How is it possible for tropical cloud forest plants to thrive out-of-doors in Coastal California?
If one looks into the origins of familiar local garden plants like Fuchsia or Begonia one will find that many of the species we grow are native to higher elevations in the tropics, in these cases the Andean foothills. Section Vireya Rhododendron and Aeschynanthus (lipstick plants) come from the montane tropics of Southeast Asia, particularly New Guinea. These plants can grow here because of striking similarities between coastal California’s climate and that of mountainous areas in the tropics. The temperature variation between day and night and between summer and winter is not very great in the tropics, even on tropical mountains. Coastal California also has moderate temperatures year round due to the ocean’s strong influence – San Francisco is sometimes referred to as “the air-conditioned city.” Cloud forests are found at elevations where water in moist rising air masses condenses creating a shroud of mist and fog. The high moisture levels are comparable to northern California’s wet w
