Tropical Plants

A tropical garden is really a layering exercise: big leaves overhead, mid height colour and texture in the middle, and dense groundcovers holding the floor. This collection gives you every layer, from bold leafed feature plants down to the fillers that make a bed feel finished rather than planted.

The trick to lush growth in Australia is matching each plant to its microclimate rather than fighting your conditions. Large soft leaves generally want shelter from hot afternoon sun and drying wind, so reserve north and west facing positions for the tougher strappy leafed varieties and tuck the delicate foliage into morning sun or bright shade. Soil preparation matters more here than in almost any other garden style: dig through compost to a spade depth, mulch 50 to 75mm deep and keep water up in the first summer. In cooler states, treat frost as the main limit and favour courtyards, north facing walls and covered patios that hold warmth overnight.

Container growing is the other half of the story. Many tropical foliage plants perform beautifully in pots on a balcony or patio, where you control the soil, drainage and position completely. Move pots against a wall in winter, refresh the top layer of potting mix each spring, and step plants up one pot size at a time rather than jumping straight to an oversized container that stays wet.

For the upper storey of your design, our palms and tropical range supplies the height and canopy that everything else sits beneath. Two of the most reliable performers in this style have their own guides: the monstera care guide for shaded corners and indoor spots, and the bird of paradise care guide for sunny positions that need sculptural foliage plus flowers. If you are unsure what pot or bag size to order for each layer, the pot and bag size guide explains exactly what arrives at your door.