What is your most rewarding plant and biggest disappointment

[Yorkshire Kris]

For me the plant that has grown the best for me has been my ensete maurelii and P vivax bamboo. The bananas grow from about 1-4 foot high to 6 -12 foot high in just one growing season. My P vivax has grown from two canes to around a dozen in two growing seasons in a large pot.

Biggest disappointments have been nannorrhops that I have had twice and died both times with zero growth plus alocasia Boa which grew very slowly before dying.

Anybody got any experiences of plants that have grown much better or worse than expected? This topic is not about who has the biggest or rarest plants but more to do with how well (or not) plants have grown since planting/sowing.

[Adam D]

My Yucca linearifolia is my most rewarding.

It was planted out in April 2006 and has taken everything that the Scottish climate can chuck at it and still looks great.

Not sure about disappointments to be honest, plenty of sad losses though.

[Yorkshire Kris]

Adam I think from reading from yours and other people experiences with Yuccas that they seem to be one of the best/easiest tropical plants to grow. I wish trunked Yuccas were a more common site at garden centres across the UK

[Mr List]

my biggest disappointment was my brugmanisa.

first i found out it was deadly toxic then that it can't survive winter.

i was going to let it die but when i dug it up it came straight out in a nice small pot shaped rootball so i gave it a chance.

in some ways it hjas been the most rewarding plant too.

[Yorkshire Kris]

my biggest disappointment was my brugmansia.

first i found out it was deadly toxic then that it can't survive winter.

i was going to let it die but when i dug it up it came straight out in a nice small pot shaped root-ball so i gave it a chance.

in some ways it hjas been the most rewarding plant too.

I love angels trumpets too but they are far too dangerous to have around children. Plus if you get any of the sap in your eye it dilates massively and gives you weird dreams. One to be very cautious of.....

[Adrian]

I would suggest anyone with children and worried about them to check out plants before buying them as a lot are either poisonous or dangerous, you'll be surprised at what could be a problem.

[Mo]

Even though they are so toxic I just have to grow brugmansias, they are just too damned beautiful! Of course, it helps that I don't have children around!
My ensete maurellii is definitly the most rewarding of last year and I've managed to keep it through the winter thanks to Dave's advice, so that's a big bonus! Cheers Dave.

The biggest disappointment has been the loss of my cordyline ( I really don't think it'll survive. It's damaged at the base of the trunk as well as completely losing the top. Still, I won't do anything drastic with it just yet!

[Yorkshire Kris]

I would suggest anyone with children and worried about them to check out plants before buying them as a lot are either poisonous or dangerous, you'll be surprised at what could be a problem.

Too true the list of what is toxic or poisonous is huge. Correct me if I'm wrong but the most dangerous are Datura, Ricinus and Yew.

100s of other exotics are poisonous including ensete, cycas, many palms, lobelias etc etc.
Some are surprisingly edible such as cannas and dahlias!
Many "normal" plants are poisonous too such as buttercups, daffodils and crocuses.

[Conifers]

Too true the list of what is toxic or poisonous is huge. Correct me if I'm wrong but the most dangerous are Datura, Ricinus and Yew.

Ricinus is very nasty, Datura fairly so, but Yew isn't too bad. Oleander is one I'd rate quite high on the danger list though. And any Toxicodendron species is really nasty, just handling them can flay your skin off (I've read of someone who had to spend 3 months in agony in hospital just from handling Toxicodendron vernicifluum foliage).

[Yorkshire Kris]

Ricinus is very nasty, Datura fairly so, but Yew isn't too bad.

Yew always sticks in my mind because at primary school I remember seeing a poster that said that eating a few yew berries would kill a child in less than 10 minutes from a massive heart attack.

Anyway this is all off topic.. can this be moved Dave?

[LONGK]

We always had Datura around as my stepson was growing up and he's 19 now! Along with Aconitum and Daffs to name but a few!
Most rewarding is easy - Clerodendrum Ugandense. It blooms prolifically from April to November. See it here.......

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35724365@N ... 970680010/

Most disappointing is probably Lotus Berthelotii, as I struggle to keep it going for a decent period of time (no matter what I try).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35724365@N ... 278656473/

[grub]

I have the same trouble with Lotus Berthelotii here too, must be an Oxfordshire thing

[Tom2006]

I am just getting into other exotics but my most rewarding plant in terms of making me feel good in the garden has to be my tree ferns. Not sure why I just love them!

[jonny]

I cant decide but i think my most rewarding has to be my Phyllostachys spectabillis closely followed by Shefflera tawainiana. Biggest disappointment has to be Alpinia zerumbet variegata. I went out and bought a huge one from Amulree. Needed more heat and humidity than i could provide.

[flounder]

most rewarding for me are my first seed grown trachys. still not very big after a few years but they're mine.
biggest disappointment is my inability to keep basjoo pups alive long enough to plant them in the garden