(Ekman's Palm)

Bearing bold, colorful, fan-shaped fronds atop a solitary trunk, this small, slow-growing palm makes a great subject for tropical and subtropical gardens. It is a rare endemic of the north coast of Haiti.

Thirty to forty large, blue-green fronds with waxy silver-gray undersides are borne atop the slender trunk on long, erect or slanting stems ("petioles"), forming a domed crown. The fronds are divided into numerous stiff blade-like segments that radiate like the spokes of an umbrella. The petioles...

(Hospita Palm, Wax Palm)

Bearing bold, colorful, fan-shaped fronds, this small to medium-sized, slow-growing palm makes a great subject for tropical and subtropical gardens. It is native to savannas and open woodlands in Cuba.

Thirty to forty large, blue-green fronds with waxy gray undersides are borne atop the solitary trunk on long, upright or drooping stems ("petioles"), forming a domed crown. The fronds are divided into numerous stiff blade-like segments that radiate like the spokes of an umbrella. The petioles...

(Cuban Petticoat Palm)

Distinguished by its spiky crown of bold, fan-shaped fronds, this unique, small palm comes from savannas of western Cuba.

Thirty to forty large, rich green, nearly stemless fronds crowd atop the solitary trunk, forming a domed, urchin-like crown. The fronds are divided into numerous stiff blade-like segments that radiate like the spokes of an umbrella. They may have waxy gray-green undersides. A picturesque "skirt" of dead leaves fringes the base of the crown, sometimes to the bottom of the...

(Brazilian Wax Palm, Carnuba Wax Palm)

Valued as the source of carnauba wax, the bold, fan-shaped fronds of this medium-sized palm make a colorful splash in the tropical or subtropical garden. Wax palm is native to seasonally flooded savannas in northeastern Brazil.

About 30 large, blue-green fronds with waxy silver-gray undersides are borne atop the solitary trunk on long, upright or drooping stems ("petioles"), forming a spherical crown. The fronds are divided into numerous stiff blade-like segments that radiate like the spokes...

(Anacahuita, Texas Olive)

Texas olive is an attractive small tree with great drought tolerance, rough sandpapery leaves and wonderful ivory-white flowers. Native to Mexico and Texas and New Mexico in the United States, it can have a varied habit. In more desert conditions it tends to be a sprawling shrub, but in a garden setting where there is average and consistent moisture a nice small rounded tree will develop. It will become a deciduous plant in areas with a definite cold or very dry winter.

The outstanding feature...

(Muyuyo, Peruvian Cordia, Yellow Cordia, Yellow Geiger)

Yellow Geiger's arching branches produce showy clusters of funnel-shaped, cheerful yellow flowers when temperatures are warm. Native to western Ecuador, Peru and the Galapagos Islands, this evergreen tree may grow more like a spreading, floppy shrub. It naturally inhabits arid slopes and is tolerant of drought and salt spray. The trunk is often obscured by the bushy canopy, but the sandy gray bark underneath has an exfoliating texture.

The large rounded to oval leaves are matte green with slightly...

(Broadleaf Cordia, Geiger-tree, Scarlet Cordia)

A tough, resilient small flowering tree, the Geiger-tree bears rounded clusters of bright orange flowers intermittently across the tropical year. It is native to the coasts and forests across the Caribbean Basin, including northern South America. It was introduced into the Florida Keys by early settlers. Depending on the growing conditions, Geiger-tree may be an upright, oval-canopied tree or more of a large bush.

The plump, oval green leaves have a coarse, sandpaper texture. They usually are...

(Beach Cordia, Island Walnut, Kou, Sea Trumpet)

A terrific tree for coastal shade across the tropics, sea trumpet has glossy green foliage and small peach-orange flowers in small clusters throughout the year. A broadleaf evergreen, this tender tree is native to the coastal areas of East Africa, tropical southern and southeastern Asia, Australia and into the Pacific Islands. Its smooth grayish bark eventually becomes more brown and furrowed with age.

The large green leaves are glossy above with a matte underside and are shaped like eggs with...

(Anacahuita, Brazilian Cordia)

A very pretty flowering evergreen tree, the anacahuita or Brazilian cordia produces bright white flowers that contrast with its deep green foliage. When mature it stays small and develops a pleasing rounded canopy. This rainforest native of eastern Brazil may be easily confused with the more cold-hardy Texas olive (Cordia boissieri), which has similar white flowers with a few exceptions; Brazilian cordia's flowers are pure white and do not have brownish-yellow throats. After pollination...

(Cordyline, Renegade Cordyline)

The genus Cordyline is made up of about 20 species of lance-leaved shrubby perennials. All are grown for their attractive and colorful foliage and most are native to southeastern Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. One species calls South America home.

These tropical plants generally have an upright, tree-like form. The stems are thin, usually un-branched and woody. The long leaves may be sword or lance-shaped and are clustered in rosettes at the ends of upright semi-woody stems....