25 cheap and easy plants & trees to start a zone 7 / 8 tropical garden (in random order). Most of them have an exotic look, others from this list are great plants to combine with exotic plants. Many plants are relatively cheap when you buy them as small plants, cuttings or seed. But most exotic plants grow very fast, so that'll compensate ;)
Acca sellowiana:
Cheap when you buy it as small plant. Evergreen foliage, magnificent flowers and quite hardy.
Athyrium niponicum:
These colorful ferns are great to combine with other plants, they like a more shady spot in the garden.
Begonia grandis:
A winter hardy Begonia with beautiful leaves and nice flowers. Easy to propagate by cuttings and seed. Prefer partial shade to full shade spot.
Canna:
Great exotic foliage and amazing flowers in summer! Cannas are easy to sow (cheapest way), when you sow them in February/ March they'll flower in summer. They grow really fast! The tubers are hardy in a mild winter, but you can overwinter them dry indoors and above freezing point.
Carex (variegated species):
These grasses are great to plant under larger plants. They give a nice contrast in the border and they are evergreen! Easy to propagate by division.
Chamaerops humilis:
The European dwarf palm is quite hardy and cheap when you buy them small.
Colocasia esculenta 'Pink China':
The hardy Taro is a real jungle plant. There large leaves are really tropical looking. They love full sun but they should be kept moist! Easy to propagate by division.
Cordyline australis:
In the Uk it's a beautiful addition to the garden, in the Netherlands it's mostly a beautiful container plant. They're quite cheap and will grow fast.
Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelli':
When planted out in the garden they grow really fast, so buy them as a small plant! Within a few years it'll be a big banana. Not winter hardy, so it must be digged out and placed totally dry, indoors and above freezing point.
Eucalyptus:
Many snow gums are winter hardy! They will grow very fast but it's easy to prune them into a small tree or large shrub. There evergreen foliage is an amazing addition to a tropical garden. Small plants are quite cheap and will grow better than larger plants when planted out.
Fatsia japonica:
Indispensable in a tropical garden because the add height in a shady spot. They're foliage is really exotic looking and evergreen. Very cheap to buy, even larger species are not that expensive.
Gunnera manicata:
Gunneras at garden centers are expensive and many are 'tinctoria' instead of the larger manicata. But if you look on the internet there are many amateur gardeners who sell cuttings for a small price.
These cuttings rapidly grow into giants! They are quite hardy and relatively easy to grow, but they need lots and lots of water during summer!
Fargesia:
Clump forming bamboo, so you don't need a rhizome barrier! Not as spectacular as Phyllostachys, but easier to grow because they stay smaller and they don't have long underground rhizomes. They are very hardy, evergreen can grow in full sun to shade.You can buy them as small plants, they grow quite fast!
Ficus carica:
Exotic looking and winter hardy small tree. Very easy to take large cuttings!
Musa basjoo:
Small plants are cheap, even at garden centres. They grow very quickly into large banana trees. They're real spectacular plants during summer and root hardy! They always come back late spring!
Opuntia humifusa:
The most winter hardy cacti! Very easy and cheap to grow from a cutting! Doesn't have any problems with the wet Dutch winters.
Paulownia tomentosa:
Amazing fast growing tree. After the winter cut it down to the ground and leave just one or two growing points. In this way the plant produces very large exotic looking leaves. The rate of growth is absolutely crazy!
Persicaria:
There are some Persicarias with very colorful exotic leaves. They are useful plants in the garden because it's great to combine them with other plants. They're very winter hardy and easy to grow from a cutting.
Ricinus communis:
A beautiful annual. Easy to grow from seed! In 1 season they can grow up to 2,5 meters!
The red leaves and stems are spectacular and very tropical looking!
Salvia:
Very easy to grow from a cutting! The flowers are just amazing!
Sauromatum:
Very fun plant to grow from a small bulb. Within a few years you have a beautyful smelly flower and stunning foliage! They are very winter hardy!
Soleirolia soleirolii:
A exotic and fast growing roundcover plant! Very small, bright green leaves. Easy to grow from cuttings.
Tetrapanax:
An exotic looking giant! Very fast growing and an absoluty highlight in a exotic garden! Cheap when you buy them as a small plant.
Trachelospermum jasminoides:
Nice smelling climbing plant, evergreen and very hardy! Can even grow in a more shady spot.
Trachycarpus:
A winter hardy and relatively cheap palm. Buy them as a small plant, after a few years they'll grow quite fast!
#TropicalGardening