(Blue Italian Cypress, Italian Cypress)

Blue Italian cypress is a narrow, columnar evergreen tree native to western Asia and southern Europe. Its rich blue-green soft-scaled needles are short and wispy, and help hide the small oval tan cones.

Grow blue Italian cypress in full sun in average to dry soil with good drainage. Although it grows in several warm temperate climates, it will be troublesome to maintain in regions with high humidity, copious summer rains or cool summer temperatures. Best used as a screen or feature plant lining...

(Italian Cypress, Swane's Golden Italian Cypress)

Swane's Golden Italian cypress is a very narrow, columnar evergreen tree native to western Asia and southern Europe. Its soft-scaled needles are short and wispy and are golden yellow, and help hide the small oval cones. The look of the needled branches is somewhat billowy along the tall vertical shape of the tree.

Grow golden Italian cypress in full sun in average to dry soil with good drainage. Although it grows in several warm temperate climates, it will be troublesome to maintain in regions...

(Hidden Ginger, Siam Tulip)

What a pretty warm season tropical for the garden. Hidden ginger is an herbaceous ornamental that originates from Southeast Asia. In early summer through to fall it bears columns of inconspicuous yellow and white flowers which are nestled among showy white, pink or mauve bracts. The rich green to blue-green foliage is sometimes pleated and attractive in and of itself. In fall this ginger becomes dormant and will re-emerge when temperatures warm in spring.

Hidden ginger prefers high humidity,...

(Aussie Plume Ginger, Hidden Ginger, Siam Tulip)

The tall, impressive hidden ginger cultivar ‘Aussie Plume’ has bright rose-pink bracts and beautiful bold leaves with distinctive pleats. It was bred in Australia and is more sun-loving than most.

This tropical, herbaceous ornamental originates from Southeast Asia. In early summer through to fall it bears columns of inconspicuous yellow and white flowers that are nestled within showy bright rosy pink bracts. The rich green foliage is beautifully pleated and attractive in and of itself. In fall...

(Hidden Ginger, Siam Tulip, Siam Violet Ginger)

With an upright flower of pink-violet, the Siam tulip is acutually a deciduous perennial from the warm tropics. A ginger, selection 'Siam Violet' flowers from late spring into early summer. A short stem rises with a overlapping clusters of pink-violet bracts (modified leaves) that last for several weeks. The typically blue-green foliage is somewhat pleated and can partially hide the flower stems.

This ginger is best grown with high humidity, partial sun to partial shade, and in a sandy loam rich...

(Hidden Ginger, Siam Tulip, Tropic Snow Ginger)

Curcuma alismatifolia is an herbaceous ornamental ginger native to Southeast Asia. From early summer through early fall its cultivar 'Tropic Snow' bears showy white tulip-like clusters of flower bracts atop medium-sized stems. The large, blue-green, lance-shaped leaves have a prominent mid-rib.

This ginger prefers high humidity, partial sun to partial shade, and sandy loam rich in organic matter. It makes a nice specimen for tropical gardens. In cool climates it may be planted outside, but must...

(Queen Ginger, Queen Lily)

One of the hardier Curcuma species, queen ginger is a deciduous ornamental that can survive chilling temperatures to zone 7. This native of Burma and Malaysia offers a tropical look to cooler regions and is surprisingly easy to grow.

The broad showy leaves of queen ginger are rich green and ribbed with parallel pleats. These rise to from a neat upright clump that will spread over time via creeping rhizomes. In summer it produces showy columns of yellow and white flowers lined with...

(Emperor Ginger, Queen Lily)

One of the hardier Curcuma species, queen ginger is a deciduous ornamental that can survive chilling temperatures to zone 7. This native of Burma and Malaysia offers a tropical look to cooler regions and is surprisingly easy to grow.

The broad showy leaves of queen ginger are rich green and ribbed with parallel pleats. These rise to from a neat upright clump that will spread over time via creeping rhizomes. In summer it produces showy columns of yellow and white flowers lined with...

(Australian Tree Fern, Australian Treefern, Rough Treefern)

Rough tree fern is a luscious, prehistoric-plant with magnificent large green fronds with an unusual tolerance of salt spray and drier soil. This native of the mountain slopes of eastern Australia and nearby Norfolk Islands loves moist friable soils and look its best with high humidity, ample rainfall and avoidance of dry winds. Large fronds are a beautiful medium green above and light green underneath. This tree fern has a comparatively thick "trunk" which is actually an above-ground rhizome from...

(Australian Treefern, Cooper's Treefern, Lacy Treefern, Queensland Treefern)

Cooper's tree fern is a luscious, prehistoric-looking plant with magnificent large green fronds. This native of the coastal lowlands of eastern Australia loves moist friable soils and look its finest with high humidity and protection from cold or dry winds. The amazingly large, triangular-shaped fronds are a beautiful light to medium green and can reach great lengths. Typically tree ferns grown outside of their native ranges have leaves that rarely reach any length beyond 8 ft/2.5 m., often much...