(Aechmea, Bromeliad, Giant Aechmea)

A large terrestrial or epiphytic bromeliad for the tropical landscape, Aechmea eurycorymbus has handsome evergreen foliage and stunning summer flowers. A frost-tender perennial from northeastern Brazil, it forms a bold upright rosette of long, rigid, strappy leaves, with the leaf bases forming a water-collecting "cup" at the plant's center. The spine-edged leaves are light green with flushes of variable light yellow and red when grown in sun. In the heat of summer, mature plants may produce...

(Aechmea, Mexican Bromeliad)

Beautiful apple-green leaves with teethed edges in the shaped of a mounding fountain describes the Mexican bromeliad's foliage and the flower spike is a candle-like spire of silvery white flowers and fruits. A tender perennial bromeliad that can be grown as an epiphyte (mounted upon another plant) or propped in soil, it is native from Mexico southward into extreme northern South America.

The long, broad, strappy leaves are a light green, occasionally with mottled dark green markings and tipped...

(Aechmea, Variegated Mexican Bromeliad)

Beautiful apple-green leaves banded with creamy light yellow and teethed edges in the shaped of a mounding fountain describes the variegated Mexican bromeliad's foliage and the flower spike is a candle-like spire of pink flowers and white fruits. A tender perennial bromeliad that can be grown as an epiphyte (mounted upon another plant) or propped in soil, it is native from Mexico southward into extreme northern South America.

The long, broad, strappy leaves are a light green with wide outer...

(Aechmea, Orland's Bromeliad)

A carnival of color and texture in its foliage, Orland's bromeliad has apple-green leaves with dark red stripes and speckles and eventually forms a red flower spike with yellow blossoms. A tender tropical perennial bromeliad that is an epiphyte (grows upon other plants like trees), it is native to southern Brazil. It may also be propped in well-draining soil to look ground-dwelling but ideally protected from frost.

The wide strap-like leaves form a vase-shaped rosette that holds water in the...

(Aechmea, Ensign Aechmea, Ensign Bromeliad, Ensign Orland's Aechmea Bromeliad)

A carnival of color and texture in its foliage, the Ensign bromeliad has apple-green and white leaves with pink-red stripes and speckles and eventually forms a red flower spike with yellow blossoms. A tender tropical perennial bromeliad that is an epiphyte (grows upon other plants like trees), it is native to southern Brazil. It may also be propped in well-draining soil to look ground-dwelling but it is very tender to frosts.

The wide strap-like leaves form a vase-shaped rosette that holds water...

(Tree Aeonium)

An architecturally interesting succulent for garden color and texture, tree aeonium is a heat- and drought- tolerant native of Morocco. Its branched stems are upright, each bearing a tight rosette of spoon-shaped, bright green leaves. Some plants' leaves are mottled or blushed lightly with burgundy or purplish tones. In the spring, each mature rosette produces an upright stalk that towers above the foliage. At the top of the stalk is a dense mass of bright yellow flowers, each small and with many...

(Tree Aeonium, Zwartkop Aeonium)

A wonderful plant for color and textural interest, Zwartkop tree aeonium is a heat- and drought-tolerant succulent that originates from Morocco. The words "zwartkop" or "schwarzkopf" mean "black rose or head," referring to the dark leaf clusters. Its branched stems are upright, each bearing a tight rosette of spoon-shaped near-black leaves. A leaf is rich in very dark red pigments, making it look black from a distance. In the spring, each mature rosette develops an upright stalk that reaches above...

(Aerides Orchid, Orchid)

The fragrant orchids in the genus Aerides inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and India. The specific number of species is under question, but in a recent revision of the genus 21 were legitimized. These orchids are commonly called cat's tail or fox brush orchids because their blooms are borne in pendulous racemes that look tail-like. There are two distinct flower types in Aerides, one with an pollinator spur entrance that's hidden and one that's open,...

(California Buckeye)

Beautiful and fragrant white flowers, decorative nuts, and glossy leaves make the California buckeye one of the more interesting and pretty buckeyes for the garden. Native to the canyon hills and ranges of central California, this dry-season deciduous large shrub also boasts smooth silver-gray bark that arguably makes the plant look more stunning when no leaves are present.

The warmth of spring finds the new, light green foliage emerging, with hand-like (palmate) leaves with five to seven leaflets...

(Common Horsechestnut, Horsechestnut)

Horsechestnut is a tall, rounded, deciduous tree native to southeastern Europe. In spring, it bears showy conical clusters of large white flowers with yellow or pink markings. It later produces spiny fruits that contain inedible brown horse chestnuts. The large palmate (hand-like) leaves cast dense shade.

This sun-loving tree does well in moist, well drained soil, and tolerates salt and pollution. It makes an excellent shade tree, but beware of its falling nuts!.