Featured Exotic Plants
Encyclopedia of Exotic Plants for Temperate Climates - Will Giles
A relative newcomer only discovered in north-eastern Tamaulipas, Mexico, and described in the 1990s, but potentially the very best agave for growing in a cool-temperate garden. Spectacular plant forming a huge rosette 2m across in its native habitats, comprising hundreds of short, wide grey leaves, each beautifully marked and toothed, resembling a giant globe artichoke. In the wild grows as understory and emerging species in oak and pine forests at an altitude of up to 3400m, at which dizzy heights it regularly experiences heavy frosts, snow, ice, and damp mist for months on end during the winter, taking temperatures as low as –10°C and maybe –15°C, yet remains in pristine condition. Recent seed collections mean this plant is just starting to enter the European plant market. Probably the Agave most suited to our cool wet climate. Most Agaves can cope with very cold temperature but not too many cope so well with the cold and wet. Agave montana is a spectacular Agave that does it's very best in a hot sun-baked planting area in dry gardens, rock gardens or as a potted specimen. The key with growing Agave montana is to find a planting environment that is very well drained, and in full-sun. So when planting out Agave montana add additional grit or gravel to the planting hole to maximise drainage. In the colder parts of the UK and in colder than usual winters try to keep the Agave montana as dry as possible and free from a build-up of snow. Latin name: Agave Montana Common Name: Mountain Agave Ease of growing: Easy to moderate Position: Full sun Hardiness: Hardy especially if protected from winter Soil conditions: Exceedingly well drained gravely-sandy soil Buy Agave Montana online here, we offer many Agave's for sale in the UK.
Asplenium scolopendrium - Hart’s-tongue fern. A very tropical looking evergreen fern native to Europe and the UK. It might be common but it is never-the-less very attractive, looking as though it should be growing on the floor of a jungle! It grows from 45-60cm tall with a similar width. It has multiple shuttlecock-like crowns composed of strap-like, leathery and very glossy bright green fronds up to 60cm long that are heart-shaped at the base, often with wavy margins on short stems. There are various cultivars available such as ‘Angustifolium’ which has fronds much narrower than the species. ‘Crispum’ has mid-green fronds with strongly wavy margins. ‘Crispum Bolton’s Nobile’ has broad fronds up to 45cm long. ‘Crispum Speciosum’ has sharply tapering fronds, occasionally with yellowish stripes. ‘Cristatum’ has much more divided fronds, each ending in a spreading crest. ‘Furcatum’ has lance-shaped fronds with a variable degree of undulation to the margins, with tips much divided and subdivided. ‘Muricatum’ has fronds distinctly wrinkled, puckered, and pleate They all prefer humus-rich, moist, well-drained alkali to neutral soils but will take slightly acidic soils. Most will take dry conditions for short periods only. Buy Asplenium scolopendrium online - Commonly known as Hart’s-tongue fern
Athyrium niponicum var. pictum - Japanese painted fern - A very attractive deciduous fern from eastern Asia, growing from 25-35cm tall by 50-60cm wide, with short creeping reddish brown rhizomes. The fronds are pinnate, lance-shaped and arching, with silvery grey-green or mid-green tones up to 35cm long with with very prominent redish-purple midribs and yellowish stems. The variety pictum (Japanese painted fern) is truly stunning, one of the showiest ferns for the exotic garden, electrifying shady areas with its fronds 30-38cm long in a soft shade of metallic silver-grey with hints of red and blue. The variety pictum ‘Ursula’s Red’ has superb red-pink and silver fronds developing a blackish red central stripe as they mature. ‘Pictum Crested’ (painted lady fern) has purplish red midribs suffusing into silvery grey with bluish green lamina and crested pinnae—another excellent form. Common Name: Japanese painted fern Latin Name: Athyrium niponicum var. pictum Tenderness Rating: Hardy Ease of growing: Easy Position: Dappled to full shade Soil Condition: Fertile moist soil
Dicksonia squarrosa online or Hard tree fern or even the Rough tree fern Wheki - A Suckering tree fern with a delicate appearance. Upright stem produces side crowns up the trunk, as well as underground runners producing side shoots, when mature. Faster growing than other dicksonias, up to a height of 8 m in the wild in its native New Zealand, though much smaller here in the UK as imports which are usually single stemmed. The trunk is covered in brown hairs and persistent frond bases. On mature plants the fronds can be from 1-3m long, though more like 0.5-0.8m here. The fronds are lance-shaped, bipinnate to pinnatifid, dark green and glaucous green underneath, with frond stalks covered in dense brown to black hairs. Dicksonia squarrosa prefers humus-rich, well-drained, moist soil in a humid, sheltered location, with plenty of water in the growing season. Never let the trunk dry out! Hardy to about –5°C for short periods, lower with protection. Excellent in containers or as a conservatory plant. = Latin Name: Dicksonia squarrosa Common Names: Hard tree fern, Rough tree fern, Wheki Tenderness Rating: Frost-hardy if well wrapped in cold weather Ease of growing: Easy Position: Part or full shade Soil Condition: Humus-rich, well-drained, moist soil Buy Dicksonia squarrosa online | Hard tree fern, Rough tree fern, Wheki
Agaves hail from desert and scrubby areas and mountainous regions in North, central and South America. They are essential for a desert garden, with many being quite hardy especial if protected from rain during the winter months. It is a truly striking Agave and one of the prettiest and most sought after Agaves available. Its shape and contrasting foliage colours gives ‘Marginata’ fantastic architectural value, having solid creamy white bands down the centre of the powdery blue-green margined leaves forming a stiff rosette. Agave americana 'Marginata' is ideally suited to hot sun-baked planting areas in dry gardens, rock gardens, though it must be protected during the wet winter months. In cold areas it is best grown as a container plant that is brought into frost free conditions for the winter months. Latin name: Agave americana 'Marginata' Common name: Variegated Agave Americana Ease of growing: Moderate Position: Prefers full sun. Soil Condition: prefers exceedingly well drained soil that gets baked during the summer months. It must be kept bone dry during the winter months. Buy Agave americana 'Marginata' - Variegated Agave Americana in the UK
This genus includes more than two hundred species of rosette-forming perennials found growing in desert and scrubby areas to mountainous regions in their native habitats. They are quintessential desert plants for the exotic garden, having a very architectural feel and adding dramatic impact whether bedded out for the summer months, or permanently planted out in the garden. Many are amazingly tough plants that can take low temperatures well if grown in exceedingly free-draining gritty soils and kept dry in winter; their biggest problem is winter wet. They are monocarpic, meaning that the main plant dies after flowering, leaving new side shoots to grow on. Intrepid gardeners in the British Isles have been experimenting with their hardiness, with good success. They are commonly seen in gardens along the south coast of England, especially into Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, where some astounding specimens can be seen. Agave americana (Century Plant) is an evergreen perennial native to north eastern Mexico, hence is ideally suited to hot sun-baked areas of your garden. It is a very good plant to grow in coastal regions as it is very wind tolerant. Although it will take lows of down to around -8C, this is only if planted on exceedingly well drained soil and is protected from winter rain, otherwise it can be grown as a container plants and brought into a dry location for the winter months. Excellent for very sandy, gravely arid areas Latin name: Agave americana Common name: Century Plant Ease of growing: Moderate Position: Prefers full sun. Soil Condition: Prefers exceedingly well drained gravely soil
This is a very cold-hardy Agave, growing to an imposing 30 x 36ins wide when mature in its native habitat, the Davis Mountains of west Texas USA where they have cold winters but very hot baking summers. Its massive, thick, bluish-grey leathery leaves have vicious spines, so keep away from pathways! It takes low temperatures exceedingly well if planted on gravely well drained sandy soils, or raised up on a rockery. In high rainfall areas it should have a cover in the winter to stop rain getting in the crown. It makes an excellent container plant that can then be protected from winter rains. Latin name: Agave havardiana Common Name: Chisos Agave - Havard's Century Plant Ease of growing: moderate to difficult outdoors Position: Full sun, well-drained soil protect from winter rains. Hardiness: Hardy Soil Condition: Well drain sandy-gravely soil
Creating an exotic garden here in the temperate climate of Britain is no easy task, but can be achieved. Canna 'Tropicanna Gold' is one plant that looks extremely tropical, but grows fine in the UK. It has large jungle type leaves, and between June and October large, opulent, tangerine-orange flowers bloom on sturdy, upright stems. Indian Shot Plant likes a sunny position and damp soil, so planting near a garden pond, or in well watered planters is ideal. In autumn the tubers can be lifted and stored in a frost free place, such as the shed, and re-planted the following spring. Height: 150cm (60). Spread: 50cm (20).
