Fareed Mohmed

Gardening · Climate Compatibility · Bhutan

Best Plants for Thimphu

Thimphu, Bhutan has a subtropical highland (cold) climate: summer highs around 25°C, winter lows around -4°C, 700 mm of annual rainfall and moderate humidity. Here's how 2,500 plants stack up against that climate, and when to plant them.

984Excellent Match
410Good Match
258Marginal
848Not Suitable

Thimphu’s year at a glance

0°2JAN3FEB6MAR10APR15MAY18JUN20JUL19AUG16SEP12OCT7NOV4DECBars: average temperature. White ticks: average overnight low.

Estimated average temperature by month, °C frost-free frost likely overnight

Plants that suit Thimphu

Every plant here has been checked against Thimphu’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.

Fit
Lifecycle
Type

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What to plant in Thimphu, month by month

Planting windows are worked out from Thimphu’s estimated monthly temperatures and each plant’s comfortable range: warm enough to avoid frost damage, cool enough to avoid heat stress. Pick a month, or click a cell in the grid.

Lifecycle
Type

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 (258 marginal, 848 not recommended outdoors in Thimphu). Look up any specific plant, or compare Thimphu against a different climate factor by factor:

Open the Full Checker for Thimphu →