Exotic Edibles
Tropical Plant Library
Your complete guide to growing exotic tropical plants in any climate
Tropical plants bring exotic beauty and lush foliage to any space—whether you’re growing outdoors in warm climates or cultivating container gardens indoors. Many tropical species are surprisingly adaptable and can thrive far from their native habitats with proper care.
This comprehensive guide covers five outstanding tropical plant groups, each offering unique characteristics and growth requirements. Jump to any section below:
📚 Quick Navigation
🎋
Bamboo
Bamboo is among the Earth’s most beautiful and useful plants. Long associated with the Panda, bamboo is actually distributed throughout Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. Its hardiness and ease of growth (as well as being edible) makes these plants great candidates for aviaries and other exhibits.
Bamboo belongs to the grass family and comes in two main types, clumping and running. The clumping species only expand a few inches every year while the runners will spread out more aggressively. However, with a little knowledge, anyone can grow well behaved, exotic looking bamboo.
💡 Amazing Bamboo Facts
Bamboo grows in fits and starts. For most of the year, very little seems to be happening, then in about thirty to sixty days, (usually in the spring) new shoots explode from the plant. Typically a running bamboo will double its size each year if given good care. Shoots of some species have actually been clocked growing four feet in a twenty-four hour period.
One of the nice things about bamboo is that it offers you a lot of options. There are species of bamboo hardy enough to grow outside all year in many parts of the Northeast as well as species which do fine indoors in tubs or containers.
Care Requirements
The major concerns for bamboo grown as houseplants are adequate light and humidity. These plants need regular misting to compensate for the lower humidity inside. Keep your soil lightly moist and regularly fertilize them with a slow-release organic type. Dividing and re-potting should be done every few years because the rhizomes will hit and follow the sides of the pot. This leads to new growth in a ring around a dead center and containers that will slowly burst.
In the Northeast, growing bamboo outdoors can often eliminate the need for barriers or containment methods. (Remember, if given the chance, bamboo will grow and spread to its hearts content.) Our cold winters limit the growth by killing off parts of the plant that are above ground. If growing bamboo outside, treat them as you would a perennial, plant them in a sheltered location and mulch well to over-winter them. Also do not fertilize bamboo until after the plants have made it through their first winter. Over-fertilization can lead to water retention in the rhizomes and will cause them to freeze.
🌱 Fertilization Tips
I recommend using an organic fertilizer that has twice the nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium (composted horse manure is the bamboo fertilizer of choice in Asia). The idea is to go with slow-release types and to avoid nitrogen-hot ones such as chicken manure. These can be applied in early winter to allow time for nitrogen conversion and use for the rest of the year.
If you are growing bamboo in containers indoors, consider using some of the commercial organic fertilizers which have much less of an odor. For container use, apply fertilizer in March, May, July, and September.
🌴
Palms and Their Imitators
Palms are long-lived, perennial plants which proliferate in the tropics. Often they are the dominant component of vegetation; ranging from the seashore to inland districts and into the high altitudes. The fruit and flowers of many palms are brightly colored to attract various birds and other animals to assist in dispersing the seed. In fact, the avian connection with palms goes back to the late Cretaceous period. The ancestors of today’s birds helped disperse palm pollen throughout the world. Ancient samples have even been recovered from sediments outside of London.
Today, it’s estimated there are approximately 2600 species of palm trees. They are woody monocotyledons in the family Palmae with a characteristic appearance that enables most people to recognize them. However; unrelated plants with a similar general appearance such as Cycads, Cordylines, Cyclanths, and Pandans are often mistakenly thought of as palms as well. Although these imitators aren’t actually palms, they generally have similar care requirements which makes them ideal candidates to join the palm as outstanding foliage for aviaries and bird rooms.
Particulars About Palms
🌡️ Temperature Range
Subtropical and tropical species should be maintained ideally between 62°F to 88°F, with the lower temperature being the nighttime reading. Temperate species can tolerate lower temperatures but generally will not survive extended freezing periods.
💧 Humidity
Indoor atmospheres are generally of low humidity and can tend to fluctuate with the addition of heating or air conditioning. Palms generally dislike low humidities. They will often lose their luster and appear dull. In addition, they become prone to pests such as spider mites and mealy bugs. The answer is to change the atmosphere around the plant. This does not mean increased watering. Many an indoor palm has been killed by over-watering because its leaves are dry. Increase the humidity by thoroughly misting the plant on both sides of its leaves once or twice daily. Another technique that may be used is to stand the pot in a large saucer of wet, evaporative material such as scoria.
💦 Watering
Palms growing in bright light and higher temperatures will need more frequent watering. As a general rule of thumb, water your plant when the top 1″ of soil becomes dried out. All watering should be heavy and thorough. You should water from the top and continue until water is draining out of the bottom. You may allow the plant to stand in this water for several hours and then dump off any remaining water. It should not be allowed to stand in water overnight. Always use fresh water, never any that has become stagnant.
☀️ Light
Many palms thrive in moderate to bright light. However; there are some which occupy an understory niche in nature and do better in a low light situation. If in doubt, a Southern exposure is a safe choice. If the lighting and humidity are correct, your palm foliage should appear lush.
🌿 Fertilizers
These should be applied in small amounts at regular intervals and the soil mixture should be watered thoroughly after the application. I recommend using organic or slow-release fertilizers to avoid “burning” the roots. Foliar feeding as a general rule is a much less satisfactory method for palms and their imitators than applications to the root system.
🌱 Recuperation
Indoor plants appreciate a “freshen-up” at intervals. This can consist of simply setting them outside during warm temperature and hosing off the dust on the leaves. They should be set in a shady place out of the wind. This will help reduce pest build-up of species such as spider mites which thrive in hot, dry conditions.
🍌
Banana
An ancient Burmese legend tells of how people first realized that bananas could be safely eaten. They observed the birds eagerly consuming the fruit. To this very day, the generic name for banana in Burma is hnget pyaw meaning “the birds told.”
Definitely our feathered friends were on to something! Bananas are wonderful plants for creating a tropical atmosphere in bird rooms or aviaries. They are relatively fast growing and require light, heat, and humidity in amounts similar to those of many exotic avians.
Bananas have been in cultivation since before recorded history. Currently, there are about 500 known edible species of banana. They have evolved from the primitive seeded varieties to the seedless edible bananas known today.
Understanding Banana Growth
The banana is often incorrectly thought of as a tree, when it is actually a monocot (relative of the grass family). They will usually produce their fruit in nine to fourteen months depending on genetics, nutrition, moisture, temperature and light. As is typical with monocots, once the banana plant has produced its fruit, it has served its purpose and that particular plant will slowly die. However; this doesn’t mean that you have to start all over again to continue growing bananas.
It is important to view the banana as a “mat” or group of plants. Bananas can reproduce either by seed (if a seeded variety) or by the production of suckers that grow from the underground pseudo-bulb or corm. A properly maintained mat will have one plant in fruit, one plant half-grown and one plant just emerging from the soil. If you keep your banana mat happy, it will reward you with an on-going supply of plants.
❄️ Can You Grow Bananas in Northern Climates?
So can someone living in the North hope to produce bananas? Yes, it has been accomplished as far north as Chicago and under some really heroic conditions in Iceland (with the help of greenhouses). The banana is a tropical plant that loves temperatures in excess of 90°F degrees and high humidity. However; there are varieties which are cool tolerant and will work well as container plants. Again, the same conditions that you maintain for your birds should work for these container varieties.
Keep in mind lower temperatures mean slower growth and longer time to produce fruit. Growth generally ceases at 55°F degrees but the plant can actually survive to 32°F degrees. In cooler climates, bananas can be kept outside during the warmer months and then relocated indoors near a sunny window to make it through the winter.
Care Tips
Humidity is usually more of a factor during time spent indoors. A trick that works for me during those dry winter months is to move my banana plants into the bathroom every two weeks or so and run the shower for five minutes. They really benefit from the added humidity and moist heat. In between times, I mist them on the same schedule that I have for my birds.
Organic fertilizer (10-10-10) is recommended on a monthly basis. When the banana is two to three feet in height with six leaves, approximately one third to one half pound of fertilizer should be used. A rule of thumb that I use for the amount of fertilization is temperature. During cooler temperatures, I will use less because the banana plants are already growing slower. As the temperature increases, so does the amount of fertilizer.
🌸
Orchid Trees
This is a fascinating genus (Bauhinia) of tropical shrubs, trees, and vines which produce spectacular displays of showy flowers. The leaves are often bilobed with an unusual shape which gives them their nickname of “camel’s foot”.
I’m particularly fond of Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree) and Bauhinia variegata (Purple Orchid Tree). B. blakeana has lovely magenta flowers 6 inches across and blooms pretty much year-round. It is a naturally occurring hybrid and consequently sterile. B. variegata blooms from late winter into spring with its spectacular blooms in combinations of white, pink, lavender, and purple. The flowers of both smell like musk at night.
🌺 Growing Conditions
Orchid trees need full sun to bloom. All Bauhinia species should be watered deeply and then allowed to dry out well. Wet, soggy roots can be a problem. They are fast growers and should reach 4 to 5 feet in a season.
This is one of the species which can easily be maintained as a small specimen tree in containers. If grown in the ground, it can reach 35 feet or more. These plants do tolerate a limited amount of pruning quite well. In the early spring, trim them to the shape you desire and remove any dead or crossing branches.
Orchid trees are generally considered hardy to the low 20’s for short periods. However, they can be defoliated and have considerable die-back in the upper branches. This means that if you wish to grow them outside, choose locations carefully and be prepared to protect them with covers or lights on the coldest nights.
🌺
Ginger: The True and the Blue
This large group of classic flowering perennials is often considered a “wonder drug” because of its use in Asiatic folk medicine. The Chinese utilize Shell ginger, Alpinia zerumbet to treat nausea and some infections. In the USA, it has been used with baby parrots that go through brief periods of colic and to quell motion sickness.
Although many species of ginger are considered true tropicals, growing in really hot, moist, equatorial areas, there are a number of other species that will work quite well in cooler climes. You and your pets can now enjoy tropical-looking plants with outstanding foliage and scented flowers without needing a greenhouse.
🔍 Identifying True Gingers
With over 1300 species throughout the world, true gingers can be identified by their distinctive rhizome or “root”. There are several species from the Kaempferia genus which have been used as a hallucinogenic in Asiatic herbal medicine. However; the overwhelming majority of gingers won’t cause a problem if sampled by an inquiring pet.
Blue or Brazilian ginger, Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, is actually a member of the Commelinaceae family. Its erect, purple flower spikes which grow from clumps of glossy leaves, closely resembles the Asian gingers. In my experience, Blue ginger is more finicky indoors than the Shell and Butterfly species. All gingers, both the true and the blue, can effectively be grown in partial shade and quickly reach approximately three feet or more in height.
Growing Requirements
Gingers appreciate warmer temperatures and don’t tolerate temperatures below 55°F. Although there are plants for all light conditions, most do best in partial shade. The primary growing season in the Northeast is the summer with flowering during late summer and fall. Gingers are heavy drinkers and feeders during their growing season. Use organic or specially formulated fertilizers that are used as “top dressing”.
Most gingers do well as container plants and benefit from daily misting. Many species will enter a dormancy in response to cooler temperatures and dry conditions. The rhizomes can survive in a dormant condition beneath the soil surface during cold and drought conditions.
Ready to Start Growing?
Explore our complete plant care guides and safety information