your 12 best hardy exotic/tropical plants?

[GoggleboxUK]

Trachycarpus Fortunei
Fatsia Japonica
Yucca G;oriosa
Paulownia Tomentosa
Musa Basjoo
Camellia Alba Simplex
Choisya Ternata Sundance
Chamaerops humilis var. Cerifera
Fargesia Murilae
Polystichum polyblepharum
Cotinus Royal Purple
Hemerocallis

Give me that lot and a space and I could make a garden.

[stephenprudence]

Echeveria glauca

Are you sure of this one Stephen? Is it really hardy - around minus 10/15?

Well it came back after last winter -10C, one was even unaffected, so the answer I suppose is yes, in some circumstances.

One thing is for certain... Echeverias have great bounce back ability.

[Yorkshire Kris]

Echeveria glauca

Are you sure of this one Stephen? Is it really hardy - around minus 10/15?

Well it came back after last winter -10C, one was even unaffected, so the answer I suppose is yes, in some circumstances.

One thing is for certain... Echeverias have great bounce back ability.

hhhmmmm that will leave a bit more space in the greehouse this coming winter. Cheers.

[stephenprudence]

Assuming you don't get exceptionally cold temperatures again it should be fine. Just mulch it up with dead leaves or throw a little cover over in the coldest nights and it will come through fine, I haven't lost an Echeveria pup in any of the last three winter, despite the inclement conditions.

What's even more impressive was the regeneration of a cold zapped Pachyphytum oviferum.

[palm lad]

Trachycarpus fortunei
Trachycarpus nainital
chammy humilis
araucaria arucana
fatsia japonica
ricinus communis
phoenix canariensis
musa basjoo

if i could/can grow these in north east??:
ensete maurellii
tetrapanax papyrifia
gunnera manicata
Trachycarpus naga hills

[Ian Cooke]

Bit confusing! Hardy exotics - yes but hardy tropical - no such thing!

[billdango]

I can only speak for hardy exotics that have withstood -7c in southampton but my list is as below.
butia capitata
brahea armata
chamerops humilis
trachycarpus fortuni
trachycarpus wagnerianus
phoenix canariensis
jubaea chiliensis
musa basjoo
aralia japonica
albizia julibrissien
catalpa bignioides
acacia dealbata
I could add fifty more at least ?
rgds billdango.

[Mr List]

Bit confusing! Hardy exotics - yes but hardy tropical - no such thing!

lol,
your favourite climber , passionflower, is supposed to be a tropical plant that is also hardy.

[Conifers]

Bit confusing! Hardy exotics - yes but hardy tropical - no such thing!

lol,
your favourite climber , passionflower, is supposed to be a tropical plant that is also hardy.

There are tropical passionflowers, but the ones in cultivation outdoors in Britain are from temperate eastern USA. They can tolerate severe winter cold, provided they get hot summers to ripen the stems fully.

There are just a few hardy tropical plants, originating at very high altitudes in e.g. southern Mexico. Best example is Pinus ayacahuite, which is tropical (native at latitudes 14 to 21°N, i.e., inside the Tropic of Cancer), and hardy (selected high altitude origins) to around -25° to even -30°C.

[Rachelpalm]

all the following have survived last 9 winters

Trachycarpus Fortunei
green Cordyline
Fatsia japonica
Phormiums
Chamaerops humilis
Carex Evergold grasses
Calla lilys
Abutilon
Mexican Orange Blossom
Musa Basjoo
Shuttlecock ferns


My 12th one would be tree fern but I only bought it 5 weeks ago so will see what happens this winter. Will drag it in my garage during bad weather.

Cheers

[Troppoz]

Native Ferns

They are, by definition, not exotic, nor tropical

My selections (all exotic, admittedly not all tropical):
Pinus ayacahuite
Pinus pinceana
Pinus nelsonii
Pinus culminicola
Pinus engelmannii
Pinus sabiniana
Picea breweriana
Pseudolarix amabilis
Abies spectabilis
Sequoia sempervirens
Cupressus macnabiana
Sciadopitys verticillata
Nageia nagi (doubtfully hardy)
Dacrydium cupressinum
Lagarostrobus franklinii
Podocarpus salignus

All conifers

What?!? No Wollemia nobilis??

The Lagerstrobus is one of my favourite trees, seeing a mature on in the wild is a special experience...

My favourite 'exotic' is a large majestic English Oak, nothing beates 'em...

Sean

[redsquirrel]

I can only speak for hardy exotics that have withstood -7c in southampton but my list is as below.
butia capitata
brahea armata
chamerops humilis
trachycarpus fortuni
trachycarpus wagnerianus
phoenix canariensis
jubaea chiliensis
musa basjoo
aralia japonica
albizia julibrissien
catalpa bignioides
acacia dealbata
I could add fifty more at least ?
rgds billdango.

dont think ive tried catalpa bignioides but had some success and failures with everything else on your list Bill.my strongest surviving butia is an eriospatha,slight damage but not enough to weaken for next winter. a couple of unmarked trachies,ditto with chamaerops,yet some badly damaged.all phoenix wiped out.the rest are some lived,some died but really a mixed bag damage wise on the survivors. the difference 90 miles can make is unreal

[Conifers]

What?!? No Wollemia nobilis??

Not reliably hardy

[JoelR]

Echeveria glauca

Are you sure of this one Stephen? Is it really hardy - around minus 10/15?

Well it came back after last winter -10C, one was even unaffected, so the answer I suppose is yes, in some circumstances.

One thing is for certain... Echeverias have great bounce back ability.

If planted in the ground, Echeveria secunda (glauca) can be protected with fleece. I've seen this done very effectively in west yorks with a mass planting covered with fleece for the whole winter and just weighted down with rocks. The plants were looking very much alive in Feb this year. Echeveria elegans seems to be even hardier and in the right spot will come back (looking untidy at first) with no protection. Some clones seem to be hardier than others.

[simon]

I don't grow Echeveria but I heard that rosea is the hardiest for our climate.