(Batface Cuphea)

A hybrid of the subshrub Cuphea llavea and the annual C. procumbens, 'Flamenco Samba' is a short, upright herbaceous perennial with dark yellow-green, evergreen foliage and vivid red, burgundy-purple-faced flowers. The flowers — whose two large upper petals resemble mouse ears — bloom nearly continuously throughout warm weather.

This hybrid appreciates regular watering and well-drained soil. Give it ample sun for heaviest flowering and fullest growth. Whether used as an annual...

(Batface Cuphea)

A hybrid of the subshrub Cuphea llavea and the annual C. procumbens, 'Flamenco Tango' is a short, upright herbaceous perennial with dark yellow-green, evergreen foliage and soft pink, lavender-faced flowers. The flowers — whose two large upper petals resemble mouse ears — bloom nearly continuously throughout warm weather.

This hybrid appreciates regular watering and well-drained soil. Give it ample sun for heaviest flowering and fullest growth. Whether used as an annual or a...

(Batface Cuphea, Flamenco Batface Cuphea)

Hybrids of the subshrub Cuphea llavea and the annual C. procumbens, the Flamenco Series of batface includes four cultivars of short, upright plants with dark yellow-green, evergreen foliage and bright pink or red flowers. The flowers — whose two large upper petals resemble mouse ears — bloom nearly continuously throughout warm weather.

These hybrids appreciate regular watering and well-drained soil. Give them ample sun for heaviest flowering and fullest growth....

(Candycorn Flower, Candycorn Plant)

Candycorn plant is a fantastic drought-tolerant tender perennial with flowers sure to strike up a conversation or smile. Native to Mexico and parts of Guatemala, it appreciates heat, sunshine and well-drained soils. This plant will grow waist-high with its barely arching stems with pretty orange-red flowers that are tipped in yellow. Yes, the flowers will remind you of candy corn! Flowering occurs throughout the warm months in tropical climes, but is more early fall blooming when the plant must regrow...

(Arizona Cypress)

The Arizona cypress is an upright evergreen conifer tree with branches of soft gray or blue-green foliage. The undersides of the scaley leaves are covered in white resin glands. Small, prickled, round cones add seasonal interest as does the smooth reddish bark.

A sunny dry location is needed to grow Arizona cypress and it is not a particularly good choice for climates with humidity and wet summers. Best used as large plant screens or windbreaks inland or near the coast, cultivars 'Carolina Sapphire',...

(Arizona Cypress, Raywood's Weeping Arizona Cypress)

Raywood's Weeping Arizona cypress is a narrow, upright evergreen conifer tree with branches of pale silver to steel blue foliage. The short branch tips gracefully weep. Native to the southwestern United States, the undersides of the scaley leaves are covered in white resin glands. Small, prickled, round cones add seasonal interest as does the smooth reddish bark before it becomes mundane gray.

A sunny, dry location is needed to grow Arizona cypress with soils that are well-drained. Amend clay soils...

(Hidden Ginger, Siam Tulip, Siam Violet Ginger)

With an upright flower of pink-violet, the Siam tulip is acutually a deciduous perennial from the warm tropics. A ginger, selection 'Siam Violet' flowers from late spring into early summer. A short stem rises with a overlapping clusters of pink-violet bracts (modified leaves) that last for several weeks. The typically blue-green foliage is somewhat pleated and can partially hide the flower stems.

This ginger is best grown with high humidity, partial sun to partial shade, and in a sandy loam rich...

(Australian Treefern, Cooper's Treefern, Lacy Treefern, Queensland Treefern)

Cooper's tree fern is a luscious, prehistoric-looking plant with magnificent large green fronds. This native of the coastal lowlands of eastern Australia loves moist friable soils and look its finest with high humidity and protection from cold or dry winds. The amazingly large, triangular-shaped fronds are a beautiful light to medium green and can reach great lengths. Typically tree ferns grown outside of their native ranges have leaves that rarely reach any length beyond 8 ft/2.5 m., often much...

(Angled Blue Sago, Cycad, Marlborough Blue Sago)

The Marlborough blue sago is a slow-growing cycad that towers upward, looking like some type of date palm. This evergreen plant is cone-bearing and closely related to conifers. It is native to Australia, mainly around the Gulf of Carpentaria. This species is often considered the largest growing of all Cycas species.

Marlborough blue sago has long arching leaves (fronds) that are dark glossy gray-green and feathery. They are densely clustered - numbering up to 40 - at the tip of a...

(Australian Cycas, Mount Surprise Cycad, Mount Surprise Sago)

Feathery, steel-blue leaves make the rare Mount Surprise cycad a plant lover's dream. Native to northeastern Queensland, Australia, where it is endangered, this cone-bearing evergreen grows slowly with a short stem (caudex) that looks like a trunk. Cycads are primitive, non-flowering plants closely related to conifers.

New fronds emerge from the tip of the caudex in late spring. When they first emerge, they are soft and pale blue, but as they age their texture becomes pliable and plastic-like...