(Carambola, Starfruit)

Carambola, also known as starfruit, is a tropical semi-evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka, Malaysia and southeastern Asia. It is a medium sized, slow growing, ackwardly-branching tree that puts forth leaf stalks with alternating green, finely haired leaves. Its fragrant pink-violet flowers are borne in small clusters on reddish stalks in spring and summer. Orange-yellow oblong, star-shaped fruits with waxy skin develop throughout the warm months and may continue into winter. Trees typically need...

(Brahmi, Herb-of-Grace, Water Hyssop)

This low-growing, spreading aquatic perennial is a common water weed found along stream margins, pond edges and wet sands of the southern United States and adjacent Mexico. Its small, succulent leaves create a mat of foliage that becomes dotted with small, pale flowers. It creates attractive cover for waterway margins and makes a fine container specimen.

The small leaves of water hyssop are oval, lustrous and fleshy. From spring to fall, lots of small, single flowers are produced along the...

(Desert Marigold)

Desert marigold is a tender, perennial wildflower that offers a brilliant show for a short time in spring. It is native to the low deserts of southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. There it’s found in infertile, sandy or gravelly soils. It is visible in large populations for weeks in spring when new plants sprout from seeds. Only in the warmest regions do plants become perennial as they do not stand the slightest frost. Even there most fail to survive extreme summer heat and drought. However, in...

(Beechey's Bamboo, Clumping Bamboo)

A traditional source of tender, edible bamboo shoots in southern China, Beechey's bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to southernmost China and Hong Kong. It was first collected in 1827 in Macao, by a naturalist on a ship captained by F. W. Beechey. This tree-like grass quickly grows into a dense clump with tall, arching culms that create a fountain-like silhouette.

All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections. Beechey's bamboo has wrist-wide, thick...

(Black Timber Bamboo, Clumping Bamboo, Timor Black Bamboo)

Newly emerging green shoots of the Timor black bamboo are edible, but allowing the culms to mature to a towering height proves highly ornamental. It’s native to the island of Timor, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying just north of Australia and among the isles of Indonesia. This bamboo is a very tall, clumping bamboo that produces towering, slightly leaning culms. This tree-like grass quickly grows into a loose, non-spreading clump.

All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms...

(Alphonse Karr Bamboo, Clumping Bamboo, Hedge Bamboo)

The Alphonse Karr bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to China. All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections and branched. Hedge bamboo selection ‘Alphonso-Karrii’ has slender, arching culms which are smooth with no teeth or spines. The culms emerge with a pink tint and mature to a rich gold, striped with deep green. Bright light also brings out pink at the culm joints or nodes. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped and produced in pairs, many pairs are...

(Clumping Bamboo, Golden Goddess Bamboo, Hedge Bamboo)

Shrub bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to China. All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections and branched. Shrub bamboo ‘Golden Goddess’ has slender, narrow, arching culms which are smooth with no teeth or spines. The culms are yellow. The dark green leaves are linear to lance-shaped and produced in pairs, many pairs are crowded on the branches. 'Golden Goddess' is a dwarf selection. Bamboo flowering is unusual, the flowers are similar to other grasses...

(Clumping Bamboo, Giant Timber Bamboo, Oldham's Bamboo)

Giant timber bamboo is a clumping bamboo native to China and Taiwan. All bamboos are grasses with woody-type stems called culms which are divided into sections and also produce thin branches. Giant timber bamboo has huge, thick, upright culms that are smooth with no teeth or spines and are mostly hollow. The culms are pale green to dark green. The dark green leaves are linear to lance-shaped and produced in pairs, many pairs are crowded on the branches. Giant timber bamboo is a very leafy bamboo....

(Blue False Indigo, Plains False Indigo)

When looking upon a mature false indigo in bloom it looks much like a small shrub, but it’s truly an herbaceous perennial, meaning it dies back to the ground each year. Native populations of false indigo exist across a large part of eastern North America, in all but a few of the most southern states. They tend to grow in old-fields, prairies and other open wild areas. Some Native American tribes used Baptisia roots for medicine and the flowers or flowering stems for the dye they yield. Despite...

(Dwarf Blue False Indigo)

This is a shorter variety of the large, bushy perennial, false indigo, so it's better suited to smaller garden spaces. Native populations of false indigo exist across a large part of eastern North America, in all but a few of the most southern states. They tend to grow in old-fields, prairies and other open wild areas. Some Native American tribes used Baptisia roots for medicine and the flowers or flowering stems for the dye they yield. Despite the common name, false indigo dye is not blue...