Popular exotic plants in the garden

If you don't see the term "exotic plant" so narrowly, but above all on exotic ones Effect is off, there are some exotic plants that grow and overwinter in the German garden can. The exotic plants that do best in the garden are particularly popular, you will get to know a whole range of them below:

What exactly is an exotic plant?

"Exotic", from the word origin, comes from the Greek "exotiki" or the Latin "exoticus". Both adjectives mean no more than foreign, foreign, foreign. In colloquial language, however, the meaning has been expanded, simply foreign, Austrian or French or Danish is not enough. Exotic are rather only "particularly strange" things, somehow perceived as extraordinary things, living beings, behavior. Even the mere departure from the mainstream, even an unfamiliar combination of everyday clothing can quickly lead to a person being assigned an exotic appearance. With regard to fruits, plants or animals, people in "traditional old Europe" are again somewhat more defined, "Classic exotics" are the fruits, plants and animals from the tropics, which we rarely saw until recently got face. In the course of globalization, however, this is softening significantly, and the plant trade has the concept of "exotic plant" has long since been extended to all Mediterranean plants for sales reasons, which the plants, however doing pretty well:

Exotic plants in Germany - initially have a problem

So if a plant seems all the more exotic to us, the further away its homeland is from us - the "most exotic plant at most" also has the most problems with us. This is because the climate in their home country automatically differs to a maximum extent from the climate in Germany. The climate in the world changes with the latitude at which a given region of the world is located, and In terms of plants and their home regions, Germany is at most north, so to speak, between the 47th (Bavaria) and the 55. (Schleswig-Holstein) North latitude. “Above” Germany in the direction of the North Pole are Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, nothing in relation to the import of plants so sparkling (what grows in Finland certainly grows here too, but is not called an "exotic plant" viewed). "Exotic plants" always come from regions that are more south than Germany, towards the equator, and thus their metabolism is adjusted to completely different amounts and intensities of light than are available in Germany stand. A cactus like the bishop's miter (the cacti were among the first exotic species to be planted in the 16th century). Century brought to Europe by seafarers) gets in Mexico, in their home region around Chihuahua City, 28 degrees north, an average of 7.7 hours of sun per day, in Germany just 4 Hours.

In those areas closer to the equator (bromelias, orchids, philodendrons, etc.) a. come from regions that are even closer to the equator, latitude 0) the sun also shines in one completely different intensity: The global radiation, incident solar radiation measured in kWh per year, is from the 35. Latitude north to the equator and then south again (southern USA, Central and South America, Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Australia) at 2000 – 2500 kWh/m² per year all year round (at the equator the seasons do not differ so much in warm and cold). In Germany it is a "ridiculous" 800 - 1200 kWh per year in summer. If an exotic plant has to winter in the house, it stands behind a window pane without Plant light “totally in the dark” what an evergreen plant slowly starving to death means. Even in winter there is still a lot of light outdoors, so it is not such a far-fetched idea to plant an exotic plant in the German garden. Just not every exotic plant:

Which exotic plants can survive in the German garden at all?

The closer the origin of a plant is to the equator, the more heat the plant is used to. Winter temperatures below zero only occur from the temperate climate zone between the 40th and 40th and 60 Latitude north (Germany is right in the middle), in the subtropical and tropical climate zones around the equator, the plants do not experience sub-zero temperatures. That is why the exotic plants that can basically endure it in Germany are also more likely to be plants from the exotic Spain than from the exotic Congo, plants from the tropics mostly have nothing to do with a German winter to oppose.

The frost tolerance of the "Mediterranean exotics" is often amazing, in Ticino, which is quite cold in winter from time to time, figs, camellias, laurel trees, palm trees, pines and cypresses grow. If one of these plants has dared to climb to the heights that are not uncommon there, it has certainly experienced some cold. Plants grown there therefore also have good chances in Germany. There are also rare exceptions among plants from the subtropics/tropics that can survive German winters. In their homeland, they grow high in the mountains, where it can get really cold even on the equator, and are not exposed to sunlight, but as an undergrowth of higher plants.

When buying, you should therefore have an idea of ​​where a plant originally grows. If you z. B. offers a Brugmansia versicolor with the assurance that it is hardy in Germany, you can then ask how this plant from the tropical part of Ecuador that should please create (it needs at least 12 degrees to hibernate and even in summer outdoors a well-protected Location). Caution is also called for with the yuccas, the yucca 'Spanish Bayonet', under this name, is considered a hardy garden yucca but Yucca aloifolia (down to -12 °C), Yucca treculeana (down to -15 °C), Yucca carnerosana (down to -20 °C) and Yucca glauca (down to -35 °C) sold.

Popular exotic plants for the German garden

"Popular" means "everyone has it", and what everyone has is boring? Some people see it that way, but they don't need to worry about exotic plants - in the At the moment you are much more likely to find what you are looking for in the native plants if you are looking for something that not everyone has. In any case, when it comes to exotic plants, it is not a disadvantage to choose the most popular among them. Because that means nothing else than that these exotic plants have a good chance of surviving with us, what keeps coming in never becomes popular. Here is a selection of plants that most people find exotic and that can endure in German gardens even in winter:

• Albizia julibrissin, silk acacia, distributed from Iran to eastern China. With its finely feathered leaves and pink flower brushes, it has a fairly exotic appearance, but is nevertheless exceptionally robust, frost hardy down to -15 °C, even able to withstand temperatures down to -20 °C for short periods.
• Araucaria araucana, Chilean Araucaria, up close its scaly growing triangular needles look absolutely exotic, seen from a distance it can replace the fir tree, frost hardy down to -20 °C.
• Brugmansia, angel trumpet, Varieties such as Brugmansia aurea, arborea and some hybrids tolerate some cold, in USDA hardiness zone 6b with average In Germany, temperatures around -20 °C can be admired along entire avenues of angel's trumpets (older plants, in gardens with a very favorable microclimate).
• Camellia japonica, Japanese camellia, some late-blooming camellia varieties can be found in regions with mild winters (Northwest/West Germany influenced by the Atlantic, climatically favored areas on the Upper Rhine) are cultivated outdoors with winter protection, the frequent frost damage to the foliage grows in these varieties in the season out of.
• Cercis, Judas tree, the Mediterranean Cercis siliquastrum is said to withstand down to -23 °C, the Chinese Judas tree Cercis chinensis and the Canadian Judas tree Cercis canadensis are said to be even more frost hardy.
• Cupressus sempervirens, Mediterranean cypress, hardy only to -15 °C, exotic only if Tuscany is already exotic, but the characterful columnar plants definitely spread "southern flair".
• Eriobotrya japonica, Loquat, adorns warm, rain-protected places with the exotic charisma of an orange tree, but does not tolerate temperatures below -15 °C.
• Ficus carica, Real fig tree, a very robust and widespread exotic, which has its warm limit in the wine-growing climate north of the Alps and even there it only thrives in special cultivars for colder regions and in well-protected places (max. -15°C).
• Magnolia grandiflora, Evergreen magnolia, characteristic plant of the US southern states, which tolerates cold temperatures down to minus 20 -20 °C for a short time and has a wonderfully exotic effect with its large creamy-white flowers.
• Musa basjoo, Japanese Fiber Banana, a real hardy banana for the German garden, which freezes above ground in winter, but with good root protection it will reliably sprout again next spring.
• Olea europaea, olive tree, planting the right variety can do well in mild regions and in sheltered locations with a mild microclimate.
• Poncirus trifoliata, bitter orange, a robust, deciduous, citrus plant that tolerates frost down to minus 25 °C and has an exotic appearance. It can even set fruit outdoors in our garden (but it is really bitter).
• Trachycarpus fortunei, hemp palm, withstands down to -17 °C without any problems, even more in colder regions with winter protection.
• yucca, yucca, well hardy here in various species: Yucca baccata (ev. with moisture protection), Yucca flaccida, Yucca glauca (-35 °C), Yucca gloriosa, Yucca filamentosa (-28 °C) and Yucca recurvifolia (-25 °C).

Exotic plants: requirements for survival

The exotic plants just mentioned will only survive the German winter under certain conditions:

• Before purchasing an exotic plant, you would need to research what hardiness zone you reside in
• This is measured internationally in USDA hardiness zones (established by the US Department of Agriculture US Department of Agriculture)
• When purchasing an exotic plant, be sure to ask what USDA hardiness zone that plant is in
• If only a few species or varieties of an exotic plant genus are frost hardy, you must pay attention to the botanical name when buying
• All information on specific temperatures that a plant can withstand only applies to strong, mature plants
• Young plants are much more sensitive and can withstand a few degrees less cold
• Any exotic plant must first grow large and vigorous in a container before it can be moved outdoors
• Exotic plants should always be planted out in spring, they urgently need the time before winter to take root
• Always choose a particularly sunny and wind-protected location
• Find out if the particular plant will benefit from a protective underplanting
• If in doubt, an exotic plant should always get winter protection
• Above all, of course, when cold weather is announced that goes beyond the average temperature values ​​​​of the winter hardiness zone information
• Only buy exotic plants from a specialist dealer, who will also tell you whether an exotic plant needs special protection against moisture
• In addition, this specialist dealer should be located as close as possible to you
• He should have raised the exotic plants on site and, if possible, already gotten used to the cold a little
• If the microclimate at the location is right (the specialist retailer will advise you), your exotic has the best chances

Conclusion

When it comes to the effect, there are many exotic plants for the German garden that can survive our winters (almost) without protection. If “exotic” means “from very far away” to you, things get narrower, but some mountain or shade plants from really distant lands still remain. Choosing the most popular exotic plants makes a lot of sense, they have already proven themselves in our climate.

Learn more about tropical plants