Creating a tropical look garden in the UK involves a combination of hardy plants that can withstand the cooler climate and frost-tender plants that may need protection during winter. Here’s a list of 100 plants for a tropical look garden, including both hardy and frost-tender options:
Hardy Plants:
- Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan Palm)
- Cordyline australis (Cabbage Palm)
- Phyllostachys aurea (Golden Bamboo)
- Fargesia murielae (Umbrella Bamboo)
- Musa basjoo (Hardy Banana)
- Phormium tenax (New Zealand Flax)
- Phormium ‘Platt’s Black’
- Cordyline australis ‘Red Star’
- Fatsia japonica (Japanese Aralia)
- Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’
- Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape)
- Dicksonia antarctica (Tree Fern)
- Dryopteris erythrosora (Autumn Fern)
- Miscanthus sinensis (Maiden Grass)
- Carex comans ‘Bronze’
- Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’
- Kniphofia uvaria (Red Hot Poker)
- Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’
- Hedychium coronarium (Ginger Lily)
- Gunnera manicata (Giant Rhubarb)
- Astelia chathamica (Silver Spear)
- Colocasia esculenta (Elephant Ear)
- Alocasia macrorrhiza (Giant Taro)
- Hedera helix ‘Goldheart’ (Goldheart Ivy)
- Hedera helix ‘Arborescens’ (Tree Ivy)
- Chamaerops humilis (European Fan Palm)
- Yucca filamentosa ‘Color Guard’
- Yucca rostrata (Beaked Yucca)
- Libertia grandiflora (New Zealand Iris)
- Hakonechloa macra (Japanese Forest Grass)
- Ligularia dentata ‘Desdemona’
- Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
- Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’
- Eupatorium maculatum (Joe Pye Weed)
- Agapanthus ‘Midnight Blue’
- Agapanthus ‘White Heaven’
- Stipa gigantea (Giant Feather Grass)
- Eryngium giganteum (Miss Willmott’s Ghost)
- Cynara cardunculus (Cardoon)
- Arundo donax (Giant Reed)
- Butia capitata (Jelly Palm)
- Lomatia ferruginea (Chilean Wine Palm)
- Dicksonia squarrosa (Soft Tree Fern)
- Echium pininana (Giant Viper’s Bugloss)
- Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’
- Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’
- Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle)
- Iris sibirica ‘Caesar’s Brother’
- Ligularia ‘The Rocket’
- Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’
- Acanthus mollis (Bear’s Breeches)
- Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’
- Persicaria bistorta ‘Superba’
- Arisaema consanguineum (Jack-in-the-Pulpit)
- Colchicum autumnale (Autumn Crocus)
- Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’
- Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (Black Mondo Grass)
- Leucothoe fontanesiana (Mountain Fetterbush)
- Pittosporum tobira ‘Nanum’ (Japanese Mock Orange)
- Choisya ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom)
- Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
- Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea)
- Heptacodium miconioides (Seven Son Flower)
- Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’
- Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)
- Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Pearl’
- Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’
- Mahonia x media ‘Charity’
- Leucadendron salignum ‘Fireglow’
- Trachelospermum asiaticum (Asian Jasmine)
- Escallonia ‘Iveyi’
- Laurus nobilis (Bay Laurel)
- Viburnum tinus (Laurustinus)
- Osmanthus heterophyllus (False Holly)
- Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Marginata’ (Variegated Holly)
- Fuchsia magellanica ‘Riccartonii’
- Rosa ‘Graham Thomas’
- Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’
- Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’
- Rosa ‘Scepter’d Isle’
- Trifolium repens ‘Dragon’s Blood’ (Red Clover)
- Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’ (Daylily)
- Geranium ‘Rozanne’
- Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’
- Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guinness’
- Allium ‘Purple Sensation’
- Iris germanica ‘Batik’
- Digitalis purpurea ‘Pam’s Choice’ (Foxglove)
- Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’
- Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ (Coneflower)
- Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
- Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’
- Verbena bonariensis (Purpletop Vervain)
- Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ (Black-Eyed Susan)
- Crocosmia ‘Emily McKenzie’
- Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’
- Kniphofia ‘Alcazar’ (Red Hot Poker)
- Helenium autumnale ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’
- Astilbe chinensis ‘Vision in Pink’
- Phlox paniculata ‘David’
Remember to consider your specific location, soil conditions, and microclimates within your garden when selecting plants. Additionally, provide frost protection for tender plants during winter, and ensure proper care and maintenance to keep your tropical look garden thriving.
