These perennial exotic plants are tough enough to survive winters in the UK. Hardy tropical plants and hardy exotic plants are a great way to create a low maintenance tropical style garden here in the UK. Tropical and exotic plant hardiness can vary depending on location and plant treatment. The trick with most hardy exotics is to ensure they have good drainage and are kept drier in winter months. Always protect young plants from severe cold as their hardiness will improve as they mature.
The darkest in a series of brand new stunning cold hardy Begonias. Begonia 'Dark Side of the Moon' produces nearly black, velvety leaves with scarlet red flowers. The bold foliage has a deep maroon underside.
These new hybrids are said to be hardy downs to USDA zone 7, that's below -10ºC! We're excited to test this claim in the Grow Paradise garden. Through summer sprays of delicate red flowers are held above the striking foliage.
Current size: Plug plant
The first in a series of brand new stunning cold hardy Begonias. Begonia 'Sterling Moon' has large palmate-shaped leaves that are patterned with silver and green flecking, perfect for illuminating shady spots in garden borders. The leaf underside is a rich coppery-maroon colour.
These new hybrids are said to be hardy downs to USDA zone 7, that's below -10ºC! We're excited to test this claim in the Grow Paradise garden. Through summer sprays of delicate rosy pink flowers are held above the striking foliage.
Current size: Plug plant
A hardy Colocasia! 'Pink China' is a very popular and tough Colocasia that has proven very hardy all over the UK. Colocasia 'Pink China' will quickly form a thick clump of plants that will grow large heart-shaped lush leaves on pink leaf stems. The large leaves of Colocasias give these plants their common name of ‘Elephant Ears’. This impressive plant will grow up to 1.3m tall with enormous leaves that can over 60cm long.
Try combining Colocasias with Bananas for the ultimate jungle foliage combo.
Current size: Sold as plug plants
These beautiful evergreen variegated leaves really brighten up dark spots in a garden and look very exotic. A relatively fast growing shrub that can reach heights of 2m+, but tolerates hard pruning well. Fatsia japonica 'Spiders Web' has survived -6°C in the Grow Paradise garden and continues to thrive. In autumn white ivy-like flowers are produced and are followed by dark berries, providing food for pollinators and bird life.
Current size: 40cm tall, including pot.
A rarer variegated form of this reliable tropical style evergreen shrub. Large palmate glossy green leaves are adorned with a really attractive variegation, making Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' a great addition for shaded areas of any garden. A relatively fast growing shrub that can reach heights of 2m+, but tolerates hard pruning well. Fatsia japonica 'Variegata' has survived -6°C in the Grow Paradise garden and continues to thrive. In autumn white ivy-like flowers are produced and are followed by dark berries, providing food for pollinators and bird life.
Current size: 40cm tall, including pot.
Dramatic deeply divided palmate leaves and a bushy exotic evergreen habit. Fatsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’ is a relatively new introduction to gardeners here in the U.K. Fatsia polycarpa originates from the shady hillsides of Taiwan where it was once a rare plant to find. Fatsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’ is a tough exotic shrub and should be hardy in most UK gardens, but it will benefit from a bit of shelter from the most severe cold. Well worth growing for it’s amazing deeply lobed foliage, giving this Fatsia a much more tropical look than the regular Fatsia japonica.
Fatsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’ is best grown in partial shade where it can reach heights of up to 2m. In late autumn and winter it produces Ivy-like flowers that provide valuable nectar for pollinating insects.
Current size: 60cm tall, including pot.
A compact, clump-forming grass-like perennial with glossy evergreen leaves. Liriope mascari 'Purple Explosion' is an incredibly useful plant in UK gardens, providing a lush evergreen edge to your borders or pathways throughout the year. We use Liriope mascari 'Purple Explosion' as an evergreen foil for deciduous shrubs in the Grow Paradise garden. From late summer into autumn these resilient evergreen plants produce spikes of small deep purple flowers followed by very ornamental spherical black fruit that is loved by birds.
Current Size: 2ocm, including pot.
Extremely fast growing hardy banana plants. Musa basjoo is always popular for exotic gardeners with its gigantic jungly leaves and reliable hardiness in British winters. A must have plant for gardeners looking to achieve the 'tropical style' garden with high impact. This banana plant will quickly multiply and produce 'pups' from the base (baby banana plants).
Current size: 30-40cm tall including pot.
One of the best and most fragrant evergreen climbers for UK gardens. Star Jasmine, as this plant is commonly known, will produce masses of highly scented white star-shaped blooms all summer long. Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Star of Toscane' is a perfect plant for growing near seating areas as it will fill the air with its heady fragrance. Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Star of Toscane' grows very happily as a container plant trained to grow up a trellis or garden arch. The thick waxy evergreen leaves of star jasmine can turn fiery red in the cold of winter, elongating its season of interest. This stunner will grow in a warm shaded spot as well as in full sun.
Current size: Established plants in 15cm pots trained up bamboo canes.
£20.00Original price was: £20.00.£14.00Current price is: £14.00.
A beautiful & hardy palm tree that thrives in the UK. Tracycarpus fortunei, sometimes called 'Trachys' for short, produce a thick hairy trunk topped with a tropical looking crown of glossy evergreen palm leaves. In summer Tracycarpus fortunei produces panicles of yellow blooms that hang from its crown and really add to the exotic look. Tracycarpus fortunei is native to parts of southern China and has the common name of 'Windmill palm'. These surprisingly fast growing young plants are a great affordable way to add palm trees to your garden.
Current size: Supplied in 17cm pots.
An architectural hardy Yucca that has rightly become one of the most desirable drought tolerant plants for UK gardeners. Yucca rostrata is a striking plant species that is known as the 'Beaked Yucca' because its flowers are said to resemble the beak of a bird. Mature plants will produce a thick trunk topped with an almost spherical rosette of narrow blue-green leaves. The smooth leaves are spine-tipped and sway gently even in the slightest breeze. Mature Yucca rostrata plants will produce a 1.5m flowering stalk with creamy-white flowers in autumn. The flowers of this Yucca, as with other species, are adored by pollinating insects. Yucca Rostrata is native to the Chihuahuan desert of Northern Mexico.
Current size: Supplied in a 22cm pot
An impressively large growing and hardy aroid that thrives in moist soil. This clump forming hardy perennial produces large glossy green leaves to 2m tall that are speckled with silvery-white markings on mature plants. From summer to early autumn large funnel-shaped white blooms are produced on thick upright stems and held high above the foliage. Zantedeschia aethiopica 'White Giant' remains evergreen in mild parts of the UK, but may become semi-evergreen in colder winters. An easy and reliable plant with large jungle style foliage.
Current size: Sold in a 9cm pot.
Please note: These young seed grown plants have not yet developed their white leaf markings.