Gardening · Climate Compatibility · Papua New Guinea
Best Plants for Port Moresby
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea has a tropical savanna climate: summer highs around 32°C, winter lows around 23°C, 1200 mm of annual rainfall and high humidity. Here's how 2,500 plants stack up against that climate, and when to plant them.
Port Moresby’s year at a glance
Estimated average temperature by month, °C frost-free frost likely overnight
Plants that suit Port Moresby
Every plant here has been checked against Port Moresby’s summer heat, winter cold, chill hours, humidity and rainfall. Good fits grow reliably with ordinary care. Marginal fits can work, but need extra care such as shade, frost cover or a pot you can move. Click any plant for the full reasoning.
Vegetables (145)
Fruit (84)
Herbs & medicinal (100)
Flowers & ornamentals (561)
Shrubs (42)
Trees & palms (159)
Climbers (73)
Succulents (92)
Grains & field crops (37)
Aquatic (27)
Turn on JavaScript to filter these lists by plant type and lifecycle.
What to plant in Port Moresby, month by month
Planting windows are worked out from Port Moresby’s estimated monthly temperatures and each plant’s comfortable range: warm enough to avoid frost damage, cool enough to avoid heat stress. Port Moresby is in the southern hemisphere, so its seasons run opposite to the north and all months here are local ones. Pick a month, or click a cell in the grid.
Estimates only. They use average temperatures and don’t include local rainfall timing, frost dates or microclimate, so treat them as a starting point and check with a local nursery. In monsoon and wet-dry climates, trees and shrubs usually establish best at the start of the rains. An asterisk (*) means the plant’s best available window is only a rough fit here. Indoor and potted plants such as houseplants, orchids and bromeliads can be potted at any time, so they aren’t listed in the calendar. “Annual” includes biennials and tender perennials grown as annuals (tomato, chilli, petunia).
Nearby cities
Checked against 2,500 plants in total (865 marginal, 275 not recommended outdoors in Port Moresby). Look up any specific plant, or compare Port Moresby against a different climate factor by factor:
Open the Full Checker for Port Moresby →