Tropical Plants

Building a tropical garden in layers

The lush look is really a planting formula: canopy, mid storey, understorey. For the canopy, the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) is the fast growing headline act at around 10m, with the slower kentia a refined choice for shade and pots. The mid layer carries the drama: Giant White Bird of Paradise reaches about 6m with paddle leaves, and heliconias such as 'Hot Rio Nights' hold hanging red bracts at 3m. Underneath, xanadu philodendron mounds to 1m, cordylines and crotons add leaf colour at 1.5m to 2m, and elephants ear fills shade with 1.8m of glossy green. The palm range and heliconia range go deeper on the two signature families.

Where tropical plants grow in Australia

In Cairns, Darwin and Brisbane, everything here grows outdoors and the only limits are space and drainage. Warm temperate gardens in Sydney and Perth can still run a convincing tropical scheme by choosing from the large group tagged for their zone: strelitzias, golden cane palms, frangipani and most cordylines cope, especially against a warm wall or by a pool. In Melbourne, Canberra and the frosty inland, treat the true tropicals as pot plants that summer outside and winter under cover, or grow the indoor half of this range as houseplants. Our tropical climate collection filters the range to the plants happiest in the far north.

Planting and spacing for the lush effect

Tropical beds are planted tighter than ordinary borders because overlap is the point. Space giant bird of paradise 2m apart for a screen, golden cane palms 1.5m, heliconias 1.5m, and elephants ear and xanadu 1m for solid understorey cover. Shelter matters as much as spacing: the big paddle leaves shred in wind, so plant them behind a fence, wall or windbreak. Give everything deep, rich soil with compost dug through, and shade the understorey plants from harsh afternoon sun.

Water, feeding and the winter question

These plants grow hard in the warm months and want steady moisture and food to do it: mulch deeply, water thoroughly in dry spells, and feed monthly with a liquid or twice a season with controlled release fertiliser from spring to early autumn. Then ease off. Cold wet soil in winter does more damage than cold air, so let pots dry further between drinks and hold the feed until spring. Poolside planting deserves its own thought, and our tropical poolside plant guide covers the tidy, non invasive choices.

Common questions

Can I grow tropical plants in Melbourne?

Outdoors, only the hardiest few in sheltered warm microclimates. The reliable route is pots that move under cover before frost, or the indoor tropicals: monstera, philodendrons, peace lilies and kentia palms all thrive inside a Melbourne living room.

Which tropical plants work around a pool?

Foxtail palms, giant bird of paradise, xanadu, cordylines and evergreen frangipani are the standards. Palms are particularly good value here because their fibrous roots will not lift paving.

Are tropical plants safe for pets?

Assume not unless the product page carries our Pet Friendly flag. Alocasias, philodendrons and monstera all contain irritant calcium oxalate, while golden cane and kentia palms are flagged pet friendly and make the safer choices for a garden with animals.

How fast will a tropical garden fill in?

Faster than any other style in a warm climate. Planted in spring at the spacings above, heliconias, elephants ear and strelitzias give a full layered look by the second summer, with palms adding height each year after.