Garden plants for Malaysia
115 plants that appear on garden plant lists for Malaysia: vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers, shrubs and trees that gardeners there commonly grow, native or introduced. Each links to a growing guide with spacing, sun, water, hardiness, toxicity and sources.
Malaysia spans more than one climate. Being on this list does not mean a plant suits your own site: check its hardiness and water needs against your local conditions, and avoid plants listed as invasive in your area.
Plan a garden with these plants →
Vegetables (12)
- Cha-om (climbing wattle shoots) Senegalia pennata subsp. insuavis
- Chili pepper Capsicum annuum (hot types)
- Hausa potato (frafra potato, Sudan potato) Coleus rotundifolius
- Katuk (sweet leaf, phak wan ban) Breynia androgyna
- Longevity spinach (sambung nyawa) Gynura procumbens
- Mung bean Vigna radiata
- Phak wan pa (melientha) Melientha suavis
- Ridge gourd (turai) Luffa acutangula
- Snake gourd Trichosanthes cucumerina
- Vegetable hummingbird (agati, dok khae) Sesbania grandiflora
- Water spinach (kangkong) Ipomoea aquatica · invasive in some regions
- Yardlong bean Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis
Herbs (11)
- Betel leaf Piper betle
- Black pepper Piper nigrum
- Fingerroot (krachai, temu kunci) Boesenbergia rotunda
- Galangal Alpinia galanga
- Kaffir lime Citrus hystrix
- Kencur (aromatic ginger) Kaempferia galanga
- Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus
- Pandan Pandanus amaryllifolius
- Patchouli Pogostemon cablin
- Rice paddy herb (ngò om) Limnophila aromatica
- Turmeric Curcuma longa
Fruit (28)
- Ambarella (June plum) Spondias dulcis
- Banana Musa x paradisiaca
- Bignay (mao luang) Antidesma bunius
- Bilimbi (cucumber tree) Averrhoa bilimbi
- Breadfruit (ʻulu) Artocarpus altilis
- Burmese grape (ma-fai) Baccaurea ramiflora
- Calamansi Citrus × microcarpa
- Dragon fruit (pitaya) Selenicereus undatus
- Durian Durio zibethinus
- Indian jujube (ber, phutsa) Ziziphus mauritiana · invasive in some regions
- Jackfruit Artocarpus heterophyllus
- Jamaican cherry (calabura, takhop farang) Muntingia calabura · invasive in some regions
- Karanda (Bengal currant, nam daeng) Carissa carandas
- Langsat (duku) Lansium parasiticum
- Malay apple (jambu bol) Syzygium malaccense
- Mangosteen Garcinia mangostana
- Marian plum (ma-prang, gandaria) Bouea macrophylla
- Papaya Carica papaya
- Pomelo Citrus maxima
- Rambutan Nephelium lappaceum
- Rose apple Syzygium jambos · invasive in some regions
- Salak (snake fruit) Salacca zalacca
- Santol Sandoricum koetjape
- Sapodilla (chico, lamut) Manilkara zapota
- Soursop (guanábana) Annona muricata
- Star gooseberry (Otaheite gooseberry, ma-yom) Phyllanthus acidus
- Wax apple (chomphu) Syzygium samarangense
- Wood apple (elephant apple, ma-khwit) Limonia acidissima
Flowers (12)
- Bougainvillea Bougainvillea glabra
- Chinese evergreen Aglaonema commutatum
- Hanging lobster claw (heliconia) Heliconia rostrata
- Jewel orchid Ludisia discolor
- Lipstick plant Aeschynanthus radicans
- Mexican petunia (Britton’s wild petunia) Ruellia simplex · invasive in some regions
- Mini monstera (Rhaphidophora tetrasperma) Rhaphidophora tetrasperma
- Pagoda flower Clerodendrum paniculatum
- Poison bulb (giant crinum lily, phlap phlueng) Crinum asiaticum
- Rangoon creeper Combretum indicum · invasive in some regions
- Satin pothos (silver vine) Scindapsus pictus
- Tropical hibiscus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Shrubs (12)
- Bengal clock vine (blue trumpet vine) Thunbergia grandiflora · invasive in some regions
- Chinese perfume plant (mock lime, prayong) Aglaia odorata
- Crape jasmine (pinwheel flower, phut) Tabernaemontana divaricata
- Crown flower (giant milkweed, dok rak) Calotropis gigantea
- Frangipani (plumeria) Plumeria rubra
- Golden dewdrop (sky flower, duranta) Duranta erecta · invasive in some regions
- Golden trumpet (allamanda) Allamanda cathartica · invasive in some regions
- Jungle geranium (ixora) Ixora coccinea
- Ming aralia Polyscias fruticosa
- Mussaenda (Doña Aurora) Mussaenda philippica
- Red powder puff Calliandra haematocephala
- Water jasmine (mok) Wrightia religiosa
Trees (37)
- African oil palm Elaeis guineensis · invasive in some regions
- Areca nut palm (betel nut palm, mak) Areca catechu
- Beach she-oak (coast she-oak, Australian pine) Casuarina equisetifolia · invasive in some regions
- Candlenut (kukui) Aleurites moluccanus
- Ceylon cinnamon Cinnamomum verum
- Ceylon ironwood (na, bunnak) Mesua ferrea
- Champak Magnolia champaca
- Clove Syzygium aromaticum
- Coconut palm Cocos nucifera
- Flame of the forest (palash) Butea monosperma
- Indian coral tree Erythrina variegata
- Indian cork tree (tree jasmine, peep) Millingtonia hortensis
- Jering (dog fruit, luk niang) Archidendron pauciflorum
- Kadam Neolamarckia cadamba
- Melinjo (gnetum, phak miang) Gnetum gnemon
- Narra (Burmese rosewood) Pterocarpus indicus
- Neem Azadirachta indica · invasive in some regions
- Nutmeg Myristica fragrans
- Petai (stink bean, sato) Parkia speciosa
- Pink shower (kalapaphruek) Cassia bakeriana
- Pride of Burma Amherstia nobilis
- Queen’s crape myrtle (banaba) Lagerstroemia speciosa
- Rosy trumpet tree (chomphu phanthip) Tabebuia rosea
- Sacred fig (peepal, bodhi tree) Ficus religiosa
- Sago palm Metroxylon sagu
- Siamese cassia (khi lek) Senna siamea
- Spanish cherry (bullet wood, phikun) Mimusops elengi
- Sugar palm (aren) Arenga pinnata
- Takhian (Hopea odorata) Hopea odorata
- Thai crape myrtle (tabaek) Lagerstroemia floribunda
- Tiew (pink mempat, phak tiu) Cratoxylum formosum
- Tropical almond (Indian almond, hu kwang) Terminalia catappa
- Weeping fig (Benjamin fig) Ficus benjamina
- White champaka (champi) Magnolia × alba
- Yang na (gurjun oil tree) Dipterocarpus alatus
- Yellow flame tree (copperpod, non si) Peltophorum pterocarpum
- Ylang-ylang Cananga odorata
Grasses (1)
- Rice (Asian rice) Oryza sativa
Groundcovers (2)
- Golden pothos (devil’s ivy) Epipremnum aureum · invasive in some regions
- Lolot (wild betel) Piper sarmentosum
Reference values for planning, not horticultural, veterinary or medical advice. Varieties, soils and local climates differ: check with a local nursery or extension service.