I forgot to mention if the plants can provide some other use rather than only ornamental, even better. Thank you again!!

I am not familiar with your climate or conditions but bear in mind that if you are thinking about annuals your zone is unimportant since it reflects winter temps. Annuals are only there in summer so you can plant pretty much anything you like.

Tropical and most Mediterranean plants in zone 7 Tn are by definition an annual. They won't survive the winter. There is not enough site information to suggest specific plants in this rather amorphous request to animate your one acre yard and house perimeter. Pictures are very well received. from your end as well.

There are zone 7 hardy perennials which could sub for tropicals (think ostrich fern). Please post photos for meaningful input.

One of the key attributes of many tropical plants is big, bold foliage and there are a number of quite hardy zone 7 plants that can help promote that look: hardy bananas, Fatsia japonica, gunnera, rodgersia, Phormium tenax, Lobelia tupa, palms, hardy ginger and even a number of larger ferns. I'd add cannas to the mix, although they will need to be dug and stored for winter.

Adding annuals/non-hardies like castor bean, brugmansia (will need winter storage), datura, dahlias, lilies and other summer blooming bulbs, begonias, cerinthe (honeywort) and coleus should provide a lot of tropical looking color.

As others have said, we need more info. Depending where you are in TN, zones vary from 5b/6a to 7b/8a. If you're in the higher elevations of the east/northeast it's the former, if the heat islands of Memphis or Chattanooga and to a lesser extent Nashville it's the latter, with varying conditions in between. Some of the staples of coastal PNW listed above simply are not adapted to long hot humid summers, sharp wet winters that can be EXTREMELY changeable, and mostly heavy sticky clay soils.

After 35 years of gardening in TN between Nashville and Chattanooga, the following perennials did well for me and others. Dwarf palmetto, needle palm, Japanese fiber banana, canna, butterfly ginger, elephant ears, yellow groove bamboo, and yellow brugmansia. These and other more tropicalesque and tender stuff can usually be found at garden centers at or near the 'big three' cities.

The last poster above has made great suggestions for the warmer parts of Tennessee. A few additions to that list are: Color Guard Yucca, Mahonia beali, Brunnera, Variegated Hidden Shell Ginger, Japanese Forest Grass, Tassel Ferns, Liriope, Soft Caress Mahonias, Nandina, Goshiki Osmanthus, Whitewater Acanthus, Vitex Tree, Gordlinia, Sunshine Anise, Sunshine Ligustrum, Aucubas, Evergreen Magnolias, Oakleaf Hydrangea & Dwarf Pomegranate.

This garden is planted in zone 8A in Virginia using tropical appearing plants: