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Its distinctive, deep green, glossy leaves are heart-shaped, up to 18 inches long, and give the foliage a soft, velvety texture. Louteridium donnell-smithii or simply Louteridium, can be grown outdoors in USDA zones 9-11.

As an evergreen large shrub or small tree, Louteridium reaches a height of 5 to 10 feet tall and spread of 4 to 7 feet wide with a dense, rounded crown that casts a pleasant shade. Plant Louteridium in a sunny spot or slightly shady area, with rich well-drained soil that is continuously kept a bit moist but not soggy. Water it regularly during its first growing season to help the roots establish.

The unusual color of Louteridium is the result of its new growth coming in alternately green and red hues. As the foliage matures, most of it turns to the characteristic deep green color, with some of the older leaves having a slightly purplish tint. The biggest attraction of Louteridium is its stunning flowers. The clusters of pink-and-white flowers appear in late spring and last for about a month.

In regions where the temperature drops below freezing, Louteridium will die back to the ground, but will return next spring. Gardeners in colder regions can enjoy this exotic shrub in containers, which will provide better protection from the elements. When growing Louteridium in a pot, use a container with drainage holes, and choose a potting mix specifically designed for tropical plants. Place the container in a sunny spot, typically facing east or south, and keep the soil moist throughout the growing season. When the temperature drops, bring the container inside or to a sheltered area.

It can be found in the Amazon regions of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Manaca is a medium-sized, shrubby tree that grows to 8 m high and is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest. Often it is cultivated as an ornamental; it produces pretty, yellowish-white, highly-fragrant flowers, from which a perfume is extracted. Indigenous tribes in the northwest Amazon consider manacá to be a diaphoretic and diuretic. They use it for fever, rheumatism, snakebite, syphilis, and yellow fever.

See article about Brunfelsias: Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow, Brunfelsia from Brazil.

Burle Marx is an easy to grow, prehistoric looking, low growing variety of Philodendron well suited for interiorscapes, containers and tropical landscape mass plantings. The jungle green, elliptical leaves are thick and leather-like and arranged in a upright formation. Burle Marx makes a wonderful border or ground cover plant. An Incredibly Easy Growing Ground Cover!

Can be grown indoors or out, and will be a lush and resilient addition to your garden. This plant has shiny, slender, bright green, heart-shaped leaves and reddish stems. Used as a ground cover, it will grow in a clump about 2 feet tall. If planted against a tree, it will climb vertically up the trunk. Prefers partial sun and moderate soil moisture, tolerates more sun than other philodendrons, and once established, tolerates mild drought.

Native to the tropical jungles of Brazil, this philodendron is named for the eminent Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx who championed the use of native plants in modern landscape design.

Read the article about Philodendron 'Burle Marx'.

See Article about Philodendrons.

Ficus sagittata is a useful indoor plant that thrives with moderate care. It is grown for its glossy and interesting foliage.

Ficus sagittata 'Variegata' is the most popular of Ficus sagittata varieties being more attractive with its variegated leaves: greyish green leaves which are marked with ivory-white.

The Dwarf Pandanus pygmaeus is a small shrub with an ornamental foliage that is suited to and can survive in both hot and cold conditions. This plant is ideal for USDA Zones 9-11 and can be grown outdoors background planting and as low-growing groundcover or a small 2-5 ft. shrub. It thrives in full sun, shade, or semi-shade but requires moderate water throughout the growing season. The plant can be used for bonsai and for decorative purposes due to its unique foliage and foliage colors.

Although moderately drought tolerant, During the winter time this plant can survive temperatures as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit (F) for a short while when matured. Additionally, this plant is also salt tolerant and can withstand summer heat with relative ease.

For potting, use a fertile, well-draining soil. An important tip is not to overpot this plant, as too much soil can lead it to suffocate instead of thrive. Once grown to a desirable size, repot your plant only when it is too big for its original pot. It is important to utilize the right potting mix for your potted Dwarf Pandanus to make sure the plant does not dry out too quickly.

When overwintering this plant outside in cold regions, protect it from excessive heat or cold. Choose an area with bright light but not direct sunlight. Move the pot inside to a sheltered area until the last winter frost has passed. You will also want to ensure that your Dwarf Pandanus is appropriately watered. Keep the soil barely moist, never saturated. During winter, when the weather is cooler, water less often as the plant is dormant. When the temperature drops below 40F, it is advised to move the pot indoors, away from freezing temperatures.

Overall, the Dwarf Pandanus is an easy to care for, versatile, and attractive ornamental plant that can provide visual interest in any environment and can can be enjoyed for many years.

Nephrolepis falcata (Fishtail Sword Fern) is a tropical fern from Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands, valued for its bold, arching fronds and ability to grow in hanging baskets or as a groundcover in shaded gardens. Its fronds are long, leathery, and divided into pinnae with a distinctive sickle-like curve, giving the plant a dramatic, architectural appearance. The fern thrives in high humidity, rich soil, and dappled light, and it is commonly cultivated indoors or in tropical landscapes. It is hardy in USDA Zones 10-11, where it remains evergreen, and should be protected from frost, as temperatures below 35F can cause damage.

'Furcans', commonly called the Fishtail Fern, is a well-known cultivar distinguished by its forked pinnae, where each leaflet splits into two rounded tips resembling a fishtail. This unusual feature gives the plant a lush and textured look, making it especially popular for ornamental containers and hanging baskets.

A short-lived herbaceous plant with creeping or scrambling stems. Its alternately arranged leaves are once-compound with 5-11 leaflets these oblong leaflets have hairless or sparsely hairy upper surfaces and densely hairy undersides. Its small pink or pinkish-orange pea-shaped flowers are arranged in elongated clusters.

I. spicata is native to Africa, Madagascar and throughout South and Southeast Asia, and was introduced to the Americas in tropical areas. It effectively controls soil erosion, even under heavy rainfall on slopes, hills and undulating land.

This plant contains indospicine and is notably toxic to many grazing animals.

Callisia fragrans is a low growing plant that has waxy leaves that have a slight purplish color underneath, reminding maize with alternating placement on its stem. Green leaves that will turn purplish at the edges when placed in strong light. It has small, white fragrant flowers arranged in clusters of three. This is a good groundcover for mild, moderately dry climates, as well as a nice container or hanging basket plant. With a good care Callissia fragrans can reach more than 3 feet high as an indoor plant. In this case you need to make a support to it that the plant wouldn't broken under its own weight.

It is not only a decoration plant, it has wide medicinal use in Europe and Russia. Active biological substances that are in Callissia fragrans can struggle with any types of infections, stimulate metabolic processes, strengthen immunity and circulatory system, has positive influence on growths. Substances from steroid group contained in Callissia fragrans give it these wonderful possibilities.

See article about this plant: Callisia fragrans, Golden Tendril - Holistic Medicinal Plant