(Aristate Hollyfern, East Indian Hollyfern, Variegated East Indian Hollyfern)

The variegated East Indian holly fern has magnificent tapering green fronds with prominent midribs glowing in a pale yellow. This evergreen fern is usually found in dry woodlands among rocks near the coast from India, southeastern Asia into Polynesia and New Zealand. The leaves are long, quite stiff as if made from plastic and arise from a creeping rhizome.

Grow this fern in a shady spot in a moist but well-drained soil. Cold winters may render the plant deciduous, with new fronds arising in...

(Aralia)

An immense herbaceous perennial that forms lusty luxuriant clumps of elegant foliage, this East Asian native is grown not only for ornament but also for its edible young shoots. The large airy pinnate (feather-shaped) leaves are held on tall stems, which in some forms are a striking dark purple. Clouds of small greenish white flowers hover above the foliage in late summer, followed by showy purple berry-like fruit.

Intolerant of drought and hot sun, this gargantuan perennial does best in partial...

(American Spikenard)

American spikenard is a deciduous perennial with green compound leaves with delicate heart-shpaed leaflets. Ball clusters of white to greenish-white flowers on a tall spike in spring or summer. Tiny berries are formed and are dark purple or black. It spreads slowly by aromatic underground roots to create a colony.

Plant in moist, well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. American spikenard makes a great addition to woodland gardens or naturalized areas with its bold presence.

(American Angelica Tree, Devil's Walking Stick, Hercules' Club)

This fierce plant is well named. Devil's walking stick is a suckering deciduous shrub to small tree with large, bold leaves that appear above nearly branchless stems covered with vicious thorny spines. In summer it produces striking plumes of creamy white flowers followed by showy clusters of black fruits on reddish stems.

This plant prefers full to part sun and is tolerant of a wide range of well drained soil types. Though it is a unwieldy to prune, it does make a bold statement in mixed borders...

(Cook Pine, New Caledonia Pine)

The Cook pine is a cone-bearing evergreen tree native to New Caledonia, just east of Australia. It is a large, tall, upright, elegant tree with whorled branches and dark green, needle-type foliage. The little scale-like needles are prickly and linear, densely arranged in flexible, caterpillar-like fingers upon the lateral branches. At the tree's tip, the newest branch growth is a rounded tuft, and the older branches often are dropped and rejuvenated with shorter ones, creating a more obvious columnar...

(Norfolk Island Pine)

The Norfolk Island pine is a cone-bearing evergreen tree native to Norfolk Island, just east of Australia. It is a large, tall, upright, elegant tree with whorled branches and dark green, fan-like, needle-type foliage. The short, little needles are leathery and linear, densely arranged in flexible, caterpillar-like fingers upon the lateral branches. At the tree's tip, the newest branch growth resembles a graphic, five or six-pointed star with V-form foliage. It produces cones that are either fully...

(Cyprian Strawberry Tree, Eastern Strawberry Tree, Greek Strawberry Tree)

This large shrub or small tree is grown for its colorful bark, handsome evergreen foliage, white spring flowers, and orange-red fruits. Mature specimens have picturesque, gnarled branches and a vase-shaped to rounded habit. Arubutus andrachne is native to rocky slopes and outcroppings from southeastern Europe to northern Iraq.

The lustrous, leathery, oval leaves of Greek strawberry tree are dark green with pale green undersides. They are borne on sinuous, upright to spreading branches...

(Lady's Leg, Manzanita, Texas Madrone)

This picturesque small tree is grown for its early blooms, colorful bark and berries, and handsome evergreen foliage. It is native to rocky slopes and ledges from southern Texas and New Mexico to Guatemala.

The leathery oval leaves of Texas madrone are bluish- to olive-green with paler undersides. Erect clusters of small, urn-shaped, creamy-white to pinkish flowers open at the branch tips from late winter to early spring. Bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators visit the blooms. Round, warty...

(Pinemat Manzanita)

Within its range, this cold hardy carpet-like manzanita provides a valuable wild groundcover in areas challenged by lean acid soils and long periods without rain. It is found beneath the evergreen forests from Washington state to California where it can be the dominant vegetation. Depending on elevation these plants may become semi or wholly deciduous in winter. This mountain dweller is slow growing, bearing oval green leaves that gradually weaves itself through rocky outcroppings or spreads out...

(Bearberry, Kinnikinnick)

Drought tolerant and adaptable, bearberry, or kinnikinnick, is a spreading, mat-forming evergreen shrub typically grown as a groundcover. This super tough, plant is so cold tolerant that it naturally extends up into the farthest reaches of Alaska and northern Canada across into northern Eurasia. It has small, leathery, glossy leaves year-round and produces sweet clusters of pearly white to pale pink flowers in summer followed by bright red berries in late summer to fall. Its flowers attract bees,...