Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
"PaulK" writes:
|
| Grown here as a tender annual. Sow in march and (depending on variety) you
| can have 2m tall flowering and fruiting plant in September with leaves 60+cm
| across!
|
| NOT recommended for a garden with small children unless fully trained but is
| a stunning plant for tropical effect.
|
| Used by many parks as summer bedding.
|
| Chiltern sell the seed

And fairly widely available in garden centres as house plants.
As with many such plants, they will grow in the UK but probably
not ripen viable seed.

Yes they do. And fairly easily in a good year. The cultivars with the deep bronze
red foliage make very handsome specimen plants in the border and will grow to 8-10
feet by August if started early. They are very tender though so must be planted out
after last frost. And obviously seriously poisonous.

That aside they are common in continental village borders as municipal plantings.

Fatsia japonica is a safer alternative semi hardy that looks similarly exotic and
is evergreen.

Regards,
Martin Brown