List of Tropical Rainforest Plants

• The rainforests of the world are rich with exotic, tropical plant life. Don Smith/Photodisc/Getty Images

  The richest plant sources on earth are found in tropical rainforests. The rainforest biome doesn't only comprise of the Amazon region. It also refers to parts of Asia and even the Congo. A wide range of plants exits in these tropical environments, and knowing about some of them gives you the ability to plant them in your own tropical garden.

Liana

• Lianas inundate densely wooded rainforest regions. lianas image by Meimi from Fotolia.com

  Liana vines overgrow densely wooded regions of the rainforest biome. They are comprised of various different species, but all are wooded and thick, and compete for light near the rainforest's canopy. Lianas not only hang as thick and sturdy vines from the canopy, but they also connect the trees together. These over-growing vines serve as habitats for tree-dwelling rainforest fauna. Different plant varieties that form these wooded vine types include wild grapevines, monkey ladder and water vine. They are deciduous and sometimes connect with up-growing roots from other tropical rainforest plants.

Passionflower

• A versatile plant, the passionflower is both tropical and deciduous. Passion Flower 2 image by T^i^ from Fotolia.com

  A deciduous vining plant, the passionflower is named to symbolize the "passion" in Christian theology. It is also an interesting rainforest flower because it possesses a core of white creamy nectar producing tendrils. This is unlike any other flower. The passionflower thrives throughout many tropical rainforests throughout the world and several varieties and hybrids of the plant exist, making it easy to find a species that will grow in a wide range of environments. Being a deciduous vine, the passionflower presents a woody base from which the bright, waxy green foliage and vibrantly colored flowers emerge.

Rubber Tree

• The leaf of a yellow rubber tree. yellow rubber plant leaf lying on a wet pebble. image by Sergey Mostovoy from Fotolia.com

  The rubber tree is an important plant to the economies of villages near rainforest regions, and these tropical plants are useful throughout the world in homes. Aside from its ornamental value, the attractive texture of the trunk and the green hue of the foliage, it also produces natural latex. They grow up to nearly 150 feet in height in the wild, although hybrid varieties exist for landscaping in tropical climates. Like the Brazil nut tree, the rubber tree plays a vital role in the lives of rainforest dwelling peoples.