If you can find moist or boggy conditions near your hardy tropics, Rodgersia (zones 4-7) and Petasites also have large, somewhat exotic looking foliage. And don't overlook the accommodating and easy to find hosta as a possibility here.
One key plant that is readily available is the canna, with large leaves that come in green, burgundy, and now stripes - 'Bengal Tiger' is a lovely combination of yellow and green stripes, 'Phasion' is a medley of colors from pink to yellow to green to burgundy, and 'Striata' is a green and white - to name just a few of the newly popular foliage cannas. Most cannas also have the brightly colored flowers so desirable in creating a tropical effect. Of course those of us in zones colder than 7 will have to dig these up at the end of the season and store them until spring. But canna tubers don't require much care beyond cutting off the foliage and storing in a paper bag in a frost-free space.
For a hardy alternative, try variegated horseradish.
Spikes and ferns
Next you need spiky plants. Yucca filamentosa fills the bill quite nicely for gardeners in zones 5-9. If you're in zone 7 or up you may be able to grow agaves, which are both spiked and succulent. And if you're really lucky you can grow Phormium tenax - New Zealand flax, which not only has the right form, but comes in many delicious colors as well.
For palm and fernlike plants you could start with, well, ferns. Large members of this family such as the ostrich fern give a good effect. Or, if you grow palms indoors as houseplants, bring them out for the summer. They'll appreciate it.
No tropics seems authentic without bamboo. If you have the space, or the ambition to build a barier to contain it, Phyllostachys nigra is about as exotic as they come, with culms that turn a glistening black after the first year. It's hardy to zone 6 with protection - and zone 6-ers won't need to worry too much about its invasive tendencies.
Even better is Farghesia nitida - a clumping bamboo that is hardy to -20 F. It will grow into an ever-widening clump, but will never really get out of hand - and it's gorgeous.
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