HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS, GROUNDCOVERS, & SMALL SHRUBS

Rhipsalis pilocarpa is an incredibly rare, "hairy-fruited wickerware cactus" from Brazil that's bound to wow any plant lover. Its fuzzy, spidery stems can reach up to 20 inches before branching out, and they're decorated with small, white to peach-colored flowers that release a light, pleasant fragrance. After blooming, it produces pink or red berries covered in fine bristles, adding yet another layer of charm to this extraordinary jungle cactus.
Despite its exotic appearance, Rhipsalis pilocarpa is surprisingly easy to grow. It thrives with minimal watering in well-draining soil, prefers indirect light, and loves warm, humid conditions - think tropical vibes! If you're lucky enough to live in USDA Zones 9-11, it can even flourish outdoors all year long.
The plant is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, it has a very limited natural range in Brazil and is known to exist in only a small number of isolated locations. Additionally, its rarity can lead to over-collection by plant enthusiasts, which adds extra pressure on remaining wild populations.
This is a true conversation starter, making it a must-have for anyone seeking a standout addition to their rare plant collection.

Red Ruellia, Flower of Caipora. This is a rare winter blooming tropical ruellia with showy 2 inch wide scarlet flowers. Unusual for a ruellia, this is a vining shrub. Pinching out shoot tips will cause it to throw out lateral stems to form a more bushy plant to 3 feet. But, it also can be trained up a support to grow more vinelike. It blooms on older ripened growth. So give it time, light shade, adequate moisture, and warm temperatures. It sports 5 inch short-petioled elliptic leaves. Native to Bahia, Brazil, where it is found in moist forests.

Delightfully fragrant foliage and very pretty, busy plant!
Mexican bush sage is an evergreen shrubby perennial prized for its fragrant foliage and dense, arching spikes producing an attractive late summer bloom of showy flowers. The plant feels soft and hairy to the touch, and the bi-color blooms include white corollas and purple calyces. In the fall, you can expect to see lovely cascades of velvety purple flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial pollinators and wildlife.

This variety is the true wild form and not a man made cultivar. One of the great things about it is it is easier to grow and less finicky. It is the mother of all cultivars.
Spathoglottis plicata is the most popular terrestrial (ground dwelling) orchid. Softly textured, pleated leaves to 3Ft long emerge in February from egg-shaped pseudobulbs about 2" in diameter. Flowers open a few at a time at the top of the stem and each stem can last for months. In Sri Lanka to the Pacific Islands it blooms throughout the year. S. plicata was among the first plants to recolonize the land around Mt. Krakatoa after this mighty volcano exploded in 1883 and decimated the Indonesian island of Krakatau.
See video about Ground Orchids.

Mickey Mouse Taro, Mighty Mouse. This curious variety of elephant ear is a must for every rare plant collection. Unusually variegated Aroid, it has irregularly margined leaves which when first opening, its edges are a cream yellow, later turning white, and often swirled. A show stopper! This plant is thought to be a mutation of a species. Most think it is a form of atrovirens or even a possible hybrid. The leaves are never identical most are streaked with large blotches of white on dark blue green leaves. One of the most odd features of the plant is the fact that most leaves will develop a small cup like pocket at the leaf tip and sometimes a small string like structure will form. Plants usually grow with leaves held horizontally. It is always a conversation piece in the garden. Mighty Mouse can reach 3-4 ft at full maturity making it a wonderful addition to your jungle. Plants produce tubers and can be wintered in either in a greenhouse or cool storage.

Spice Ginger, Cooking Ginger - Plant this ginger in the garden to produce your own fresh ginger. This plant is deciduous, leaves die back in winter and grow back in spring.

Pine cone ginger, Shampoo Ginger. All parts of this ginger are spicy fragrant. The cone shaped flowers are long lasting and useful for cut flower arrangements. This plant is most widely known around the world as the Shampoo Ginger for the milky substance in the cones, and it is in fact used as a shampoo in Asia and Hawaii, and as an ingredient in several commercial shampoos.
Pinecone ginger is considered a canoe plant, that is, a plant introduced throughout the Pacific by the ancient Polynesian settlers.