Growing Tropical Garden plants in the UK has become very popular in recent years. Plants with lush tropical foliage are available for sale and are particulary popular. However it need to be remembered that plant collectors have been bringing tropical garden plants back to the UK from around the world for centuries, and yes many of these live in conservatories and would not survive in the home garden for even one season. There are many plants for sale in the UK that will give that 'Tropical Garden' look to the English garden that can survive the cold climate given a little care.

Palms such as Brahea (Hesper Palms) can to well in cooler climates given a little protection, they will need good drainage especially during winter. Look for Brahea edulis (Guadalupe Palm) Brahea elegans (Franceschi Palm) and Brahea armata (Mexican Blue Palm)

Ferns can give an exotic or 'tropical' look to any garden especially the 'tree ferns' such as Cyathea australis, Cyathea cooperi and the very fashionable Dicksonia antarctica.

Gingers such as Hedychium aurantiacum, Hedychium coccinuem and Hedychium densifolium some with great flowers as well as lush foliage make great additions to a lush border planting.

Cannas are another tropical looking garden plant that add great foliage color as well as colorful flowers. The dark foliage cannas now available look fantastic and the upright foliage is a great foil for the border.

Bananas. Great for a Tropical Garden look. Now you are probably not looking at the fruiting type, its the foliage type we are after. Musa basjoo is perhaps the one that will survive the best, cold hardy although it will die back in winter, and it 'may' even fruit in a warm position, it can reach 12ft in one year. Ensete glaucum with its large leaves will grow to 15ft and is stunning. Ensete ventricosum maurelli with its great red foliage will be a stunner, right up until the first frost, when it will meet its end unless its grown in a pot and can be moved to a conservatory.

Bamboos have always had an exotic look and with so many species avaialble, different colored canes and different sizes it is fairly easy to find a bamboo that will suit any situation. Look for clumping varieties (not the running invasive types).

Agaves and Yucca. Now some of these are tougher than others. Agave angustifolia for example is a lot tougher that Agave attenuatta. If left in the open over winter these will all suffer at least some leaf damage, and maybe more. However given protection thay can be a stunning addition to the garden.

Alocasias. Fantastic foliage and well worth a try. Probably best in pots and overwintered indoors.



Others plants worth a try for that tropical garden look include : Cordylines, Echiums, Eucomis, Gunnera, Phormiun (the New Zealand Flax), Puya, Carex and Dianella.