Keep soil moist - Plant Encyclopedia Results

Leaf blade sagittate, entire or pinnatifid, with aculei long veins on lower surface. Spathe greenish brown to purplish, to 55 cm long and slightly twisted.

The plant is harvested from the wild for its edible leaves and various medicinal uses. It is also sometimes cultivated as a vegetable crop along the margins of ponds.

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a family where most of the members contain calcium oxalate crystals.

Tree-ferns are the largest of the ferns and can provide a spectacular addition to most gardens. They grow in habitats ranging from tropical rain forests to temperate woodlands.

Vaccinium macrocarpon, commonly known as Large Cranberry, is a native plant to North America. It is a low-growing shrub growing to a mature height of 2 to 5 ft, and spreads to 3-4 ft wide. It has attractive, small, glossy dark green leaves and fuchsia-pink flowers in spring. It bears bright red cranberries that mature in fall. This small, evergreen shrub can be used both as an edible food crop and as a beautiful ornamental ground cover in semi-shade or full sun. It thrives in acidic soils with good drainage and a pH of 4.0 to 5.2. The soil should be kept moist, yet well drained. It is cold hardy in USDA Zone 2-7.

Cranberries are very healthy and nutrient-rich fruits that are very versatile in cooking. They are rich in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, as well as other essential vitamins and minerals such as manganese and vitamin E. They can be eaten fresh or cooked, and made into juices, jams, and other products. The dried fruit can last up to a year and can be used in many recipes, such as sauces, smoothies, or even salads. In addition, cranberries have many health benefits and are linked to reducing urinary tract infections, and aiding digestion, as well as being anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

Golden Plume features white or off-white flowers with yellow or orange accents. These blooms attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Golden Plume prefers Tropical to Subtropical climates, but can survive mild winters in USDA Zone 9-11. A mature plant is cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time.

Golden Plume is an ideal plant for containers in cooler climates. If grown in containers outdoors, move them indoors once temperatures drop below 40F. Otherwise, place containers in a protected semi-shady area such as a porch, patio, or balcony. Water regularly and keep moist during winter. If grown in pots in colder regions, it should be brought indoors during freezing temperatures. Golden Plume requires weekly watering and fertilization to ensure healthy growth. Prune the plant regularly to keep the shape.

Overall, Schaueria calycotricha (Golden Plume) is a small, showy shrub with white or off-white flowers and yellow or orange accents. This plant attracts butterflies and hummingbirds and is cold hardy at least to 30s F for a short time. It is ideal for containers in cooler climates and needs weekly watering and fertilization to ensure healthy growth. Prune the plant regularly to keep the shape.

Marsilea mutica can be grown as a potted plant, either just with soil kept wet, or semi-submerged, with fronds emergent from the water, or fully-submerged, with the fronds floating on the surface of the water.

Floating leaves with a distinctive pattern of green, yellow and red mounds up in very shallow water.

Sweet Bay can be found in the wild in Florida bay heads, swamps and stream banks. Leaves are very fine for flavoring broths and sauces. Fresh off the tree, the flavor is unique and fun to use. If you have a Florida Sweet Bay, your cooking will have flavors folks outside Florida can never hope to duplicate. Florida Bay Laurel likes moist, acid soils. If you use Bay Laurel in your landscape, be sure plenty of water is available. If you have a moist spot on your land, plant this tree. You will also be rewarded by the attractive white delicately fragrant flowers. No bugs or other pests. Fertilize once or twice a year with an acid fertilizer.

See Article about this tree: A Native Virgin - Sweetbay Vanilla Magnolia

See Plants with scents as heady as incense: Enchanted Magnolias - Joy in your life...

The Coconut Palm, also known as Cocos nucifera, is native to Jamaica, Malaysia, and Pacific islands and is often used in seaside gardens. It is also a popular houseplant. This palm grows up to 10-20 ft high and thrives in full sun. It is important to water it regularly to keep the soil moist. This plant is flood and salt tolerant and grows best in USDA hardiness zones 10-11.

When it comes to plant care, the Coconut Palm is easy to maintain. It is a fast growing palm that is known for its ability to clean indoor air of smoke and harmful chemicals. Outdoor plants should be given plenty of light and watered regularly, with the soil kept moist and well-drained. If the palm gets too tall or wide, prune it back. For those living in cold regions, growing the plant in a pot can be a good option. Choose a pot that is large enough for the roots to spread and use a soil mix that holds moisture without becoming soggy. During the winter months, bring the pot indoors to protect the plant from frost.

The Coconut Palm is often referred to as the "symbol of the tropics" and is known for bearing coconuts 12 months a year. These coconuts can be used for fresh coconut milk and copra (dried coconut). There are many varieties of this palm such as: the Green Malayan, which has a thin trunk, and the Mayton, which has a thicker trunk and longer leaves and is more hardy.

The Coconut Palm is a highly valuable plant, with every part of the coconut being useful. The white nut-meat can be eaten raw or used in cooking, and copra, the dried meat of the kernels, can be crushed to produce coconut oil. The husks, known as coir, can be used to make thatch roofing material for houses. The plant can also be used to produce charcoal, and the outer part of the trunk can be used as construction lumber. The swollen base of the trunk can even be hollowed out and turned into a hula drum.

One of the most popular native fruit of Brazil. This is a slow-growing rather bushy tree up to 15 ft tall, often multi-stemmed with opposite small leaves. The larger trunks and branches have bark which peels off in small patches which is found to be very attractive. The tree is evergreen, but once or twice during the year it will shed large numbers of leaves generally corresponding to heavy rains. Small white flowers are produced along the larger trunks and branches ("cauliflora" means "flowers growing on trunk"). Fruit development is very rapid, usually taking only 20-25 days from flower to full maturity.

The fruit forms on the trunks on short stems, with 2-3 fruits sometimes in a cluster. When trees are in heavy fruit, you cannot see the branches for all the large numbers of dark purplish-black fruits that look like large grapes. They have a white pulp with several small seeds. Skin is thick, and delicious melting pulp somewhat resembles Northern Black Currant in flavor. Jaboticaba fruits are ready to harvest when they have developed a full color and are somewhat soft like a ripe grape. The fruits can be eaten fresh, used in jellies, jams, ice creams, wines or can be frozen whole to enjoy throughout the year. Usually, Jaboticaba will bear fruit only in 6 to 10 years from seed. Once mature, the trees may produce between six to eight crops of fruit per year.

Jaboticaba is fairly wind tolerant but not salt tolerant, but it is relatively cold hardy, taking down to 23 F for short periods without serious damage. Young plants may be injured at around upper 20's F. As the root system is shallow and dries out quickly, the tree requires regular irrigation. It thrives better when planted in heavily mulched organic soils. In their native area, Jaboticabas are frequently flooded by rising rivers for weeks at a time without serious damage, so they are considered water-tolerant. The plant will do best in acid soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5, somewhat like gardenias. In highly alkaline soil the plant often develops micronutrient deficiency.

Because of its slow growth, Jaboticaba is perfect for growing in containers. Mature trees in 3-5 gal pots can be many years old. Due to small leaves and dwarfish growth habit, Jaboticaba is often used as bonsai. The tree is small enough to fit into many parts of the garden landscape. Some old bonsai specimens can fruit.

See video about a mail ordered Jaboticaba tree.

The plant is well known in South East Asia, with folklore uses in Thailand, Indonesia and China, and leaves of the plant are eaten as a vegetable. This is a very low maintenance, fast growing herb/vegetable that can be grown indoor and outdoor. The leaves are picked for salads, soups, or sauteed them to make a dish. They are also be made as tea and extract.

The plant is often referred to as Sambung Nyawa which means Continuation of Life. The purpose of this plant is to incorporate it into your diet for a healthy life, as many generations of African and Asians have done traditionally. This plant is used as an herbal dietary supplement to help decrease cholesterol, blood glucose, hypertension, rheumatism, viral ailments, and other illnesses. The herb has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-allergy properties. Some of its uses include - migraines, constipation rheumatism, diabetes, dysentery, fevers, kidney ailments, cardiovascular conditions, cancers, leukemia, and as a skin care elixir.

See article about this plant: Longevity Spinach Super-food Recipes.

Watch Video about Gynura.

Very rare variety of Holmskioldia. Like it's sister "chinese hat" Holmskioldia sanguinea, it has showy flowers resembling a hat. Bright pink-and-blue color. Prefers moist soil and part shade.