Tropical Shade Gardening Ideas – How To Create A Tropical Shade Garden

tropical shade
tropical shade
(Image credit: PatrikStedrak)
Mary H. Dyer
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last updated
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If your dream is to create a lush, jungle-like garden filled with exotic, shade loving tropical plants, don’t give up on the idea. Even if your shady garden is many miles away from the tropics, you can still create the feeling of a tropical garden. Want to learn about creating a tropical shade garden? Read on.

How to Create a Tropical Shade Garden

When looking for tropical shade garden ideas, first consider your climate and growing zone. For example, if you live in an Arizona desert, you can still create the feeling of a tropical shade garden. However, you’ll need to do it without a lot of plants having high water demands. 

Or, if you live in a northern climate, a tropical shade garden should consist of cold-tolerant plants with a tropical appearance. Don’t be afraid to experiment with color, as tropical jungles aren’t exactly sedate. Although you can plant blooming annuals and perennials, the best tropical shade garden plants tend to have big, bold, brightly colored or variegated leaves that will stand out in a shady garden. 

Jungles are dense, so plan accordingly. While some plants may be prone to disease without air circulation, creating a tropical shade garden means planting like a jungle – a lot of plants in a small space. Garden accents, including planting containers, are easy ways to create accents of bright color. Other tropical shade garden ideas that create an essence of the tropics include rattan furniture, woven mats, stone carvings, or tiki torches.

Shade Loving Tropical Plants

Here are some popular tropical shade garden plants to choose from: Perennials

Groundcovers

Shrubs

Annuals

Mary H. Dyer
Mary H. Dyer
Writer

A Credentialed Garden Writer, Mary H. Dyer was with Gardening Know How in the very beginning, publishing articles as early as 2007.

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