In fact, many gardeners have become bored with traditional annual flowers and have begun looking for “impact” plants with enormous shiny leaves, bold coloured foliage and flowers, and interesting textures.

Many of our classic annuals have origins in tropical and more temperate climates. One just has to get past the idea that tropicals will die at the first sign of cold, after all, so do our tomatoes, peppers, geraniums, and impatiens that we get every year.

Our summers are ideal for many tropicals. We get plenty of sun, heat, and humidity which tropicals thrive and flourish in. And sometimes in mid to late summer when the summer’s heat takes its toll on our classic annuals, tropicals can look amazing as they are in their element.

Tropicals can be grown outdoors in containers or by directly planting them in the yard. Planting in containers allows you to place an impact plant in an entrance, on a patio, around a pool or deck, or even in an annual or perennial bed. Plus planting in a container makes it easier for you to move a plant inside for the winter, should you choose to do so.

There is an amazing selection of plants available to add impact and accent your gardens. Many houseplants like the rubber plant, peace lily, croton, philodendron, and pothos make great additions to container gardens.

Other foliage tropicals like, palms, cannas, ginger, bananas, elephant ears, lantana, citrus, and many other flowering exotics like passion flower, mandevilla, hibiscus, oleander, bougainvillea, brugmansia, and abutilon, can add both bold textured foliage and exotic blooms to your yard and gardens.

An added bonus is that many non flowering tropicals with huge exotic leaves are shade tolerant.

And when the weather begins to turn cold your tropicals can be brought in and be grown and enjoyed as houseplants for the winter.