How to Care for Tropical Flowers

Tropical flowers are those which are native to tropical climates. These plants sometimes require more extensive care than less exotic flower species, but their bright colors and striking appearance makes them worth it. To keep your cut tropical flower healthy, it’s important to trim their stems and get them into fresh water as quickly as possible. To help your indoor flowers thrive, keep an eye on the room temperature and resist overwatering them. With a bit of effort, you can enjoy tropical flowers all year round.

EditSteps

EditCaring For Tropical Cut Flowers

1. Unpack your flowers immediately. Tropical flowers don’t do well without water for long periods. When you get home, take out your flowers and begin the process of preparing them for the vase. The sooner that you get them into fresh water, the longer they will likely live for you to enjoy.^[1]
   
2. Remove any extra foliage. Look over each individual flower stem. Pluck off any dead or discolored petals or leaves. Consider the length of the stem and the size of your vase. Remove any foliage or greenery that will fall below the vase’s water line. Otherwise, you’ll end up with murky, greenish water.^[2]
   
3. Cut off the stems with a sharp knife. Hold the end of each stem under running water. Use a sharp paring knife or garden shears to slice off a section from the bottom of each stem. Make your diagonal cut at a 45-degree angle to keep the stem from suffocating at the bottom of your base. Trimming your stems will help them to absorb water more efficiently.^[3]
   
   • To keep your tropical flowers looking their best, trim away a little bit of each stem every few days.
   • Make sure that your knife or shears are sharp enough to make a clean cut. Otherwise, you risk squishing and bruising the stems.
4. Fill a clean vase two-thirds full of cold water. Wash your vase beforehand with hot, soapy water and rinse it out thoroughly to remove any residue. This will help to kill off any harmful bacteria. Then, simply hold your vase under the sink and add cold water.^[4]
   
5. Add a pouch of flower food. If you got your tropical flowers directly from a florist, they likely included at least 1 packet of granulated flower food. Simply open this pouch up and pour it into your vase prior to adding the flowers. The food will give the flowers a bit of a nutritional boost and, hopefully, make them last longer.
   
   • If you don’t have a flower food packet, then you can opt to go without. Another option is to make your own flower food by adding of sugar, of bleach, of lemon juice to a vase of lukewarm water.
6. Keep the flowers at a temperature as close to as possible. Cut flowers simply do better in colder temperatures, even if they are tropical in nature. A good option is to keep your flowers away from direct sunlight during the day and move the vase to the coolest spot in your house at night.^[5]
   
   • Also, avoid putting the vase in a place where your flower might encounter a constant flow of heated or cool air, such as next to an air conditioning vent or fireplace.
7. Replace the vase’s water every 2 days. Remove the flowers by hand and set them aside. Then, rinse out the vase with warm water and lightly scrub the interior to loosen up any film. Use running water to flush out any remaining residue. Fill the vase back up with cold water and replace the flowers.
   

EditCaring For Tropical Flowers as House Plants

1. Research the care instructions for your specific flower type. Join an online or in-person gardening group. Go to a gardening center and talk with the caretakers. Visit your local arboretum and ask questions about the flower care. Many tropical flowers require specific temperature, food, and care instructions to stay healthy.
   
   • You can also read online guides, such as Care for Orchids, Care for Bromeliads, Care for Peace Lillies, or Care for Anthurium.
2. Regulate the temperature in your home. Tropical flowers can be very sensitive to temperature fluctuations, which makes it easier to grow them indoors than outdoors. Most tropical flowers do better with cooler temperatures at night and warmer ones during the day. This may mean that you’ll need to move your plants between different locations for day/night.^[6]
   
   • For example, you may want to keep your plants in the garage at night, but put them by a window during the day.
3. Keep your tropical flowers out of direct sunlight. Tropical flowers usually prefer a bright environment that is not in direct sunlight. The sun can actually burn a flower’s leaves if left unprotected over an extended period of time. Look for a place, such as a window ledge, where your plants will receive indirect light.^[7]
   
4. Check the soil’s moistness every day. Press your finger lightly into the soil both near the flower’s stem and at the edge of the planter. See if your finger comes up wet or if water comes up from the soil and pools around it. If your finger stays relatively dry, then your tropical flowers need to be watered.
   
   • This is a particularly good way to test for moistness in water-sensitive tropical plants, such as orchids.
5. Water from the top of the plant down. Get a watering pot and hold it directly over the plant. Angle the pot slightly downwards and move it in circles, allowing water to trickle down over the plant and into the soil. Stop before the water starts to gather on the soil.^[8]
   
   • Keep a saucer underneath the flower pot so that the excess water can drain away. When you are finished watering, remove the bottom dish and rinse out the extra water. This will minimize the growth of mold.
   • Keep the watering pot moving to avoid pouring too much water on any one of the flower’s blooms.
6. Increase the humidity levels in your home. Put a layer of pebbles into a deep tray. Add water to the tray until it comes halfway up the pebbles, then put the plants on top. The water should not touch the base of the pot, but it will still help to improve humidity around the plant. Other ways to improve humidity include buying a humidifier or putting the plants in a terranium.^[9]
   
   • You can also help the plant by misting the leaves every other day with water (don’t do this if your plant has hairy leaves).
7. Don’t overcrowd your tropical plants. The flowers need air circulating around them regularly to prevent decay and mold. Try to only put 1 flower plant per pot. Avoid bunching numerous plants into a corner of a room. Placing your plants near a fan for a short period of time can sometimes help improve air circulation.^[10]
   

EditCaring for Outdoor Tropical Flowers

1. Position them to get at least 4 hours of sunlight. Tropical flowers thrive on sunlight and require it in order to grow. Move your planters around until the sun hits them. Only plant tropical flowers in beds that get consistent direct or indirect sunlight.^[11]
   
   • Some plants, such as flowering maples, do best with bright light. Whereas, other tropical flowers, such a begonias, prefer ample, indirect sunlight.
2. Provide a trellis for climbing plants. Some tropical flowers have vines that prefer to grow upwards and wrap around things. Research your plant to see if it would benefit from having a trellis nearby to latch on to. Simply stick the trellis into the ground right next to the plant and secure it with stakes.^[12]
   
   • For example, a healthy Mandevilla flowering vine will attach itself to a nearby trellis and cover it with foliage.
   • You can purchase a wooden or metal trellis at your local gardening store.
3. Bring your tropical flowers indoors for winter or cover them up. If your tropical flowers are potted, bring them into your garage or atrium to ride out the colder months. Other tropical plants, such as hibiscus, can generally survive outdoors unless temperatures drop below freezing. If it might freeze, place a blanket or bucket over your plants to minimize the damage from frost.^[13]
   
   • You can also let your plants die out seasonally and simply replant in the spring.
4. Prune back shoots in the fall or spring. Use a pair of gardening shears to clip back new growth or dead flowers during the more mild months of the year. Limit yourself to making only a few trims each time to not overly weaken your plant. This is an especially important step for potted plants, as it keeps them from outgrowing their containers.^[14]
   

EditTips

• You can also fairly easily transition outdoor tropical plants into indoor ones for the colder months of the year. Just make sure to transplant them into pots with ample room.

EditWarnings

• Until you know otherwise, assume that your tropical plant is poisonous and treat it as such. Some plants, such as plumerias, are toxic and should be kept out of reach of children and pets. Always research the toxicity of your plant.^[15]

EditThings You'll Need

EditFor Cut Tropical Flowers

• Paring knife
• Vase or other container
• Plant food
• Water
• Soap
• Sugar
• Bleach
• Lemon juice

EditFor Indoor Tropical Flowers

• Water
• Watering pot
• Planters
• Humidifier
• Spray bottle
• Fan

EditFor Outdoor Tropical Flowers

• Planters
• Trellis pieces
• Garden trowel
• Garden shears
• Water hose
• Water
• Blanket
• Bucket

EditSources and Citations

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