What Flowers are Suitable for Shenzhen
Cultivating green plants and flowers in the perpetually humid southern city, one must adapt to the subtropical climate characteristics while also considering modern living space requirements. Shenzhen's average annual temperature of 22.4°C provides a natural advantage for plant growth, but the prolonged high temperatures in summer and brief winters also present special challenges. How to create a four-season evergreen plant landscape in this young city? We have sorted out a scientific selection plan for you from three dimensions.
Preferred List of Humid Heat-Tolerant Plants
Star Varieties for Outdoor Planting in Courtyards
For outdoor planting, the golden combination of frangipani and bougainvillea is highly recommended, with the former's drought resistance and sun resistance perfectly complementing the latter's advantage of blooming all year round. Ixora and pyrotechnic flowers can form a three-dimensional flower wall, combined with foliage plants like the散尾葵 (散尾葵) and the 龟背竹 (Bamboo Palm), to create a tropical landscape. The climber Rangoon creeper is especially recommended for smaller courtyard spaces due to its shade tolerance.
Balcony Potted Plant Care Solutions
For enclosed balconies, xanthosoma and ferns are the preferred choice, with a 60% shading rate meeting their growth requirements. We recommend using a hanging combination of fiddle leaf fig and air plant, which saves space and enhances the sense of layering. In summer, it is necessary to add circulating fans for plants like coleus and dracaena to prevent diseases caused by high temperatures and humidity.
Strategies for Coping with Special Climates
Solutions for Vernalization Needs
For varieties that require low temperatures for vernalization, such as roses, pre-treatment of bulbs in a refrigerator can be used: wrap the bulbs in newspaper in November and store them in the vegetable section of a 5°C refrigerator for 45 days, then plant them in January of the following year. This method allows flowers like narcissus and tulips, which are typically found in northern climates, to bloom successfully in Shenzhen.
Four-Season Landscape Adjustment Suggestions
In spring, create a flower border with azaleas and irises; in summer, use blue snowflakes and jasmines to create a cool sensation; in autumn and winter, pair poinsettias and holly to maintain color. It is recommended to interplant pyrotechnic flowers with English ivy to achieve year-round greenery coverage. High-rise residents can use hanging planting bags to cultivate dwarf morning glories, creating a vertical waterfall effect.
By properly combining trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, it is possible to build an ecological microsystem even in the concrete jungle. The vertical greening of Overseas Chinese Town Ecological Square and the Rhododendron Corridor in Lianhua Mountain Park are both worthy of reference. Mastering the growth patterns of plants, every Shenzhen resident can become an urban gardener.