Warm weather is a gentle reminder of sunny days, clear skies, sandy beaches and—best of all—beautiful tropical flowers. These rare beauties bring bright color and fresh aromas to your home or garden. You can also use tropical flowers to elevate your decor or spice up your bridal bouquet.

We’ve selected 20 of our favorite tropical flowers to bring into your home, sharing what kind of care each flower needs and some styling tips to help you spice up your next party. Before diving into this list, take some time to learn a little bit more about tropical flowers.

What is a tropical flower?

The words “exotic” and “tropical” are sometimes used interchangeably, but it’s important to know the difference!

Exotic flowers are not native to certain regions. For example, amaryllis flowers are native to south and central America and therefore considered exotic in other regions of the world. In other words, the term “exotic” is used to describe a flower that is foreign and is not naturally found in a certain place.

Tropical flowers, on the other hand, are flowers that bloom in a tropical (warmer) climate. For example, African Moon flowers are considered “tropical” because they natively grow in Namibia, a country in Africa. The tropical region of the world generally refers to places on or close to the equator.

Now that you have a better understanding of tropical flowers, take a look at some popular tropical flowers that you might want to have in your home.

Types of Tropical Flowers

African Violet

Saintpaulia

Needs: Indirect Light
Needs: Well Drained
Height: .75 to 2 feet

Amaryllis

Hippeastrum

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 1 to 3 feet

Anthurium

Anthurium andraenum

Needs: Indirect Sun
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 1 to 1.5 feet

Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 3 to 6 feet

Blanket Flower

Gaillardia

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Dry
Height: 1 to 3 feet

Blood Lily

Scadocus multiflorus

Needs: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Moist
Height: .5 to 1 foot

Blue Passion Flower

Passiflora caerulea

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Moist / Well-Drained
Height: 8 to 10 feet

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea glabra

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 8 to 20 feet

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum morifolium

Needs: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 1 to 3 feet

Clivia

Clivia miniata

Needs: Indirect Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 2 to 3 feet

Cyclamen

Cyclamen persicum

Needs: Partial Shade
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 0.25 to 5 feet

Heliconia

Heliconia rostrata

Needs: Partial Shade / Full Sun
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 3 to 6 feet

Hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Needs: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Moist / Well-Drained
Height: 3 to 5 feet

Larkspur

Delphinium

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 3 to 8 feet

Morning Glory

Ipomoea muricata

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 6 to 10 feet

Orchid

Orchidaceae

Needs: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 1 to 2 feet

Pink Cosmos

Cosmos bipinnatus

Needs: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 1 to 6 feet

Plumeria

Plumeria rubra

Needs: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Well-Drained
Height: 20 to 30 feet

Protea

Proteaceae

Needs: Full Sun
Needs: Very Well-Drained
Height: 3 to 13 feet

Sampaguita

Jasminum sambac

Needs: Full Sun / Partial Shade
Needs: Moist / Well-Drained
Height: 3 to 7 feet

Tropical Flowers Styling Tips and Tricks

Now that you’re well-versed with the most popular tropical flowers, it’s the time to get some styling inspiration! Tropical flowers are ideal if you’re looking to add a fresh and vibrant feel to your home or event decor. Take a look at our styling tips and tricks below to see how you can easily add a tropical touch to your look!

tropical flowers styling inspiration

Photos courtesy of Dulcet Creative

Tropical flowers are the perfect way to add a unique touch to your garden. Plus, they’re a fun new spin on any event or gathering. Now that you have an idea of what flowers you think you want to have, find some beautiful tropical flower arrangements to gift to your friends and family. A unique and tropical bouquet will be a pleasant surprise to any loved one. We always have orchids readily available for friends and family.