What can I grow on a north-facing balcony in the UAE?

North is the forgiving aspect in this climate, and it is worth knowing before you buy, because the advice written for temperate countries treats a north balcony as a problem. Here it is an advantage: you get usable light for most of the day without the leaf burn and root heat that define a west-facing balcony in July.

That opens up plants that would scorch elsewhere on the building. Areca palm gives pet-safe height and screening and is genuinely happier here than in sun. Croton holds its leaf colour in bright shade without the burn it gets on a west rail. Star jasmine covers a rail and flowers without the crisped edges that afternoon sun causes.

The trade-off is flowering. Most heavy bloomers sold for UAE balconies need several hours of direct sun to set flower, so on a north balcony they stay healthy and green and never really perform. If you want colour in shade, lean on foliage — croton, cordyline and iresine give you colour that does not depend on a bloom.

An east-facing balcony behaves similarly for plant selection, with the bonus of a few hours of gentle morning sun, which is enough to flower jasmine and mandevilla but not enough to burn them.