Exotic plants in the UK.

Now c'mon, own up, who is growing subtropical stuff in yer garden?
It maybe a palm, yucca, hardy banana, or even a desert plant like an Agave.
There must be something remotely exotic you have?

Oh I'm not sure about subtropical but we have nanas, Trachycarpus (well 3 seedlings I managed to germinate), Canna, Eucomis, Lotus bertholdii, Hedychium (species begins with T), Cautleya spicata, Cordyline and Phormium are about as exotic as we've got at the moment.

I love trying different things in my garden. This year in my gravel garden, (used to be a gravel patio ! but I needed more plant space )I,ve planted cannas, eucomis, beschornerias yuccoides, belamcandas, I,ve got foxglove trees coming on in my sunlounge ready for next year. I,ve seen one flowering in a garden near here, so I,ll try one as a tree and pollared some.I,ve grown agaves from seeds this year too, they,re coming on nicely, Out front I,ve got an echium pinanana shooting up , I lost the other type of echium (can,t remember name at pres ) last winter, it must have been slightly more tender,phormiums,cordylines,all grown from seed.A lot of plants that are supposed to be treated as annuals survive the winter here (if that isn,t tempting fate I don,t know what is ! )I,ve also got a large brugmansia in a pot which I might try in the ground next year,
I,ve also got a lot more exotic stuff in my seed exchanges this year, so next year there,ll be no stopping me !!!!!!!
Are you on the coast? I am ,and I think that helps a lot, as we miss a lot of the frosts, whereas a mile up the road, they might get it.

Very good guys, keep it up.
I reckon you have a similar climate to mine Sue.I live near the Lizard, Cornwall and pretty mild most years, only averaging -3C.

Only thing really tropical or exotic I grow are Brugmansia. I have grown to flowering size Argyria nervosa before and a few varieties of psychotria,....varigated Trichocereus species, crested and monstrose forms, etc....but that was when I used to graft cacti as the varigateds tend to be easy to get to rot then the non-varigated forms. As for Justicia, I have a few forms of Justicia growing in the yard, but I have no idea as to the species.

I,d love to try the one they call elephant ears, I can,t remember it,s proper name, it was on t.v. and the leaves were incredible, I must try and track down some seeds of it.

Elephant Ears? Colocasia esculenta - yam.
Hardy in mild areas there are some photos of them on my website www.kernxotica.co.uk