(Snowrose, Tree-of-a-Thousand-Stars)

A small, fine-textured evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub with delicate and delightful flowers, this native of Southeast Asia is often used in bonsai. A dense rounded plant whose wiry branches are crowded with tiny oval leaves, snowrose displays small white starry flowers in spring and summer, and sometimes at other seasons if temperatures are mild. The four- to six-petaled blooms open from pink buds. Fruit (a small black berry) is rarely if ever produced in cultivation. The leathery, dark-green leaves...

(Zigzag Bamboo)

Zigzag bamboo is a dwarf evergreen bamboo native to China. It has gracefully arching canes that zigzag slightly between the lance-shaped, shiny, bright green leaves. It spreads steadily but not invasively by rhizomes. Zigzag bamboo prefers partial to full shade and moist, fertile, acid soil. It works well as a small-scale ground cover or as a potted or waterside accent plant.

(Jojoba)

A tough and tolerant plant ideal for arid regions, the jojoba has attractive blue-green foliage and produces a nut-like fruit that is pressed for its oil. An irregularly shaped, upright, evergreen shrub, it's native to northern Mexico and the extreme southwestern United States.

Jojoba’s stiff branches are lined with paired oval leaves that are a grayish blue-green but can have hints of yellow-green. In early spring, the unimpressive small yellow flowers appear. Plants are dioecious, either male...

(Sinningia)

Florist’s gloxinia is exquisite when in bloom with its large, bell-shaped white, red or violet-blue flowers. This evergreen, frost-intolerant perennial is native to southern Brazil and grows from a tuber, an enlarged underground stem. Numerous cultivars have been developed from this original species to introduce a broader range of colors, floral shapes and petal numbers. They are most commonly grown as houseplants.

This gloxinia grows as a rosette of oblong-oval leaves with velvety hairs. The...

(African Eggplant, Scarlet Eggplant)

The scarlet eggplant, sometimes colloquially called "pumpkins on a stick," resembles an eggplant but with small, colorful, gourd-like fruits. This tender perennial is native to tropical, sub-Saharan Africa. Scarlet eggplant is highly variable across its native range, as some plants have prickly leaves, while others produce fruit that are either round, tear drop-shaped or flattened and grooved. Horticulturists place these different strains into one of four groups: Gilo, Kumba, Shum or Aculeatum. In...

(African Eggplant, Scarlet Eggplant, Striped Togo Scarlet Eggplant)

A curious alternative to growing tomatoes and eggplants in the edible garden, 'Striped Togo' bears golden orange fruits with green stripes. This tender perennial species is native to tropical, sub-Saharan Africa and is commonly called the scarlet or African eggplant.

Scarlet eggplant is a herbaceous, semi-woody subshrub, but it may be grown as a perennial or annual crop. Its large pointy leaves with short pointed side lobes look like those of an eggplant or oak. The leaf blades may or may not...

(Purple Devil)

This is a funky looking devil of a plant that people either love or hate. The South American purple devil is a tender perennial in the tomato family that grows as a weed in its native habitat. It has coarse, dark green foliage and stems lined with deep purple spines. Toxic orange fruits are produced in summer. Garden grown specimens are generally raised as tender perennials but in frost-free zones this tropical plant becomes large and shrubby.

Purple devil has showy, deeply lobed leaves and...

(Jasmine Nightshade, Potato Vine)

Potato vine is a vigorous evergreen to semi-evergreen twining climber native to Brazil. This tropical tender perennial is grown for its vigorous climbing habit and showy blooms. In the south, it provides quick cover for trellises and other garden structures.

Large, dark green or purple-hued leaves clothe the thin stems all year around. Abundant clusters of star-shaped, fragrant blooms appear throughout the growing season. In warmer zones it will even bloom through winter. The flowers may be...

(Golden Variegated Potato Vine)

Variegated potato vine is a vigorous evergreen or semi-evergreen perennial twining climber native to Brazil. It is grown for showy blooms, golden foliage and for quick cover of trellises and other garden structures.

Dark green leaves are thickly edged with gold variegation. They clothe the thin stems alternately and are large, lance-shaped, sometimes with a few lobes and shiny. Abundant clusters of star-shaped, fragrant blooms grace this scrambler throughout the growing season, spring though...

(Solanum)

This upright tender shrub is found only in the uplands of southern Colombia.

The narrowly oval leaves are pale yellow-green. Densely covered with tiny yellow hairs when young, the largely unbranched stems mature to green-brown with white speckles. Clusters of small white bell-shaped flowers occur along the stems, opposite a leaf, during the warm months. The flower buds are also densely covered in yellow hairs.

This plant prefers full sun to partial shade and moist well-drained soil.