Get the Look: Urban Jungle Edition
Bold foliage, exotic flowers and lush planting. There’s never been a better time to go tropical in your garden.
You can create a stunning tropical-style garden in our climate by choosing cold-hardy exotic plants from across the world. Achieve that lush, immersive aesthetic with densely planted, layered foliage, focusing on big leaves, bold architectural forms, or unusual flowers.
Pop in to find resilient plants like hardy palms, giant grasses, native ferns, tree ferns, and bamboos, alongside large foliage shrubs such as Fatsia, Tetrapanax, Schefflera, and Loquat.
Weave in the strappy leaves of Cordyline and Phormium for an evergreen structure that beautifully sets off vibrant summer additions like Cannas, Dahlias, and Bananas.
How do I start?
For smaller courtyards, one or two large plants with complementary underplanting can make a big impact.
For larger gardens, consider replacing lawns with expansive borders. Weave paths through these borders, connecting “clearings” of hardscaping in neutral tones or natural materials.
To create a truly immersive feel, paint boundaries in dark colours to help them recede, and add a pond or water feature for the calming sounds and movement.
Finally, establish a year-round structure with hardy evergreen exotic shrubs, filling in with vibrant summer plants and groundcovers.
Plant list – for structure
The backbone of any UK based jungle garden is a structure of hardy palms and exotic shrubs. Given time, these will grow into specimens that will set the tone for the whole space.
There are now enough hardy exotic varieties available to survive down to -5°c with minimal protection. Many more can even withstand temperatures as low as -10°c with a bit more effort.
Achieve this effect with these key plants.
Hardy Palms
Providing structure to your exotic garden, these species can tolerate the cooler temperatures of the UK
- Trachycarpus fortunei
- Chamaerops humilis
- Cordyline australis
- Butia capitata
Top tips for Hardy Palms
If you’re not shopping for larger palms, look for plants with a 2ft trunk, as these are the sweet spot for both hardiness and plant establishment.
Only water & feed your palms during the growing season (April- September).
Plant where the winter sun can help them thaw out between cold nights.
Hardy Exotics
Essential exotic shrubs with large leaves for creating the jungle look
- Bamboo
- Loquat (Eriobotrya)
- Tetrapanax papyrifer
- Schefflera taiwaniana
- Fatsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’
When to protect Hardy Exotics
Even with overnight frosts, most hardy exotics can withstand the cold as long as daytime temperatures remain above 0°c.
You’ll need to apply breathable protective insulation during prolonged cold spells, especially when daytime temperatures stay below freezing.
Plant list – for layering
With the structure in place, you can now layer in cold hardy shrubs, ferns, grasses and perennials to create a lush, immersive aesthetic of unusual leaf textures and exotic-looking flowers.
You can find our recommendations at your local Haskins today.
Shrubs
Enhance your jungle look with these excellent hardy shrubs
- Fatsia japonica
- Mahonia ‘Sweet Winter’
- Hydrangea quercifolia
- Hibiscus syriacus
- Pittosporum tobira
- Nandina
Ferns
Provide bold, architectural foliage and ideal for groundcover
- Dicksonia antarctica
- Asplenium scolopendrium
- Dryopteris wallichiana
- Dryopteris Jurassic Gold
- Cyrtomium falcatum
- Arachnoides aristata ‘Variegata’
Grasses
Ideal for screening, contrast, groundcover or as a backdrop for other plants
- Phyllostachys bamboo
- Fargesia Bamboo
- Arundo donax
- Miscanthus
- Hakonechloa
- Phormium
Perennials
Unusual hardy perennials for filling gaps in borders
- Euphorbia
- Heuchera
- Hostas
- Tricyrtis
- Ophiopogon
- Tradescantia
- Calla Lily / Zantedeschia
Plant list – summer accents
Complete the look with these cold-tender exotic perennials.
They’re ideal for filling in gaps during the summer months and, if you have the space, can be overwintered in a protected structure.
Perennials
Tender perennials to give extra impact in borders or pots
- Colocasia
- Coleus
- Begonia
- Dahlia
- Canna
- Digiplexsis
Bananas
Treat as summer annuals or perennials when given winter protection
- Ensete Maurelii
- Musa Basjoo
- Musa sikkimensis ‘Bengal Tiger’
- Musa sikkimensis ‘Ever Red’