These 12 Outdoor Plants Will Thrive on Your Patio This Spring (2024)

Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, known as The Houseplant Guru, has written multiple books on caring for houseplants, including Houseplants: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Growing, and Caring For Indoor Plants and Grow In the Dark: How to Choose & Care For Low-Light Houseplants.

Cactus

• Botanical Name: Cactaceae
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light to full sun
• Soil Type: Well-draining cactus or succulent mix
• Soil pH: 5.0 to 6.5

Perhaps the most obvious of your houseplants that would thrive outside is the cactus. When you think of cactus, you might picture the traditional tall, green cartoon-like kind, but there are over 120 types of cactus, ranging in look, size, and color.

Your cacti will be happy outside with spare waterings—only water when the soil is dry to the touch—and weekly rotations for even sun exposure.

Bird of Paradise

• Botanical Name: Strelitzia reginae
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Rich loam
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic

The eye-catching Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) will be a showstopper on your patio with its large green leaves and towering height. Since its only real downside indoors is that it needs tall enough ceilings for room to grow—when it's outdoors, it will definitely flourish.

Tree Philodendron

• Botanical Name: Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Well-draining soil
• Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.0

Is your patio feeling sparse? Need a houseplant with some volume? Look no further. The Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum (also known as a Tree Philodendron) is here to help. This plant thrives in part sun, part shade, and its extra-large leaves will have no problem taking up space on your patio.

Triostar Stromanthe

• Botanical Name: Stromanthe sanguineaorStromanthe thalia
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light to some shade
• Soil Type: Well-draining soil
• Soil pH: 6.0 to 8.0

Triostar stromanthe (Stromanthe sanguineaorStromanthe thalia) will be an interesting choice on your patio with its pastel stripes and its prayer plant qualities. At night, its leaves will fold up "in prayer."

Fiddle Leaf Fig

• Botanical Name: Ficus lyrata
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light, and some direct sun
• Soil Type: Well-drained, indoor potting mix
• Soil pH: 6.0–7.0

Can you believe the finicky Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) actually likes being outdoors? As with all houseplants, just make sure to acclimate it over time to the new atmosphere and keep it in a sheltered place from the wind, such as a patio corner.

Rhododendron

• Botanical Name: Rhododendron
• Sun Exposure: Part sun
• Soil Type: Well-draining soil
• Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5

Rhododendron are flowering plants that will do well on your sunny patio as long as they get a little bit of shade. They prefer damp but not wet soil, and will proudly display their blooms in the spring for around 3 weeks.

Boston Fern

• Botanical Name: Nephrolepis exaltata
• Sun Exposure: Indirect light
• Soil Type: Loamy, well-draining potting soil
• Soil pH: 5.0 to 5.5

A famous porch plant, the Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) must be kept in the shade warns Steinkopf. But, it does love being outside, making it an excellent hanging porch or covered patio plant option.

Hydrangea

• Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla
• Sun Exposure: Full to part sun
• Soil Type: Moist soil and clay
• Soil pH: 5.5

While hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) are usually planted in the ground and not necessarily on patios, we would be remiss not to mention this gorgeous outdoor-loving, blooming plant. Hydrangea is happiest in a location with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Croton

• Botanical Name: Codiaeum variegatum
• Sun Exposure: Bright, direct light
• Soil Type: Damp, well-draining soil
• Soil pH: 4.5 to 6.5

Looking to add some color? Look no further than your Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) houseplant. Its brightly colored striped leaves will thrive outdoors and if it's happy enough, it might even bloom for you, giving you a lovely summer surprise.

Elephant Ear

• Botanical Name: Colocasia
• Sun Exposure: Bright light to full sun
• Soil Type: Well-draining
• Soil pH: 5.5 to 7.0

Elephant Ear (Colocasia) comes in a variety of sizes. It can be just 6 inches in a small pot or can grow to 8 feet, depending on its environment. Elephant Ear plants get their name from their huge leaves that look like—you guessed it—elephant ears. This plant loves fertilizer, so make sure it feed it appropriately.

Aloe Vera

• Botanical Name: Aloe barbadensis Miller
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light to some direct sun
• Soil Type: Well-draining succulent soil
• Soil pH: 7.0–8.5

A perfect plant for your outdoor patio, Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) will add a unique look with its spiky leaves, but it also serves as a practical plant. If you get a sunburn, you can slice an aloe leaf open and apply its sap directly to your burn, although some people might experience irritation if they are sensitive to this plant.

Majesty Palm

• Botanical Name: Ravenea rivularis
• Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
• Soil Type: Cactus soil and peat mix
• Soil pH: 5.0 to 6.0

The Majesty palm (Ravenea rivularis) and the Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana) would make great choices for a patio plant, but not the Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans) , as Parlor palms do not like full sun.

The easy-to-care-for Majesty palm would thrive with partial sun, while the Kentia palm would prefer a shadier spot on your patio.