(Carissa, Natal Plum)

Natal plum is an attractive, spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish, often with a spine at the tip. There are also many sharp, Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular, white flowers are borne singly or in small clusters at the branch...

(Boxwood Beauty Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Boxwood Beauty’ is an attractive, dwarf, nearly spineless cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular, white flowers are borne singly or in small clusters at the branch tips...

(Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Emerald Blank’ is an attractive, dwarf cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish often with a spine at the tip. There are also soft, Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular,...

(Carissa, Green Carpet Natal Plum, Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Green Carpet’ is an attractive, dwarf cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish often with a spine at the tip. There are also a few Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken. The star-shaped, tubular,...

(Carissa, Natal Plum, Tuttle's Natal Plum)

Natal plum ‘Tuttle’ is an attractive, dwarf, prostrate cultivar of Carissa macrocarpa which is a spiny shrub native to South Africa. This tropical, evergreen plant has thick, leathery leaves which are oval to roundish often with a spine at the tip and are densely packed on the stems. There are Y-shaped thorns on the stems and branches. The leaves are glossy; bright dark green on the upper surface, paler below and opposite on the stem. Milky, latex sap is exuded when the plant is cut or broken....

(Saguaro)

This genus contains just one very famous tree-like species, the giant Saguaro cactus. It is unique to the arid American Southwest and northwestern Mexico where it can be found widely scattered or in dense populations. Its massive size and familiar shape contributes largely to the character of the deserts where it is found, particularly those in Arizona.

Giant Saguaro columns feature up to thirty vertical ribs that act like an accordion, swelling in the summer rainy season then shrinking as...

(Giant Saguaro)

This enormous, branching, tree-like cactus is a favorite landscape plant in the deserts of the Southwest. Giant saguaro is native to the Sonoran Desert, from Arizona southward into Sonora, Mexico. In the wild, it is protected due to shrinking habitat and illegal wild-collection of native plants for garden cultivation. Sadly, most wild-collected plants quickly die because established, mature plants transplant poorly.

Giant saguaro columns feature up to thirty vertical ribs that act like an...

(Hornbeam)

(European Hornbeam)

A stately tree with muscular gray branches and trunk, the European hornbeam has glossy green foliage and produces interesting strings of lobed, yellow-brown fruits in fall. This tall, oval-canopied deciduous tree is native to much of Europe and eastward into Asia Minor.

The leaves are oval and have unequal but doubled rows of teeth on their edges. Veins are very depressed and the upper leaf side is a dull, deep green and undersides a lighter shiny green. These leaves are held late into fall and...

(American Hornbeam, Musclewood)

A slow-growing, spreading-canopied deciduous tree, American hornbeam is native to southeastern North America from Canada to Mexico. The ridged, gray, smooth bark looks like there are flexed muscles under it, yielding another common name of musclewood. It may also grow with many trunks and attain a form much more shrub-like, albeit large.

The pretty, oblong, tapered leaves have depressed veins and double-teeth on their edges. In spring, male and female flowers appear separately on the same tree,...