(Miniature Crassula)

Related to jade plant but resembling a moss, this succulent evergreen perennial from East Africa has low prostrate to ascending stems crowded with tiny scale-like leaves. Stems become woody with age. The bright green foliage may take on copper-brown tints in hot dry conditions. Inconspicuous white flowers are borne in the leaf axils in late summer and early fall.

Like most succulents, this plant prefers porous granular soil whether grown in a pot or a frost free rock garden. Avoid watering until...

(Pygmyweed)

The fleshy evergreen leaves of this South African native occur in tight thumb-sized rosettes that offset to form large dense colonies. The oval, round-bottomed, bright green leaves are arranged in four ranks. They may flush red in sunny, hot conditions. In spring heads of small white flowers are borne clear of the rosettes on short stalks.

Like most succulents, this plant requires fast drainage, whether grown in gardens or containers. It prefers full sun, although requires light shade in hot...

The narrow, almost needle-like foliage and sparsely branched, shrubby, tree-like habit of this South African native have caused it to be misleadingly dubbed "miniature pine." In fact, it's an evergreen succulent closely related to jade plant (Crassula ovata). The apple-green, awl-shaped leaves occur in well-spaced pairs along fleshy upright stems that can reach waist height. Dense clusters of small creamy-white flowers appear at the branch tips in spring and summer. Butterflies and hummingbirds...

(Hawthorn)

(Kansas Hawthorn, Red Hawthorn)

Although rare in gardens, this small, spiny, round-headed tree from the central United States is attractive year-round. Its gray spreading branches bear oval, sharply toothed leaves that are shallowly lobed toward their tips. They change from yellow-green when new to dull dark green in late spring to orange and red in fall. The foliage may be marred by rust. Clusters of 5 to 7 white flowers open in spring, giving rise to bunches of spherical to pear-shaped fruits that ripen glossy bright red in early...

(Lavell's Hybrid Hawthorn)

A small deciduous tree that offers year-round interest, this hybrid hawthorn originated in the late nineteenth century at the Arboretum de Segrez in France. It bears clusters of mildly fetid white flowers in late spring, followed by small spherical fruits that ripen orange-red in fall. The toothed, oval, glossy dark green leaves may turn burgundy or gold tones in fall. They typically remain into winter, partially hiding the persistent fruit. The silver-gray branches are spiny on young trees; unarmed...

(Cape Lily, Ellen Bosanquet Cape Lily)

A vigorously-dividing bulbous perennial, 'Ellen Bosanquet' is a hybrid crinum loved by gardeners since its introduction in the 1920s. It is notable for its large, spicy-scented, trumpet-shaped, reddish-violet flowers that bloom through summer and for its vigorously dividing growth. The leaves are strap-shaped, wavy, and glossy. They emerge from the bulb in a tight bundle and form an arching fountain as they extend. The leafless flower stems are topped by a cluster of outward-facing flowers.

The...

(Asian Crinum Lily, Giant Crinum, Poisonbulb)

The Asian crinum lily is a large, free-blooming, fragrant, bulbous perennial for warm climates or containers. Native to tropical southeast Asia, it grows and increases vigorously in suitable conditions, and blooms continuously. In marginal regions, frost may kill the leaves but the plant recovers and new leaves grow with the return of mild temperatures. Over time the bulb grows larger and the broad strap-shaped leaves emerge in a trunk-like mass that separates into individual flaring, arching, glossy...

(Asian Crinum Lily, Variegated Crinum Lily)

The Asian crinum lily is a large, free-blooming, fragrant, bulbous perennial for warm climates or containers. Native to tropical southeast Asia, it grows and increases vigorously in suitable conditions, and blooms continuously. In marginal regions, frost may kill the leaves but the plant recovers and new leaves grow with the return of mild temperatures. Over time the bulb grows larger and the broad strap-shaped leaves emerge in a trunk-like mass that separates into individual flaring, arching, glossy...

(Spotted Crinum Lily)

The Asian crinum lily is a large, free-blooming, fragrant, bulbous perennial for warm climates or containers. Native to tropical southeast Asia, it grows and increases vigorously in suitable conditions, and blooms continuously. In marginal regions, frost may kill the leaves but the plant recovers and new leaves grow with the return of mild temperatures. Over time the bulb grows larger and the broad strap-shaped leaves emerge in a trunk-like mass that separates into individual flaring, arching, glossy...