Turn your temperate garden into an exotic plant garden reminiscent of a Hawaiian rain forest with cold hardy tropical plants.
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Abutilon 'Bartley Schwarz'
Item #: 8007
Zones: 7b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Abutilon 'Canary Bird'
Item #: 3848
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 72" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Abutilon 'Fool's Gold'
Item #: 8001
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Abutilon megapotamicum
Item #: 4317
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Abutilon 'Orange Hot Lava'
Item #: 7302
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Abutilon 'Voodoo'
Item #: 6951
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 72" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Acanthus mollis Reut, Israel
Item #: 9811
Zones: 7a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Mediterranean Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Acanthus mollis 'Wofford Rhubarb'
Item #: 10006
Zones: 7a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Northern Africa, Southern Europe
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Acanthus 'Summer Beauty'
Item #: 2526
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 30" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Achimenes 'Harry Williams'
Item #: 6169
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter, Spring
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'Ellamae'
Item #: 3514
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'Stevie's Wonder'
Item #: 8250
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'Storm Cloud'
Item #: 1342
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agapanthus 'Twister' PP 25,519
Item #: 13692
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave albopilosa
Next crop available: 04/21/2019
Item #: 9610
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave applanata 'Cream Spike'
Item #: 7241
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave asperrima
Item #: 6327
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave bracteosa 'Squidget'
Item #: 10538
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave cundinamarcensis 'Condor'
Item #: 9822
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 72" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Colombia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Desert Diamond' PP 26,384
Item #: 9457
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave desmettiana 'Joe Hoak'
Item #: 7137
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Unknown
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x flexidigera 'Durango Fandango'
Item #: 12312
Zones: 7b to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid, Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave geminiflora 'Leaping Lizards'
Item #: 13528
Zones: 9b to 11, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave havardiana 'Glass Mountain'
Item #: 11771
Zones: 5a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave 'Huasteca Giant'
Item #: 6339
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave isthmensis 'Moon Disc'
Item #: 9576
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave isthmensis 'Ohi Raijin Shiro Nakafu'
Next crop available: 07/07/2019
Item #: 8524
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 4" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave lophantha 'La Bufa Baby'
Next crop available: 04/14/2019
Item #: 12722
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave lophantha 'Multigreen'
Item #: 12172
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor'
Item #: 7124
Zones: 8a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave lophantha 'Splendida'
Item #: 8014
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave macroacantha 'Blue Ribbon'
Item #: 7568
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave multifilifera 'Basaseachic Falls'
Item #: 10010
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave nickelsiae
Item #: 4764
Zones: 7b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave ovatifolia
Item #: 6306
Zones: 7a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'
Item #: 9513
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave ovatifolia 'Lava Flow'
Next crop available: 07/07/2019
Item #: 12692
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie'
Item #: 3242
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x ovatisana 'Sea Star'
Next crop available: 05/05/2019
Item #: 10639
Zones: 8a to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parrasana 'Impressionist' PPAF
Next crop available: 07/07/2019
Item #: 14273
Zones: 8a to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi J C Raulston
Item #: 8152
Zones: 7a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture:
Origin: United States
Pot Size: ?
Agave parryi ssp. huachucensis 'Excelsior'
Next crop available: 05/24/2019
Item #: 7868
Zones: 7a to 9b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico, United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi ssp. huachucensis 'Wakefield'
Item #: 12370
Zones: 6a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi ssp. neomexicana 'Sunspot'
Item #: 3326
Zones: 7b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave parryi ssp. truncata 'Bed of Nails'
Item #: 2949
Zones: 8a to 9b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Becky'
Item #: 10792
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Bluewinds'
Item #: 9340
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave potatorum 'Snowfall'
Item #: 11705
Zones: Tropical
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 16" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x protamericana 'Funky Toes'
Item #: 10777
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x protamericana 'Lemon Lime'
Item #: 6847
Zones: 9a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x pseudoferox 'Bellville'
Next crop available: 05/12/2019
Item #: 7979
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x pseudoferox 'Bluebell Giants'
Item #: 11098
Zones: 7b to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 84" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x pseudoferox 'Green Goblet'
Item #: 5716
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x pumila 'Clusterfest'
Item #: 8975
Zones: 9a to 11, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave schidigera 'Royal Flush' PPAF
Item #: 14272
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave schidigera 'Shiraito no Ōhi'
Item #: 7921
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave Shark Bite
Next crop available: 01/01/2020
Item #: 9575
Zones: 8a to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture:
Origin:
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave x striphantha 'Band on the Run'
Item #: 10358
Zones: 7b to 10b, at least
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin:
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Agave titanota 'Banana Peel'
Item #: 9348
Zones: 9a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture:
Origin:
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
More Information About Tropical Looking Plants
It's a jungle out there! Cold Hardy tropical plants including Curcuma (Hidden Cone Ginger), Canna (Canna Lilies), Musa (Banana), Hedychium (Ginger Lilies) and more. These exotic plants make your temperate garden resemble a tropical paradise.
Some of us here in the cool latitudes (and even some people in the nerdy latitudes) have exotic plant envy and want a garden full of tropical looking plants. Luckily for us, there are a few equatorial plants that have developed some cold hardiness and there are a few temperate zone plants with a distinct tropical exotic plant look. Make your temperate garden reminiscent of Hawaii today with tropical-looking exotic plants like bananas, cannas and aroids.
Exactly which cold hardy tropical plants you can grow in your garden depends on where you live. In our zone 7b garden in Raleigh, NC we have lots of exotic plants for sale including:
- Bananas like Musa, Musella, and Ensete
- Large-leaved perennials and tall perennials like Tetrapanax, Philodendron, Heliconia, Manihot, Hedychium, Canna, and Curcuma
- Hardy forms of exotic tropical ginger lilies like Zingiber and Alpinia
- Elephant ears like Colocasia, Alocasia, Remusatia
- Exotic aroids like Amorphophallus
- Tropical tall ornamental grasses and other grass-like plants such as Arundo, Saccharum and Chlorophytum
- Exotic-looking bamboos like Fargesia, Borinda and Bambusa
- Shade-loving exotic plants like Aspidistra, Rohdea and Tupistra
- Tropical flowering exotic plants like Bauhinia, Begonia, Cuphea, Gloxinia and tropical Dahlia
- Woody-perennials like Cycas, Hibiscus, Abutilon and Brugmansia
- Tropical-looking hardy Ferns like Coniogramme
- Hardy Palm trees such as Phoenix, Sabal, Washingtonia, Rhapidophyllum and Butia
In addition, there are certain temperate zone and desert plants that are distinctly exotic- looking in temperate climates including :
- Succulents like Agave, Aloe, Yucca, Dyckia, Echeveria, Nolina, Opuntia and Dasylirion
- Bulbs like Dracunculus, Zantedeschia and Hymenocallis
- South African natives like Eucomis and Scadoxus
- Ferns like Onoclea, Thelypteris and Pteris
The list below contains many more cold hardy tropical plants for all types of gardens. When you are ready to buy tropical looking plants for your garden, check out our online list of exotic plants for sale.
Check out our article on how to over-winter tropical plants.