We look forward to the summer sun all winter, then the heat comes and we remember the glory of the shade. Don’t worry! You can create shade and cool your terrace with plants. Properly placed patio plants—whether small trees, potted plants with big leaves, or hanging baskets—can come between you and the sun to cool things down. Using deciduous trees and green vines won’t turn summer back into spring, but it can create a fresher, cooler microclimate right where you need it.
When designing your landscape, it’s always a good idea to install it shade trees to cool your home. If you need shade pronto, you’ll want to make a trip to the garden store and bring home ready-made houseplants that block the sun. If you are an early starter, some of these are easy to start by rooting cuttings. (Addendum a Shark FlexBreeze Misting Fan from Amazon will help complete the patio oasis transformation!)
Here are 5 of our top picks.
5 plants that cool your terrace in summer
Here at Gardening Know How, we believe that any houseplant is a good houseplant. But different plants play different roles in our landscape. If you’re looking for patio shade plants, we’ve got you covered. Top plants for cooling a patio will provide height, dense foliage and large leaves, and turn hot sunlight into shade.
Here are the 5 plants we recommend to make your porch a cool outdoor haven.
1. Elephant ears
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Think of an elephant’s ears – big and heart-shaped. This is where the leaves colocasia esculenta look like, one of the species of tropical perennials called “elephant ears”. They are grown for the same huge leaves that gave them their name. The species plant develops emerald leaves with a matte finish, but – for sunny yards in search of shade – we recommend varieties with dark leaves that can take direct sun.
Two great choices include ‘Black Coral’ with its huge, glossy black wavy leaves, reaching 4 feet (1.3 meters) tall, and ‘Black Magic’, with dusty purple-black leaves and dark stems. Grows to 6 feet (2 meters) tall and wide. 3 to 6 feet tall and wide.
Give your elephant ear fertile, moist soil and don’t neglect regular watering. They grow best in warm temperatures and high humidity. They thrive inside USDA hardiness zones 8-11.
2. Star Jasmine
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Yes, this plant deserves the “star” designation for its powerful aroma alone. Then there are the sparkling, star-shaped flowers, the vigorous vine and the plant’s sun and shade tolerance. Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) grows quickly to 6 feet (2 meters) tall and wide if provided with warm temperatures and well-drained soil. And it’s so easy. member of the “plant and forget” club.
This vine works well for a warm patio as it will do just fine in hot sun and like it run up to a trellis. Star jasmine is a fast growing vine and, without something to climb, it will quickly spread across the landscape, possibly choking out nearby plants. Its thick, twining vines create a heavy vegetative mesh right where you need it and bloom from spring to September.
3. Crape Myrtle
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Star jasmine will build a leafy wall between your patio and the sun, but if you prefer a subtle approach, consider a container tree like crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). This leafy flowering tree releases water vapor through its large eaves, cooling the nearby air. But it also offers masses of flowers that create an effective sun screen on a deck or porch. Placed in full sun and well-draining soil, it needs only regular summer watering in USDA zones 6-9.
Myrtle is a wonderful plant for cooling a patio, as it has a naturally airy canopy, creating a light shade without making the space feel dark or blocking light.
Myrtles are not necessarily small trees. Planted in the garden, they can reach 25 feet (8 meters) tall and nearly as wide. So choose a variety that meets your needs. For example, ‘Enduring Summer White’ is a dwarf variety that won’t grow taller than you, but offers lacy white blooms. Or for something taller and more colorful, go for ‘Catawba’ with deep purple flowers and fiery fall color, growing between 10 and 15 feet (3-5 meters) tall and wide.
4. Vine
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vines (Wine vine) are fast climbing vines that prefer a sunny location. Many of my friends in the French Basque Country have planted vines on a pergola or patio frames to create a cool seating area underneath. Vines grow quickly and can create a dense summer canopy of leaves in a season or two. The “ceiling” of vine leaves blocks the sun in summer, but the leaves fall in winter to let the sunshine in.
Yes, vines are fruit plants that produce grapes. They are hung on the pergola as decorations. The whole set up makes you feel like you’re sitting in a cool Mediterranean getaway instead of a warm patio.
Plant your vine in a sunny area, especially if you hope to ripen the fruit. They grow best in well-drained soil with regular water – at least an inch per week. You should prune every year to keep the growth healthy. They are hardy in USDA zones 6-9.
5. Hostesses
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Leafy container plants can change the atmosphere of a small garden or patio in summer, turning it into a cooling station. We all know hosts (Hosta spp.) as easy care plants for our shade gardensbut there are some that have huge green cool leaves but love the sun. Here’s what you need to think about to cool your summer yard.
Bring in shade-loving varieties as second-tier plants, or choose sun-loving varieties for sunny corners. We especially like Hosta ‘Big Daddy’, which enjoys its huge leaves. They grow to 12 inches (30 cm) in a very cool icy blue. ‘Big Daddy’ can grow happily in full sun, part sun or shade. Also works well in containers, the whole plant will be 2ft (0.6m) tall and 1m wide. It offers showy white flowers that appear in late summer and attract pollinators.
Hosta species have individual sun requirements, but all need moist, well-drained soil. Hosta is hardy in USDA Zones 3-9.
