(Homalomena, Queen-of-hearts)

At first glance, Homalomena ‘Selby’ can easily be mistaken for a dumbcane (Dieffenbachia). Its handsome, glossy, apple-green leaves have dark green edges and spots, which lend an appealing look to home interiors and shady, tropical gardens. This lush, evergreen foliage plant thrives in warmth and humidity and is easy to grow if given the right environmental conditions.

Homalomena is a clump-forming plant with stiff, waxy leaves that are vibrant lime or apple green with...

(Hoodia)

The genus Hoodia contains about 20 species of extremely drought tolerant succulent plants. They hail from dry southern Africa distributed over a very large range that includes Botswana, Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Some species have been used by the desert Bushmen for appetite suppression during exceptionally long hunt.

These succulents are composed of thick upright stems that occasionally branch, but more often originate at the base of the plant. The skin is typically blue green...

(Hoodia)

A spiny succulent from the dry, sandy and rocky areas of southern Africa, Hoodia gordonii has been in the news lately. A low-growing perennial, this plant has long been used by the indigenous peoples in its native region. Hoodia was described in the 1700s and is now a threatened species were it originates.

When young, slow growing Hoodia usually produces a single, leafless, green angled stem covered with pointed tubercles. As the plants age, they grow faster and many...

(Water Violet)

Water violet is an spreading aquatic plant native to Eurasia. It has finely dissected, feather-like leaves that grow submerged. The stems are long and leaves arranged alternately or around the stem (whorled). The summer flowers are borne on long stalks above the water in loose groups gathered around the stem. They have short tubes which flatten into square-ish to oval lobes. The flower color is white, pale pink or lavender with a yellow throat.

Water violet grows best when the roots are planted...

(Chameleon Plant, Rainbow Plant)

Chameleon plant is a rapidly growing perennial native to marshy, woodland scrub of eastern Asia. It is a semi-deciduous groundcover or aquatic plant found in very shallow shoreline water. The leaves are oval to heart-shaped and emerge from spreading underground stems or rhizomes. The leaf color is blue-green, sometimes with a red margin and they have an unusual peppery-orange scent when crushed. The small, green flowers appear in summer on short, heavy spikes. Each flower spike has several larger,...

(Chameleon Plant)

Vividly colored and scented foliage of the variegated chameleon plant is a great garden conversation piece. A rapidly growing, semi-deciduous perennial native to marshy, woodland scrub of eastern Asia, it naturally forms a groundcover or a mat in shallow freshwater verges. The leaves are what make ‘Chameleon’ different; they are oval to heart-shaped, arising from spreading underground stems or rhizomes and are brightly variegated in pink-red, pale yellow and green. Leaves have an unusual but refreshing...

(Forster Sentry Palm, Kentia Palm)

A common palm for home and tropical landscapes, Kentia palm is admired for its elegant, arching fronds. It originates from Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, east of Australia. Overall, it is slow-growing. Landscape specimens become quite large and develop a classic palm look with a bare trunk supporting a crown of long, pinnate palm fronds, but indoor, container-grown plants maintain a manageable size.

The long fronds of Kentia palm are dark green and the slender trunk brown. As trees age,...

(Porcelain Flower, Wax Flower)

Perfuming the night air with its domed clusters of intensely fragrant flowers, this tender evergreen climber from southern Asia and northern Australia has long been popular as a greenhouse and conservatory plant. The waxy porcelain-white or pale pink blooms have a red star-shaped corona at their centers. The flower clusters appear spring through summer on short side-shoots that bloom repeatedly and should not be removed. The fleshy oval to oblong leaves are paired. Several cultivars with variegated...

(Porcelain Flower, Wax Flower)

Hoya 'Exotica' has variegated leaves, yellow with green margins blushed with pink. The leaves are smooth, brightly hued and strongly elliptical. Wax plant is a member of the milkweed family and native to the area from south China to Australia. It is a trailing, tender perennial, shrubby vine. The stout, waxy leaves are oval to oblong in shape, dark green and held oppositely on the stems. The flowers are sweetly fragrant at night and produced in large, rounded clusters. Individual flowers are heavy,...

(Porcelain Flower)

Hoya 'Krinkle 8'is a compact grower with heavy, green, indented leaves that have a crinkled appearance. The indentations are eight in number giving the plant its name.

Wax plant is a member of the milkweed family and native to the area from south China to Australia. It is a trailing, tender perennial, shrubby vine. The stout, waxy leaves are oval to oblong in shape, dark green and held oppositely on the stems. The flowers are sweetly fragrant at night and produced in large, rounded clusters....