(Japanese Clethra, Japanese Sweetshrub)

Underutilized as a remarkably beautiful shrub, Japanese clethra has glossy foliage, a beautiful late summer white flower display and colorful exfoliating bark. An upright large shrub to small tree, this deciduous plant is native to Japan and eastern China.

Its dark green, glossy leaves are long ovals. In mid- to late summer, the branch tips bear a little cluster or finger-like flower clusters that droop (raceme panicles). Slightly fragrant, they attract bees and butterflies. In autumn the foliage...

(Clivia)

Attractive and adaptable, this evergreen herbaceous perennial from South Africa produces sturdy-stemmed clusters (umbels) of orange trumpet-shaped blooms above a graceful fountain of strappy, fibrous, dark green foliage. Flowering usually occurs in winter and spring, but occasionally at other seasons. Many cultivars are available including yellow-flowered and variegated selections.

This bulbous, freeze-intolerant plant thrives in partial shade and porous, gritty but humus-rich, well-drained soil....

Attractive and adaptable, this evergreen herbaceous perennial from South Africa produces sturdy-stemmed clusters (umbels) of orange trumpet-shaped blooms above a graceful fountain of strappy, fibrous, dark green foliage. Flowering usually occurs in winter and spring, but occasionally at other seasons. Many cultivars are available including yellow-flowered and variegated selections.

This bulbous, freeze-intolerant plant thrives in partial shade and porous, gritty but humus-rich, well-drained soil....

(Clivia, Golden Dragon Clivia)

A yellow flower, once unknown in clivia, is a prized feature of ‘Golden Dragon.’ It blooms with clusters of large, trumpet-shaped flowers in early spring. The flowers rise on sturdy stems from a graceful fountain of large, strappy, dark-green leaves joined in a thick base. Red berries follow the flowers. When the plant is not in flower, the leaves remain showy. Its parent is an evergreen perennial from South Africa.

This bulb-like plant thrives in partial shade and humus-rich, well-drained soil....

Attractive and adaptable, this evergreen herbaceous perennial from South Africa produces sturdy-stemmed clusters (umbels) of orange trumpet-shaped blooms above a graceful fountain of strappy, fibrous, dark green foliage. Flowering usually occurs in winter and spring, but occasionally at other seasons. Many cultivars are available including yellow-flowered and variegated selections.

This bulbous, freeze-intolerant plant thrives in partial shade and porous, gritty but humus-rich, well-drained soil....

(Clivia)

Attractive and adaptable, Clivia miniata is an evergreen herbaceous perennial native to South Africa. Belgian Strain plants produce stout-stemmed umbels of wide-mouthed, bell-shaped, orange or yellow blooms above a compact clump of broad, strappy, fibrous, dark green foliage. Flowering usually occurs in winter and spring, but occasionally at other seasons.

This plant thrives in partial shade and humus-rich, well drained soil. Use as a conservatory or house plant, or in perennial borders or mixed...

(Clivia)

Attractive and adaptable, Clivia miniata is an evergreen herbaceous perennial native to South Africa. French Strain clivias produce stout-stemmed umbels of wide-mouthed, orange blooms above a compact clump of broad, strappy, fibrous, dark green foliage. Flowering usually occurs in winter and spring, but occasionally at other seasons.

This plant thrives in partial shade and humus-rich, well drained soil. Use as a conservatory or house plant, or in perennial borders or mixed plantings where hardy.

(Clivia, Victorian Peach® Clivia)

Attractive and adaptable, Victorian Peach® is a selection of an evergreen herbaceous perennial from South Africa, and produces umbels of large, creamy yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers with peach throats in the early spring. The flowers rise on sturdy stems from a graceful fountain of large, strappy, dark-green leaves joined in a thick base. Red berries follow the flowers. When the plant is not in flower, the leaves remain showy.

This bulb-like perennial thrives in partial shade and humus-rich, well-drained...

(Argentine Trumpet Vine, Painted Trumpet, Violet Trumpet Vine)

What a beautiful flowering vine for southern climes! A South American native, violet trumpet vine is a vigorous, evergreen climber with glossy dark green leaves. From spring to summer it produces many tubular, five-petaled blooms of pale lavender-blue to lavender-rose with darker veining and pale yellow throats. These are attractive to bees and hummingbirds and are followed by prickly green fruits.

Violet trumpet vine grows and flowers best in full to partial sun and average to fertile soil...

(Barbados Silver Palm, Silver Palm, Thatch Palm)

The Barbados silver palm is one of the tallest and fastest growing silver thatch palm species. It also produces so many seeds that you often seen this normally solitary-trunk palm in a cluster of variously sized plants at its base. This evergreen palm is native to the coastal scrublands in Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago and northern Venezuela. No matter how tall this palm gets, the trunk never seems to get wider than 6 inches (15 cm). Aerial roots often rise from the trunk base.

The leaves are borne...