Unique Plants to Grow in 2024
Some say new year, new you – we say new year, new plants! Your resolutions don’t need to be dull at all, why not try to throw in some adventurous plants for the coming year and see if you can grow something unexpected and unique?
I have tried a couple of these before (mainly black varieties of tomatoes) but some will be new to me as well (such as carnivorous plants) – but no matter how seasoned you are with the strange and exotic, it’s always good to try something new. So let’s dive into our top picks for the coming year:
Pineapple Plant
We are kickstarting things with a houseplant (or maybe a well-heated greenhouse) that has become popular in recent years and sometimes appears in the aisles of Aldi or Lidl. Yes, we’re talking about the Pineapple Plant.
The most interesting thing about Pineapple Plants is the way that the fruit actually grows, straight out of the top — who would have thought it?
Not only could you potentially grow your own tropical fruit, but the Pineapple Plant is part of the Bromeliad family so it will help to purify the air in your home too.
Tomato ‘Black Moon’ F1
I’ve grown a few varieties of black tomatoes and they are well worth a shot. In previous years we’ve had Black Beauty in the garden and the tomatoes are some of the tastiest and best cropping we’ve had for years. What’s also good to know is that black, purple and other darker-shaded tomatoes are packed with lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant – so the darker the tomato, the better they are for you!
This year we’re giving the Black Moon variety a whirl and if you want to join us, you can get them from Thompson & Morgan below.
Cordyline Pink Passion
Who doesn’t love a Corydyline? We’ve written about them before in the context of reviving them if they’ve suffered Winter damage and might be dying, but if you’re potentially in the market for a new variety – then the Pink Passion should be on your list.
This hardy shrub is variegated with similar pink colours to that of a Fuchsia and will create a moment of awe in any garden as visitors spot this striking delight nestled in your borders or standing pride of place on a patio.
Pitcher Plant Sarracenia Mixed
Something a bit different and certainly one to try if you have children, these carnivores lure in flies and digest them despite looking fairly innocent. In previous years at Gardeners World Live, I have seen some truly stunning displays of Sarracenia that have inspired me to give them a whirl this year.
As you can expect from what looks like a Jurassic plant, they are more exotic than everything else on this list and need greenhouse or windowsill heat to grow well.
It’s also worth noting that they take 2-3 years to fully mature enough to eat flies, so if you’re looking for a natural way to keep pests at bay – you might want to go for a fully mature plant instead.
Lettuce Leaved Basil ‘Sally’
I’ve grown a variety of different Basil plants, including the stunning purple Opal variety that went very well with my tomatoes last year. I have to say that I have never come across this variety before though, a huge lettuce leaf style purple Basil called ‘Sally’.
With some sliced large tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and maybe layered with Mozzarella – we can see these being a staple part of our Summer crop if they do grow to be as big as they look on the website.
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