Which types of plants often need greenhouse conditions in temperate climates?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

In temperate climates, plants that require greenhouse conditions are typically those that are frost-tender or native to tropical and subtropical regions, as they cannot survive the freezing temperatures of the local environment. Greenhouses provide a controlled environment where temperature, light, and humidity can be regulated to meet the specific needs of these plants.12

Plants often grown in greenhouses in temperate regions include:

  • Tropical and Subtropical Plants: Many species native to warm, frost-free areas—such as orchids, ferns, palms, philodendrons, gardenias, and bougainvilleas—require the higher temperatures of a warm greenhouse or hothouse to thrive.21
  • Succulents and Cacti: These plants are often suited to the intermediate temperatures provided by a warm greenhouse.2
  • Flowering Ornamentals: Various plants, including azaleas, African violets, begonias, geraniums, and poinsettias, are frequently cultivated in greenhouses to ensure successful flowering.23
  • Out-of-Season Crops: Commercial growers in temperate zones use greenhouses to produce warm-weather vegetables, such as tomatoes, that would otherwise not survive the local climate.2