Ashburton
Gardeners around the world are growing tropical plants in cooler climates and creating stunning results.
Alan Trott on growing tropical beauties in extreme climes.
When in Britain in 2017, I went to East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden in Norfolk and they were growing brugmansias in huge big wooden boxes and many other wonderful tropical plants. I thought, “I can do that” as our climate is similar to theirs.
Since then, I have been having great success growing them in 60L pots. They are gross feeders and love lots of water in summer. I overwinter mine in the unheated glasshouse, wrap them in frost cloth until spring and cut them back to half. When the weather warms and they start to shoot I also start watering them with a liquid fertiliser.
My favourite is ‘Matapouri Virgo’ which has large, pure ice white trumpets 40cm long and a wonderful spicy light perfume at night. ‘Vicki’ is a newer cultivar which has elegant soft pink trumpets with long upturned awns, and flowers well here.
It too has a perfume as an added bonus.
Musa, commonly called the banana, is a plant that fascinates me.
It produces wonderful paddle-like leaves and adds a real flair to the garden. We all think they are such a tropical plant but some are quite hardy.
This year, I was given a pup off Musa
basjoo, one of the hardiest of the family and classed as the biggest herbaceous perennial in the world. It can take a quite hard frost if the roots are covered for protection. In the garden, cut it down after the first frosts damage the leaves. Cover with lots of straw and then cover it with black plastic which will keep it dry over winter and perhaps then put some more leaf litter on top. This cultivar will tolerate temperature to -15°C. I am going keep mine in a large pot in the glasshouse.
The most spectacular is the Abyssinian red-leaved form called Ensete ventricosum
‘Maurelii’ but it is more frost tender. I grow mine in a large pot as its easier to deal with in early winter. When the first frost hits the leaves, cut them all off and dig the plant up and trim the roots. Then turn the plant upside down and drain all moisture from it for a few days. Wrap the plant in bubble wrap or frost cloth and store in a shed that is warm over winter. In early spring, unwrap and pot up in a warm glasshouse and if frosts are likely, cover. This all takes time but you will be well rewarded in summer when this spectacular plant sends up those wonderful purple red leaves.
Musa lasiocarpa and Musa sikkimensis are other hardy ones worth trying.
Colocasia, commonly called taro, is a beautiful foliage plant grown for its leaves as well as the root which many people eat.
The black-leaved cultivars called ’Black Magic’ and ’Black Coral’ are well worth growing for their wonderful matte black leaves, which are shaped like big elephant ears. The plant can grow up to 1.5m (less in cooler climes).
In winter, when the first frosts appear, bring in to a warmer area well away from frosts. They make ideal container plants and like to grow in an open mix but must be kept moist in the growing season; in fact some folk grow them in a pond as they relish lots of water. They also require a nitrogenous fertiliser in the growing season.
Don’t underestimate the ordinary green-leaved form to add beauty to your garden and perhaps use the root for eating at the end of summer.
Cannas are one of my favourite foliage plants.
I am finding they are more hardy than first thought and are one of the essentials for the exotic border.
I grow mine against a warm, north-facing wall, and they deliver flowers and foliage for up to six months. I am also using them amongst my perennials in the border to add bold foliage to make a statement.
They need a serious amount of compost or animal manure during the growing season and water is certainly an essential ingredient as well. When the frosts arrive, and the leaves are browned off, I bend them over the plant for winter protection and I don’t cut them down until early spring. I have found if you cut them at ground level, in early winter the frosts and rain get into the tubers and rot them. It’s not just the leaves that are dramatic but their flowers are more than an added bonus. I find deadheading them over summer keeps them flowering over a longer period.
Growing exotic plants is fun and challenging, but well worth some effort for those of us who live in a cooler climate. The Encyclopedia of Exotic Plants for Temperate Climates by Will Giles is my holy grail book for these treasures. Or try Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners by Christopher Lloyd and Friends. ✤