(Apalachicola Wild Indigo)

Handsomely clumping with upright to arching stems clothed in trifoliate leaves, Apalachicola wild indigo has pretty spikes of creamy flowers in mid-spring to early summer and plump black seeds thereafter. Fairly slow growing with a deep taproot, this rare and endangered species is native to a small pocket of the coastal plain in Florida, Alabama and Georgia in the southeastern United States.

The medium green leaves have three oval leaflets held across this more open, upright plant. Depending...

(Catbells)

Round green leaves that look like they've been pierced by a skewer, catbells' yellow flowers in spring arise from these disc-like leaves. An herbaceous perennial from the the coastal plain of the extreme southeastern United States, it has an extensive root system that resents disturbance.

The mounding plant has stems that are ornately lined with green to bluish green leaves that are round and encase the stem. In midspring, small yellow flowers that are pea-like arise from the stem among the leaves....

(Garden Yellowrocket)

Looking like wild mustard or wild radish, the garden yellowrocket bears small cross-shaped yellow flowers from early spring to early summer. This biennial or very short-lived perennial typically grows in the cooler months, from autumn to spring, becoming dormant in the heat of summer.

The long taproot supports a rosette of medium green leaves that are elongated with lobes. The flower stem arises from the center of this rosettes and branches many times to support scores of tiny lemon yellow blossoms...

(Crested Philippine Violet)

Sandpapery leaves nestle around the trumpeting lavender-purple flowers of the crested Philippine violet in autumn. A semi-evergreen shrub native to India and Southeast Asia, it is upright in habit with a rounded silhouette. The leaves are oval, medium-green, roughly haired. Blooming most heavily in autumn, but a lesser degree in spring, it has lavender-purple or pinkish flowers at the tips of its stems. Each blossom is trumpet-like with a throat that is white-streaked. In a cool or droughty winter,...

(Golden Barleria, Primrose Barleria)

Pleasantly rounded in habit with deep green foliage, primrose barleria bears upright green spikes that have delicate light yellow blossoms from fall to spring. This tender tropical shrub is native from southern Mexico to Colombia. It is the only Barleria native to the New World and has commonly been mistakenly labeled in the nursery trade as Barleria micans, which is from Africa.

The many upright branches on this shrub creates a rounded clump. Leaves are slightly hairy or fuzzy...

(Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach)

Pretty in flower and with edible, spinach-like foliage, Malabar spinach is a fast-growing vine that has both ornamental and culinary qualities. This heat-tolerant native of India is perennial and fully evergreen where hardy and has densely twining, rambling stems that can become thick and may require some management to keep them from overtaking supports.

The long, fleshy, green stems of Malabar spinach readily twine around anything upright and are lined with rounded, heart-shaped leaves of a...

(Ceylon Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Red Malabar Spinach)

Red-stemmed and pretty in flower, red Malabar spinach is a fast-growing vine that has both ornamental and culinary qualities. Its tender leaves can be eaten like spinach and colorful stems add season-long interest. A native of India, Malabar spinach is a fully evergreen tender perennial with densely twining, rambling stems that can become thick and often require management to keep them from overtaking supports.

The long, fleshy, reddish purple stems of red Malabar spinach readily twine around...

(Butterfly Tree, Nasturtium Bauhinia, Red Bauhinia)

When in bloom, the nasturium-bauhinia looks like a reddish-orange bougainvillea from a distance due to its habit and profuse flowers. A semi-deciduous tree native to southeastern Africa, it grows upright, but has drooping, spreading branches that flop to the ground or on to nearby plants.

The leaves are rounded and divided into two lobes like other Bauhinia. They are a light to medium green and shed during the cool or lightly frosty winter season. The five-petaled flowers bloom most...

(Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree)

Extraordinary orchid-like blossoms make this tropical tree one of the most beautiful available. Orchid tree is native to Southeast Asia and is well adapted to hot tropical climates as well as more mild ones. It grows to a medium height and has an open canopy.

This semi-evergreen tree loses its leaves in early spring just before it blooms, which really helps the showy flowers stand out. The exotic blossoms are spidery and rich magenta to pink in color. They literally cloak the entire tree creating...

(Beaucarnea)

Beaucarnea is a genus comprised of four evergreen, tree-like plants native to the dry, arid regions of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. Most have tall trunks, often with a swollen base. In some species the trunks are unbranched; others branch only after flowering or with age. The trunks or branches are crowned with dense clusters of leaves, which are long, linear, leathery and sometimes slightly rough to the touch. Flowers are produced terminally in branched, pyramidal-shaped...