(Golden Lotus, Shell Ginger, Variegated Shell Ginger)

Fragrant in all its parts, variegated shell ginger is a large, clump-forming, evergreen perennial native to tropical Asia. Pendulous clusters of waxy, pearly, pinkish white flowers with yellow interiors appear atop tall, strong, large-leaved stems in spring and summer. The leaves of the cultivar 'Variegata' are strikingly marked with yellow and green stripes and blotches. The stems die to the ground in the colder part of its hardiness range, but regrow from thick rhizomes in spring.

Variegated...

(Calico Plant, Indoor Clover, Joyweed)

Joyweed is a tender perennial from the West Indies and Brazil grown for richly colored foliage and heat tolerance. The leaves are lance to oval shaped with toothed margins and are variously shaded in purple – reminiscent of coleus. The insignificant flowers are white, without petals, grouped together and look like clover. Joyweed may be planted by seed, choose brightly colored seedlings, or transplants.

Joyweed is frost sensitive and grown as a perennial only in very warm areas. Grow it as an...

(Calico Plant, Joyweed)

Purple Knight joyweed is a tender perennial from the West Indies and Brazil grown for it rich purple foliage and heat tolerance. The leaves are lance to oval shaped with toothed margins. The insignificant flowers are white, without petals, grouped together and look like clover. Purple Knight joyweed grows true to type when planted by seed.

Joyweed is frost sensitive and grown as a perennial only in very warm areas. Grow it as an annual, houseplant or greenhouse specimen in cooler climates. Plant...

(Calico Plant, Joyweed, Royal Tapestry Joyweed)

The mounding, spreading, tender perennial joyweed, 'Royal Tapestry', has fine, richly hued foliage and super heat tolerance. Its small, lance-shaped leaves are borne on burgundy stems and may be red, copper, purple or burgundy, depending on the season and sun and heat exposure. Throughout the year, it produces clover-like clusters of small, white flowers, but these are insignificant and offer little interest when compared to the attractive foliage.

For best foliar color, plant Brazilian...

(Calico Plant, Christmas Clover, Joyweed)

Christmas Clover joyweed is a tender perennial from the West Indies and Brazil grown for it deep maroon foliage and heat tolerance. The leaves are lance to oval shaped with toothed margins. The insignificant flowers are white, without petals, grouped together and look like clover.

Joyweed is frost sensitive and grown as a perennial only in very warm areas. Grow it as an annual, houseplant or greenhouse specimen in cooler climates. Plant in full sun, bright light and heat improve the color intensity...

(Thread Alternanthera)

A native of Mexico and South America, joyweed is an evergreen tender perennial commonly grown for its colorful leaves as a bedding or container plant. Its fine to medium textured narrow, glossy leaves may be bright green, pink, bronze or burgundy-red, depending on the cultivar. Flowering occurs in fall and is insignificant. Two popular selections include 'Red Threads', which has fine, burgundy-red leaves, and the colorful variegated variety 'Party Time', which has leaves marked with green, cream...

(Amherstia, Pride-of-Burma)

One of the tropic's most beautifully shaped flowering trees, the pride-of-Burma is also one of the rarest plants since it does not readily produce seeds. Some plant collectors refer to it as the "queen of flowering trees." This slow-growing evergreen is native only to the monsoonal teak forests of Burma in Southeast Asia. It develops a rounded, wide-spreading canopy with cascading branches and foliage. Today, it is considered a highly endangered plant species, if not already extinct in the wild....

(Titan Arum)

This gigantic, summer-growing plant from Sumatra has perhaps the largest inflorescence and tuber in the plant kingdom. In late spring, if the female plant is old enough, a thick, tall flower stalk emerges and unfurls a multicolored spathe and spadix with a rotting, foetid stench. It is pollinated by flies and carrion beetles. In summer, an immense leaf stalk reaches skyward with a huge, umbrella-like leaf that is very lobed and attractive.

This singular plant needs a warm, alkaline, well drained...

(Acajou, Cashew)

This small, broad-crowned, evergreen tree is cultivated throughout the tropics for its tasty fruits, as well as for numerous other by-products. It is native to lower latitudes of the New World.

Large, leathery, elliptical leaves crowd the crooked, gray-barked branches of this fast-growing tree. The leaves are ribbed with conspicuous, deep-set veins, and are often notched at the tip. Many-flowered clusters of pale green, red-tinged, five-lobed blooms appear at the branch tips from late spring...

(Pineapple)

These terrestrial, evergreen perennials from South America are grown for their handsome foliage, striking flowers, and edible fruits. Ananas comprises some 8 species including the pineapple, A. comosus. Plants form basal rosettes of tall, sword-shaped, saw-toothed leaves which give rise in summer to stout erect flower stems. Borne in a terminal spike, the three-petaled, red or blue flowers have prominent, often colorful basal bracts. Pulpy fruits follow the blooms, merging...