(Silverberry, Thorny Olive, Variegated Thorny Olive)

Thorny olive is a large evergreen shrub to small tree native to China and Japan where it exists along open slopes and thickets near the oceanside or waterways. It has also become naturalized in the southeastern United States where it is considered a problematic invasive shrub. It is fast-growing, tough and grows well in difficult areas but has a coarse, informal look that is visually unappealing.

The oblong to elliptical leaves of thorny olive are dark green on the top and silver-gray on the...

(Brittlebush)

The sunny daisy-flowers of brittlebush are a familiar sight in the deserts of the Southwest United States and northern Mexico. The rounded, aromatic plants bear long-stemmed clusters of bright yellow blooms in spring, and sometimes again in fall or winter. The fuzzy, silver-gray, oval to lance-shaped leaves occur mostly toward the tips of the branches. Plants drop their leaves during severe drought, refoliating when rain returns.

This plant thrives in sun and well drained soils, and is remarkably...

(Bushman's River Cycad)

Bushman's River cycad forms a suckering clump of plants over several decades. The stiff, frond-like leaves are gray to blue-gray and teem with numerous sharp leaflets and lobes. Native to the hot, sunny scrub and rocky ridges of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, this very slow growing clumping cycad is considered one of the most ornamental and cold-hardy of the African cycads.

The low, stem-like stump of this cycad holds five to seven leaves. Very old plants may be a multi-stumped clump. Each...

(Ensete)

(Ensete, Tandarra Red Ensete)

(Abyssinian Banana)

Abyssinian banana is closely related to the edible banana we are all familiar with; however, the fruits of this species are dry and unpalatable. It is native to Ethiopia in east central Africa. Abyssinian banana has paddle-shaped leaves that can be tremendously large and long arising from a a central crown. The stem midribs are red underneath. The plant dies back to the root base after blooming which usually occurs two to five years after planting.

Abyssinian banana requires a rich fertile soil...

(Abyssinian banana, Maurel's Abyssinian Banana, Red-leaved Banana)

Abyssinian banana is closely related to the edible banana we are all familiar with; however, the fruits of this species are dry and unpalatable. Abyssinian banana has paddle-shaped leaves up to 20 feet long arising from a a central crown. The mid-ribs of the stems are red underneath. The plant dies back to the crown after blooming which usually occurs two to five years after planting.

Maurelii Abyssinian banana has red tinged leaves above and dark red leaf stalks.

(Large Ephedra)

(Horsetail)

This ancient plant is flowerless and spreads by rhizomes. Commonly called horsetail, it is a hardy evergreen perennial that consists of fine, hollow, green stems divided by black-rimmed joints. It has a broad natural distribution and can be found growing in temperate regions throughout North America and Eurasia.

Horsetail prefers moist to wet organic-rich soil and will tolerate full sun to partial sun. It can become invasive if not properly contained or maintained and looks best in naturalistic...

(Dwarf Horsetail, Dwarf Scouringrush)

Dwarf horsetail is a fast growing evergreen perennial native to North America, Europe and eastern Asia. It is grown for its short green rushlike hollow stems with black bands. Rather than flowers, in late summer and autumn, a small light brown reproductive structure (called a strobilus) appears on each stem tip.

Dwarf horsetail loves moisture and is often seen in impressive colonies in bogs, low, wet soils or in shallow water such as lake or streamside. As it is an indefinite spreading plant thicket,...