A HORTICULTURIST has managed to grow a rare palm tree in his North-East garden.

John Taylor, from Elton Moor Farm, near Darlington, succeeded in growing the 16ft Canary Island date palm outside after it grew too big for his conservatory.

Mr Taylor has had the tree for 14 years and it has thrived in his garden since 1996.

An expert said the palm was one of only three in this country he was aware of growing outside and the only one north of London.

"It got bigger and bigger, so I started putting it outside in its pot," said Mr Taylor.

"It got to the stage where I couldn't get it back in again, so I had to leave it out and wrap it up during the winter."

"It was a little tree at first, a couple of feet high. Now, it's a monster. It really should be dead with the frosty winters here, but it has kept going."

Mr Taylor puts the tree's success down to the wet weather last year, which seemed to encourage it to grow, and two 40ft leylandii hedges which protect it from north-easterly winds.

Martin Gibbons, a palm expert from The Palm Centre in London, said: "There are couple of other Phoenix Canariensis, or Canary Island date palms, growing outside in Britain one in Cornwall and one in Fulham, but it is certainly unusual."

Green-fingered Mr Taylor grows a variety of hardy tropical plants from countries like Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico to sell to local garden centres.

Among the other unusual varieties he has is a pinus longaeva, which originates from the White Mountains in California, is known to live up to 5,000 years and takes 75 years to grow to 2ft 6in.

Mr Taylor said he plans to hand the trees down to his grandchildren.