4 Tropical Landscape Ideas for Miramar, FL | Zone 10b Design
Native plants from the Everglades flooded grasslands (Zone 10b) — Tropical monsoon climate
Why Tropical/Lush Gardens in Miramar?
Tropical is the default look in Miramar, which is exactly why most of it is done badly — three queen palms, a ring of red mulch and a row of the same shrub the builder used on every house in the street. Done properly, tropical design is the most rewarding style available here. The city's housing gives you a lot to work with: barrel-tile and flat-tile stucco homes with arched entries across Sunset Lakes, Riviera Isles, Monarch Lakes and Vizcaya; pastel 1950s and 1960s concrete-block ranches in Historic Miramar east of Red Road; and long, dead-flat rear yards, many of them backing onto one of the lakes and canals dug when western Miramar was drained. A tile roof and a stucco arch want big-leaf foliage in front of them, not clipped hedging, and the flat rear lots make pool-and-planting compositions unusually easy to lay out.
USDA Zone 10b puts Miramar's average winter low at 35–40°F — the exact line between a tropical garden and a subtropical one. Above that threshold Cocos nucifera, Adonidia merrillii, Codiaeum variegatum and Heliconia psittacorum sail through winter untouched. Below it they burn: the January 2010 cold event pushed south Broward into the low 30s and scorched coconut palms and crotons across the city, and it will happen again eventually. The climate is tropical monsoon (Köppen Am), roughly 60 inches of rain a year with two thirds of it falling June to October and barely 10 to 12 inches across the whole November-to-April dry season. Design for both halves: plants that can take four inches of rain in an afternoon in August, and an irrigation plan that keeps Alocasia and Musa from collapsing in March.
The limestone under Miramar is what separates a good tropical garden from a yellow one. Western Miramar is drained Everglades — the flooded-grasslands ecoregion starts at the Turnpike — so those lots are marl and rock-plowed oolitic fill with a wet-season water table two to four feet down; the eastern neighbourhoods are Pompano and Margate fine sand. Both sit at pH 7.5 to 8.3, and that alkalinity is why Ixora coccinea 'Nora Grant', gardenias and young Cocos nucifera turn chlorotic between the veins here. Feed with a palm-specific 8-2-12 fertiliser carrying 4% magnesium plus manganese and boron four times a year, correct iron deficiency with the Fe-EDDHA chelate rather than sulfur, and mulch three inches with melaleuca kept well back from every trunk. Manganese deficiency in palms — frizzle top — is common on Miramar limestone and is fatal if it is ignored.
Broward County's year-round irrigation rule permits two watering days a week — odd-numbered addresses Wednesday and Saturday, even-numbered addresses Thursday and Sunday, never between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. — with a new-landscape allowance of daily watering for the first 30 days and every other day for the next 30. That is enough for an established tropical garden if you zone it honestly: thirsty foliage such as Alocasia 'Portora' and Musa near the house on micro-spray, drought-hardened material such as Strelitzia reginae, Codiaeum variegatum and Serenoa repens 'Cinerea' out at the boundary on almost nothing. Two more local realities worth designing around: hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, so never let anyone hurricane-cut your palms into a feather duster — over-pruned crowns are weaker in wind, not stronger — and both the City of Miramar and Broward County regulate the removal of protected trees, so check the rules before clearing anything mature.
4 Tropical/Lush Design Ideas for Miramar
The Bird of Paradise Entry
$8–16/sqftA tan stucco home with a barrel-tile roof and a tall arched entry, framed by two big feather palms whose trunks stand right at the front corners of the lot. Between them, broad-leaved clumps rise almost to the gutter line on either side of the door, and one of them is throwing orange and blue flower spikes at eye level. The whole planting bed is finished in dark mulch with hard-cut curved edges against bright green turf, and the low front rank is pure colour — glossy red, gold and orange foliage repeated in drifts down both sides of a narrow concrete walk that curves gently to the entry.
The Coral Path Colour Border
$12–24/sqftA pastel blue and blush ranch house sits behind a deep, densely planted foreground with a wide coral-toned paver path sweeping from the sidewalk to the door in a long S-curve. Tall coconut palms lean over the roofline while smaller multi-trunk palms are planted right into the beds at mid-height, so the planting has three distinct storeys. At ground level the border is unashamedly loud — burgundy strap-leaved foliage, chartreuse fern texture, red and orange flowers massed in blocks rather than dotted about — and a crisp mown turf strip separates the beds from the paving on both sides.
The Resort Pool and Summer Kitchen
$45–95/sqft (pool area inclusive)A long rectangular pool in pale travertine decking runs the width of the rear yard, with a lit stone-faced bar and outdoor kitchen under a tile-roofed pavilion at one end and a pair of loungers on a small lawn terrace at the other. What makes it read as a resort rather than a backyard is the planting wall behind the water: coconut palms above, then a solid mass of paddle-leaved and fan-leaved foliage at eight to twelve feet, then orange flower spikes at the waterline, so the fence disappears completely. Lantern-style path lights and in-pool lighting carry the whole composition through a Miramar sunset.
The Lanai and Rock Waterfall
$35–70/sqft (pool area inclusive)A deep covered lanai with a ceiling fan and recessed downlights looks straight across a paver deck to a freeform pool, and the far edge of the pool is built up into a stacked limestone outcrop with water sheeting off it. Planting is layered right to the waterfall: red hibiscus and burgundy strap foliage at the rock base, big-leaf foliage massed behind, palms above that, and orange crane-flower spikes leaning into the foreground from planters at the lanai columns. Wicker-and-aluminium lounge chairs face the water. It is a design built for the way Miramar is actually lived in — shaded, breezy and usable at two in the afternoon in July.
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Featured Trees & Shrubs for Tropical/Lush Gardens
Browse all 150 plants for Miramar
Bismarck Palm
Bismarckia nobilis
reaches 30 feet tall, blooms in summer. Pollinator-friendly.
Clustering Fishtail Palm
Caryota mitis
medium-sized at 15 feet, yellow blooms in summer. Pollinator-friendly.
Pygmy Date Palm
Phoenix roebelenii
grows to 6 feet, yellow blooms in spring. Pollinator-friendly.
Royal Palm
Roystonea regia
large shade tree reaching 50+ feet, white blooms in spring. Pollinator-friendly.
Featured Grasses & Groundcovers for Tropical/Lush Gardens
Black Bamboo
Phyllostachys nigra
reaches 25 feet tall, blooms in none. Evergreen year-round.
Blue Grama Grass
Bouteloua gracilis
low-growing ground cover, purple blooms in summer. Yellow fall color.
Bull Grass
Muhlenbergia emersleyi
grows to 4 feet, purple blooms in fall. Yellow fall color.
California Melic
Melica californica
low-growing ground cover, blooms in spring.
Featured Flowers & Perennials for Tropical/Lush Gardens
Canadian Waterweed
Elodea canadensis
grows to 3 feet, white blooms in spring. Evergreen year-round.
Common Cattail
Typha latifolia
grows to 5 feet, blooms in summer. Pollinator-friendly.
Common Duckweed
Lemna minor
low-growing ground cover, white blooms in summer. Evergreen year-round.
European Frogbit
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
low-growing ground cover, white blooms in summer. Pollinator-friendly.
Zone and sun checks come from our database — confirm with your local nursery before you buy.
Bloom Calendar for Miramar
spring
Canadian Waterweed, Sweet Flag, African Daisysummer
Canadian Waterweed, Common Cattail, Common Duckweedfall
Canadian Waterweed, Pickerelweed, African Daisywinter
Limited bloomsDesign Tips for Miramar (Zone 10b)
- Plant in three storeys, never one — palms overhead, Strelitzia nicolai, Musa or Ravenala madagascariensis at eight to twelve feet, then Codiaeum variegatum 'Petra' and Cordyline fruticosa 'Red Sister' at knee height; the storeys are what turn a builder planting into a designed garden
- Feed palms four times a year with an 8-2-12 palm formula carrying 4% magnesium plus manganese and boron — Miramar's pH 7.5 to 8.3 limestone locks these up, and manganese deficiency (frizzle top) kills a palm from the bud down before most owners notice it
- Mass colour in blocks of five to nine plants of one cultivar rather than dotting singles about; a drift of Codiaeum variegatum 'Mammy' reads from the street, while one of everything reads as clutter from six feet away
- Keep mulch three inches deep and pulled six inches clear of every trunk, and use melaleuca rather than cypress — it is milled from an invasive tree taken out of the Everglades edge west of Miramar, and it mats down instead of floating off in a four-inch August downpour
- Refuse the hurricane cut; University of Florida work after Charley and Wilma showed over-pruned palm crowns fail more often in wind, and stripping green fronds strips the potassium the palm needs to rebuild after a storm
- Put the thirsty foliage where the roof drains — Alocasia 'Portora', Heliconia psittacorum 'Lady Di' and Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish' near the downspouts, and Strelitzia reginae, Serenoa repens 'Cinerea' and Codiaeum variegatum out at the boundary where irrigation barely reaches
- Design a cold plan into the layout: put Cocos nucifera, Adonidia merrillii and crotons on the south and east sides sheltered by the house, because Zone 10b's 35–40°F floor is only a couple of degrees above the January event that scorched south Broward gardens in 2010
Where to Source Plants in Miramar
Skip the big-box stores. These independent Miramar nurseries specialize in the plants that make tropical/lush gardens thrive in Zone 10b.
Flamingo Road Nursery
Davie (Flamingo Road at Griffin Road)
Twelve-acre independent garden centre and the closest full-line nursery to west Miramar; deep bench of Zone 10b perennials, roses on Fortuniana rootstock, herbs, crotons and specimen palms, plus an on-site plant clinic
Jesse Durko's Nursery
Davie (SW 70th Avenue)
Long-established collector's nursery for rare tropicals, aroids, bromeliads, gingers, heliconias and unusual specimen palms — the place to go when a design needs one irreplaceable focal plant
Pop's Nursery
Hollywood (North University Drive)
Family-run tropical nursery about ten minutes from Historic Miramar, carrying container plants, decorative pebble and rock for gravel beds, and in-house landscape design help
Living Color Garden Center
Fort Lauderdale (Griffin Road)
Large independent centre known across Broward for mature specimen palms, crotons, orchids, bromeliads and oversized container stock, with a strong pottery and hardscape accent selection
Tropical/Lush Landscaping Costs in Miramar
| Project Scope | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Front yard tropical redesign (beds, two feature palms, 40–60 crotons and ixora) | $6,000 – $15,000 |
| Rear planting screen to hide a 60 ft fence line | $4,500 – $11,000 |
| Paver walkway in coral-toned concrete pavers (150–250 sqft) | $3,500 – $8,500 |
| Freeform pool with keystone rock waterfall and paver deck | $70,000 – $160,000 |
| Keystone-faced outdoor kitchen and bar under a pavilion | $15,000 – $45,000 |
| Specimen Cocos nucifera 'Maypan', 12–16 ft, delivered and set | $900 – $2,600 |
| Monthly maintenance on a well-planted Miramar lot | $140 – $260 per month |
| AI visualization with ProScapeAI | Free to start |
Estimates based on Miramar, FL-area contractor rates as of 2026. Actual costs vary by site conditions, materials, and contractor.
Miramar Climate & Growing Zone
USDA Zone 10b
Hardiness zone for Miramar
Everglades flooded grasslands
Native ecoregionFrequently Asked Questions
How much does tropical landscaping cost in Miramar?
Broward pricing runs roughly 10–20% above the national average. A full front-yard tropical redesign — bed reshaping, two feature palms, a Strelitzia nicolai group and 40 to 60 crotons and ixora — costs $6,000–15,000 installed on a typical Miramar frontage. A rear planting screen that hides a 60 ft fence line with Clusia guttifera, Musa and Ravenala runs $4,500–11,000. A pool with travertine decking, planting and lighting generally lands between $70,000 and $160,000, and adding a keystone-faced outdoor kitchen puts $15,000–45,000 on top. Expect $140–260 a month for maintenance on a well-planted Miramar lot, because tropical foliage grows year-round here.
Which palms are safe to plant in Miramar?
Lethal bronzing disease is established across South Florida and hits Phoenix sylvestris, Phoenix canariensis, Phoenix dactylifera and Sabal palmetto hardest, so plant those only if you accept a preventive oxytetracycline trunk-injection programme every four months. Safer choices for Zone 10b are Adonidia merrillii, Wodyetia bifurcata, Ptychosperma elegans, Bismarckia nobilis, Thrinax radiata, Coccothrinax argentata and Phoenix roebelenii, which is far less affected than the larger Phoenix species. For coconut palms buy 'Maypan' or 'Green Malayan' rather than the tall Jamaica type, which is much more prone to lethal yellowing.
Do crotons and ti plants need shade in Miramar?
The opposite — crotons colour up in sun and go plain green in shade. Codiaeum variegatum 'Petra', 'Mammy' and 'Gold Dust' want at least six hours of direct sun to hold their red and gold, which is why they belong in the front bed rather than under the lanai. Cordyline fruticosa 'Red Sister' takes full sun in Miramar but keeps better colour with a couple of hours of afternoon shade and consistent moisture; it browns at the leaf tips if the soil dries out or if your water is heavily softened. Both are cold-sensitive below about 40°F, so keep them away from the exposed north side of the house.
What should I plant around a pool without wrecking the deck?
Keep three rules. First, nothing that drops hard fruit over the water — a coconut palm planted right at the deck edge is a liability, so site them behind the deck or specify a non-fruiting selection. Second, no thorns and no aggressive roots near the shell: skip Bougainvillea within reach of bare feet and keep Ficus of any kind well clear, since ficus roots lift pool decks across Broward. Third, choose clean-shedding, salt-tolerant material for the immediate poolside — Adonidia merrillii, Ptychosperma elegans, Philodendron 'Xanadu', Neoregelia 'Fireball' and Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata' all cope with splash-out from a salt system.
How do I water a tropical garden under Broward's two-day rule?
Zone by thirst, not by geometry. Broward permits irrigation two days a week — odd-numbered addresses Wednesday and Saturday, even-numbered addresses Thursday and Sunday, nothing between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. — with new landscaping allowed daily for the first 30 days and every other day for the next 30. Put Alocasia 'Portora', Musa and Heliconia psittacorum 'Lady Di' on micro-spray close to the house where they get run-off from the roof, and push Strelitzia reginae, Codiaeum variegatum and Serenoa repens 'Cinerea' out to the boundary on a low-frequency zone. From June to October the wet season will do most of the work for you; the real irrigation season is February through May.
How do I get a tropical garden through hurricane season?
Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, peaking August through October. Do not let anyone hurricane-cut your palms into a feather duster: research from the University of Florida after Hurricanes Charley and Wilma found that over-pruned crowns snap more readily, not less, and a palm stripped of fronds also loses the potassium reserve it needs to recover. Remove only fully dead fronds. Choose wind-firm trees — Bursera simaruba, Coccoloba diversifolia, Quercus virginiana, Lysiloma latisiliquum — and avoid brittle, shallow-rooted species. Before a named storm, move containers inside, drop pool water an inch or two rather than draining it, and stake anything planted within the last six months.
Which pests should I expect in Miramar?
Three matter most. Rugose spiraling whitefly coats Cocos nucifera, Strelitzia nicolai and Calophyllum in white wax and sooty mould — irritating but rarely fatal, and mostly managed by hosing foliage and leaving the parasitic wasps alone. Ficus whitefly repeatedly defoliates Ficus benjamina hedges across Broward, which is the main reason to hedge with Clusia guttifera or Podocarpus macrophyllus 'Pringles Dwarf' instead. And chinch bugs shred Floratam St. Augustine in hot dry stretches; 'CitraBlue' and 'Captiva' hold up better. On palms, watch for manganese deficiency, which shows as frizzled new growth and needs manganese sulfate applied before the bud is lost.
