Create a lush and exotic garden with these 7 exotic perennials

Alstroemeria ‘Majestics Chinon’ – Inca Lily

Let’s begin this selection with the Inca Lily ‘Majestics Chinon’. Alstroemerias are well known for their colourful flowering, which instantly lends an exotic touch to the garden.

This variety flowers all summer from June until the first frosts. It produces bright red flowers, with the centres of the petals being smaller, maculated with golden yellow and striped with brown. It is these markings that also give these flowers their exotic charm, which inevitably catches the eye.

It is a tall alstroemeria, reaching between 80 and 90 cm in height. It forms a dense clump composed of glossy, blue-green leaves, which die back in winter.

Vigorous and generous, it is a perennial perfect for bringing a touch of warmth to the garden.

Hardy down to -15°C, this Inca Lily will thrive in sun or partial shade, in a sheltered spot from wind. Provide it with fertile but well-drained soil that stays moist. It will look wonderful in a border or container, alongside Crocosmias.

For more information, discover our full guide: Inca Lily, alstroemeria: planting, growing and care.

Asclepias tuberosa - butterfly weed

Milkweeds are already renowned for their exotic look. Our tuberous milkweed blooms all summer with star-shaped umbels of flowers in a vivid vermilion orange. Its other name, “butterfly herb,” comes from its highly nectariferous flowering, attracting many insects.

The elliptic foliage, a pretty blue-green, sets off this very warm flowering perfectly. It persists if winters are mild, without frost that is too intense or prolonged.

Grow to up to 80 cm tall with a 50 cm spread.

Its ornamental merits don’t end there, as this plant fruits in winter: it reveals silvery and gleaming bristles resembling balls of cotton, bringing a touch of life to the cold season.

Despite its appearance, this perennial is fairly hardy, as it can withstand frosts down to -15°C. Easy to grow, it is not particularly prone to disease. It will simply require sun and warmth to thrive. Provide well-drained soil, even if dry.

Plant it in a rock garden, alongside sedums and houseleeks.

To learn more, see our guide: Asclepias: sow, plant and care for.

Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket' - Ligularia

The Ligularia ‘The Rocket’ is a tall ornamental perennial that will certainly catch the eye in the garden when it flowers. Throughout the summer, it produces long stems of a dark purplish-black colour, at the tops of which stand pyramidal flower clusters, bearing a bright golden-yellow colour. The flowering is lightly scented.

The plant also produces handsome dark-green foliage, ebony on the reverse, with a very lush appearance. The leaves are pointed, tough and dentate. Some reach up to 35 cm in length.

In terms of size, expect 1.8 metres in height with a 1 metre spread for this quite impressive perennial.

This Ligularia adds both structure and exotic appeal to a garden. Give it space, in a cool, shaded area, even damp. It tolerates temperatures down to -20°C.

Plant it, for example, along the edge of water features, alongside marsh irises and astilbes.

For its qualities, ‘The Rocket’ has been awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit, awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society.

To learn more, discover our dossier: Ligularia, ligulaire: planting, growing and care.

The Kniphofia rooperi - Tritoma soft yellow-orange

The Kniphofia rooperi is a perennial plant whose flowering is as striking as it is impressive. It features a display from late summer to early autumn, with rounded flower clusters borne on sturdy stems. They display a red that fades to yellow-orange along the spike, bringing light and exotic appeal. Melliferous, this flowering attracts many pollinating insects.

The foliage is evergreen, remaining in place year-round. Rosette-shaped, it resembles that of succulent plants. The long leaves are broad at the base and taper to a point, adding a further graphic touch.

This Kniphofia reaches 1.5 metres in height with a 70 cm spread.

Architectural, hardy and low-maintenance, it is a perennial with an exotic habit that is easy to grow. Provide it with fertile, well-drained soil that stays moist, even when clay. Pair it with grasses such as the Miscanthus, to add lightness and create a more natural display.

Note, however, that you should allow 2–3 years before you can enjoy the first flowering.

For more information, discover our dossier: Kniphofia, Devil’s Poker: how to plant, grow and care?

Colocasia x esculenta ‘Sangria’ – Elephant Ear

They are among the must-have ornamental foliage plants when envisaging exotic-looking scenes: Colocasia!

‘Sangria’ offers lush, spectacular foliage that is also richly coloured. The leaves are emerald green, veined with blue, and sometimes purple, contrasting with a red petiole. They bear some resemblance to rhubarb leaves. The ‘elephant ears’ have inherited this name in homage to their heart-shaped form and to the impressive size of their leaves: here they can reach up to 60 cm in length and 40 cm in width.

For the overall habit of this perennial, expect about 1.3 metres in height and 90 cm in width.

Hardier than some of its congeners, this variety can withstand frost down to -15°C if the stump is protected with mulch. A cultivation in a large tub is possible in the hardier regions, or simply to enjoy this majestic foliage at home.

This plant is somewhat demanding in cultivation and requires a bit of experience. Grow it in full sun or partial shade, in rich, consistently moist soil. It will pair beautifully with Cannas bearing colourful blooms. It propagates by producing tubers, which should be protected outdoors to ensure the plant’s longevity.

For more information, read our guide: Colocasia: planting, growing and care.

Cypripedium ‘Lucy Pinkepank’ – hybrid garden orchid – Venus slipper

This hybrid orchid offers flowers that rival the beauty of the most exotic botanical species! ‘Lucy Pinkepank’ flowers in late spring, between May and June, for about 15 days. It produces large flowers, which consist of long, slender, twisted sepals, streaked with fuchsia red. They are positioned above a prominent slipper-shaped petal, pale white tinged with pink fuchsia and speckled with red. A veritable work of art! It is this characteristic form that earns it its nickname Venus’s slipper. Each flower reaches about 12 cm.

Foliage appears in spring. It consists of light-green leaves, elliptical and veined.

This perennial grows from a fleshy stump, which will reach 70 cm in height and 35 cm in spread.

Hardy to -25°C and vigorous, this man-made horticultural variety will thrive in the garden as well as in a pot. To ensure success in its cultivation, give it a partly shaded or filtered-light position, in poor but well-drained lime-free soil. The orchid requires a substrate that is fresh to moist, but never waterlogged.

To learn more, discover our guide: Garden orchids: planting, growing and care

Phormium x tenax 'Jester' – New Zealand flax

New Zealand flax is an evergreen perennial plant, valued for its exotically styled foliage, sometimes very colourful. This is the case for the variety Jester. It stands out from the others thanks to its multicoloured tones, blending an astonishing copper-rose hue leaning toward bronze-red, marginate with pale green. Its ribbon-shaped leaves are narrow, measuring only 4 to 5 cm in width. But they can reach 1.2 metres in length. They are pliant and arching, giving the impression of a cascading display of foliage.

In late spring or early summer, tall flower stems rise above this foliage, gracing us with spikes of tubular flowers in cream to greenish hues. The flowering is a boon for insects.

With rapid growth, the plant will easily form an opulent clump about 1 metre high and 80 cm across.

It is an ideal candidate for gardens in mild climates, for example by the sea, as it is hardy only to around -7°C. However, it is possible to grow it in a pot, to bring exotism and graphic impact to a terrace or balcony.

To thrive, this Phormium will require a sunny exposure, in fertile soil that stays cool. It will form a contemporary scene beside bamboos. The plant will develop thanks to its non-running rootstocks.

For more information, discover our dossier: Phormium, New Zealand flax: planting, pruning and care.