(Fiery Spike, Red Aphelandra)

Fiery scarlet, cockscomb-like flower heads top the red aphelandra in summer or fall. A frost tender evergreen shrub, it is native to the rainforests of northern South America and the West Indies. It becomes an upright-stemmed plant with a spreading habit.

The medium green leaves are flared ovals, having a waved wider midsection. Flowering in the warm months, often delayed into late summer or well into autumn, each stem tip forms an architectural "hand". It has a primary upward stem that bears...

(Baby Sun Rose, Heartleaf Ice Plant)

The small, heart-shaped leaves of baby sun rose contrast with its magenta-red, daisy-like flowers. This tender, succulent, creeping evergreen perennial is native to southern Africa.

The fleshy leaves are bright green, heart-shaped, and covered in very tiny hairs, and thus feel felt-like. The flowers, with many string-like petals surrounding a small, yellow-white eye, are the size of a large thumbnail and open only when the sun is shining. They are a rich magenta-red and attract butterflies.

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(Heartleaf Ice Plant, Red Apple Heartleaf Ice Plant)

The small leaves of ‘Red Apple’ heartleaf make a soft carpet and background below its daisy-like flowers. This tender, succulent, creeping, evergreen perennial is native to southern Africa.

The leaves are fleshy, heart-shaped, and covered by tiny hairs, and thus feel felt-like. The flowers, with many string-like petals surrounding a small yellow-white eye, are the size of a thumbnail and open only when the sun is shining. They are a rich red and attract butterflies.

Grow 'Red Apple' in full...

(House Pine, Monkey Puzzle Tree)

Sparse, architecturally interesting branches laced with sharp, triangular needles makes monkey puzzle tree one of the more odd but entertaining trees for mild temperate zone landscapes. A tall evergreen tree native to the slopes of the Andes Mountains in Chile and Argentina, it has dark grayish brown bark and produces cones. It is pleasingly pyramid-shaped when young, looking like an artificial Christmas tree without the wiry needles yet extended. With time, its shape become tall with a rounded upper...

(Bunya Bunya Pine)

With shiny, prickly foliage concentrated in tufts at the ends of branches, bunya-bunya pine is known for its spiny, heavy cones that drop like bombs to the ground below. Only found naturally in the coastal and inland rainforests of Queensland, Australia, it is a tall evergreen tree that attains a triangular dome canopy at maturity. When youthful, the tree has a pyramid-like habit with a tall central leading tip. The leaves are dark green, brighter when new, and waxy, stiff and notably sharp at their...

(Cook Pine, New Caledonia Pine)

The Cook pine is a cone-bearing evergreen tree native to New Caledonia, just east of Australia. It is a large, tall, upright, elegant tree with whorled branches and dark green, needle-type foliage. The little scale-like needles are prickly and linear, densely arranged in flexible, caterpillar-like fingers upon the lateral branches. At the tree's tip, the newest branch growth is a rounded tuft, and the older branches often are dropped and rejuvenated with shorter ones, creating a more obvious columnar...

(Norfolk Island Pine)

The Norfolk Island pine is a cone-bearing evergreen tree native to Norfolk Island, just east of Australia. It is a large, tall, upright, elegant tree with whorled branches and dark green, fan-like, needle-type foliage. The short, little needles are leathery and linear, densely arranged in flexible, caterpillar-like fingers upon the lateral branches. At the tree's tip, the newest branch growth resembles a graphic, five or six-pointed star with V-form foliage. It produces cones that are either fully...

(Lady's Leg, Manzanita, Texas Madrone)

This picturesque small tree is grown for its early blooms, colorful bark and berries, and handsome evergreen foliage. It is native to rocky slopes and ledges from southern Texas and New Mexico to Guatemala.

The leathery oval leaves of Texas madrone are bluish- to olive-green with paler undersides. Erect clusters of small, urn-shaped, creamy-white to pinkish flowers open at the branch tips from late winter to early spring. Bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators visit the blooms. Round, warty...

(Alex Palm, Alexandra Palm, Princess Alexandra Palm)

Stately, tall, beautiful and fast growing, Alexandra palm, named in honor of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, lends a tropical look to the landscape. It is native to the coastal rainforest of northeastern Australia and is much planted in tropical regions around the world. The solitary palm has a slender, gray trunk, swollen base and ringed with leaf scars. The large, feather-like leaves are light green above, distinctively silver-white below with many, pointed leaflets which clasp together to form...

(Bangalow Palm, King Palm, Piccabeen Palm)

King palm is a tall evergreen with bright green leaves, sometimes having brown scales on the paler green undersides. The trunk is straight and slender with interesting rings. Lavender-purple flowers occur on cream-colored stalks; fruits are round and bright red when mature.

The graceful king palm thrives in full sun with ample water or in partial shade. It is fast growing, but tender to prolonged modestly sub-freezing temperatures. It is best sheltered from strong winds and is most attractive...