(Hardy Cedar of Lebanon)

Among the world’s most stately of evergreen conifers, cedar of Lebanon subspecies stenocoma is the most winter hardy of all true cedars, surviving into protected parts of USDA zone 4. This eastern Mediterranean native tree, from the Taurus Mountains of Turkey, has slow growth and eventually develops a rigid, stiffened and pyramidal to almost column-like form. Its branches are covered in bright green then gray-green to dark green needles when older. With time, the trunks and branches become...

(Ceiba)

The bombax family comprises some 30 genera and 250 species of tropical and subtropical trees, many native to arid or semi-arid regions. Closely allied to the Malvaceae (mallow family), members of the Bombacaceae are distinguished primarily by their imposing stature, their bundled (or "fascicled") stamens, and their smooth (rather than spiny) pollen. Many have swollen, bulbous, light-wooded trunks rich in water-storing tissue. These make striking but ultimately massive ornamental trees for tropical...

(Ceiba, Kapok, Silk Cotton Tree)

Impressive in size and muscular in form, kapok has fragrant dull white flowers in late winter that produces pods filled with cottony fibers once used for stuffing lifejackets, furniture and pillows. A massive deciduous tree native to South America, it has been cultivated all across the tropics for so long that often it is misleadingly listed as native to Africa, southern Asia or "pantropical". The smooth gray bark of this monstrous plant puts elephants and the largest of dinosaurs to shame. With...

(Variegated Kapok, Variegated Silk Cotton Tree)

Impressive in size and muscular in form, variegated kapok has fragrant dull white flowers in late winter followed by white and green foliage. A massive deciduous tree native to South America, it has been cultivated all across the tropics for so long that often it is misleadingly listed as native to Africa, southern Asia or "pantropical". With ages the trunk becomes magnificently buttressed.

In late winter and early spring, while the tree is barren of leaves, the green-gray branches bear five-petaled,...

(American Bittersweet)

The ornamental late-season fruits of American bittersweet reign in autumn. This deciduous woody, twining and rambling vine originates from eastern North America. It is a vigorous grower that becomes quite large, so it’s not commonly planted in gardens.

American bittersweet vines become covered with medium green leaves in spring, which turn unimpressive shades of yellow-green in fall. Its inconspicuous creamy flowers appear in summer and clusters of ornamental fruits appear in fall. These are...

(Old Man Cactus)

Old man cactus is a slender, columnar succulent native to the rocky regions of central Mexico. It is densely covered with long, bristly, grayish white hairs that resemble those on the head of an elderly gentleman. It slowly grows to very tall heights in the wild but remains much shorter in cultivation. Underneath the hairs are sharp, yellow spines. In mid-spring to summer it produces large, pink, night-blooming flowers with a pleasing fragrance. These are pollinated by moths and bats and followed...

(Harrington's Plum Yew, Spreading Plum Yew)

Harrington's plum yew is a needled evergreen shrub or small tree with an upright to arching and spreading habit. This native of Korea and Japan is yew-like in appearance and has glossy, flattened dark green needles with silvery bands on their undersides. It is technically coniferous, but much like true yews its round fruits have a fleshy, purple-red exterior. Fruits only exist on female plants and appear in late summer to fall.

Plum yew grows well in sandy, well drained soil. Where climates...

(Fastigiate Harrington's Plum Yew, Harrington's Plum Yew)

Harrington's plum yew is a needled evergreen shrub or small tree with an upright to arching and spreading habit. This native of Korea and Japan is yew-like in appearance and has glossy, flattened dark green needles with silvery bands on their undersides. It is technically coniferous, but much like true yews its round fruits have a fleshy, purple-red exterior. Fruits only exist on female plants and appear in late summer to fall.

Plum yew grows well in sandy, well drained soil. Where climates...

(Harrington's Plum Yew, Spreading Plum Yew)

This East Asian native is a wide-spreading evergreen conifer with flat, dark green, sharply pointed needles. Plants with female flowers produce edible fruits that resemble small plums.

Spreading plum yew thrives in partial shade (or full sun in cool climates) and moist, well drained soil, and is an attractive feature plant that also works well in masses. This tough conifer is more tolerant of heat, shade, and alkaline soils than many conifers, ideally suiting it for regions such as the southern...

(Bell Flower Cherry)

Filling its branches with dense clusters of pink to deep pink-red flowers in late winter, the Taiwan cherry is a fantastic tree for warm winter regions where traditional flowering cherry trees grow poorly. A deciduous cherry tree that has an oval but spreading canopy, it is native to the mid-elevations of southern China, Taiwan, southern Japan and Vietnam.

In late winter to early spring while the branches are still leafless, they fill with flowers. Each flower hangs downward and resembles a bell...