Are you ready for a relaxing vacation? Escape to your favorite tropical destination in an instant by designing your own backyard oasis. With just a few essential elements, creating a tropical garden is easy. Transform your Texas landscapes and patios with low-maintenance tropical plants and discover your new and relaxing paradise, right at home!
Ready to design your tropical oasis? We are here to help! Get inspired with these 6 selections for a flourishing tropical garden.
1: Tropical Hibiscus
Plant an island getaway with sun-loving Tropical Hibiscus! Hibiscus is one of the most quintessential tropical garden flowers around. The breathtaking, exotic blooms will transport you to paradise. They are one of the best tropical plants for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds and they will fill your Texas garden with bold and vibrant blooms throughout the season.
Tropical Hibiscus are fantastic container plants for a tropical look. They thrive in bright outdoor pottery filled with Calloway’s Premium Container Potting Soil. These exotic blooms prefer temperatures around 70 degrees and when planted in containers, they can be easily moved to a warmer location if colder weather is in the forecast.
Tropical Hibiscus needs full sun and consistently moist soil to maintain healthy growth and continuous blooms. This tropical garden flower is a thirsty plant that needs daily watering, sometimes even twice a day during times of extreme heat or drought. Check the soil often and make sure your plants are getting at least 1-2 inches of water per week.
2: Caladiums
An important design element when you are creating a tropical garden is to include plenty of lush foliage plants. Caladiums are large, leafy plants with dynamic colors and lovely, heart-shaped foliage. These unique tropical plants will bring a pop of color to your containers, flowerbeds, and landscapes.
There are two different types of Caladiums – Fancy Leaf and Strap Leaf. The foliage of Fancy Leaf varieties brings texture, movement, and an array of hues to shady areas for a decorative garden accent. The Strap Leaf variety thrives in sunnier gardens, delivering an enchanting touch to your outdoor oasis. A good rule of thumb is the narrower the leaves, the more sun they can tolerate. Avoid full sun exposure as it can scorch the leaves.
Caladiums can thrive indoors too! They love the warm and humid temperatures of our homes. For proper care, give your lush foliage plants regular waterings, especially during hot weather as Caladiums prefer evenly moist soil conditions. Don’t allow the soil to dry out as the leaves may turn yellow and drop. They are easy to care for and will give you a lush tropical vibe in your home!
3: Bromeliad
Bromeliads are fantastic low-maintenance tropical plants for beginner gardeners. These indoor tropical plants boast stunning color and unique tropical foliage. Bromeliads are ideal container plants for a tropical look, and they will add an exotic touch to your homes and covered patios.
These tropical houseplant varieties need bright, indirect sunlight or dappled shade to thrive. They are epiphytes, meaning they naturally grow on trees for support. Their roots cling to branches and they absorb water into the cup of the plant, or the core of the leaves. That is where the plant can use the water as needed and maintain the ideal level of moisture.
Bromeliads need well-draining organic soil with good moisture retention. Use Calloway’s Organic Container Potting Soil to grow with success. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy. Wait until the top 2 inches of the soil is dry before watering again. In between waterings, simply mist them with a spray bottle to help maintain a humid environment.
4: Kimberly Queen Fern
Kimberly Queen Ferns from Fresh from Florida® are dense evergreen ferns with a shapely form and gracefully arching fronds. This lush tropical plant is easy to grow inside and out, and it thrives in the sun and the shade. Kimberly Queen Ferns are fast-growing tropical plants ideal for planting in containers and displaying as a hanging basket so you can fill your oasis with lush foliage plants.
Kimberly Queen Ferns needs consistent moisture and humidity to survive. Planting these tropical garden plants in containers is the best way to help maintain the proper moisture levels and provide supplemental humidity if needed.
They can be planted in the shade or sun outdoors and bright, indirect light inside your home. If planted in the spring, before the heat of the summer they can take full sun. It’s the best fern we’ve ever seen!
5: Mandevilla
Mandevilla, also known as Dipladenia, is a vining tropical garden plant. This low-maintenance tropical plant is commonly grown as a decorative garden accent on patios and porches. It is popular because of the brightly colored flowers that add an instant tropical flair.
These unique tropical flowering vines are ideal for growing on garden fences or with a trellis. Mandevilla is a climbing vine that needs extra support to train it to grow upwards. Explore our collection of stylish cedar or moss trellises at your favorite DFW, Cedar Park, and Houston Garden Centers – Calloway’s and Cornelius! Plant with Calloway’s Premium Flowerbed Garden Soil for your gardening success.
Mandevilla needs full sunlight to thrive. Proper sun exposure is essential to help your tropical flowering plants continuously bloom. However, these tropical garden flowers can also tolerate partial shade. Water regularly and keep the soil evenly moist.
6: Celosia
Create a tropical garden with the exotic colors of Celosia! This low-maintenance tropical delight features tall, spiky flowers that resemble dense feathery plumes with lush green or burgundy foliage.
Celosia is great for creating a tropical oasis in your flowerbeds or displaying in colorful outdoor planters. It thrives in our warm climate and grows best in full sunlight. Celosia loves heat and humidity and will produce vivid blooms throughout our Texas summers.
Water regularly, especially during times of hot weather. Allow the soil’s surface to dry before watering and avoid overwatering. You’ll love their bright colors and easy care all season long!
Shop with Ease
At Calloway’s and Cornelius, we are here to help with all your spring gardening activities! Visit us today and explore our stunning collection of vibrant blooms, impressive trees and shrubs, stylish pottery, lush indoor plants, and so much more! Shop any of our 28 neighborhood stores, where we have served our loyal customers for over 35 years. Plus, enjoy more time to shop for your Texas garden with our EXTENDED SPRING HOURS! We are open from 9 am to 7 pm – Monday through Friday and 9 am – 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Have questions? No worries! Ask our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals; they are here to help!
