Region 09 · Latin America · Af / Am / Aw
Horticulture in Latin America: Tropics & Caribbean
No frost, high rainfall and leached soils; growth is continuous and the limiting factors are drainage, shade and humidity. The useful palette is tropical fruit, palms, aroids and orchids, not temperate perennials.
ClimateTropical (Af / Am / Aw)
USDA zones11–13
Growing seasonYear-round
RainfallWet and dry seasons, high total
SoilsVolcanic and oxisols; acidic and leached
Frost riskGrowthRainfall
The climate, read as a season
Peak growth falls in Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec; dormancy in no true dormancy. Hard frost is confined to no hard-frost months, and the driest months are none. Those three patterns decide the planting calendar more than the annual average temperature.
| Season | Conditions | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Mar · Apr · May | Peak growth drier spell · frost-free | The main planting and sowing window. |
| Summer Jun · Jul · Aug | Peak growth wettest quarter · frost-free | The main planting and sowing window. |
| Autumn Sep · Oct · Nov | Peak growth steady rain · frost-free | The main planting and sowing window. |
| Winter Jan · Feb · Dec | Peak growth drier spell · frost-free | The main planting and sowing window. |
What the climate demands
- Continuous heat and rain mean continuous pruning, feeding and disease pressure; there is no dormant reset.
- Heavy rain leaches nutrients and compacts soil; beds, drainage and organic matter are the first build decisions.
- Hurricane and wind damage is seasonal and structural; palms and bananas recover, broadleaf trees often do not.
Signature flora
| Plant | Role | Why it is used here |
|---|---|---|
| Kapok Ceiba pentandra | TreeNative | Emergent; buttress roots; needs space. |
| Royal palm Roystonea regia | PalmNative | Avenue palm; heavy litter. |
| Coconut Cocos nucifera | PalmFruit | Introduced; coastal; salt and wind tolerant. |
| Banana Musa | PerennialFruitEasy to propagate | Suckers; wind damage; fertile soil. |
| Heliconia Heliconia | PerennialCut flowerNative | Humid shade; spreads by rhizome. |
| Anthurium Anthurium | PerennialCut flowerIndoor | Shade; high humidity. |
| Philodendron Philodendron | PerennialIndoorNative | Shade; climbing roots. |
| Monstera Monstera | PerennialIndoorNative | Shade; aerial roots. |
| Arabica coffee Coffea arabica | ShrubFruit | Highland shade; needs altitude. |
| Cacao Theobroma cacao | TreeFruitNative | Understorey; high humidity. |
| Mango Mangifera indica | TreeFruit | Dry season triggers flowering. |
| Avocado Persea americana | TreeFruit | Drainage; Phytophthora root rot. |
| Papaya Carica papaya | PerennialFruit | Fast; wind and virus. |
| Passionfruit Passiflora edulis | VineFruitNative | Trellis; fast. |
| Vanilla Vanilla planifolia | VineNativeEasy to propagate | Shade; hand pollination outside its native range. |
| Cattleya orchid Cattleya | IndoorCut flowerNative | Epiphyte; air movement. |
| Bougainvillea Bougainvillea | ShrubWater-wiseCut flower | Dry-season colour; thorns. |
| Hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis | ShrubCut flowerEasy to propagate | Full sun; whitefly. |
| Ixora Ixora | ShrubCut flowerHedge | Acid soil; clipped hedge. |
| Ti plant Cordyline fruticosa | ShrubIndoorEasy to propagate | Introduced from the Pacific; colour; frost-free. |
| Shell ginger Alpinia | PerennialEasy to propagate | Introduced from Asia; rhizome; shade. |
| Maize Zea mays | VegetableAnnual | Rain-fed or irrigated. |
| Bean Phaseolus vulgaris | VegetableAnnual | Warm soil. |
| Pepper Capsicum | VegetableAnnual | Heat; well-drained. |
| Cassava Manihot esculenta | Root cropVegetableNative | Drought tolerant; process to remove cyanogens. |
| Bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon | Turf | Warm-season; full sun. |
| Carpetgrass Axonopus compressus | Turf | Shade tolerant; wet. |
| Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes | aquaticWetlandNative | Floating; invasive outside its range. |
The eight disciplines here
| Discipline | What it looks like here | Taxa | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Design 01 | Palette and practice for garden design in this climate. | 18 | Discipline guide |
| Floriculture 02 | Palette and practice for floriculture in this climate. | 12 | Discipline guide |
| Vegetables & Herbs 03 | Palette and practice for vegetables & herbs in this climate. | 4 | Discipline guide |
| Fruit & Viticulture 04 | Palette and practice for fruit & viticulture in this climate. | 9 | Discipline guide |
| Arboriculture 05 | Palette and practice for arboriculture in this climate. | 4 | Discipline guide |
| Turfgrass 06 | Palette and practice for turfgrass in this climate. | 2 | Discipline guide |
| Nursery & Propagation 07 | Palette and practice for nursery & propagation in this climate. | 18 | Discipline guide |
| Water-wise & Restoration 08 | Palette and practice for water-wise & restoration in this climate. | 13 | Discipline guide |
Professional bodies and standards
CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) · EMBRAPA · IICA
Design idiom
Colonial patio, agroforestry, botanical garden.
Sources
Other regions
Andes & South America · Africa · Middle East · South Asia · all 16 regions