The Best Plants for a Cooler Patio – These Easy Varieties Create Instant Shade and Relief During Heatwaves
Lush foliage and shady canopies create a cooler microclimate on your patio
When summer temperatures skyrocket, there's no better feeling than escaping to your patio to cool down. But, if your outdoor seating is caught in suntrap, it doesn't make the most comfortable retreat. That's where plants come in, specifically the ones that instantly make outdoor spaces feel cooler.
It can be as simple as arranging lush foliage of ferns in containers to cool down the air as they transpire, or placing a tree canopy over your patio to cast some shade and make it more comfortable. It's a backyard idea that creates a cooler microclimate in sun-soaked corners, whether on a patio or a balcony.
The best part is many of these plants can be grown in containers, so you can move them around as needed. You could even use a rectangular planter box (like this from Wayfair) to create dense planting as a privacy screen. Here, we talk through our top five plants that cool a seating area.
1. Boston Fern
When I think of plants to make a seating area feel instantly cooler, I automatically think of ferns. More specifically, Boston ferns.
With its lush sword-shaped fronds, you can grow Boston ferns outside to provide some dense coverage.
They work well in hanging baskets, creating some overhead shade, but will likewise provide some coolness in large containers around your seating.
Boston ferns are hardy across USDA zones 9-11, but you can move your houseplant fern (like this Boston fern from Walmart) outdoors during the summer months to take advantage of its coolness.
Just take care to provide it with bright, indirect light that doesn't cause it leaf scorch from direct sun. They also need consistent moisture, so it's worth checking the soil regularly with this soil moisture meter from Amazon and topping it up when the top inch or so dries out.
2. Fatsia Japonica
If you're looking for a plant to create some overhead shade, then Fatsia japonica is a good choice. With large, glossy leaves, it gives any outdoor space a tropical feel and provides garden privacy around seating.
It thrives in shadier environments, so it's perfect for north and east-facing patios, as well as adapting to partial sun conditions. Though, you should keep it out of intense direct afternoon sun, which will burn its leaves.
Its luscious foliage also helps cool humid air through transpiration, transforming your outdoor seating into a cool retreat to escape the summer heat.
Fatsia japonica (which you can find on Amazon) is hardy across USDA zones 8-10, and it should be sheltered from strong winds to keep its foliage in the best shape.
3. Star Jasmine
For a climber to make your seating area feel cooler, consider star jasmine. Not only will it make your patio more comfortable in the summer sun, but its sweetly fragranced blooms can also make your patio smell nice.
The best way to use star jasmine to make an area feel cooler is by growing it up a trellis planter box (like this from Amazon) to place strategically for some coverage.
Likewise, you could grow it over your pergola to provide some shade with its full, lush foliage.
Star jasmine is hardy across USDA zones 8-10 where it will bloom from mid-spring to mid-summer.
You can encourage more blooms by giving it a boost with this star jasmine fertilizer from Amazon.
Find a star jasmine vine at Plant Addicts.
4. Japanese Maple
If you're looking for a tree to grow in a pot and place next to your seating for some light coverage, then a Japanese maple is one to consider.
It will cast dappled light over the area, thanks to its airer foliage. Plus, when a breeze passes through its leaves, it will provide a gentle cooling effect.
There are so many different Japanese maple varieties to choose from, but some of the best to grow in pots include the compact Red Dragon Japanese maple from Fast Growing Trees and Coral Bark Japanese maple from Fast Growing Trees.
Take care to keep it out of direct sun, though too little light will cause your Japanese maple leaves to turn green and lose its red and yellow colors.
These trees are hardy across USDA zones 5-9.
5. Bigleaf Hydrangea
For another blooming shrub to grow around your seating area and make it more temperate, consider bigleaf hydrangea, or hydrangea macrophylla.
As its name suggests, this is a hydrangea variety with large, broad leaves that can help block sunlight. This is especially true if multiple are growing in the ground, where it can reach 2-6ft in height and spread and create a green wall.
Plus, the blue, purple, pink, and white blooms not only look beautiful but create a calming effect, almost with a visual impression of coolness.
This hydrangea does best in dappled light, where direct sun will cause your hydrangea to wilt and turn brown. You should also take care to water hydrangeas consistently so they never sit in dry soil.
Discover the full range of bigleaf hydrangeas available at Nature Hills.
What to Shop
This cedar wood privacy screen can create some shade and coverage around your seating area. You can even train climbing plants up it.
This shade cloth can be placed on a screen or pergola to provide protection from sun. It's available in lots of sizes.
This soaker hose can keep your plants safe in hot weather by providing water directly to plant roots and keeping them hydrated.
There are plenty of other plants that cool a garden you can incorporate elsewhere in the yard to create a calm, comfortable retreat during the hottest months. Don't forget to also protect your plants in a heatwave to ensure your garden stays looking its best all summer long.
If you love inspiring garden ideas, outdoor advice, and the latest news, why not sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox?
