No other tree symbolises the tropics more than the palm tree. Commanding attention, it is the  architecture of an exotic garden. The very word palm invokes images of rainforests, tropical islands, white sand beaches and distant sun soaked lands. They maybe single trunk or clump forming, fan or feather leaved, but all of them are magnificent, and this queen of trees is essential to any exotic planting and invaluable in the contemporary garden

Whilst the majority are tropical in origin and far too tender,  there are thankfully a few cold hardy species which will stand severe frost. The palm tree commonly known as the windmill palm is one of the hardiest. Taking snow and ice in its stride, it can be reliably grown in most parts of the UK .

The picture on the right shows a magnificent example. Planted in  1981 at just 2 feet high, it now stands at an impressive 30 feet.