(August Lily, Belladonna Lily, Naked Lady)

Bringing an exotic, naked-stemmed floral display to the doldrums of summer, belladonna lily's pink blossoms bring an air of spring. Not to be confused with the common florists' amaryllis, Hippeastrum, belladonna lily is a deciduous, perennial bulb native to South Africa. Clusters of large, showy, fragrant pink flowers bloom on tall sturdy stems in summer when the strap-like basal foliage is absent. The leaves appear in late fall or winter and persist into mid-spring. Forms and hybrids of...

(Amherstia, Pride-of-Burma)

One of the tropic's most beautifully shaped flowering trees, the pride-of-Burma is also one of the rarest plants since it does not readily produce seeds. Some plant collectors refer to it as the "queen of flowering trees." This slow-growing evergreen is native only to the monsoonal teak forests of Burma in Southeast Asia. It develops a rounded, wide-spreading canopy with cascading branches and foliage. Today, it is considered a highly endangered plant species, if not already extinct in the wild....

(Voodoo Lily)

A bizarre, summer-growing plant with malodorous flowers, this tuberous perennial is native from northern India eastward to Myanmar (Burma). Considered not as bad smelling as others, this species is among the most striking in bloom, with upright, pinkish spathes on mottled stalks in spring. A large compound leaf arises on a mottled stem in late spring and persists until fall, when it collapses almost literally overnight. In autumn, small bulbils which can grow into plants form on the leaf margins.

This...

(Devil's Tongue, Elephant Yam, Konjac)

A bizarre, summer-growing plant with with a large smelly inflorescence and an immense, waxy and fleshy leaf and stalk, this tuberous perennial is native from China to Indonesia. The maroon, funnel-shaped spathe emerges in spring on a tall wrist-thick stem that bears snakeskin-like marbling. The spear-shaped purple spadix protrudes from the spathe. The highly dissected dark green leaf arises on a mottled stem after the flowers collapse.

Plant devil's tongue in a fertile, well drained soil in partial...

(Titan Arum)

This gigantic, summer-growing plant from Sumatra has perhaps the largest inflorescence and tuber in the plant kingdom. In late spring, if the female plant is old enough, a thick, tall flower stalk emerges and unfurls a multicolored spathe and spadix with a rotting, foetid stench. It is pollinated by flies and carrion beetles. In summer, an immense leaf stalk reaches skyward with a huge, umbrella-like leaf that is very lobed and attractive.

This singular plant needs a warm, alkaline, well drained...

(Acajou, Cashew)

This small, broad-crowned, evergreen tree is cultivated throughout the tropics for its tasty fruits, as well as for numerous other by-products. It is native to lower latitudes of the New World.

Large, leathery, elliptical leaves crowd the crooked, gray-barked branches of this fast-growing tree. The leaves are ribbed with conspicuous, deep-set veins, and are often notched at the tip. Many-flowered clusters of pale green, red-tinged, five-lobed blooms appear at the branch tips from late spring...

(Pineapple)

These terrestrial, evergreen perennials from South America are grown for their handsome foliage, striking flowers, and edible fruits. Ananas comprises some 8 species including the pineapple, A. comosus. Plants form basal rosettes of tall, sword-shaped, saw-toothed leaves which give rise in summer to stout erect flower stems. Borne in a terminal spike, the three-petaled, red or blue flowers have prominent, often colorful basal bracts. Pulpy fruits follow the blooms, merging...

(Red Pineapple)

Closely related to the commercial pineapple, red pineapple is an evergreen, terrestrial perennial from southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Plants form rosettes of erect, sword-shaped, olive-green leaves that blush red in full sun. Rosettes produce offsets at the base and between the leaves. When mature (about 18 months after propagation), the central rosette gives rise to a tall stout stem bearing an oval cluster of lavender flowers with large prickly red bracts. A plume of stiff...

(Variegated Red Pineapple)

Closely related to the commercial pineapple, red pineapple is an evergreen, terrestrial perennial from southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Plants form rosettes of erect, sword-shaped, olive-green leaves that blush red in full sun. Rosettes produce offsets at the base and between the leaves. When mature (about 18 months after propagation), the central rosette gives rise to a tall stout stem bearing an oval cluster of lavender flowers with large prickly red bracts. A plume of stiff...

(Tricolor Red Pineapple, Variegated Ornamental Pineapple)

Closely related to the commercial pineapple, red pineapple is an evergreen, terrestrial perennial from southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. The cultivar 'Tricolor' (also known as 'Striatus') has rosettes of erect, sword-shaped, olive-green leaves with creamy margins and red spines. The rosettes produce offsets at the base and between the leaves. When mature (about 18 months after propagation), the central rosette gives rise to a tall stout stem bearing an oval cluster of lavender...