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No one has left an indelible imprint on the world quite like Marilyn Monroe. She’s part of that teeny-tiny category of people who are instantly recognizable by their first name. Nearly 64 years after her death, the obsession with Monroe remains unchanged. We’ve been left with movies, memorabilia, and historical books chronicling Monroe’s life — both public and private. Perhaps the most unexpected revelation is that, away from the movie sets and camera flashes, she was a woman who felt at home when she was surrounded by gorgeous flowers, shrubs, and trees. And nothing can give your landscape a glow-up like Monroe’s favorite plants.
Even before becoming “Marilyn Monroe,” she had immersed herself in gardening by absorbing the pages of horticultural books. Monroe owned a house in Beverly Hills on Fifth Helena Drive, according to The Hollywood Home. She filled the 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival home with a plethora of trees and showy bushes that gave the perimeter a sense of privacy. The modest home had two palm trees in the backyard, which towered above the Spanish-tile roof. It also had an array of perennial flowers and a herb garden. Monroe’s yard featured showy blooms, like begonias, as well as fruit-producing trees. And most of her favorites are easy to get your hands on. While you can opt for any number of stunning flowers named after a celebrity, if you want to take a page from Monroe, these are the ones you’ll want.
Marilyn Monroe’s favorite plants you could add to your garden
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Marilyn Monroe made the 2,900-square-foot residence a home, despite living there for less than six months. But you don’t have to be a celebrity to add some of her favorite plants to your landscape. Monroe was clearly a fan of the citrus trees that lined the outside of the Brentwood residence in 1962. She had Valencia oranges (Citrus sinensis ‘Valencia’) and lemons (Citrus x limon) that can reach up to 20 feet tall, giving her the privacy she craved. Plus, Monroe added Mexican lime trees (Citrus x aurantiifolia) to the mix in the days leading up to her death. These small, fruit-bearing trees offer a very cheery view in front of the windows.
Her favorite shade was green, so when it came to adding color outside her home, Monroe’s backyard was filled with a slew of evergreens, flowering shrubs, and bushes. It featured pops of vibrant hues with begonias mixed with pretty hydrangeas. Surrounding her swimming pool, Monroe planted the African blue lily (Agapanthus praecox), an evergreen perennial that flaunts its brightly colored bluish-purple flower stems.
For over 20 years, Joe DiMaggio made sure Monroe’s grave had a fresh batch of red roses every week, which were known to be her favorite flower, although she didn’t make them a part of her garden. But if you love them too, there are plenty of fast-growing roses to include in your own yard.
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