Alpinia rugosa

This is a semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial with subterranean stems and leafy stalks that grow to about three feet tall. The leaves are spectacularly ruffled.

Alpinia sp.

Alpinia vittata, Alpinia albolineata, Alpinia sanderae, Alpinia tricolor

Narrow dark green leaves are boldly variegated with white and cream striping.

Alstroemeria sp.

Many hybrids and about 190 cultivars have been developed, with different markings and colors, ranging from white, golden yellow, orange, to apricot, pink, red, purple and lavender. Alstroemeria leaves are 'resupinate' which means they grow upside down, with the leaf twisting as it grows out from the stem so that the bottom faces upwards.

Excellent in garden containers and in flowerbeds and borders. They also make good cut flowers with an exceptionally long vase life.

Provide a sunny location in areas with cool summers, but in Florida and other hot summer regions, plant in shade.

Alyogyne hakeifolia, Hibiscus hakeifolius, Cienfuegosia hakeifolia, Fugosia hakeifolia, Alyogyne lilacina

A.hakeifolia is a medium, much-branched upright shrub reaching about 10Ft in height. The leaves are dark green, glabrous, comprised of very narrow linear segments. The individual lobes make the foliage 'needle-like'. The plant produces an abundance of blooms each season. There are mauve, yellow and pink forms. Like its relative, Hibiscus, the individual flowers last only 1-2 days but new flowers continue to open over a long period, generally from November until March. The blooms are 2" to 6" long, tubular in shape, not opening widely and they usually have a dark red central spot. As A.hakeifolia is a desert plant, it is well suited to a warm, dry climate. It is intolerant of bad drainage but is adaptable and sufficiently hardy in cool moist climates such as south-eastern Australia. It is less hardy than Alyogyne huegelii in climates such as the subtropics with wet summers. A well-drained sunny spot is ideal although plants will grow in semi-shade. Plants perform best when they receive sunlight for most of the day and have some wind protection as large plants are subject to wind damage. The plant may develop into a well-shaped shrub without any need for pruning but it can be pruned to improve the shape if desired. A.hakeifolia tolerates mild frosts but some protection may be required from heavier frosts. Propagation from seed is relatively easy and no special pretreatment is needed. Cuttings also strike readily.