(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...

(Cycad, Sago)

Long leaves that resemble fern or palm fronds are typical of these slow-growing cycads. Between 80 and 100 species comprise the genus Cycas. It is a group of Old World cycads native to an expansive area that includes Japan, China, the Philippines, Taiwan, the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka as well as Southeast Asia. Member species also occur in Madagascar, the western Pacific and northern Australia. The most diverse species are Australian.

Cycads are ancient plants that date back...

(Angled Blue Sago, Cycad, Marlborough Blue Sago)

The Marlborough blue sago is a slow-growing cycad that towers upward, looking like some type of date palm. This evergreen plant is cone-bearing and closely related to conifers. It is native to Australia, mainly around the Gulf of Carpentaria. This species is often considered the largest growing of all Cycas species.

Marlborough blue sago has long arching leaves (fronds) that are dark glossy gray-green and feathery. They are densely clustered - numbering up to 40 - at the tip of a...

(Australian Cycas, Mount Surprise Cycad, Mount Surprise Sago)

Feathery, steel-blue leaves make the rare Mount Surprise cycad a plant lover's dream. Native to northeastern Queensland, Australia, where it is endangered, this cone-bearing evergreen grows slowly with a short stem (caudex) that looks like a trunk. Cycads are primitive, non-flowering plants closely related to conifers.

New fronds emerge from the tip of the caudex in late spring. When they first emerge, they are soft and pale blue, but as they age their texture becomes pliable and plastic-like...

(Cycad, Queen Sago)

The queen sago is a lovely slow-growing cycad. This clump-forming evergreen is native to southeastern India and develops a tree-like appearance over time. Its very long leaves (fronds) are dark glossy green and feathery with individual leaflets that droop and curve slightly. The fronds are densely clustered and toothed on the lower part of the leaf stem. Fronds radiate from a central point at the top of a woody trunk-like stem. Newly emerging fronds are very soft, fuzzy and light green and tan. Plants...

(Cycad, Debao Fern Cycad, Multipinnate Cycad)

One glance at Debao fern cycad and you'll think it's a short-stemmed tree fern rather than a cycad, but don't be fooled. This rare cycad was recently discovered by botanists in 1996 in the Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces of China. It is a cone-bearing evergreen plant that grows in sunny, rocky openings among highland forests.

This cycad grows from an underground stem (caudex) with only a small portion extending above the soil. From the tip of the caudex emerges the highly ornate fronds. Each...