(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....

(European Hornbeam)

A stately tree with muscular gray branches and trunk, the European hornbeam has glossy green foliage and produces interesting strings of lobed, yellow-brown fruits in fall. This tall, oval-canopied deciduous tree is native to much of Europe and eastward into Asia Minor.

The leaves are oval and have unequal but doubled rows of teeth on their edges. Veins are very depressed and the upper leaf side is a dull, deep green and undersides a lighter shiny green. These leaves are held late into fall and...

(European Hornbeam, Upright European Hornbeam)

A stately tree with gray branches and trunk, the upright European hornbeam has glossy green foliage and produces interesting strings of yellow-brown fruits in fall. This tall, oval-canopied deciduous tree is native to much of Europe and eastward into Asia Minor. Although named 'Fastigiata', the mature form of this selection is oval to pyramidal, not a tall, narrow, upright spire.

The leaves are oval and have unequal but doubled rows of teeth on their edges. Veins are very depressed and the upper...

(European Hornbeam, Weeping European Hornbeam)

A stately tree with muscular gray branches and trunk, the European hornbeam has glossy green foliage and produces interesting strings of lobed, yellow-brown fruits in fall. This tall, oval-canopied deciduous tree is native to much of Europe and eastward into Asia Minor.

The leaves are oval and have unequal but doubled rows of teeth on their edges. Veins are very depressed and the upper leaf side is a dull, deep green and undersides a lighter shiny green. These leaves are held late into fall and...

(European Hornbeam)

A stately tree with muscular gray branches and trunk, the European hornbeam has glossy green foliage and produces interesting strings of lobed, yellow-brown fruits in fall. This tall, oval-canopied deciduous tree is native to much of Europe and eastward into Asia Minor.

The leaves are oval and have unequal but doubled rows of teeth on their edges. Veins are very depressed and the upper leaf side is a dull, deep green and undersides a lighter shiny green. These leaves are held late into fall and...

(American Hornbeam, Musclewood)

A slow-growing, spreading-canopied deciduous tree, American hornbeam is native to southeastern North America from Canada to Mexico. The ridged, gray, smooth bark looks like there are flexed muscles under it, yielding another common name of musclewood. It may also grow with many trunks and attain a form much more shrub-like, albeit large.

The pretty, oblong, tapered leaves have depressed veins and double-teeth on their edges. In spring, male and female flowers appear separately on the same tree,...

(American Hornbeam)

A slow-growing, spreading-canopied deciduous tree, American hornbeam is native to southeastern North America and subspecies virginiana has a more northerly natural range. The ridged, gray, smooth bark looks like there are flexed muscles under it, yielding another common name of musclewood. It may also grow with many trunks and attain a form much more shrub-like, albeit large.

The pretty, oblong, tapered leaves have depressed veins and double-teeth on their edges. These leaves are slightly...

(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...