Although not a palm they do give a tropical appearance to the garden and are easy to grown in UK gardens. They are commonly known as the New Zealand cabbage tree or Cordyline australis. Cordyline is evergreen and can grow tall initially with a single trunk which can later produce a multi-stem plant.
The plant is often seen in coastal areas along the seafront. UK resorts such as Torquay where it is sometimes referred to as the Torbay palm. The plant can be grown in containers as well as in the garden although they should be protcted from cold and damp conditions. They can appear to die off due to frost but sometimes can regrow from the trunk in the Spring.
Cordylines can grow 20-30 cm per year and being relatively inexpensive they are a good investment for someone planning a tropical garden.
Cordylines near seafront