skip to main content
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
  • PHOTOS
    KITCHEN & DINING
    • Kitchen
    • Modular Kitchen
    • Dining Room
    • Home Bar
    LIVING
    • Living Room
    • Home Theater
    • Home Office
    • Staircase
    BED & BATH
    • Bedroom
    • Nursery
    • Kid's Room
    • Bathroom
    OUTDOOR
    • Garden
    • Patio
    • Terrace & Balcony
    • Courtyard
    MORE ROOMS
    • Puja Room
    • Wardrobe
    • Exterior
    • Swimming Pool
    • View All
  • FIND PROFESSIONALS
    DESIGN & RENOVATION
    • Architects & Building Designers
    • Interior Designers & Decorators
    • Civil Engineers & Contractors
    • Design-Build Firms
    • Kitchen & Bath Designers
    • Landscape Architects & Contractors
    • Home Builders & Construction Companies
    • Photographers
    • Specialty Contractors
    HOME IMPROVEMENT
    • Furniture & Accessories
    • Flooring & Carpet
    • Tile, Stone & Countertop
    • Bedding & Bath
    View All Pros View All Services
  • STORIES
    LATEST FROM HOUZZ
    • Houzz Tours
    • Kitchen Guides
    • Bathroom Guides
    • Bedroom Guides
    • Decorating Guides
    • Outdoors
    • Architecture
    HOUZZ TV
    HOUZZ RESEARCH
  • ADVICE
    HOUZZ DISCUSSIONS
    • Design Dilemma
    • Before & After
    • Polls
    • Home Decorating
    • Kitchens
    • Living Rooms
    • Bedrooms
    • Dining Rooms
    • Exterior
    • Lighting
    • Paint
    • Building a Home
Garden Guides
Garden Guides
8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen Gardeners
Top Ideabooks
8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen GardenersDid You Know You Could Do This to Your Garden?How to Grow a Bonsai At Home12 Ways to Design a Low-Maintenance Garden
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
Outdoors
Outdoors
10 Space-Saving Seating Layouts for Compact Balconies
Top Ideabooks
10 Space-Saving Seating Layouts for Compact Balconies8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen GardenersHow to Grow a Bonsai At Home10 Places to Use Artificial Turf
Appears in
Recent Ideabooks
See also
BalconiesPools
Balconies
Balconies
10 Space-Saving Seating Layouts for Compact Balconies
Top Ideabooks
10 Space-Saving Seating Layouts for Compact Balconies8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen GardenersHow to Design a WFH Office in Your Balcony or GardenHow to Grow a Bonsai At Home
Appears in
Outdoors

8 Best Sun-Loving Plants for Indian Gardens

Want carefree colour? Fill your garden with a wide range of plants that thrive in full sun, and enjoy the colour show

Ketaki Godbole Randiwe
Ketaki Godbole Randiwe18 September 2020
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Sun-loving plants don’t have to be worrisome. As long as you choose the ones that thrive in your area and are heat and drought tolerant, you should be rewarded with beautiful flowers and foliage.
Llama Architects
So here is the good news. Sun-loving plants tend to be among the most free-flowering of all garden plants. If you are lucky enough to have a sunny garden or terrace, then with the help of some regularly watered soil, you will be able to grow a huge range of plants.

Recognising sun-loving plants
The best plants to use in a sunny garden are those that would naturally be found in exposed positions with high light levels, and low rainfall. Plants that can cope in such locations have evolved by developing certain characteristics such as effective water storage. A sunny garden planted with suitable plants will be much easier to establish and maintain than one with poorly chosen plants.
Claudia Barber
Climatic zones of India are divided into three types:

1. Tropical rainy climate

(The west coast of India including parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands)

2. Dry climate
a) Tropical semi-arid
(North, central and south Maharashtra)
b) Sub-tropical arid
(Rajasthan and Gujarat)
c) Sub-tropical semi-arid
(Punjab, Haryana, UP, western MP, Delhi)

3. Sub-tropical humid climate
a) Sub-tropical humid
(Foothills of the Himalayas, Bihar, northern West Bengal, Assam, Orissa)
b) Mountain/Alpine
(Mid-Himalayan mountain range)

All the plants mentioned in this story are acclimatised to our Indian climatic conditions and should be easy to grow in your gardens with the right care. Opting for these varieties is one of the best decisions you can make for a hassle-free, bright and colourful garden.

Here are eight great plants that will make the best of all the sunshine they can soak up.

Find a landscape designer near you to design your garden
Bliss Garden Design, LLC
1. Succulents
Succulents are one of the most beautiful companions you can choose for your full-sun garden. Being hassle free, and requiring minimum maintenance and water, they are the ones you should be looking for if you find yourself with limited time for caring for your garden. Succulents will give you the joy and fulfilment of a low-maintenance garden, and even surprise you with a beautiful display of flowers.

Ideal climate type: 1, 2a, 2b, 2c
Best for: Those with limited time to care for the garden

Find out more about succulents you can plant in your garden
pbrandarchitecture.net
2. Rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida)
Locally known as: Fairy lily
Also known as zephyr lily or fairy lily, this is a charming petite plant to have in the garden. Available in pink, yellow and white colours, rain lilies produce colourful starry flowers late in summer all through the monsoon and up till October.

Ideal climate type: 1, 2a, 2c, 3a
Best for: Use as a flower bed when planted in large numbers, tucked beside a boulder, or peeking out between other sun-loving plants.

Tip: Be sure to keep them at the front of your garden border so that their petite blooms are easily seen.
Hampstead Garden Design
3. Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)
Locally known as: Neel chitrak

Plumbago is a perennial shrub with light-green foliage and sky-blue flowers that bloom in summer and then again post the monsoon season. It can be used as a shrub, climber and potted plant, as well as ground cover, depending on how it is pruned.

Ideal climate type: 1, 2a, 2c, 3a
Best for: Spots beside walls, courtyard gardens, patio and terrace gardens, and attracting butterflies.
Falon Land Studio LLC
4. Golden Thryallis, canary bush (Galphimia glauca)
Locally known as: Galphimia

This evergreen shrub loves the heat and sun and can be ever-blooming in tropical countries like ours. It is also a good choice for a potted plant and is drought-tolerant once established. The yellow flowers appear all summer even during dry spells.

Ideal climate type: 2a, 2c, 3a
Best for: Using as a filler plant, and for attracting bees and butterflies.
SURROUNDS Landscape Architecture + Construction
5. Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
Locally known as: Sawani, dhayti

Topping the charts for easy care, crepe myrtle is a near-perfect patio tree for warm climates. In spring and summer the trees bloom with showy clusters of flowers in colours that can range from white to pale pink, deep magenta and red.

Ideal climate type: 1, 2a, 2c
Best for: Planting as a feature tree against a backdrop wall, or even against some beautiful foliage planting.
Studio H Landscape Architecture
6. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea
spectabilis)
Locally known as: Booganvel

When we talk about climbers, the bougainvillea is the first plant genus that comes to mind. It is a low-care vine, commonly recognised by its flamboyant clusters of vividly hued flower-like bracts (specialised leaves). The actual tiny white flowers nestle within. On closer contact one notices its liberally thorny branches.

Ideal climate type: 2a, 2b, 2c
Best for: Planting on a chain-link fence, or on a trellis or arbor, for a lovely colour show all summer.
BORDEN Landscape Design
7. Pink ball flower (Dombeya wallichii)
Locally known as: Domrupani

This lovely plant blooms during the months of March to May, with very large clusters of pendulous, pink flowers. The large leaves resemble hydrangea and defoliate from December to January.

Ideal climate type: 2a, 2c, 3a
Best for: Growing as a shrub, as a specimen plant, or for some privacy screening.
ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design
8. Palms

If you’re looking for sun-loving palm trees, you’re in luck because the selection is huge and there is no shortage of full-sun palm trees, including those well suited for containers.
A popular landscaping plant, the golden cane palm (Dypsis lutescens) is ideal for bringing a tropical feel into your garden. Its bright green and gold stems are a stand-out and the dense foliage is perfect for providing that lush verdant look – great for screening.

Another great choice is the silver Bismarck palm (Bismarckia nobilis) – This highly sought-after warm-weather palm thrives in heat and full sun.

Ideal climate type: 1, 2a, 2c

Read more about leafy palms for sunny spots here.
Pearson Landscape Services
Read more:
A Beginner’s Guide to a Moon Garden
Zen Gardens for Urban Homes

Tell us:
If you enjoyed this story, then like it, bookmark it and share your thoughts in Comments below. Join in the conversation.
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
See 2 comments
Explore Related Topics
Garden GuidesOutdoorsBalconies
Read Related Stories
8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen Gardeners8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen Gardeners
By Ansoo Gupta·29
Most Popular
Did You Know You Could Do This to Your Garden?Did You Know You Could Do This to Your Garden?
By Shristi Nangalia·0
Decorating Ideas
How to Grow a Bonsai At HomeHow to Grow a Bonsai At Home
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·1
Outdoors
12 Ways to Design a Low-Maintenance Garden12 Ways to Design a Low-Maintenance Garden
By Lauren Dunec Hoang·58
Garden Guides
8 Best Shade-Loving Plants for Gardens That Get Less Sunshine8 Best Shade-Loving Plants for Gardens That Get Less Sunshine
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·4
Outdoors
A Beginner's Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly GardenA Beginner's Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly Garden
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·4
Outdoors
5 Mosquito-Repelling Plants for Your Balcony5 Mosquito-Repelling Plants for Your Balcony
By Shristi Nangalia·12
Balconies
8 Indoor Plants That Can Make You Healthier8 Indoor Plants That Can Make You Healthier
By Pooja Khanna Tyagi·22
Garden Guides
A Beginner's Guide to a Seductive Sensory GardenA Beginner's Guide to a Seductive Sensory Garden
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·8
Outdoors
13 Amazing Indian Brands to Give Your Garden a Boost13 Amazing Indian Brands to Give Your Garden a Boost
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·0
Balconies
How to Grow Beautiful, Healthy RosesHow to Grow Beautiful, Healthy Roses
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·2
Outdoors
Why You Should Consider Having a Green RoofWhy You Should Consider Having a Green Roof
By Shristi Nangalia·2
Outdoors
Expert Tips: How to Display & Style Indoor PlantsExpert Tips: How to Display & Style Indoor Plants
By Georgia Madden·9
Decorating Guides
10 Reasons to Say Yes to a Vertical Garden10 Reasons to Say Yes to a Vertical Garden
By Pooja Khanna Tyagi·2
Balconies
8 Best Sun-Loving Plants for Indian Gardens8 Best Sun-Loving Plants for Indian Gardens
By Ketaki Godbole Randiwe·2
Outdoors
People who liked this story also liked
8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen Gardeners
8 Challenges for First-Time Kitchen GardenersFull Story
Did You Know You Could Do This to Your Garden?
Did You Know You Could Do This to Your Garden?Full Story
How to Grow a Bonsai At Home
How to Grow a Bonsai At HomeFull Story
12 Ways to Design a Low-Maintenance Garden
12 Ways to Design a Low-Maintenance GardenFull Story
8 Best Shade-Loving Plants for Gardens That Get Less Sunshine
8 Best Shade-Loving Plants for Gardens That Get Less SunshineFull Story
A Beginner's Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly Garden
A Beginner's Guide to a Beautiful Butterfly GardenFull Story
5 Mosquito-Repelling Plants for Your Balcony
5 Mosquito-Repelling Plants for Your BalconyFull Story
8 Indoor Plants That Can Make You Healthier
8 Indoor Plants That Can Make You HealthierFull Story
A Beginner's Guide to a Seductive Sensory Garden
A Beginner's Guide to a Seductive Sensory GardenFull Story
13 Amazing Indian Brands to Give Your Garden a Boost
13 Amazing Indian Brands to Give Your Garden a BoostFull Story
  • India
  • ABOUT
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FAQs
  • CAREERS
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms & Privacy
  • © 2021 Houzz Inc.