Many people enjoy growing tropical flowers to feel reminded of warm weather and summer. It can also make you feel like you’re in a different place when you choose exotic flowers. This list covers 69 types of tropical flowers known for their beauty and allure.
What are Tropical Flowers
Tropical flowering plants grow in humid, hot climates with temperatures that do not get below 60 degrees.
Flowering tropical plants love humidity and require occasional misting to avoid drying out. Most places considered tropical are located around the equator.
The term tropical flower is often used with exotic flowers, but these terms have different meanings. An exotic flower does not refer to a flower’s native region. But rather, it means the flower is foreign to your area.
Appeal of Tropical Flowers
There are numerous appeals to tropical flowers. One big benefit of exotic flowers is that they’re often bright, bold, showy colors.
Another appeal to these plants is that they typically have long-lasting flower blooms. You can enjoy them growing on the plant outdoors or in pots inside or using the flowers as cut exotic floral arrangements.
69 Types of Beautiful Tropical Flowers
If the sound of tropical flowers is appealing to you, check out this encompassing list of 69 types of beautiful tropical flowers.
- African Violet (Saintpaulia Ionantha)
African Violet is a popular colorful exotic flower houseplant native to tropical eastern parts of Africa, hardy only to USDA zone 12. These plants thrive in containers or pots with regular waterings.
These flowers can bloom in purple, blue, white, and pink colors. In addition, and less usually, you can find violets in multicolors. While they are stunning in bloom, even when they don’t flower, the plants have an interesting look due to the fuzziness of the dark green foliage.
- Aglaonema commutatum
Aglaonema is an evergreen perennial from the Philippines, belonging to the Araceae family. It also goes by Philippine or Chinese evergreen and cannot tolerate temperatures below 60-degrees.
When grown indoors, you’ll rarely get this plant to flower. However, outdoors can form an ivory-white bloom on a spadix covered by a light green spathe that develops into red berries. Leaves are spherical and dark green, with gray splotches.
- Aloe Vera
Aloe is a type of herbaceous perennial with the nickname medicinal aloe or aloe for short. This Mediterranean native belongs to the Asphodelaceae family and is most known for healing burns and soothing and moistening dry skin.
This plant is succulent with green, lance-shaped leaves formed in clusters that can reach heights of 1 to two feet with a spread of 6″ to 12″. In summer, mature plants can create yellow flowers.
- Amaryllis
Amaryllis is another tropical flowering plant that’s better grown indoors or in pots outside since it’s only hardy to USDA zones 9 through 11.
The flowers are large (up to 4″ diameter) trumpets that resemble lily flowers. They form on long stems that can grow up to 23″ in length, with 2 to 12 blooms.
- Anthurium
Anthurium (meaning tail flower in Greek) – also called Flamingo Flowers and Hawaiian Heart – is a popular indoor plant with dramatic red and yellow spadix blooms. Other flower colors include white, pink, and burgundy.
This tricky plant requires indirect light, evenly moist, well-draining soil, and humidity. These tropical exotic flowers can be found wild in Uruguay, the Caribbean, Argentina, and Mexico.
- Araucaria Heterophylla
Araucaria heterophylla is a coniferous tropical tree native to Norfolk Island, near the continent of Australia, giving it the nickname Norfolk Island pine. It belongs to the Araucariaceae family.
As a needled evergreen, it does not flower. Grown natively, this plant can get up to 200 feet tall and 25 feet wide. It can slowly grow in containers as an ornamental to reach 3 to 6 feet.
- Asclepias Curassavica
These evergreen perennials can grow two to three feet tall and form small clusters of yellow or bright red-orange flowers. Although it is poisonous to livestock, it’s a significant attractant for butterflies.
- Begonia
Begonias have been found around the globe, grown as evergreens in subtropical and tropical areas. They belong to the massive 1,300 species in the Begoniaceae family.
When they grow wild, flowers can be 8″ to 12′ tall or 6″ to 12″ grown ornamentally, blooming summer through frost in gardens or containers. Flowers can be red, white, pink, or bi-color.
- Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia reginae – got its name due to its resemblance to the bird with the same name, making these exotic tropical flowers very distinctive.
These flowers are native to South Africa, making them hardy to zones 9 through 11. They grow best in pots or container gardens in cool climates during fall and winter and outdoors in spring.
- Blood Lily (Scadoxus Multiflorus)
Bloody Lily – blood flower, capt tulip, pincushion flower, or Katherine-wheel – is native to the Arabian peninsula and sub-Saharan Africa and found growing in Florida and southern California.
Tiny flowers form a large puffy ball in pinkish red. But despite the beautiful and unique look, these plants are poisonous.
- Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora Caerulea)
Unique and exquisite, the Blue Passion Flower is a vine that can reach 30 feet in height. This plant erupts with multi-colored (purple-blue and white) flowers against deep green foliage in summer.
These delightful tropical flower plants require slightly acidic to neutral soil, moderate to heavy sun needs, and moderate to heavy watering to grow hardy in zones 7 through 9.
- Bougainvillea Glabra
Bougainvillea is a mouthful to say and a sight to behold in sunny, dry climates in South America, thriving in zones 9 through 11. These full sun lovers are also popular in the Mediterranean Basin.
As vigorously growing vines, these colorful tropical plants have brightly-colored papery leaves dotted with small white spots.
- Bromeliad (Guzmania lingulata)
Bromeliad is an easy-to-care-for tropical plant that can be evergreen in the right conditions. They are most commonly grown as indoor houseplants. It produces non-toxic blooms in purple, white, and pink with flowers in the shape of a torch.
These flowers are native to the southern parts of the US and much of South America. They belong to the Bromeliaceae family, with many being epiphytic – the roots don’t pull nutrients from the soil but rather attach the plant to a structure, like a tree.
- Brugmansia X Candida
Brugmansia – angel’s trumpet – has identifiable droopy bell-shaped flowers formed on elegant shrubs. You can use these flowers for beds or containers, growing hardy in zones 9 through 11. You can grow taller versions as smaller trees.
Flowers bloom profusely in yellow, pink, peach, white, and organ shades for an eye-popping view with green and white patterned leaves.
- Caladium Bicolor
Caladium Bicolor is a member of the Arum family and native to Central America and the northern parts of South America. Other names include the heart of Jesus, caladiums, elephant ear, or angel wings.
These plants can be one to two feet tall and wide with green, pink, red, or white leaf colors. You can also get varieties with colorful blotches to create attractive beds and borders.;
- Calliandra haematocephala
Calliandra haematocephala is a unique small tree or shrub found native to Bolivia. The evergreen broadleaf plant belongs to the Fabaceae family and can reach 15 feet in its natural environment.
As an ornamental, the powder puff tree produces red hemisphere balls of scarlet stamens at 3′ to 6′ with a 2′ to 3′ spread. Leaves start as a pink that darkens to green, while the flowers can be red, pink, or white.
- Canna ‘Striata’
Canna is a popular garden flower due to its rapid growth and popularity. These flowers love moist conditions and sunshine in zones 8 through 11 to grow tall and bold.
You can get Canna with flowers in orange, red, or gold. Choose a spot with lots of sun, give plenty of water, and add compost or manure to boost growth.
- Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida)
Chenille comes from the French word “caterpillar, ” beloved for the fuzzy red flowers. The crimson shade adds texture and color to summer gardens in zones 9 and 10 or as houseplants.
These flowers can reach 18″ long with flowers with a dramatic dangling structure that gives the name the red hot cattail.
- Chlorophytum Comosum
Better known as the spider plant in its native land of South Africa, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the Asparagaceae family.
They grow 1′ to 2′ feet tall and wide, with green and white or plain green leaves. The flowers are small, white, and shaped like a star.
- Chrysanthemum Morifolium
These flowers are better known as florist’s daisy or hardy garden mums. These perennials are in the Asteraceae family, commonly used indoors due to their ability to purify the air.
Native to China, mums have many medicinal uses and a long history. They come in a range of colors and bloom in fall. There are 13 mum types and over 100 cultivars.
- Clivia Miniata
Clivia goes by the more common name Natal Lily and belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. This southern African native flower is an attractive bloom that makes a fantastic houseplant due to the rich, green foliage and lily-shaped blooms in yellow or orange.
These plants have little need for water, light, or maintenance. They do best when grown in slightly too small pots so the plants can go root-bound.
- Colocasia Esculenta
Taro belongs to the Araceae family and is native to Hawaii, where it’s commercially grown for food. The tubers – the plant’s bulbs – make “poi.”
Other names include jack-in-the-pulpit, calla lily, or elephant ear. Although it produces white flowers with yellow markings, this plant is preferred for its lovely foliage. You can find leaves with purple hues, black to chocolate, traditional green, yellow, and black toned.
- Cordyline Fruticosa
Cordyline Fruticose – the Ti leaf – is known as the Hawaiian Good Luck plant and is a significant component of Hawaiian leis. These Hawaiian tropical flowers can be green, yellow, pink, orange, red, or yellow.
The smooth bladed leaves have a four-inch width and a one to two-foot length commonly used for wrapping food, although the leaves are not edible.
- Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Cosmos are one of the most cheerful plants you can add to a summer garden to ensure you get the longest blooms. Or you can grow dwarf species indoors in containers.
These Mexican native flowers are one of the most durable plants, growing hardy in zones 5 to 10 – self-seeding species are only hardy in zones 9 through 10. These plants need sparse watering and full sun.
- Crassula Ovata
Jade plants are native to South Africa and belong to the Crassulaceae family. These broadleaf evergreens are drought resistant – classifying as succulent shrubs – and can grow to 6′ and widths of 3′.
Occasionally, the plants can produce flowers in pink or white. Foliage is elongated, glossy green leaves 2″ long. When grown indoors, they can reach 18″ to 30″ in bright surroundings. But they rarely produce flowers inside.
- Croton
Croton – Joseph’s Coat – is native to northern Australia, Malaysia, and the Pacific Islands and is now a popular choice of an ornamental houseplant.
As a broadleaf evergreen, it belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. The leaves are tough and shiny with bronze, red, purple, orange, pink, yellow, and green splotches or stripping.
- Cuphea’ David Verity’
David Verity is an herbaceous evergreen perennial belonging to the Lythraceae family, chosen to grow indoors in hanging baskets or outdoors in borders or gardens due to its low maintenance.
This bush establishes and grows quickly, reaching two feet tall and wide, forming dozens of 1″ long tubular orangish-red flowers with yellow tips.
- Cyclamen persicum
Cyclamen is native to the Middle East and the Greek islands, easily identified by the green, heart leaves, and tropical flowers in white, red, or pink. Many are fragranced for additional interest.
Although these short plants don’t get over 8″ in height, they add color to the shady areas of winter and early spring gardens. However, these flowers are toxic to pets – cats and dogs.
- Dieffenbachia Seguine
Better known as Dumb Cane, this tropical flowering plant belongs to the Araceae family and is native to Brazil. The sap from this plant is known to cause irritation and skin rashes.
Every part of this plant is poisonous to people and pets. When grown wild in the tropics, it can get 10 feet tall with seasonal blooms. As an indoor plant, you can enjoy variegated foliage in cream, green, and yellow with lovely white flowers forming bright red berries.
- Epipremnum Aureum
Devil’s Ivy is a member of the Araceae family and is native to the Solomon Islands. This vine plant relies on aerial roots to attach to trees or skirt along the ground. Length can reach up to 40 feet, while the spread can be 3′ to 6′.
Golden pothos has 30″ green leaves with variegated yellow marbling. You can also find cordate leaves with white markings. Indoors, this plant rarely flowers. It’s poisonous to animals and people.
- Euphorbia Cotinifolia
Euphorbia is native to Mexico and South America and belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. It also means tropical smoke bush, smoke tree spurge, and Caribbean copper plant. Foliage is a gorgeous red to purple, and the flowers are creamy-white.
This broadleaf evergreen requires full sun to form into a shrub that can reach two to six feet or 30 feet when grown as a tree. In addition, the milky sap from this tree can irritate the skin, causing a rash.
- Ficus
The tropical evergreen Ficus is a member of the Moraceae family of woody trees, vines, and shrubs. This tree, also known as weeping fig, is native to many areas, including North Australia and India.
Ficus trees can reach 50 feet in rainforests, while ornamental Ficus is a smaller version grown as houseplants, hedges, or small trees. It rarely produces flowers or fruit indoors.
- Ficus Elastica
Ficus Elastica – the rubber tree, rubber fig, rubber bush, or India rubber tree – is a member of the Moraceae family, native to Southeast Asia.
This bush can reach heights and spread up to 100 feet in the wild, while ornamental varieties grow to 1 to 10 feet, with 5″ wide, 12″ long, thick glossy leaves. Foliage color can be green, burgundy, purplish, reddish-black, or variegated yellowish green.
- Gaillardia (Blanket Flowers)
Blanket flowers are in the same family – Asteraceae – as sunflowers, with shared traits. These North and South American native plants can grow to 2 to 3′ with a 2′ spread.
They produce showy flowers in bold orange, yellow, or red from June to September, with maroon or orange banding at the petal base.
- Ginger (Zingiberaceae)
Ginger is most known for being a culinary ingredient for cooking and herbal medicine. But it’s less grown for ornamental purposes due to having little blooms in a neutral green. It needs hot, humid conditions with partial sun exposure, grown hardy in zones 7 through 10.
If you want more colorful varieties, consider the genus Ginger Zingiber, which is aromatic and has colored bracts. In addition, ginger lily (Hedychium) and Curcuma form spiky flowers in red, yellow, orange, white, and pink.
- Heliconia Rostrata (Lobster Claw)
Heliconia Rostrata is known by the common name Lobster Claw. It has a unique shape of the bold red pointy bracts that look like a lobster’s claw and hide the actual long-lasting flower. The flower can be red, orange, or yellow-tipped with a bright splash of gold.
Lobster Claw is a plant native to South and Central America, potentially reaching up to 15-feet in height. The 100 species of Heliconia – with many more hybrids – have large, glossy paddled, oval leaves resembling a banana tree.
- Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis
Hibiscus is at the top of the flowers that come to mind when you hear of outdoor tropical plants. Depending on species, these plants can grow hardy in zones 5 through 11.
A hibiscus flower can grow 8″ in diameter in stunning red, purple, pink, white, orange, yellow, or multicolor shades.
- Ilima (Sida Fallax)
Ilima is a yellow flower known as the official flower of the Hawaiian island Oahu and grows native to Hawaii and many Pacific Islands.
The hardy, rich flowers are often a component of making leis culturally significant. So you can expect flowers to appear on your shrub after the first year. But the shrub will die in five to ten years and require replacing.
- Ipomoea Batatas
As a member of the Convolvulaceae family, Ipomoea plants are better known as sweet potatoes. These plants grow native to Mexico, forming vines that rarely get taller than 6″ to 12-inches. However, it has a spread of eight to ten feet.
As the name implies, these plants produce edible orange fleshy sweet potatoes. Some varieties can have purple or pink trumpet flowers. Other species have colorful heart-shaped red, green, and purple leaves without flowers and potatoes with less sweetness.
40. Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
Jasmine is less ornamental than many other beautiful exotic flowers. However, its distinctive aroma has made this flower one of the most popular garden plants for summer or grown as an indoor plant outside zones 7 through 10.
You often see Jasmine flowers in white, although you can also find them in yellow or pink. These tropical flowers are native to parts of the Middle East, western China, India, and the Caucuses.
41. Kahili Ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum)
Kahiili Ginger is a richly aromatic plant with a heady fragrance. The distinctive look makes this plant stand out in your garden or its natural habit of growing in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or Volcano Village.
Rich dark, green leaves surround an abundance of tiny trumpet-shaped flowers in pink, yellow, red, or orange. These tropical Hawaiian flowers can grow to heights up to six feet.
42. Larkspur Delphinium
The name for this flower comes from the Greek word meaning dolphin, as a reference to the shape of the flowers, which form on tall spikes.
Larkspur flowers are typically blue, with a long spur behind the petals. This flower is harmful to livestock.
43. Lokelani (Rosa damascena)
Lokelani – pink Damask Rose – is Maui’s official island flower, despite not being a tropical flower native to the Hawaiian islands.
This dainty ruffled pink to light red flowering plant came to the island of Maui during the 1800s. It’s beloved for its sweet heavenly aroma.
44. Manihot Esculenta ‘Variegata’
The Variegata plant is native to Brazil, where it belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family and goes by other names of manioc, bitter cassava, or, more commonly, tapioca.
Bitter cassava – used for making starch – produces greenish-white flowers with red stems and variegated leaves with white or yellow centers and green edges.
45. Maraca Ginger (Zingiber spectabilis)
Maraca Ginger is known as pinecone or beehive ginger due to the ornamental look, and the fragrant scent makes this flower popular as a cut arrangement that can last for over a week. It’s also a medicinal plant that can treat indigestion, sprains, toothaches, and stomach pains and is used in cosmetics like hair care products and shampoos.
This species of ginger originated in India and can grow up to seven feet tall. Leaves are long and narrow, arranged opposite on stems. New stalks grow from the ground in mid-summer, producing green bracts in a cone shape, resembling pinecones or beehives that turn red and eventually form creamy yellow flowers.
46. Medinilla Magnifica
Medinilla is a small, evergreen shrub native to the shady areas of the Philippines, grown as an epiphyte that bounds itself in tropical forests. Other names include the Philippine Orchid or the Pink Lantern.
You can appreciate tropical pink flowers that drape over the rich, green foliage as hardy plants in zones 10 and 11. Or you can grow them indoors in pots with Orchid Bark. They need occasional waterings and regular mistings to keep a healthy humidity level.
47. Mokara Orchid (Vandaceous genera)
Mokara Orchids are manufactured plants in the Vandaceous genera, made in Singapore in 1969 by cross-breeding orchids from different genera. These plants are loved for the long-lasting blooms in a starfish shape and thin, wiry stems supporting 7 to 15 flowers in yellow, purple, orange, red, pink, and burgundy shades.
These easy-to-care-for plants can have dotted, opaque, or solid-colored petals. They require at least 80% humidity with temperatures between 55 and 65-degrees. However, these plants cannot handle damage or disturbance to the root system, which can distress the flowers into not blooming.
48. Monstera Deliciosa
Monstera Delicious belongs to the Araceae family, an evergreen vine native to Mexico and Central America. It’s more commonly known as the split-leaf philodendron or taro vine.
These vines grow wrapped around trees with aerial roots and large one to three-foot leaves. It can reach up to 70 feet outdoors. Ornamental varieties can grow to six to eight feet with notched, deep emerald green leaves.
49. Morning Glory Ipomoea Muricata
Morning Glory is an easy plant to grow, although it needs some work and supervision to control its rapid growth. They do best in full sun with regular watering in zones 3 through 10.
These plants produce sprawling vines thickly loaded with masses of small old-fashioned blooms in white, blue, yellow, purple, and red.
50. Musa Basjoo
Musa Basjoo – hardy banana – is a herbaceous perennial that belongs to the Musaceae family native to the Ryukyu Islands and Japan.
These Japanese banana trees fast grow 6 to 14-feet a year. It has massive leaves up to six feet long and various colors. And in fall, it forms creamy yellow flowers near the base. The green bananas that follow the flowers are inedible but enhance the exotic look.
51. ‘Ohia Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha)
The flowers on OhiaLehua have a signature look of pom-pom balls, typically in red. However, you can also find yellow, salmon, orange-red, or pink flowers.
This species can grow into tall trees in wet environments, although it’ll stay a shrub in dry, high environments. Ohia Lehua plays a significant part in Hawaiian mythology.
52. Orchid (Orchidaceae)
Orchids are delightful flowers available in most rainbow colors and many varieties. The most popular type is moth orchids, which belong to the Phalaenopsis genus.
Although these plants grow hardy in zones 5 through 9, they’re most famous for being elegant tropical to subtropical houseplants.
53. Ornamental Banana Bloom (Musa ornata)
The Ornamental Banana Bloom is one of over 50 plants in the Musa genus. These evergreen perennials are native to Asia and grown commercially in South America and Hawaii, allowing for year-round blooms.
This tropical plant can grow up to 50 feet tall, with flowers up to 3′ to four feet long with tapered upright buds in the tree’s center. In mid-summer, the blooms erupt in yellow, pink, white, orange, and purple shades.
54. Palm Trees
Palm trees fall into the Arecaceae family, with the most common types being the date and coconut trees grown in tropical regions. But you can also find palm trees grown as climbers or shrubs.
A noticeable feature of this plant is that it has straight growth with no branches. The bark can be armored or smooth, with foliage green and fan-shaped.
55. Penta (Pentas lanceolata)
Pentas are affordable and reliable tropical flowers that you can grow in gardens (hardy in zones 8 through 10) or as part of your collection of houseplants.
These small starflowers have texture and color in purple, pink, and red with five pointy petals, hence the name. These flowers do best in full sun, with infrequent watering.
56. Philodendron Hederaceum
Philodendron is a vine that belongs to the Araceae family, native to Mexico, South and Central America, and some parts of the Caribbean.
When grown as a houseplant, it reaches four feet, while in the wild, it can get up to 20 feet tall and 3 to six feet wide. The dark green shiny heart-shaped leaves and twisting stems with flowers in greenish-white.
57. Pink Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Cosmos are an excellent way to add tropical color to your garden. You can find a range of colors for these Mexican-native flowers, from white, pink, or red.
These delicate, drought-friendly flowers are popular across the American continent, including a massive following in the US.
58. Pink Flowering Banana (Musa Ornata Roxb)
Although you can spot the pink flowering banana plant growing in Hawaii and Central and South America, it’s native to Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India.
This plant has huge, oblong leaves with a small lovely red flower. This species produces small banana fruits, but they are not edible due to many seeds.
59. Plumeria Rubra (Frangipani)
Frangipani is a deciduous tree native to Central America, Mexico, Columbia, and Venezuela. It’s most popular in Hawaii, where it’s used to make leis.
You can find these delightful, twisted flowers in white, red, pink, yellow, and orange. They have minimal sun requirements, neutral soil pH, and moderate watering needs.
60. Proteaceae
Protea – the South African national flower – has distinctive exotic flowers popular as cut arrangements. The flower is a mix of thistle and an artichoke with a leathery, fuzzy texture in yellow, pink, red, white, and cream.
These plants are hardy in zones eight and higher, with only a few hours a day of sunlight needed. They are drought-tolerant and need well-draining sandy soil and little watering.
61. Psychopsis Papilio
Psychopsis Papilio – butterfly orchid – is a tropical plant native to Trinidad, South America. It is one of four members of the Asparagales family.
As an epiphytic, the butterfly orchid grows on other plants with wispy roots and single, vertical deep green and speckled burgundy leaves. They form a single flower on a spike, resembling a butterfly in bronze, brown, and yellow colors.
62. Salvia Splendens
Salvia Splendens is another herbaceous perennial from Brazil in the Lamiaceae family. The vibrancy of the red flowers also gives this plant the name scarlet sage.
It can grow to 3 to 4 feet in spreading clumps in gardens or containers. It forms long bright tubed red flowers on square straight stems, surrounded by dark green leaves. Newer cultivars also let you get flowers in pink, lavender, scarlet, bicolor, blue, red, and orange.
63. Sampaguita (Jasminum Sambac)
Otherwise known as Arabian jasmine, Sampaguita forms clusters of tiny white flowers on long twining vines.
These flowers release a divine scent as they open at night and close during the day. With the right conditions, this aromatic tropical plant can be grown indoors.
64. Sansevieria Trifasciata
Mother-in-law’s tongue, viper’s bowstring hemp, Saint George’s Sword, or the snake plant is a western African native herbaceous perennial belonging to the Asparagaceae family.
These stemless evergreens grow to spreads of 1 to 2 feet with a 3 to four-foot height. Foliage is thick and straight, resembling light to dark green swords with lighter edges. In spring, mature plants produce fragrant green-tinted white flowers.
65. Schefflera Arboricola
Umbrella trees can reach 25 feet tall with four to eight feet spread in partial to full sun. Dwarf types can be 3 to 6′ tall with gleaming 6″ leaves formed in 7 to 9 and tiny red flowers during summer.
66. Spathiphyllum
Spathiphyllum is better known as the Peace Lily and is a popular ornamental used for public spaces because the plants can remove vaporized solvents from the air.
Peace Lilies belong to the Araceae family and prefer shady spaces. You can get plants that grow to 1 to 6 feet with a spread of 1 to 5 feet. Flowers start a showy snow white before maturing to light green in a week.
67. Tacca Integrifolia (Bat Flower)
Named for its intriguing and unique look, the bat flower is an exotic species native to the tropical climates in Southeast Asia. It also goes by the name Devil’s Flower.
This species has a dark purple to maroon color that can almost appear black. And long hanging stamens make this plant look like its whiskers and eyes.
68. Yucca elephantipes
Spineless yucca – yucca gigantea – originated in Mexico, where it can grow to 30 feet. Over time, the bark of this broadleaf evergreen gets gnarled and worn.
It has blue-green, thin blade-shaped leaves that can be 4′ long and 3″ wide. Yucca grown outdoors can produce white flowers from spring to summer—plants grown indoors rarely bloom.
69. Zamioculcas Zamiifolia
Better known as the ZZ plant and aroid palm, this tropical herbaceous evergreen tree belongs to the Araceae family and is native to Eastern African grasslands and woodlands.
It can reach two to three feet in height and width with shiny 6″ long green leaves. In season, tiny ivory flowers are produced on spikes.
FAQ
Find out more about tropical flowers with these frequently asked questions.
What Are the Most Common Colors in Tropical Flowers?
The most common colors are bright, bold shades like red, yellow, and orange.
Do All Tropical Flowers Need High Humidity to Thrive?
The humidity needs will vary by plant, but any cultivar classified as tropical will do best with high humidity and warm temperatures.
Do Tropical Plants Like Full Sun?
Despite their preference for warm weather and high humidity, not all tropical plants prefer full sun. Numerous plants require partial shade, dappled shade, or grown underneath a larger plant for cover.
The Bottom Line
Tropical plants are bright, big, and beautiful, making them popular for houseplants in non-tropical and sub-tropical climates. However, the specific tolerances and needs vary by plant type. For example, some require heavy humidity and high sun, while others are more drought-tolerant and prefer a shady spot.