Tropical plants for California yards

5 Hawaii plants that you can grow in your yard

Growing up in Hawaii, it’s pretty safe to say that I was constantly surrounded by beautiful tropical flora. It’s easily one of the most recognisable beauties of the state (besides myself of course.) In this blog we’ll outline some plants that California locals can grow to create their own Hawaiian garden.


[img source: https://jooinn.com/hawaiian-garden.html# ]


Starting off our list is probably the most popular and well recognized flower on our list- the Plumeria. Plumeria are well known due to their use for flower leis and their strong fragrance. They come in many different colors ranging from white to pink. Even blood red and a mixture of several different colors. The Plumeria is also able to sustain itself on lower water then most plants, once it takes root.


[img source: https://garden.org/plants/group/plumerias/ ]


    The Hawaiian Ti Plant (Cordyline fruticosa,) makes for a great house decoration. This plant that usually grows outdoors in Hawaii, but unfortunately doesn’t do well in California hot sun. Luckily it is a great house plant. Ti plant also comes in different colors ranging from green to purple, and up to a mixture of three different colors. Great thing about Ti plants, is that if the plant grows too big for your household or garden, you can cut the stem down to around 8 in. new leafs will sprout from the tip of the stem.


[img source: http://www.eattheweeds.com/cordyline-fruticosa-food-foliage-booze-2/ ]


Bird of Paradise isn’t new to California as it is the official flower of Los Angeles. But there is no way I could leave this off the list. Relatively easy to maintain after its roots are established. This flower doesn’t require a lot of water. Known for its unique flowers representing a flying bird, this flower can be seen in many households and was once used on Aloha Airlines planes.


[img source: https://www.ftd.com/blog/share/bird-of-paradise-meaning-and-symbolism ]


    Switching it up a little bit, we have the palm tree. Palm trees can be seen as soon as flying into LAX. It is a staple of tropical symbolism. There are many different palm trees available and typically do not need as much water as other trees. With over a hundred different palm trees, finding the right one to give your house that tropical look will be easy.


[img source: http://www.marriedtoplants.com/ ]


    And last we look at the Hawaii state flower itself, the Hibiscus. This flower also comes in many different colors. Hawaii state flower is the yellow HIbiscus. Most Californians will typically grow this in a container, making it easy to move around the garden. Best grown in temps between 60-90 degrees F. You want to make sure that this plant gets a decent amount of water during the warm weather. Watering can be slowed down when temperatures starts to cool.


[img source: https://lakshithas.weebly.com/journal/hibiscus-flower ]

               Do you have any of these plants in your garden? Did you feel like I left out a plant that should have been on this list? Any other hawaii locals out there that miss having these in your garden? Please share you comment and thoughts with us below.

Information sources


https://www.installitdirect.com/learn/low-water-tropical-garden-plants/

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/7532401/list/8-take-home-planting-ideas-from-hawaiis-big-island

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/much-sun-ti-leaf-plant-73266.html

https://www.dailynews.com/2016/06/29/plumeria-passion-popular-in-hawaii-the-tropical-plants-also-can-thrive-in-socal/

https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2015/07/27/bird-of-paradise-grows-well-in-redlands-gardens/