Or maybe you have been in Costa Rica for years, but want to add some native plant zip to your garden?

Native plants are rewarding for many reasons. They are adapted to the local environment; wet and dry seasons don’t bother them. They are immune to many of the local insects, including leaf cutters. And you can pat yourself on the back for saving local flora and building a ‘native garden.’

Build your garden from the ground up, starting with Episcia lilacina, a plant species in the family Gesneriaceae, a shade-loving plant that only grows to about six inches. Leaves are deep green above and purplish below. Native flowers are white, but hybrids in different colors are available.

Add some Xiphidium caeruleum (cola de gallo) to the garden. The leaves and stem look a bit like iris, but flowers are small and white and hang from the inflorescence like lily of the valley. Fruits are bright red, making them very attractive. They grow to about 20 inches tall.

Continue the color with Canna indica or Indian reed flower, which has blooms in shades of red, often with a hint of yellow. This is a plant that is easy to start from seed and will grow prolifically to eight feet tall. The starchy tubers are eaten both raw and cooked.

Now go for height. The Tecoma stans, or yellow elder, grows to 10 meters, although it can be pruned for lower growth. The tree flowers in December and can keep its blooms through April, making a wonderful display for months. Remember not to plant it near overhead electric wires, or the Public Electricity Institute (ICE) will cut it back to suit itself.

For more height and color, the popó, Erythrina peoppigiana, will bloom in bright orange during the dry season. The flowers are edible and often attract hummingbirds. Other species in the genus bloom in lighter orange or in red, so you can choose your variety and color.

If you need a vine, try the queen’s wreath, Petrea volubilis, with its long clusters of purple flowers reminiscent of wisteria but without fragrance. This is a woody vine and takes some time to become established, but it is worth the wait since it blooms year-round.

Here is another native plant suitable for the shade garden, the Bactris hondurensis, or biscoyol palm. This great low-light palm grows to about 1-3 meters and produces a red fruit.

If you live in a wet area, there are probably biscoyol growing in any pockets of forest on your property. If you are cutting a path through your forest, be sure to transplant the biscoyol to a safe area.

Starred plants can be found at any plant nursery in Costa Rica.