THE GARDEN AT SOUTHERN COMFORT
Plant Lists
Note
The plants listed have all been grown in the open for at least a full season (unless otherwise indicated) here in Southern Comfort. Only selected plants have been listed. There is no code included for those which have been successful in the open over several seasons. Others are marked as follows:
P - grown
in a pot only
R - overhead or wall shelter only
S - less than one full season
(Because plants have been grown in pots does not imply that they cannot be grown in the open. It means only that they have not been grown in this way. Most are earmarked for growing in the open and are expected to succeed.)
Palms (Arecaceae)
Bismarckia
nobilis (PR - plant lost winter 2009-2010; we do not consider this
plant suitable for growing outside in this climate)
Brahea armata - I have had some sporadic failures with this plant
Brahea edulis - no damage during recent winters
Butia capitata - no gdamage during recent winters
Chamaedorea elegans (P) - this never grows satisfactorily in
the ground but even small plants generally survive with some leaf damage.
Chamaedorea microspadix - no damage during recent winters
Chamaedorea radicalis - no damage during recent winters
Chamaerops humilis - this palm is fully hardy in our part of
Torquay
Jubaea chilensis - this palm is fully hardy in our part of Torquay.
Phoenix canariensis - this palm is fully hardy in our part of
Torquay
Phoenix dactylifera (P) - grown from seed 1n 2006; little or
no protection given over winter after seedling stage.
(Phoenix roebelenii, PR, most plants killed by cold in January
2009 - now grown in pots and given full protection over winter)
Rhopalostylis sapida (PR - all plants killed by cold in January
2009; replaced and now given full protection over winter)
Rhapis excelsa
- no damage during recent winters
Sabal minor This low-growing palms has a remakably slow rate
of growth but is reputed to be one of the hardiest.
Syagrus romanzoffiana* Descriptions of this palm generally sound
encouraging but neither I nor my neighbour Steven Tiller have
managed to succeed with it.
Trachycarpus fortunei - fully hardy and generally excellent
Trachycarpus wagnerianus** Although relatively small, in my view
this is the best of the hardy fan palms with neat, stifff and undamaged
leaves.
Trachycarpus sp.'Manipur/Naga Hills' (ex Amulree Exotics)
Washingtonia filifera (5 plants overwintered successfully over
2008-2012, one with little damage and four losing the younger leaves).
Small specimens are very vulnerable to frost; resistance increases dramatically
with size.
| *
While not killed by low winter temperatures this palm made little
or no progress during summer possibly because temperatures were not
sufficiently high. It was subsequently removed and is no loger grown. ** The correct pronounciation is 'vagnerianus' ('v' not 'w') please note all you linguistically retarded English, after Albert Wagner, a German horticulturalist - named like the composer - who first brought it to Europe in the nineteenth century. |
It is unlikely that all will be fully successful at Southern Comfort. Palms which grow in the area of Torbay are: the ubiquitous Trachycarpus fortunei; Chamaerops humilis (European Fan Palm) - very common in Torbay; Jubaea chilensis (Chilean Wine Palm) - there is a fine example in Hesketh Road, 200 metres from Southern Comfort (mentioned by W.J. Bean in his book Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles); Phoenix canariensis - there is a fine example in Chelston and numerous younger specimens planted along the seafront; mature Washingtonia filifera planted in a row in Trematon Avenue, Torquay; Caryota (sp.?) the Fishtail Palm was recently tried but without success at Coleton Fishacre; Brahea armata is reputed to be hardy in the UK; Steven Tiller of 4 Wellswood Heights in Torquay has a very large number of palm species growing in the open; see his list. Lamorran Gardens in St Mawes, Cornwall boasts of having some 35 species of palm.
Bananas (Musaceae)
Ensete
ventricosum 'Maurelii'/Musa 'Tandara Red'*. Sometimes overwinters
outside even producing a number of leaves leaves.
Ensete ventricosum (PS)
Heliconia scheideana**
Musa basjoo
Musa sikkimensis 'Red Tiger'
Musa x paradisica 'Orinoco' (lost during cold period
January 2009)
Musa (=Musella) lasiocarpa
| * I
have never discovered for sure whether these two forms are identical
or not. They certainly look very similar. ** This plant did not flower in 2008, its second year. 2008 was an exceptionally cold spring and summer, however. This plant was further weakened during the cold period of Janaury 2009. However, the spread of each of the two clumps we have has been steady and given a frost-free winter when no leaves are lost these plants will flower. |
Like the tender Musa acuminata 'Dwarf Cavendish', Musa x paradisica 'Orinoco' is reputed to be both frost hardy and to produce edible fruit. The same is said of Musa 'Helen'. Both are available from Amulree Exotics in Norfolk.
Succulents & cacti
Aloe
arborescens |
Agave filifera (PR) |
Other Tender, Semi-tender & Exotics
| HERBACEOUS | |
Amaryllis
belladonna |
Cuphea
ignea |
| BROMELIADS | |
Achmea
recurvata 'Benrathii' |
Puya
berteroana Tillandsia aeranthos Tillandsia bergeri |
| SHRUBS/TREES | |
Abutilon
'Red' ex Hill House |
Genista
aetnensis |
FERNS
Blechnum chilense
Dicksonia antarctica
Phlebodium sp. (probably)
Dryopteris wallichiana
CYCADS
Cycas revoluta
CLIMBERS
Eccremocarpus scaber
Hoya carnosa (PR)
Jasminum polyanthum
Lapageria rosea
Pandorea jasminoides
Passiflora 'Amethyst'
Passiflora x exoniensis - marginally hardy
Hardy
'Exotics'
(Exotic appearance, reasonably hardy to fully hardy constitution)
Arisaema
candidissimum
Arum creticum
Asarum europaeum
Asarum splendens
Athyrium
nipponicum 'Metallicum'
Blechnum chilense
Bletilla striata
Catalpa bignonioides 'Aurea'
Cautleya spicata 'Robusta'
Cordyline australis
Cordyline indivisa*
Dracunculus vulgaris
Eucalyptus gunnii
Eucalyptus nitens
Eucalyptus pauciflora niphophila
Euphorbia characias
Euphorbia stygiana
Fatsia japonica
Fatsia japonica 'Variegata'
Ficus carica
Helleborus argutifolius
Hedera colchica 'Paddy's Pride'
Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans'
Hosta sieboldiana 'Frances Williams'
Hosta 'Sum & Substance'
Kniphofia caulescens
Kniphofia northiae
Kniphofia uvaria 'Nobilis'
Lysichiton americanus**
Magnolia grandiflora
Miscanthus floridulus
Osmunda regalis
Paulownia tomentosa
Phormium tenax
Phormium cookianum
Podophyllum ‘Kaleidoscope’
Phyllostachys nigra
Watsonia aletroides
Watsonia vanderpuyiae
Zantedeschia aethiopica
The following commonly available palms are considered to be reliably hardy
in most of the UK and certainly in the south and west:
Brahea armata
Butia capitata
Chamaerops humilis
Trachycarpus fortunei
Trachycarpus wagnerianus
(* Cordyline indivisa is reputed to be difficult to establish;
**Despite seemingly appropriate conditions, I cannot say that I have had
great success with this plant. It has flowered only occasionally and both
the foliage and flowers appear less than fully vigorous. I have been growing
it for about 16 years.)
Specimens
Aloe
arborescens
Agave americana
Dasylirion texanum
Dicksonia antarctica
Echium pininana
Eucalyptus pauciflora niphophila
Furcraea longaeva
Musa basjoo
Phoenix canariensis (still relatively small, 12 foot leaves and
a couple of feet of trunk)
Phormium tenax
Phormium cookianum
Trachycarpus fortunei (several)
Others
(fully hardy, not normally regarded as exotic)
Actinidia
chinensis 'Jenny' (self-fertile Kiwi fruit)
Cistus x purpureus 'Sun Rose'
Clematis jackmanii 'Superba'
Dryopteris sieboldii
Helianthum
'Ben Ledi'
Jasminum nudiflorum
Pathenocissus henryana
Scilla peruviana