawn, so it’s a perfect choice whether you want to tropicalize your apartment or your single-family home.
If you want a tropical palm tree that looks like almost nothing you’ve seen before, another option is the Bismarck palm, which is one of the most stunning palm trees with its ability to grow absolutely huge blue fans. The largest Bismarks grow up to 60 feet tall!
(Note that the Bismark palm is a native of Madagascar and is different from the similarly blue but wholly different Mexican blue palm, which is, not surprisingly, from Mexico)
Your Bismark palm will need a lot of water when it’s young, but it’ll barely need any water once it’s grown and at home in your yard. However, if you don’t think you can accommodate such a giant plant (they really are spectacular when fully grown), you have several other drought-tolerant options. CAUTION: BISMARKIA IS EXTREMELY FROST TENDER.
The Plumeria and Azalea
One amazingly ideal option is the gorgeous plumeria, which looks like it was just plucked from a forest in Hawaii but thrives just as easily in the sunny, arid environment of Southern California. Like palm trees, plumerias do need a lot of attention when they’re young, but they do fine on their own once they’re established.
If you take a drive around any of the historical neighborhoods of Los Angeles, especially Northeast LA, you’ll come upon areas where it seems like just about every lawn has a plumeria or two growing. When given plenty of sun and well-draining soil, these beautiful tropical plants will offer the most beautifully delicate blooms and elegant leaves.
Another option to fill out your tropical paradise is the Western azalea, which has shiny green leaves and large wispy flowers that absolutely make you think it’s a tropical plant. The Western azalea is a shrub that’s actually native to Southern California and is found all up and down the West Coast.
If you have an area of your lawn that doesn’t get full sun all day but maybe just sun in the morning or afternoon (not both), that’s a prime location for a Western azalea. They’re also a great shrub to plant along the north face of a house or along a fence since they fill in quite thick and nice as they grow.
Try a Vining or Trailing Plant for a Tropical Feel
One of the hallmarks of a tropical landscape is the crush of plants that looks like every bud, leaf, and stem is fighting for a place in the front of a photograph. Lush and thick tropical landscapes envelop you with their greenery and flowers.
If you’re light on space, but you want that thick covered look of a tropical landscape, one option is to grow a vining or trailing plant that will cover a wall but not turn into a giant, thick bush. One excellent option for a slim profile plant is star jasmine, which smells lovely and grows quite fast.
They do like more water in the summer than in other seasons, but you can pretty much leave them alone in the winter. Other tropical vines you may choose are Crossvine, which grows large trumpet-shaped flowers, and Trumpet creeper, which also features trumpet-shaped flowers, which are a little smaller.
Yes, you can also choose the classic Bougainvillea as your vine of choice for your Southern California tropical garden, but note that it can get quite bushy and does need regular trimming or it will take over every inch of space it can find, especially if you plant it in a sunny spot and water it regularly.
Turn Your Home into a Tropical Paradise at Green Thumb Nursery
Do you have some awesome ideas for putting some beautiful tropical plants into the landscaping at your home? Is it time to add some tropical splendor to your collection of cactuses and succulents? Stop by Green Thumb Nursery for all the gardening advice, materials, and fun you can handle. We’ll help you grow your ideas!
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