(Tabasco Pepper)

Very hot, spicy and colorful fruits are produced on tabasco pepper variety 'Calcutta'. The slim, 3-inch-long (8 cm) fruits are usually held upright on the leafy branches. The seeds of these peppers may be dried and roasted and then pulverized to make cayenne pepper spice. However, any dried red pepper (regardless of species) today is colloquially known as a cayenne pepper. Tabasco pepper is believed to have origins in northern South America, with native peoples domesticating it centuries ago and...

(Papaya)

Papaya is a small, short-lived tropical tree-like herb bearing large melon-shaped fruits directly on its thick stem. The large scalloped, seven-lobed leaves top the hollow trunk. The fruit is edible and enzymes from the plant are used as meat tenderizer. Ordinarily you need both male and female plants for fruit production, however some plants have both gender flowers on the same plant.

Papaya needs a full sun to partial sun exposure, it appreciates heat. In the warm months, ensure it has plenty...

(Papaya, Solo Papaya)

Solo papaya is a small, short-lived self-fertile tropical tree bearing large melon-shaped fruits directly on its trunk. It was a cultivar produced in the early 20th century in Barbados and popularized in the trade via growers in Hawaii. 'Solo' fruit is of excellent quality with a red orange flesh. All seeds produce either a self-fertile bisexual plant or a female plant. The large scalloped, seven-lobed leaves top the hollow trunk. The fruit is edible and enzymes from the plant are used as meat tenderizer....

(Carissa, Natal Plum)

Natal plum is an attractive, spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish, often with a spine at the tip. There are also many sharp, Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular, white flowers are borne singly or in small clusters at the branch...

(Boxwood Beauty Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Boxwood Beauty’ is an attractive, dwarf, nearly spineless cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular, white flowers are borne singly or in small clusters at the branch tips...

(Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Emerald Blank’ is an attractive, dwarf cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish often with a spine at the tip. There are also soft, Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular,...

(Carissa, Green Carpet Natal Plum, Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Green Carpet’ is an attractive, dwarf cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish often with a spine at the tip. There are also a few Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular,...

(Carissa, Natal Plum, Tuttle's Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Tuttle’ is an attractive, dwarf, prostrate cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish often with a spine at the tip and are densely packed on the stems. There are Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken....

(Highway Iceplant, Hottentot Fig)

In addition to its light yellow and pale pink flowers, the highway iceplant also yields edible, fig-like fruits late in the season. This summer blooming perennial groundcover is native to the slopes of coastal and inland South Africa. It develops a relatively shallow root system and spreads via fleshy stems across the soil to create dense mats of foliage.

The short, succulent leaves are stiff, narrow and held upright. In cross section they have a distinctly triangular shape. Younger leaves...

(Caraway)

The aromatic, strong-tasting seeds of caraway are best known as a flavor in rye bread. This Eurasian herb is a hardy biennial. The aromatic oils in its seeds have a warm, earthy, almost anise-like flavor. If not harvested, the abundant seeds fall to the ground causing new plants to spring forth the following season. Caraway seeds are most popular in northern and eastern European and Russian cooking.

Clumps of feathery foliage are produced by caraway plants in the spring and summer of the first...