Nyctaginaceae - Botanical Family

Very vigorous, evergreen, woody vines with spines. Although normally climbers, they can be trained to stay bushy as pot plants, hanging baskets, or as standard 3 or 4 feet high. They will bloom beautifully on branches on 18"-20" long. Keep all long shoots cut back to 18"-20" for best bloom. The vibrant color of this vine comes not from the small white tubular flowers, but from the 3 large paper-like bracts that surround each flower. Winter bloomer, likes very dry conditions it is a very good salt tolerant. Accent plant, often used as a hedge. See article about Bougainvillea.

Perennial herb that reaches a height of 2-3 ft from a tuberous root. It produces beautiful flowers that usually open around 4 o'clock in the afternoon - hence its common name, four o'clocks. It is a popular ornamental plant grown worldwide for the beauty of its flowers (which can be white, red, pink, purple, yellow or multicolored) and their sweet fragrance. It was officially botanically recorded in 1753 although it already had long been distributed as an ornamental plant throughout the tropics of the world. In Brazil the plant is known as clavillia, maravilha, or bonina; in Peru it is known as jalapa or maravilla. The plant is used medicinally as well. Indigenous Peruvian people use a root decoction as a diuretic; the Shipibo-Conibo Indians put the flowers in baths to treat colds and flu. In Brazil, the Kayapo Indians inhale the powdered, dried flowers as a snuff for headaches, and use a root decoction to wash wounds and to treat such skin afflictions as leprosy. The Assuraní Indians in Brazil crush the seeds to use as a peppery condiment on foods, and grate the tuberous root into cold water and drink it for intestinal parasites. The tribal people of Orissa, India grind the roots of the plant into a paste with black pepper and take it orally for conjunctivitis. They also apply the juice of the leaves to fungal infections of the skin. Poisonous parts: Roots and seeds. Propagation by seeds is easy.

Rare in cultivation, this small tree or bush should get more attention from tropical plant collectors.

The plant is very nice, easy growing and make those "jelly beans" like berries at least twice/year. The flowers are almost unnoticeable. The berries are very showy and come right after. It fruits for several months non stop. Mature fruit is edible.

In native countries, this plant is widely used medicinally. From book "Messages from the Gods. A Guide to the useful plants of Belize": "To treat fever in an infant, fresh leaf is used as a bath or rubbed over the body... To treat babies who can not sleep, often accompanied with crying, especially when they have been frightened by chickens, leaves are mashed, fried and rubbed all over the body..."

Very useful plant especially for those who are afraid of chickens!

It looks sort like an Ardisia, but it not even related.

It is a small, evergreen foliage tree or a large shrub. It reaches a height of four to seven meters. The pale green leaves are long and pointed and about 10-12" in length. They are of a pleasing pale green color. Planted in good sunlight, the leaves may acquire a light yellow color, which looks nice and unusual. The plant belongs to Nyctaginaceae family of bougainvillea and four o'clock plant. But, unlike the two other family members, is grown not for its flowers but for its leaves. The leaves used by natives as cattle feed. They also have medicinal properties and cooked and eaten when suffering from rheumatism or arthritis. The young leaves come in handy as a leafy vegetable. The lettuce tree can be grown as a large shrub. Being a coastal tree it does not thrive as well on land as it does on the east and west coast of the USA. The plant grows well in any soil, but being a littoral plant it shows preference for sandy soil. It is propagated through cuttings, which root easily in sand. Pisonia alba can be planted singly in large compounds to make it grow into trees or planted closely and trimmed regularly to make a pleasant looking hedge. The tree rarely flowers. The flowers are small, green and inconspicuous. The leaves are also carminative (expels flatulence). Leaves coated with eau de cologne are used to rub on elephantoid swellings.

Pisonia umbellifera 'Variegata' (Map Plant) - It resembles a compact variegated rubber tree. It grows as a small tree (up to 4 meters) and produces fresh green leaves with blotches of cream color. Blooms, which appear in early summer, are open clusters of green flowers tinged with pink. The sticky fruits that follow are responsible for another common name, Bird Catcher Tree, as insects and small birds can get stuck to these fruit.

Pisonia umbellifera 'Variegata' rarely exceeds a height of 3-4 feet when grown in a pot. Flowers are not produced on plants grown indoors.