How to create a tropical atmosphere in a small garden?

Install bush or plants with lush foliage

There are many plants that evoke a tropical atmosphere in a garden. To successfully design your small garden, choose plants based on your region’s climate, your garden’s exposure, and of course, your preferences. To make things easier for you, we offer a selection of bushes suitable for small spaces that can be planted almost anywhere in France.

To structure a small tropical garden, bushes with lush foliage provide great advantages. You can choose:

• Chamaerops humilis or Dwarf Palm
  With its fan-shaped leaves, it gives a holiday vibe to a garden. Hardy down to -12°C, it reaches a height of 3.5 metres at maturity. Native to the Mediterranean coasts of Europe, it is easy to grow in a not too harsh climate. If you live in an area with very harsh winters, you can also grow it in a pot in your garden. This will allow you to bring it indoors to protect it from frost if necessary. The Chamaerops humilis thrives in sunlight and tolerates poor, dry soil.
• Musa basjoo or Japanese Banana
  Renowned for its great resistance to our cold, damp winters, the Musa basjoo is a must-have for a tropical-themed garden. Hardy down to -20°C, it can be grown in regions with a mild or temperate climate. This arborescent plant produces a false trunk topped with long, broad, bright green leaves. It grows quickly and can reach 4.5 metres at maturity. In summer, depending on the climate, it may bear large pale yellow inflorescences. These can then produce a bunch of bananas, which are not edible. To achieve a beautiful Japanese banana plant, ensure it receives water, nutrients, and protection from potential cold.
• Tree Fern – Diksonia fibrosa
  With its black trunk topped by a wide tuft of lush, finely divided leaves, the Tree Fern – Diksonia fibrosa is another very exotic bush. It is very attractive with its large emerald green fronds. With a long lifespan, it grows slowly and can reach a height of 3 metres at maturity. The leaves, also known as fronds, measure 1 to 2 metres long, and the tuft can reach up to 4 metres in diameter. This will provide some shade in your small garden. Hardy down to -6°C, the Tree Fern will need protection from the cold in winter depending on the region.
• Dwarf Non-Spreading Bamboo – Fargesia murieliae ‘Elias’
  In a tropical garden, bamboo creates a beautiful impression of lush vegetation. For a small space, it is preferable to choose a not very tall, non-spreading bamboo if planted in the ground. The Fargesia murieliae ‘Elias’ is a dwarf non-spreading bamboo that forms charming bushes with a slightly trailing habit, adorned with long, glossy green evergreen leaves. At maturity, it reaches 60 cm in height and 70 cm in width. It is very cold-resistant and thrives in partial shade in well-drained, cool, non-calcareous soil.
• Castor Bean
  In a small tropical garden, the Castor Bean adds a very exotic touch with its large, palm-shaped leaves, tinged with red and turning green. From August to October, floral spikes appear, followed by curious round, spiny red fruits. Reaching a height of 2 metres at maturity, the Castor Bean is a frost-sensitive plant that is grown as an annual in our regions. It loves sunlight and fertile, well-drained soil.

Clockwise from top: Chamaerops humilis, Musa basjoo, Fargesia murielae ‘Elias’, Castor Bean, Diksonia fibrosa

Plant remarkable flowering bushes

The abundance and lushness of foliage are echoed by the remarkable tropical-style flowers. Here are some examples of bushes that transport you to another world.

• Albizia julibrissin ‘Shidare’ – Silk Tree
  Highly decorative with its fine, finely cut and light foliage, as well as its weeping habit, the Albizia julibrissin ‘Shidare’ or Silk Tree offers charming and surprising flowers shaped like pink stamen tufts at the end of summer. Its leaves resemble those of the mimosa and are deciduous. Hardy down to –15°C, this Albizia is modest in size, reaching a height of 3.5 metres at maturity. It enjoys a sunny position sheltered from the wind, as well as well-drained or even dry soil.
• Hibiscus ‘French Cabaret Purple’ – Double Purple Althea
  The Hibiscus are bushes with remarkable colourful blooms that last from summer until October. They have excellent hardiness and bear simple or double flowers set against a backdrop of dark green, crenate, deciduous leaves. The flower colours are very varied, ranging from white to purple, pink, and red. The Hibiscus ‘French Cabaret Purple’ reaches a height of 2 metres at maturity and offers a generous display of double, crumpled flowers in a beautiful purplish violet or mauve. Upright and vigorous, it adds a lush and vibrant touch to a small garden. Hardy down to –23°C, it is easy to grow in full sun, in ordinary or even dry soil.
• Cordyline Australis ‘Southern Splendour’
  The cordylines feature long, slender evergreen leaves in colours ranging from green to purple. With their palm-like appearance, their colours, and their majestic inflorescences, they easily create an exotic and tropical atmosphere. Among them, the Cordyline Australis ‘Southern Splendour’ displays an irresistible colour. Its long leaves are slender and greyish-purple edged with pink. This perennial bush can grow up to 2 metres tall and blooms between July and September. From the foliage emerge large panicles of fragrant cream-white flowers. This plant enjoys full sun, with dry and cool soil. Hardy down to –6°C, it can be grown in pots in regions with a mild climate.
• Yucca filamentosa
  Another lush plant with a striking bloom, the Yucca filamentosa forms a rosette of large, upright, narrow dark green leaves edged with curious white filaments. In summer, a tall flower spike emerges from this foliage, bearing large cream-white bells. This spectacular flowering occurs in July and August. Reaching a height of 1.5 metres at maturity, the Yucca filamentosa holds a prominent place in an exotic or tropical border. Hardy down to –20°C, it prefers a sunny position and well-drained, dry, poor soil.

Yucca filamentosa, Hibiscus ‘French Cabaret Purple’, Cordyline australis ‘Southern Splendour’, Albizia julibrissin ‘Shidare’

Fill with colourful bulbous plants, annuals, and climbing plants.

All that’s left is to adorn the ground, the wall, and the flower pots with resplendent colours, including:

• Canna ‘Firebird’ – Scarlet Red Canna
  With flowers reminiscent of banana plants and their vibrant colours, Cannas are essential rhizomatous plants in a tropical garden. Their downside is their sensitivity to frost, so they should be brought indoors in colder regions during harsh winters. The Canna ‘Firebird’ boasts very bright scarlet red flowers against forest green foliage. It is drought-resistant, can be planted in sun or shade, and prefers fresh, well-drained soil. Reaching a height of 90 cm at ripeness, it adds a striking tropical touch.
• Passiflora caerulea – Passion Flower
  Among climbing plants, passionflowers produce unusual and remarkable flowers in summer. Among the hardiest, Passiflora caerulea takes the crown. This vigorous liana blooms for a long time, from June to October, and offers extraordinary pale blue-mauve flowers, followed by orange fruits. It should be planted against a wall or along a tree.
• Begonia ‘Big F1 Red’ with Bronze Foliage
  Among annuals, begonias exude a certain tropical charm. You can add a few plants each year by changing varieties and colours if you wish. The Begonia ‘Big F1 Red’ with Bronze Foliage offers a long flowering period from April to October. Its large upright bright red flowers appear against a bushy bronze foliage. It prefers warm climates and can be grown in sun or partial shade.
• Fuchsia ‘Winston Churchill’
  With their bell-shaped drooping flowers, fuchsias are highly decorative plants. They are most often grown as annuals due to their sensitivity to frost. Native to South America, they prefer humus-bearing, well-drained soil, filtered light, and humid warmth. Try planting the stunning Fuchsia ‘Winston Churchill’ in the shade of lush foliage. This vigorous and floriferous variety produces large double bicolour flowers in pink and purple from June to October.

Canna ‘Firebird’, Passiflora caerulea, Begonia ‘Big F1 Red Bronze Leaf’, Fuchsia ‘Winston Churchill’

Decorating a small tropical garden

The atmosphere of a garden, especially a small one, also relies on the choice of furniture and decorative objects. In a small garden, you can have fewer items, so it’s important to choose them wisely.

Placing a colourful hammock between two trees can, for example, create a stunning effect. You can also opt for furniture made from natural materials like exotic wood or wicker, install bamboo screens or teak fences, and cover the ground with coconut fibre carpets. Another idea is to play with cheerful colours by painting a wall orange or red, or adding splashes of colour with lanterns, pots, storage furniture, or cushions in bright tones and patterns.

To bring more life to a small tropical garden and enhance freshness, you can create a fish pond with water lilies and a wooden walkway. Alternatively, consider fountains that will provide humidity and attract birds. Also, think about trendy misting systems that will help you stay cool and sheltered from the heat during summer.