The English Tropics - A Beginners Guide
England is not renowned as a tropical paradise, yet cold hardy palms have been growing in the UK since the 1850's.
There are many ancient palm trees located throughout the UK, remnants of a Victorian craze that went out of fashion 100 years ago, and only recently came back into fashion with global warming.
I get many phone calls from clients asking me which palm is best, these clients often having bought cheap palms from the local DIY store and wanting to develop the garden further. Whether you are a client wanting a solitary palm for that wow effect in your garden, or are seeking to create a tropical paradise, Hardypalms can help you.
Fan Palms
The most popular palm in the UK is by far Trachycarpus fortunei, first introduced into the UK some 150 years ago, perfectly hardy, easy to grow, and suitable for almost any situation as long as it isnt too windy.
More recently, Trachycarpus wagnerianus (pictured left in my garden during a period of snow), has become more and more popular. It is a miniature stiff leaved form of Trachycarpus fortunei, equally as easy to grow, but without suffering wind damage, always looking pristine, and perfect in shape and form.
Also popular and easy to grow is Europes only native palm, Chamaerops humilis, commonly known as the European Fan Palm. Sold in several forms, there is the regular green form, a blue form known as Chamaerops humilis cerifera, and a beautiful compact form known as Chamaerops humilis vulcano. It is a very tough palm, drought resistant, and a worthy hardy palm suitable for almost any situation, and the most perfect perfect palm you can buy for ornamental culture in pots.For the more adventurous there are many more varieties of fan palm capable of surviving in the UK and available through this website at very good prices.
Coconut Type Palms or Feather Palms
For those seeking the "Coconut palm" effect, there are very close family relatives of the coconut palm that will grow in your garden, and one day may even produce small edible "coconuts", pictured left. These palms have been growing quite happily in the British climate since the cold winters of the 1980,s and there are 100 year old specimens in the south west UK with substantial trunks.
The best palm in terms of hardiness, value for money and ease of growing is Butia eriospatha, a palm from the mountains of South Brazil. This produces large tropical looking green fronds, and will flower and set seed when larger. A blue relative is Butia capitata from Uruguay and South Brazil. Both of these palms will thrive in the English garden and attain considerable size over several years.
There are many more exciting and cold tolerant feather palms that will grow in the UK, including Butyagrus and Jubaea chilensis.
Other Exotics
To add different textures and shapes to the garden, the Mexican Yuccas such as Yucca rostrata, Yucca carnerosana and Yucca filifera add a different dimension for the sunny dry areas, and hardy bananas such as Musa basjoo and Musa sikkimensis can be planted in the wetter areas for that jungle effect.
Our plant database is designed to be your personal tropical centre, where you can browse and select the plants that best suit your needs. For the beginner, the plants listed above should serve as a good starting point for that Tropical border.
I wish you all the best for your adventure into tropical gardening, something which if the climate change predictions are to be believed could become even more fulfilling that we can ever imagine.
Nigel Kembrey