3 Favorite Tropical Plants For Charleston

Guess what, Charleston?! Tropicals are here! The weather is warming up and summer will be here before you know it, so we're bringing in funky foliage and bold blooms for your tropical oasis. If you're hoping to transform your space this year, consider adding one of our 3 favorite tropical plants for Charleston to your space!

Elephant ears! "Elephant ear" is the common name for both alocasia and colocasia. While very similar, there are a few differences and quick ways to tell them apart. Both alocasias and colocasia add a tropical flair to any space, are root hardy in our area (meaning they don't die in the winter) and thrive in part sun. The leaves will experience some damage in cold winters and usually die back to the ground, but the bulb is alive underground and will pop back out in the spring!

Alocasia typically have thicker leaves and the leaves point upward! Some varities can handle more sun than others.

Colocasia typically have thin, delicate leaves and the leaves point down.

Hibiscus! When you think about tropical plants, you're probably picturing bold hibiscus blooms on a private island! These classic cuties are a showstopper and their blooms cannot be beat! We recommend keeping your tropical hibiscus in pot in full sun for your pools, porches, and patios. They are not tolerant of our cold winters and need protection to survive all year! If you're not feeling up to that task, consider a native option. Check out more information from Clemson here and grab one of these alternative options for your space! We're big fans of the Rose Mallow aka Swamp Hibiscus.

Next, you're getting a 2 for 1 special with dipladenia and mandevilla! These tropicals are hardy to zone 9 (that's us!) but suffer during our cold winter periods without proper protection. Make sure your covering, moving, and mulching these babies! Remember, dipladenia have smaller glossy leaves with trumpet or star shaped flowers and grow bushier. Meanwhile, mandevilla have larger textured leaves and trumpet flowers. Plus they are more vining than dipladenia and need something to climb.

Let's get planting this season and stop in so we can help you design your tropical oasis for the summer!