Yes, You Can Create Your Own Paradise Growing Tropical Plants Here In The UK!

From: Mark Graham

After enjoying many holidays abroad in hot countries, I wondered if it was possible to grow tropical plants here in the UK and then, just perhaps, on a hot sunny day (I know, it doesn't happen often!) I could feel like I was right there in a beautiful tropical paradise!

Besides, I also enjoy the challenge of growing plants and palms that perhaps shouldn't be able to grow here in the UK at all, or at least the majority of people wouldn't believe could actually grow here in our temperate climate!

In fact, as you become more acquainted with the hobby of growing tropical plants, it becomes evident that there are a surprising number of tropical and exotic plants and palms that can be grown here and perhaps surprisingly, quite a number that can survive a typical UK winter.

One thing that can really help you to succeed with tropical plants and palms is to learn a little about their native environment. By re-creating as much as is possible, the right conditions for your plants, will help you to get the most out of them!

Not all are completely hardy and many may have to be protected or kept somewhere frost free during the winter. As you can imagine, frost is the number one enemy for tropical plants and palms.

The Musa Basjoo banana plant for instance, will survive outside during winter, but if you want it to continue growing taller the following year, you need to protect the trunk from frost by wrapping in garden fleece and/or straw packed around the trunk and held in place by a chicken wire 'tube'. If you choose not to protect it, then the stems will die off in the frost and it will simply grow again from ground level in spring.

By contrast, the red abyssinian banana or Ensete Maurelii (pictured right) will not survive in the ground at all during winter and must be lifted and left in a dry, frost-free place over winter.  

PALMS:

There are a few palms too that will survive and thrive in the UK climate, The best known palm that withstands our winter weather is the Trachycarpus Fortunei or chusan palm - more and more of these are popping up in UK gardens now. Originating in China , this is the hardiest of palms for the UK climate and can in theory, tolerate up to -15C when mature! Also, the only true European palm, the Chamaerops Humilis which doesn't grow very tall and has a more 'bushy' habit is almost as frost tolerant as the Chusan palm.

Cordylines (although not a true palm tree) are also another good choice although the recent harsh winters have killed off many of these in large parts of the UK that had been growing and thriving for many years. It's not all doom and gloom though, as many of these 'sprout' again from around the original trunks that have been killed off - we just have to hope for milder winters in the future for them to achieve a good size again!

Cannas are another exotic plant that is very easy to grow here although the rhizomes are best lifted and stored frost-free in winter but can be planted out again in spring once the last of the frosts are over. They will delight you with a beautiful display of flowers right through the summer months and often on into early November depending on the weather!

There are many more plants to consider and I've only mentioned a very few here, so do have a look at the menu links on the left for more information and advice on individual tropical plants and palms and I will continue to add new pages and information as time allows.