North Texas Tropical Landscaping

5 Tropical Landscaping Plants: North Texas Tropical Plants

Summers in North Texas are very tropical. With several months of temperatures routinely in the 100s accompanied by staggering humidity levels, it’s only natural for residents to look into their yards over the summer months and expect to see a range of tropical plants in their landscaping. However, we’re also home to freezing winter temperatures, which will destroy most all of those tropical plants that thrive during the summer. If you have your heart set on a tropical landscape, this can be a challenge for local residents. In this post, we have outlined 5 tropical landscaping plants that are cold hardy enough to survive year after year in North Texas.

Canna

Known for its tropical-looking foliage and enormous blooms, Canna can definitely survive cold weather while it goes dormant like so many other North Texas winter plants. This perennial plant grows each year to heights up to 5 feet and blooms continuously between April and September. Canna can be contained within a pot or allowed to spread by rhizomes throughout a garden bed. Plant your Canna in a sunny spot towards the back of a landscape where it has room to grow.

Hibiscus (Hardy)

Similar in appearance and habit to its tropical counterpart, the Hardy Hibiscus is considered a shrubby perennial in North Texas and will simply go dormant during the winter season and reemerge in the spring. During the growing season, the Hibiscus offers bold, tropical-looking foliage and a variety of big blooms during the summer months. Depending on the variety, Hardy Hibiscus grows between 2 and 5 feet in height and width. Plant your Hibiscus in a sunny place in either your flower bed or outdoor container garden.

Aucuba

If you are looking for an evergreen shrub with a tropical look and have a really shady spot available for planting, we would suggest the Aucuba. The Aucuba is both winter hardy and offers a tropical look with striking foliage. Aucuba grows up to a height of 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It must be planted in the shade as the foliage will turn dark when exposed to the sun.

Oleander

One of the largest evergreen shrubs with a tropical flair is Oleander. In North Texas, Oleander can grow to a height of 12 feet tall and wide and bloom continuously throughout spring and summer. Plant Oleander in an area away from children and pets, as all parts of this plant are considered toxic.

Needle Palm

The hardiest of all the Palm trees is the Needle Palm tree. Growing shrub-like with dense clumps and needle-like spines, the Needle Palm matures up to 10 feet in height and width. Like most palm trees, the Needle Palm should be planted in a sunny place and away from high-traffic areas due to the sharp leaves. If you feel the need to protect plants and trees during a severe Texas winter freeze, it’s a good idea to wrap your palm trees with burlap or a frost cloth.

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