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Season guide · Mar–May

What to plant in Dubai in spring

The last planting window
Highest mean high38.2°CLowest mean low18.6°CTo sow or plant69Flowering or fruiting83

Dubai's spring is short and brisk, and it is best thought of as the first half of summer. March is still mild, with highs near 29°C; by May the average high is 38°C and the garden is under pressure. That arc, from generous to demanding in twelve weeks, is the whole story of the season.

March is the last great planting month. Tree and shrub planting should finish here, lawns can be patched and overseeded while Bermuda grass and Seashore paspalum wake up, and the vegetable bed swaps cool crops for heat-lovers: okra, aubergine, sweet potato and Armenian cucumber. April is a transition. Only well-adapted plants such as Vinca, Portulaca and succulents go in cheerfully, and every new plant needs shade cloth and attention. By May, planting is limited to heat-lovers and anything you can protect.

The real work of spring is preparation. Move watering to early morning, mulch every bed 5 to 7 cm deep, fit 30 to 50% shade cloth, service the irrigation, and inspect palms for red palm weevil. Bougainvillea, frangipani and many shrubs flower hard in the warming weather, which is the compensation for the work. Dubai Municipality follows the same calendar: its main winter bedding season runs to May, and a hardier summer cycle starts in May.

See the plant listMonth by month
A Dubai villa garden in spring: frangipani in flower, bougainvillea in full bloom along the boundary wall and pink vinca in the planters, beside a sparkling pool under a bright blue sky

Spring at a glance

The last window

  • March is the last easy month

    Finish trees and shrubs now, while temperatures sit under 30°C.

  • Swap cool crops for heat-lovers

    Okra, aubergine, Armenian cucumber and sweet potato replace lettuce and brassicas.

  • Warm-season lawns wake up

    Bermuda and paspalum can be patched and overseeded as the soil warms.

  • Protect before the heat

    Mulch, shade cloth and an early-morning watering routine go in before May.

  • Flowering peaks

    Bougainvillea, frangipani and many shrubs are in bloom through the warming weather.

Month by month

The spring months

Plant in spring

69 plants to sow or plant, Mar–May

Every plant with a sowing or planting window in these months, grouped by kind and best bets first. Open a month for the exact timing.

Vegetables & herbs (5)

Edible crops, herbs and fruit

Okra
Earth100's Okra Plant, growing in Hong Kong, on August 25, 2012

Okra

Abelmoschus esculentus

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Chilli
Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio

Chilli

Capsicum annuum

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Aubergine
An Aubergine plant “Moneymaker F1” (Solanum melongena) growing in a greenhouse within in the village of Trimingham, N...

Aubergine

Solanum melongena

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Cucumber
ARS cucumber

Cucumber

Cucumis sativus

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Plant
Curry leaf
Curry Trees

Curry leaf

Murraya koenigii

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers

Flowers (5)

Bedding and flowering annuals

Portulaca
White Portulaca grandiflora (moss rose) flower, close-up

Portulaca

Portulaca grandiflora

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Vinca
Catharanthus roseus pink flower.

Vinca

Catharanthus roseus

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Bird of paradise
Ave-do-paraíso, Strelitzia reginae, em Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Bird of paradise

Strelitzia reginae

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Celosia
The Celosia flower

Celosia

Celosia argentea

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Heliconia
Near Palm Tree House, Woodfordhill, Dominica, W.I.

Heliconia

Heliconia psittacorum

Part shadeSalt: 1 of 5
Flowers

Trees & palms (15)

Shade, structure and fruit

Ghaf
Prosopis cineraria tree known as Khejri in Rajasthani and Hindi

Ghaf

Prosopis cineraria

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Native
Flowers
Moringa
Moringa oleifera. Common names: Drumstick Tree. Horseradish Tree.

Moringa

Moringa oleifera

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Washingtonia Palm
A Mexican Fan Palm tree in Enterprise, Alabama.

Washingtonia Palm

Washingtonia robusta

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Foxtail Palm
Foxtail Palm at SeaWorld Orlando in Orange County, FL

Foxtail Palm

Wodyetia bifurcata

Sun/part shadeSalt: 3 of 5
Flowers
Bismarck Palm
Bismarckia nobilis (Bismarck palm) in a garden setting

Bismarck Palm

Bismarckia nobilis

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Flowers
Lemon tree
Lemon - fleur et fruit

Lemon tree

Citrus × limon

Full sunSalt: 1 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Show 7 more
Guava
Red guava (Psidium guajava) on a black background.

Guava

Psidium guajava

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Bottlebrush
Melaleuca viminalis

Bottlebrush

Callistemon viminalis

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Flowers
Parkinsonia
Parkinsonia aculeata, trees in flower; naturalised alien invaded, between Boane and Bela Vista, Maputo Province, Moza...

Parkinsonia

Parkinsonia aculeata

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Caution
Flowers
Mango
Mangoes (Magnifera indica) from West Bengal, India. Photo taken by Yogabrata Chakraborty, on June 9, 2022.

Mango

Mangifera indica

Full sunSalt: 1 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Banana
Banana (Musa acuminata) plant with broad leaves, flower blossom and a forming fruit bunch

Banana

Musa acuminata

Full sunSalt: 1 of 5
Flowers
Traveller's palm
Botanical specimen in Sankyo Garden, Guam, USA.

Traveller's palm

Ravenala madagascariensis

Full sunSalt: 1 of 5
Flowers
Papaya
Developing papaya fruits clustered on the trunk of a papaya tree

Papaya

Carica papaya

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers

Shrubs & climbers (25)

Borders, hedges, succulents and groundcover

Sesuvium
Sesuvium portulacastrum (flowers and leaves). Location: Midway Atoll, Bulky Dump Sand Island

Sesuvium

Sesuvium portulacastrum

Full sunSalt: 5 of 5
Native
Flowers
Sea Jasmine
Sea jasmine (Volkameria) white star-shaped flower among glossy green leaves

Sea Jasmine

Clerodendrum inerme

Full sunSalt: 5 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Aloe vera
Aloe vera (habit). Location: Maui, Kalepolepo

Aloe vera

Aloe vera

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Adapted
Flowers
Lantana
Flower and leaves of Lantana camara

Lantana

Lantana camara

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Flowers
Wedelia
Creeping Oxeye (scientifically known as Sphagneticola trilobata) is a fast-growing, mat-forming perennial herb widely...

Wedelia

Sphagneticola trilobata

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Caution
Flowers
Agave
A specimen of a Century plant (Agave americana) in the countryside within the neighbourhood of Mosqueira, north of th...

Agave

Agave americana

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Plant
Desert Rose
Desert rose (Adenium obesum) with pink flowers and a swollen caudex

Desert Rose

Adenium obesum

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Native
Flowers
Texas Sage
Ornamental Texas sage in bloom

Texas Sage

Leucophyllum frutescens

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Flowers
Show 17 more
Duranta
Duranta erecta ‘Sapphire Showers’. Common names: golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and Picotee sky flower

Duranta

Duranta erecta

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Jatropha
Jatropha integerrima, Janakpur, Nepal

Jatropha

Jatropha integerrima

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Caution
Flowers
Plumbago
Blue Serenity in Bloom

Plumbago

Plumbago auriculata

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Ruellia
Mexican Bluebell

Ruellia

Ruellia simplex

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Natal Plum
Carissa macrocarpa (fruit and flowers). Location: Maui, Kahului

Natal Plum

Carissa macrocarpa

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Flowers
Coral vine
ニトベカズラの花（2025年9月 沖縄県石垣市 バンナ公園）

Coral vine

Antigonon leptopus

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Caution
Flowers
Rangoon creeper
Chinese Honeysuckle, Rangoon Creeper

Rangoon creeper

Combretum indicum

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Allamanda
Flowers of Allamanda cathartica in West Bengal, India. Photo taken by Yogabrata Chakraborty, on August 1, 2022.

Allamanda

Allamanda cathartica

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Jade Plant
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) on May 17, 2018 in Los Altos, California.

Jade Plant

Crassula ovata

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Prickly Pear
Opuntia ficus-indica growing at Pol·lèntia, an archaeological site in Alcúdia, Mallorca, Spain

Prickly Pear

Opuntia ficus-indica

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Caution
Flowers
Pencil Cactus
Pencil Cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli)

Pencil Cactus

Euphorbia tirucalli

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Caution
Plant
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Ficus Nitida
Ficus microcarpa L.f., Chinese banyan, habitus; Playa Santiago, La Gomera, Canary Islands, Spain.

Ficus Nitida

Ficus microcarpa 'Nitida'

Sun/part shadeSalt: 3 of 5
Caution
Plant
Acalypha
Fotografia detalhada de uma folha de Flamengueira.

Acalypha

Acalypha wilkesiana

Full sunSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Passion flower
Flor da paixón, O Grove

Passion flower

Passiflora caerulea

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Flowers
Elephant ear
Alocasia macrorrhiza specimen in the Jardin botanique du Val Rahmeh, Menton, Alpes-Maritimes, France.

Elephant ear

Alocasia macrorrhizos

Part shadeSalt: 1 of 5
Plant

Lawn & grasses (11)

Turf and ornamental grasses

Vetiver
Ramacham1

Vetiver

Chrysopogon zizanioides

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Caution
Flowers
Lomandra
Taken in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Lomandra

Lomandra longifolia

Sun/part shadeSalt: 3 of 5
Plant
Bermuda grass
Cynodon dactylon (Couch Grass) photographed on a private property in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.

Bermuda grass

Cynodon dactylon

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
Adapted
Plant
Purple fountain grass
Poaceae - Red Fountain Grass; Ornamental plant,beautiful hedge plant,leaves purple,feathery plumes.

Purple fountain grass

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'

Full sunSalt: 3 of 5
AdaptedCaution
Flowers
Lemongrass
Gardenology.org-IMG 2892 rbgs11jan

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Plant
Pink muhly
Purple muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is in bloom this fall in the National Garden.

Pink muhly

Muhlenbergia capillaris

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Flowers
Mondo grass
Ophiopogon japonicus (Nana dwarf habit). Location: Maui, Kula Ace Hardware and Nursery

Mondo grass

Ophiopogon japonicus

Part shadeSalt: 4 of 5
Flowers
Show 3 more
Zoysia grass
​在一個庭園裡的「臺北草」與造景兼具實際功能的踏腳石等。

Zoysia grass

Zoysia matrella

Sun/part shadeSalt: 3 of 5
Plant
Pampas grass
Pampa grass inflorescences (Cortaderia selloana) in a garden, France.

Pampas grass

Cortaderia selloana

Full sunSalt: 4 of 5
Caution
Flowers
St Augustine grass
Starr-160716-0140-Stenotaphrum secundatum-habit with Quercus sp-Boca Regional Hospital-Florida (29668096745)

St Augustine grass

Stenotaphrum secundatum

Sun/part shadeSalt: 3 of 5
Plant

Indoor (4)

For cool, air-conditioned rooms

Peace lily
Peace lily - 1 - cropped

Peace lily

Spathiphyllum wallisii

Part shadeSalt: 1 of 5
Plant
Areca palm
Photo taken in National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Areca palm

Dypsis lutescens

Part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Plant
Anthurium
Flamingo lilies

Anthurium

Anthurium andraeanum

Part shadeSalt: 1 of 5
Plant
Calathea
Calathea roseopicta. Common name: Rose Painted Calathea.

Calathea

Goeppertia spp. (syn. Calathea)

Part shadeSalt: 1 of 5
Plant

Water plants (4)

Ponds, rills and water features

Umbrella Sedge
Cyperus alternifolius, Landscape plants of the UAE, Monocotyledonous flower

Umbrella Sedge

Cyperus involucratus

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Adapted
Plant
Water Lily
A flower of the 'Peach Glow' cultivar of hardy water-lily (genus Nymphaea), photographed just after rain at the Brook...

Water Lily

Nymphaea (tropical hybrids)

Sun/part shadeSalt: 1 of 5
Flowers
Lotus
Flower of Nelumbo nucifera, bean of India.

Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera

Full sunSalt: 1 of 5
Flowers
Papyrus
Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, UGANDA

Papyrus

Cyperus papyrus

Sun/part shadeSalt: 2 of 5
Plant
A sunny Dubai apartment balcony with pots of basil, mint, coriander, rosemary, chillies and a curry-leaf plant

Herbs for heat

Pots you can move are the safest bet

Basil, lemongrass, curry leaf and chillies cope with April's heat in containers you can shift into morning sun and afternoon shade as the weather builds.

Herbs for Dubai

In flower or fruiting

What is at its best in spring

83 plants flower, fruit or crop at some point in Mar–May.
Prosopis cineraria tree known as Khejri in Rajasthani and Hindi
In flowerFruiting

Ghaf

Prosopis cineraria

Ziziphus spina-christi growing in Israel
FruitingHarvest

Sidr

Ziziphus spina-christi

UAE native tree.Vachellia tortilis
In flower

Samr

Vachellia tortilis

Tamarisk tree (Tamarix aphylla) — in southern Algeria.
In flower

Tamarisk

Tamarix aphylla

It is a neem tree in the month of January in Rajasthan state in India in 2025
In flowerFruiting

Neem

Azadirachta indica

A Flame tree against brick building in Mali. Tree is Delonix regia commonly known as Royal Poinciana.
In flower

Royal Poinciana

Delonix regia

This Plumeria rubra tree was photographed at Pune.
In flower

Frangipani

Plumeria rubra

Tabebuia rosea (pink trumpet tree) in full bloom against a blue sky
In flower

Pink Trumpet Tree

Tabebuia rosea

Also at it this month

Olive (in flower),Moringa (in flower),Damas (in flower),Date Palm (in flower, fruiting),Washingtonia Palm (in flower),Foxtail Palm (in flower, fruiting),Bismarck Palm (in flower),Bougainvillea (in flower),Arabian Jasmine (in flower),Ixora (in flower),Hibiscus (in flower),Oleander (in flower),Yellow Bells (in flower),Lantana (in flower),Arak (in flower, fruiting),Texas Sage (in flower),Hopbush (in flower, fruiting),Sea Jasmine (in flower),Desert Rose (in flower),Vinca (in flower),Portulaca (in flower),Petunia (in flower),Marigold (in flower),Zinnia (in flower),Wedelia (in flower),Desert grass (in flower),Aloe vera (in flower),Crown of thorns (in flower),Mint (harvest),Basil (in flower, harvest),Rosemary (in flower),Cherry tomato (fruiting, harvest),Bird of paradise (in flower),Traveller's palm (in flower),Heliconia (in flower),Mango (in flower, fruiting),Lemon tree (in flower, harvest),Fig (fruiting),Pomegranate (in flower, fruiting),Guava (in flower, fruiting),Papaya (in flower, fruiting, harvest),Mulberry (in flower, fruiting, harvest),Okra (in flower, harvest),Chilli (in flower, harvest),Aubergine (in flower, harvest),Cucumber (harvest),Lettuce (harvest),Curry leaf (in flower, harvest),Coriander (in flower, harvest),Duranta (in flower),Jatropha (in flower),Plumbago (in flower),Ruellia (in flower),Natal Plum (in flower, fruiting),Bottlebrush (in flower),Golden Shower Tree (in flower),Parkinsonia (in flower, fruiting),Yellow Trumpet Tree (in flower),Purple fountain grass (in flower),Lemongrass (harvest),Coral vine (in flower),Rangoon creeper (in flower),Allamanda (in flower),Passion flower (in flower),Sesuvium (in flower),Gazania (in flower),Celosia (in flower),Sunflower (in flower),Snapdragon (in flower),Dianthus (in flower),Cosmos (in flower),Prickly Pear (in flower),Kalanchoe (in flower),Water Lily (in flower),Lotus (in flower)

Keep reading

Guides for this season

A Dubai villa garden in spring: frangipani in full leaf and bougainvillea in bloom around a travertine pool under a timber pergola

Planting

The UAE planting calendar: what to plant in Dubai, month by month

Dubai's growing year runs backwards from Europe's: October to March is the cool season and the busy planting window, while April to September is mostly about keeping things alive.

29 Sept 2026 · 5 min read

Macro shot of a drip emitter releasing a bead of water onto dark mulch at the base of a flowering bougainvillea, dew on the leaves

Costs & water

Watering your garden through a Dubai summer

Water before 8am or after 6pm, favour drip over spray, and expect new planting to need far more water than anything established — plus what it actually costs on your DEWA bill.

29 Sept 2026 · 5 min read

The other seasons

Plan the whole year

A Dubai villa garden in winter: a turquoise pool beside a striped green lawn, terracotta planters overflowing with petunias and white alyssum, and a bare-branched frangipani under a clear sky
Dec–Feb

Winter

The bloom season

Bloom and harvest

Read the winter guide
A Dubai villa garden in summer: a cream shade sail over the terrace, bougainvillea in bloom, a green lawn and flower-filled planters beside a bright turquoise pool
Jun–Sep

Summer

The survival season

Survival season

Read the summer guide
A Dubai villa garden in autumn: freshly planted beds of young seedlings in dark soil around the pool, a striped lawn and a bare frangipani in soft golden light
Oct–Nov

Autumn

Planting season opens

Planting season opens

Read the autumn guide

Sources

Pool + garden care

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