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It is with good reason that Logan Botanic Garden is often referred to as 'Scotland’s most exotic garden'.
Nestling on the peninsula known as the Rhinns of Galloway at the most south westerly tip of the Scottish mainland, it enjoys the warming influence of the Gulf Stream and experiences exceptionally mild winters. As a result, a remarkable collection of exotic plants, many from the Southern Hemisphere, flourishes in the benign climate.
Renowned palms and ferns
Indeed, such is the impressive display that it is hard to imagine one is in Scotland. The garden is renowned for its palm trees and tree ferns, which collectively create a striking feature and lend the garden a sub-tropical atmosphere.
Towering, 130-year-old tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica), from Tasmania, stand side by side with spiky-leaved cabbage palms (Cordyline australis) from New Zealand. Many of these survive from the time of the garden’s establishment in 1869 by Agnes Buchan-Hepburn, a keen amateur gardener who liked to experiment with newly introduced tender species from exotic climes. The palms and ferns have thrived ever since, only occasionally getting frosted back in especially hard winters.
Hardy palms
The short avenue of Chusan palms (Trachycarpus fortunei), the only species of true palm hardy in Scotland, provides an arresting feature by the stream. This species was introduced to the United Kingdom from China in 1849 by the renowned Scottish plant hunter, Robert Fortune (1812 - 1880). Its common name refers to Chusan Island (now Zhoushan Island), where Fortune first discovered the species which was subsequently named after him.
Strictly speaking, the Chusan palm is not a tree, because its trunk is largely composed of the compacted bases of the discarded fan-shaped leaves. Once formed, it does not increase in girth.
Where to see the Logan Palms:
Logan Botanic Garden is approximately 22.4km (14 miles) south of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, on the B7065 road. The garden is a specialist garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and has been in its care since 1969. The gardens are open daily from 1 March to 31 October and admission charges apply.
Image: copyright Archie Miles
