26 Cold Hardy Tropical Plants for Cold Climates

If you love the feel of the tropics but live in an area with low temperature, then grow these Cold Hardy Tropical Plants from this list!

Here are the best Cold-Hardy Tropical Plants you can grow in your garden. The best thing about the plants we’ve listed is that most of them can also be grown in containers!

Cold Hardy Tropical Plants

1. Bamboo

Botanical Name: Bambusa vulgaris

USDA Zones: 7-10

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 10 F or -12 C

Bamboos grow best in warm climates. You can opt for several clumping varieties like Goldstripe, Chinese dwarf, Slender weavers, and Ghost bamboo for colder regions.

2. Colocasia

Botanical Name: Colocasia

USDA Zones: 8a-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 21 F or -6 C

You can grow Colocasias in moderately cold climates outdoors on the ground. Pink China is one of the best varieties, and you can also grow it in pots to move it around easily.

3. Hibiscus

Botanical Name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

USDA Zones: 8-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 28 F or -2 C

The reason behind the popularity of this plant is that it is easy to grow, and tropical Hibiscus cold tolerance is great. For colder regions, try growing varieties like Berry Awesome, Cranberry Crush, and Perfect Storm.

4. Bird of Paradise

Botanical Name: Strelitzia reginae

USDA Zones: 8-12

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 24 F or -4 C

Bird of Paradise grows best in subtropical and tropical climates, but if you want a variety that does better in colder regions, then go for Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia Mexicana).

5. Palms

Botanical Name: Arecaceae

USDA Zones: 7-10

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 20 F or -7 C

When you think about palms, you always imagine a lush tropical feel! Needle, Dwarf Palmetto, Chusan, Windmill, Kumaon, and Miniature Chusan Palm are the best varieties to grow in colder climates. You can see more suggestions here!

6. Indian Shot

Botanical Name: Canna indica

USDA Zones: 7b-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 10 F or -12 C

Indian Shots are probably the easiest tropical plants to grow in pots and on the ground. Peach Gigantum, Skyhawk, and Stuttgart are best for cold climates.

7. Banana

Botanical Name: Musa basjoo

USDA Zones: 7-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 10 F or -12 C

There’s no better tropical looking plants for cold climates than the Banana tree. Just give it a cold temperature and soil rich in organic matter and it will thrive.

8. Hostas

Botanical Name: Hosta

USDA Zones: 5-9

Minimum Cold Tolerance: -25 F or -30 C

Hostas are great groundcovers with foliage in various shades. Abiqua Drinking Gourd, Dancing Queen, and Lakeside Shore Master are the top cold-hardy ones. Discover more hosta varieties here!

9. Ferns

Botanical Name: Tracheophyta

USDA Zones: 6-8

Minimum Cold Tolerance: -25 F or-31 C

Ferns can be a great addition to your garden, giving it a tropical look. Some of the most cold-hardy ferns you can grow are Western maidenhair, Lady, Christmas, Western sword, and Common polypody.

10. African Lily

Botanical Name: Agapanthus africanus

USDA Zones: 7-10

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 17 F or -8 C

African Lilies are beautiful and tough herbaceous perennials that are cold and hardy. Plus, they have absolutely stunning flowers of a lavender hue.

11. Bougainvillea

Botanical Name: Bougainvillea

USDA Zones: 8-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 23 F or – 6 C

Bougainvillea is a very common sight in warm climates. It is a sturdy perennial with lovely paper-like flowers. It is not as cold-hardy as African Lilies, but you can grow it in containers and move it inside in winter.

12. Yucca

Botanical Name: Yucca

USDA Zones: 5-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: -25 F or -30 C

Beaked Yucca (Yucca Rostrata) is the best cold-hardy yucca for growing outside in cold climates. To overwinter it, protection from cold and moisture must be provided in the cooler zones in the winter.

13. Mandevilla

Botanical Name: Mandevilla

USDA Zones: 5a-9

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 35 F or 1C

Mandevilla is another plant you can grow if you know how to overwinter it. All you need is to take the pot indoors during the winter months. That much work is worth it, considering its pink flowers!

14. Japanese Silver Grass

Botanical Name: Miscanthus sinensis

USDA Zones: 5-9

Minimum Cold Tolerance: -10 F or -23 C

Japanese Silver Grasses are low maintenance tropical look plants for cold climates. And their arching foliage can grow up to 10 feet tall. You can find them in pink, red, and even purple shades.

15. Umbrella Plant

Botanical Name: Darmera peltata

USDA Zones: 5-9

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 24 F or -4 C

The Umbrella plant needs quite a large space to grow and loves shaded areas. Any regular and healthy potting soil would be good for it.

16. Pineapple Lily

Botanical Name: Eucomis

USDA Zones: 7-9

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 21 F or -6 C

Pineapple Lily is not a true lily. And it won’t give you any pineapples. It just has the name because its flowers look like slender pineapples. It’s really drought tolerant and has a long bloom time.

17. Passionflower

Botanical Name: Passiflora incarnata

USDA Zones: 5-10

Minimum Cold Tolerance: -10 F or -23 C

Passionflower is a great tropical, cold hardy plant choice for the windows or the home entrance. You can easily grow it without worrying much about the cold weather, especially when you’re growing it in pots.

18. Cordyline

Botanical Name: Cordyline

USDA Zones: 8-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 15 F or -9 C

Cordylines are evergreen and have sword-like leaves. You will find many species, some of which even grow 15 feet tall. But don’t go with this one if you have pets or kids because it’s toxic if ingested.

19. Dinosaur Food

Botanical Name: Gunnera manicata

USDA Zones: 6-9b

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 14 F or -10 C

The Dinosaur Food is also known as the Brazilian Giant Rhubard, and it definitely lives up to its name. It has massive leaves that can grow 8 feet tall and look like a prehistoric plant.

20. Soft Tree Fern

Botanical Name: Dicksonia antarctica

USDA Zones: 8-12

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 21 F or -6 C

The Soft Tree Fern has a stout trunk which is covered with reddish-brown hair. These ferns might be slow growers, but they can survive the cold and live for hundreds of years.

21. Eucalyptus

Botanical Name: Eucalyptus

USDA Zones: 7-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 0 F or -17 C

Most Eucalyptus varieties grow in frost-free regions, but some hardy cultivars can grow down to USDA Zone 7. They grow fast and have a fragrant foliage and bark.

22. Curve Leaf Yucca

Botanical Name: Yucca gloriosa var. tristis

USDA Zones: 7b-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: -20F or -29C

Curve Leaf Yuccas have blue-green foliage and also give white, bell-shaped flowers in late spring. You will need to care for it a bit but once established, this tropical plant is cold hardy and drought tolerant.

23. Rice Paper Plant

Botanical Name: Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Steroidal Giant’

USDA Zones: 7b-10b

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 10 F or -12 C

If you need tropical plants that are cold hardy, don’t miss the Rice Paper plant. It has large, lobed leaves that form a crown over it and grows 10-15 feet tall easily.

24. Coral Bells

Botanical Name: Heuchera

USDA Zones: 4-9

Minimum Cold Tolerance: -20 F or -28 C

Coral Bells have colorful foliage and need moderate watering. They’re great for borders, containers, and even as a groundcover. Go with Plum pudding, Palace purple, and Caramel varieties.

25. Caladium

Botanical Name: Caladium

USDA Zones: 9-11

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 28 F or -2 C

Caladiums are stunning tropical foliage plants that are cold-hardy. They’re versatile and can be grown indoors and outdoors. Just keep them away from your kids or pets because they’re toxic if ingested.

26. Japanese Aralia

Botanical Name: Fatsia japonica

USDA Zones: 8-10

Minimum Cold Tolerance: 15F  or -9C

Japanese Aralia is an evergreen shrub with glossy and dark leaves. It’s surprisingly cold hardy and can thrive in shade or even partial shade, so it’s perfect for places where there’s no direct sunlight.