The penchant of private gardeners for exotic plants is growing.
In order to meet the demand, and to satisfy our desire for exoticism, nurserymen are testing the ability of these plants to resist in our climate. In order to do so, Huchet Nurseries have set up an experimentation space reserved for the reception of exotic plants that they wish to acclimatize. The goal of this space is to define the resistant varieties and the cultural techniques to be implemented to ensure their survival in a "hostile" climate.
The exotic plants of the experimentation space
Among the plants tested in the experimentation space, we find :
- Dasylirion, a very thorny plant that grows in desert environments (native to Mexico). Cultivated in good conditions, the dasylirion can resist to cold temperatures of about - 12°C;
- the Japanese medlar (Eriobotrya japonica), a beautiful ornamental fruit tree that is not very hardy, especially during its young years;
- the Sabal palmetto, an emblematic palm tree of Florida, rather sensitive to cold;
- the cork oak, a regular around the Mediterranean, very decorative in a garden;
- the Calistemon, or bottlebrush (inflorescences in the shape of a swab). It comes from Australia. Generally sensitive to the cold, the rigidus variety proves to be rather resistant (- 11°C);
- the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) : another common shrub of the scrubland. It forms small edible fruits;
- Dicksonia antartica, a tree fern which, beyond -10°C, must be protected with a "sleeve" type of protection. Note: even if the leaves are affected by frost, the heart is not affected;
- Poncirus trifolliata, the thorny lemon tree: it is a citrus fruit that resists perfectly to low temperatures of about -10°C.
Conditions to respect to acclimatize exotic plants
All these examples show that it is quite possible to create an exotic plant atmosphere in your garden, provided that you are rigorous in the way you plant. This implies the creation of well-sunny and well-draining mounds as well as a well-considered choice of plants to be planted.
