This tall, vigorous, stylish and elegant palm quickly grows a stout trunk, wider at the bottom, and rather thinner than its sister species Washingtonia filifera. Grown worldwide, it is probably most famous from the avenue plantings in California. Trunks are topped by a crown of large (1.5m wide or more) fan leaves that have loose threaded margins and often a purplish brown patch at the base of the leaf stalk. Although sometimes scorched by frost below -5C or so, it quickly regrows when the weather improves and replaces the damaged leaves. It is native to western Sonora and Baja California Sur ... Learn More

Towering spikes of fragrant, white, bell-shaped flowers appear in July and August above clumps of stiff, dark green, lance-shaped leaves. Adam's needle makes an excellent focal point for a sunny, well-drained Mediterranean-style garden. A gravel mulch accentuates the architectural foliage and helps to protect the crown of the plant from frost damage. The leaves have sharp tips and serrated edges, so it's best not planted where you are going to brush past it. Though all Yuccas appreciate a good amount of sun and well drained soil, they are fairly low maintenance and as such need fairly little w ... Learn More

A truly divine plant, midsized and similar to Yucca rostrata but with wider, rigid, bright blue-grey leaves, complemented by clusters of pure white flowers in late-spring. It is native to northeastern Mexico and will withstand heat, drought and moderate to quite severe freezes. It’s perfect for adding a touch of drama to the garden and does well in exotic and tropical planting schemes. Grow in a very free-draining soil in a sunny, sheltered spot. Although hardier than most yuccas, it may need protection in winter, particularly from wet conditions. Alternatively, grow in a pot, which you can ... Learn More

This striking architectural plant produces an abundance of thin glaucus, silver grey leaves which continue to form from the centre eventually forming a trunk which can reach up to four metres in height. They can also produce a large flowering spike from the centre every few years. The species is native to Texas, Chihuahua and Coahuila. A very popular plant in a tropical or exotic themed garden due to being quite tolerant of the average UK winter. ... Learn More

Yucca thompsoniana, commonly known as Thompson's Yucca or Beaked Yucca, is aN evergreen succulent native to the arid regions of Texas, Chihuahua, and Coahuila. It features a single or sparsely branched trunk up to 1 meter (3 feet) tall, crowned with dense rosettes of narrow, dagger-like leaves. The greenish-blue leaves, up to 35 cm (14 inches) long and 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide, have finely toothed margins and terminate in sharp points. In late spring to early summer, it produces tall flower stalks bearing clusters of creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers, each about 4 cm (1.6 inches) long, attractin ... Learn More

From architectural clumps of thick, bright green, arrow-shaped leaves arise serene white flowers (actually spathes). As well as being a superb garden plant this can be a wonderful architectural plant for pond margins. It is native to southern and east Africa in Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Madeira. The Royal Horticultural Society has awarded it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit. (AGM.) ... Learn More

Absolutely stunning, creamy-white orchid-like flowers have a showy, patterned lip, heavily pencilled in deepest red. These open on strong stems bearing attractive, banana-like leaves, in mid to late summer, and later appear the attractive bright red seed capsules which persist for a long time before the stem finally dies away in winter leaving a rhizome deep underground. ... Learn More