(Italian Alder)

Glossy heart-like leaves and the persistent brown seed fruits make Italian alder a great shade tree with multi-season interest and grace. An upright deciduous tree that does not get too wide, it hails from southern Italy and Corsica. Its barks becomes light gray-sandy brown with shallow fissures and small plates, often blotched.

In early spring this tree flowers. The male flowers are in drooping, finger-like clusters called catkins and are yellow-green. The female flower are small and red and...

(Golden Thinleaf Alder)

Ranging from a large shrub to a medium sized tree, golden thinleaf alder has red and golden pendent flowers (catkins), yellow-green foliage and persistent fruit nutlets and smooth bark that make it interesting even in winter. A deciduous large shrub to small tree depending on severity of winter or availability of soil moisture, this species is native to Europe and the Caucausus as well as in North America from California to Canada and across the northern United States. The bark is usually smooth...

(Weeping Thinleaf Alder)

Ranging from a large shrub to a medium sized tree, weeping thinleaf alder has red and golden pendent flowers (catkins), deep green foliage and persistent fruit nutlets and smooth bark that make it interesting even in winter. A deciduous large shrub to small tree depending on severity of winter or availability of soil moisture, this species is native to Europe and the Caucausus as well as in North America from California to Canada and across the northern United States. It is an upright tree with drooping...

(Japanese Alder)

Glossy green leaves and the persistent brown seed fruits make Japanese alder a great shade tree with a broad adaptability to landscape soils and moisture. A pyrimad-shaped deciduous tree that does not get too wide, it hails from Japan, Korea and China's Manchuria. Its barks becomes light gray-sandy brown with shallow fissures.

In early spring this tree flowers. The male flowers are in drooping, finger-like clusters called catkins and are yellow-brown. The female flower are small and purplish...

(White Alder)

White alder is a large, fast growing, short-lived, deciduous tree native to the western United States. It bears glossy, nearly diamond-shaped, dark green leaves from spring to fall. Its catkins provide mild interest from winter and early spring. White alder grows best in sites with full sun but also excels as a shade tree. It thrives in most soils and grows will in sites that are too damp or barren for many other trees.

(Alocasia, Elephant Ear)

Alocasia is a genus of about 70 huge-leaved species of tropical plants native to the warm, moist areas of southern Asia. They are usually perennial evergreens and have large rhizomes (underground lateral stems) or bulbs. The leaves are roughly oval with lobes at the base. Some are arrow-shaped and all have the petiole (leaf stem) attached inside the leaf edge. Large, prominent, variously colored veins often decorate the leaves. The leaves top long, variously-hued petioles which grow directly...

(Alocasia, Blue Lady Taro, Elephant Ear)

Alocasia is a genus of about 70 huge-leaved species of tropical plants native to the warm, moist areas of southern Asia. They are usually perennial evergreens and have large rhizomes (underground lateral stems) or bulbs. The leaves are roughly oval with lobes at the base. Some are arrow-shaped and all have the petiole (leaf stem) attached inside the leaf edge. Large, prominent, variously colored veins often decorate the leaves. The leaves top long, variously-hued petioles which grow directly...

(Alocasia, Elephant Ear, Hilo Beauty Taro)

The mottled leaves of this stunning Alocasia are unlike any other. Each huge, heart-shaped leaf is rich green with beautiful, irregular, greenish yellow blotches and gentle wavy edges. During the growing season, 'Hilo Beauty' produces spathe and spadex flowers, but these are not particularly showy and overshadowed by glowing foliage of this tropical gem. The parentage of this cultivar is unknown.

Ornamental taro is best grown in partial sun to partial shade with protection from scorching...

(Elephant Ear, Portodora Elephant Ear)

The eye-catching, upward facing leaves of 'Portodora' are rich green, spade-shaped and have wavy edges. This hybrid seedling resulting from the cross between Alocasia odora and Alocasia portei makes a superb architectural component to the shade border. During the growing season, spathe flowers appear but are generally overshadowed by this hybrid's majestic and imposing foliage. Stems are thick, fleshy and seemingly muscular as they hold the massive wavy-edged leaves.

The Portodora...

(Alocasia, Elephant Ear)

Alocasia is a genus of about 70 huge-leaved species of tropical plants native to the warm, moist areas of southern Asia. They are usually perennial evergreens and have large rhizomes (underground lateral stems) or bulbs. The leaves are roughly oval with lobes at the base. Some are arrow-shaped and all have the petiole (leaf stem) attached inside the leaf edge. Large, prominent, variously colored veins often decorate the leaves. The leaves top long, variously-hued petioles which grow directly...