Can indoor tropical plants be successfully climatized for outdoors. For example, the plants in the heated area sold at Home Depot like Bird of Paradise.
It all depends on what it is and where you live and what the microclimate is like. I bought a meyer lemon tree which was in a heated nursery and put it outside and it survived the winter and has lemons that are ready to be picked on it. Others have bought palms such as livistonia chinensis and rhapis exselsa and put them outside and they have survived for years. You must climatize them over a long period of time however. The best time is in April when the chance of any frost is over. First keep them close to the house and then after awhile you can move them into the area of the garden you want. All the species I have mentioned though should be kept in a warm microclimate, either close to the house facing south or west or under a larger evergreen or against a fence facing south. Bird of paridise is not hardy here so you would have to bring it inside during the winter say mid October. Sago palm is another tropical you see in the indoor part of the garden centre but many have had success with this outside. Key points are well draining soil and protection from rain and frost.
Its not a matter so much as hardy as to the precautions one is willing to take ( for the bird of paradise). When I lived in chilliwack b.c I had 4of them last at least 3years in my front yard. Granted they were in a raised bed under cover with well drained soil. The biggest problem I had was the outflow winds, this was solved by mulching the young shoot untill after the May 23 weekend. My mom + dad still live in Chilliwack B.C and have plants that are 5 to 10 years old and have made babies ( her words) I now live in Prince George B.C and planted 5 of the "birds last Year" they all bloomed. It was a double blessing (sort of) 1 they looked good 2 people kept coming in the yard to ask what they are
