NEW ARRIVALS

Also known as A. x hybridum Fireball, and Abutilon Biltmore Ballgown, this is one of the many lovely hybrids between A. darwinii and A. striatum, with maple-like leaves and bell-flowers whose petals are recurved, turning in slightly at the bottom. Flowers are fiery red, as one would imagine, with prominent red veins accenting the surface. Happy plants can reach 8-10 ft tall, though pruning easily adjusts the size. Best with plentiful summer water and fertilizer. Less hardy than many, preferring temperatures that only occasionally drop into the 20s F, USDA zone 9. Placement out of wind with overhead protection and plentiful mulch help in less than balmy climates.

Brazilian Bell-flower is a fun and easy-to-grow hummingbird magnet for the perennial border. In the garden or in a hanging container, it spreads to several feet wide in a single season. In the wild, Abutilon megapotamicum reaches 8' tall, but in cultivation arely exceeds 5' tall, and less when grown as a potted plant. During warm months, the plants are laden with cool 2" hanging lantern-like flowers composed of red calyces above the yellow petals, ending with its bright red privates dangling beneath... all carefully arranged between the thumb-sized green leaves.

Cat tail, Chenille plant - very popular everbloomer with long red cat tails - pendulous flowers. Large, fast growing full shrub.

Agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco, Mexico, due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila, a popular distilled beverage. The high production of sugars, mostly fructose, in the core of the plant is the main characteristic that makes it suitable for the preparation of alcoholic beverages. Great addition to cactus - rock gardens - ethno-botanical collections. Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping. Grows fairly fast in summer if provided with extra water.

Panama Queen - a very rare plant with extremely tropical look, fragrant flowers of unusual color combination: orange and pink.

This lush, feathery plant is grown for its soft, needle-like foliage that forms arching tails or upright, cat-tail-shaped plumes. It works beautifully as a groundcover, in large containers, or spilling from hanging baskets, and every so often rewards you with small fragrant flowers followed by bright red berries that birds love.
Easygoing and adaptable, Fox Tail fern handles sun to partial shade, tolerates drought once established, and stays attractive year-round with minimal care. Cut back after flowering to refresh growth.

Variegated Purple Primrose, Chinese Violet. The brightly variegated leaves of yellow and dark green, make a great contrast with the flowers. It thrives in sun or partial shade and can tolerant dry conditions, heat, humidity, salty air, and poor nutrient soils. Give this easy growing plant good drainage and medium moisture for optimum growth.
Can be used as a mass planting under large trees and borders in full sun, semi-shade or full shade. It is also a good container plant. Leaves have been eaten as spinach in India.
This ground cover thrives in semi-shade and will also grow in sunny spots if it receives adequate moisture. It can be planted in any soil in the garden, but will do better if plenty of compost is added.

Purple Prince is a medium grower with glossy green leaves with deep purple tubular flowers. It's an excellent ground cover that can be pruned into a low hedge. Very suitable as a container plant, or on top of a low wall, where its foliage and flowers can spill down. Prune and fertilize at regular intervals and keep well watered. The plant does best in filtered sun or light shade. Hardy to 28F in a protected location. Height 1 to 2 feet. Native to South Africa.

Bougainvilleas are spectacular bloomers. Vigorous grower with very showy bright purple flowers. Can be trained into a tree, or grown as a large round bush if untrimmed. Creates privacy planting in no time.

Calliandra tergemina (var. emarginata Nana) - Dwarf Powderpuff - dwarf everblooming variety. Drought tolerant, easy to grow plant. It stays very short 2-3 ft tall, gets dense and bushy, no pruning needed.

The beautyberries are packed tightly together in clusters that encircle the stem. Spring flowers and beautiful fall fruit make this an attractive landscape plant. This Florida Native is easy to grow: pretty hardy and very drought tolerant.

Winter Starburst, Fireworks. Large bush or small tree with showy dark green leaves with purple underneath; spectacular winter blooms. Flowers are slightly fragrant. Fast growing.

Chains of Glory, Light Bulb Flower. This elegant plant is a rare species in plant collections. The white fragrant flowers are held in loose pendulous panicles, similar to Bridal Veil (Clerodendrum wallichii). The white flowers are very showy against dark green foliage. Flowering racemes hang down a foot and a half or more. Winter bloomer. It often has two flowering periods during the winter season.

Seagrape. Popular plant used as an ornamental in gardens or indoors, subjected to salty winds and drought. It has stiff, rounded platter-like leaves shading from yellowish to olive green with prominent veins. Long clusters of berry-like fruit which follow are striking and give the tree its popular name. Somewhat acid in taste, the fruit can be used to make jelly. Very easy to grow and undemanding plant.

Coconut palm. "Symbol of the tropics", often used as a houseplant. Fast growing palm proven to help clean indoor air of smoke and harmful chemicals. Bares coconuts 12 months a year for fresh coconut milk and copra (dried coconut).
We do not ship coconut palms to CA, TX, AZ, LA!

The Harlequin Cordyline is a tropical plant known for its striking, multicolored foliage in shades of pink, green, cream, and purple with red veins, serving as a vibrant focal point indoors or out in warm climates. This versatile plant adds bold, low-maintenance tropical color to containers, landscapes, and homes, growing upright with a bushy habit, reaching 2-6 feet depending on conditions. Easy to grow, tolerates poor soils, has low water needs. Sun or shade.

Cordyline fruticosa Red Sister, or the Ti Plant, is a popular tropical shrub known for its vibrant, strap-like leaves in shades of pink, burgundy, and deep red, thriving as an easy-care houseplant or outdoor accent in warm climates. Red Sister offers tropical flair, air purification, and deer resistance, making it great for containers, borders, or as a striking indoor focal point. Easy to grow, tolerates poor soils, has low water needs. Sun or shade.

Cordyline fruticosa Sherbert is a vibrant tropical plant, also known as the Ti Plant, prized for its sword-like leaves featuring streaks of green, pink, magenta, and cream, adding bright color indoors or outdoors, and offering air-purifying qualities and good luck symbolism. Easy to grow, tolerates poor soils, has low water needs. Sun or shade.

Australian Tree fern - one of the most tropical looking plants. Adds "Hawaii" spirit to your garden. It puts on growth very quickly. The fronds typically will reach about 8' long on a mature specimen, but, as with most tree ferns, they will be significantly stunted if kept in a pot. It will grow well in dappled (but not deep) shade, but also does well in some sun, even in hot climates, as long as the moisture supply is adequate. It also does relatively well in exposed, windy situations.
Read more:
Australian Tree Fern - a botanical marvel

One of the showiest landscape plants! It is a real showstopper, and a bonus of this already great shrub is that it will also do well in a container. And a happy surprise - it also serves as nectar plant to a large number of butterflies.
This winter bloomer puts on one of the best flower shows of any shrub here in Florida. It is sometimes called the tropical hydrangea because its flowers are similar to the hydrangeas we know from up North. The flowers are pink to rose color and bloom from fall to spring. That means it's blooming all winter in Naples during season, when the most color is desired and appreciated. Dombeya Seminole is a large shrub that grows 7 feet tall and about the same in width. It can be kept to about 5 feet tall with pruning.
This shrub will grow in full sun to partial shade and will tolerate poor soil. The more sun, the fuller the shrub, and that also encourages the maximum number of flowers. It is also fairly drought-tolerant once established.

Fig Tree - dark fruit variety: Brown Turkey. Turkish Brown is a large, excellent fig, extremely popular amongst fig lovers. It is also known as Aubique Noire, Negro Largo and San Piero. A hardy and easy to grow fruit tree, tolerates freeze.
Figs are prized for their delicious fruit, which can be one to three inches in length, violet, brown or black. Most fruits are borne from early summer to late fall on new growth, and the fruits generally mature very quickly. The lovely lobed green leaves make it valuable in the landscape even without its fruit. They are very large, prominently veined and deeply lobed and may be 8 to 10 inches long. The fig makes a splendid patio or indoor plant that grows with little attention, save for constantly moist soil and bright light. Prefers alkaline, well-drained soil, but can tolerate wet conditions (waterlogging). Trees are very sensitive to frost when actively growing, but can withstand 10F when dormant.
See article about this fruit tree.

Governors plum, Madagascar Plum, Batoko palm - is a tropical or subtropical small shrubby tree. It is cultivated in tropical regions as a hedge plant and for its deep red acid fruits resembling small plums. The fruits are about one inch wide and can be eaten fresh or made into preserves. They are sweet and sour, with a texture and flavor similar to a plum. Fruits mature after one to two months from flowering.
The tree is easy to grow, self-fertile and doesn't require much care, not fussy about soil and very forgiving if you forget to water it.
Seeds germinate readily, but it takes a while until the seedling is ready to be transplanted into a big pot or in the ground, a few months.

Also called "First Love" (sometimes misspelled as YAshioka), this cultivar is one of the darkest green of all gardenias, it has a 3 to 5 inch bloom so perfect, it looks artificial. It was developed by Tadaoki Yoshioka while he lived in Hawaii, and he later brought it to Florida when he moved to Ft. Lauderdale with his family in 1954. The gardenia was named after his daughter, Aimee (Aimee Hironaka), who died in a plane crash in Dallas on August 2, 1985 (Delta Flight 191). Aimee gardenia grows openly and upright and blooms twice a year and slightly later than others. Flower Size 3 - 5".
See picture of flower,
page about gardenias, their cultivation and varieties.
See picture of actual plant for sale (1-2013).