(Mountain Thistle)

This shrubby, spreading, semi-evergreen to evergreen perennial bears spiny, leathery leaves that are sharply divided and have attractive silver markings. For most, this native of West Africa is less of an ornamental and more of a weed. Mountain thistle is adapted to the forest understory and grassy fields, so it grows well in sunny and shaded locations.

Tall, upright spikes of pinkish tubular flowers appear from summer to fall. These are highly attractive to bees. Spent flower spikes should...

(Nepal Maple, Smooth Maple)

A maple with long, narrow and glossy leaves, you may mistake this tree for an exotic coffee tree across its native range of the highlands from Bhutan and Nepal across southern China to Vietnam. The smooth or Nepal maple bears light olive-green, evergreen leaves that are somewhat rippled across their surface because of raised veins. Newest leaves emerge with a pinkish coppery color. Tiny teeth occur on the leaf edges, and the leaf petiole stems are pinkish red and are smooth. Naturally occurring variety...

(Everglades Palm, Paurotis Palm)

The paurotis palm is a terrific multi-trunked, clump-forming palm crowned with large, fan-like fronds. It is native to the western Caribbean Basin, from the Bahamas westward to the Yucatan of Mexico and Costa Rica. Native populations also exist in the southernmost tip of Florida, hence its other common name, Everglades palm. This sun-loving palm can withstand moist soils, some drought and moderate salt spray, so it is also quite resilient.

Each rich green frond is like a wide fan comprising...

(Baobab, Dead Rat Tree)

With a flared, muscular trunk and architectural, stubby branches, the baobab is a tree to admire in spacious landscapes. A slow-growing, deciduous tropical tree native to southern Sub-Saharan Africa, this succulent tree is characterized by a swollen trunk that often becomes hollow in order to store rainfall for sustenance. Interestingly, the wood of baobab is relatively soft and spongy and does not produce age rings, even though considered one of the longest-lived tree species on earth.

The medium...

(Candycorn Flower)

The leaves occur in pairs along the often red-tan branches. Colored medium to dark green above, and with a lighter gray-green underside, each leaf is an elongated oval with a tapering tip. At the base of the leaves small rounded clusters of white flowers appear. The tiny fruits turn a bright reddish purple at first, eventually becoming black with ripe and dry. Both wind and birds will spread the seeds.

(Common Maidenhair Fern, Southern Maidenhair Fer)

Delicate and shade-loving, southern maidenhair fern is a beautiful plant native to tropical and temperate regions throughout the world. This species is evergreen in tropical and subtropical areas and deciduous in temperate regions.

It's most admired for its small, fine fronds comprised of dainty, fan-shaped leaflets of light green that move in the slightest breeze. These are supported by glossy black stems that arise from short creeping rhizomes.

Southern maidenhair fern grows best in moist,...

(Rough Maidenhair Fern)

Rough maidenhair fern is an evergreen clumping perennial fern native to southern and southeastern Asia and Australia. New fronds may be copper-pink maturing to bronze-green. The fern stems, or stipes, are forked in two with shiny, leathery dark green leaflets with an occasional bronze casting.<> Rosy maidenhair fern prefers most moist soils with a high organic content. Looking its best in a shady spot, it can tolerate substantial sunlight if soil is moist and humidity higher; it does not like...

(Adonidia Palm, Christmas Palm)

Christmas palm is a tall, graceful, evergreen with an arching, feathery crown of fronds. Strap-like leaflets of this native of the Philippines are green to dark green above and light green and scaly below. Flowers generally occur in summer and are yellow to yellow-green and held in pendent, brached clusters at the base of the crownshaft. The fruits become bright red or orange-red by late autumn, lingering into the winter. This coincided with Christmas in its native land.

Christmas palm prefers...

(Aechmea, Big Harv Aechmea, Big Harv Bromeliad)

A large bromeliad for the tropical landscape, 'Big Harv' has light green and coppery foliage and produces a tall, branched, yellow and red flower spike in summertime. It is an evergreen, frost-tender perennial bromeliad that forms an upright rosette of leaves with a bold, coarse visual texture. It is usually grown in the soil but can be wedged among rocks. This hybrid was developed by Bullis Bromeliads of Princeton, Florida.

The long, rigid strappy leaves are a light green with coppery bronze...

(Aechmea , Del Mar Aechmea, Del Mar Bromeliad)

Bromeliad ‘Del Mar’ is a tender tropical perennial grown primarily for its spectacular long-lasting blooms and compact habit. Resulting from a cross between Aechmea fendleri and A. dichlamydea var. trinitensis, it has a rosette of leathery, broadly lance-shaped, medium green leaves with small sharp spines on their edges. The arching leaves form a 30-cm (12-inch) tall, 60-cm (2-foot) wide clump, with a central tube-shaped "cup." A spike of showy flowers with purple...