Although they can create a beautiful landscape, a lot of tropicals aren’t naturally suited to our arid Southern California climate. If you choose carefully however, you can find plants that give that tropical look without needing rainforest-like conditions.
Plumeria, or the ‘Hawaiian lei flower’, immediately gives thoughts of tropical beaches and lush forests. In reality though, plumeria can easily be grown in many different types of climates. These plants thrive in warm, sunny conditions and will bloom for most of the spring and summer. They have fairly low water requirements, and an established plant will usually be happy with one good soaking per week. The number one rule for growing plumeria is to make sure that there is very good drainage in the pot or planting area, since they can die fairly quickly with too much water around the roots. There hundreds of named cultivars and varieties of plumeria, with different colors, scents, sizes and growth patterns, making it fairly easy to find one that can work in your yard. See the list below to view some available varieties.
The plant family Proteaceae includes three of our other new tropicals, Protea, Leucodendron, and Leucospermum. These plants are native to southern Africa, and are perfectly suited to conditions in southern California. They like sun, don’t like too much fertilizer or water, and are relatively bug and disease free, making them a great low water, low maintenance option for the yard. Like the plumeria, the sizes, colors and growth patterns range depending on the species and cultivar. Below is a list of available varieties.
Plumeria Varieties
Protea Varieties
