Herbaceous Perennials, Groundcovers, and Small Shrubs

Gynura crepioides is commonly known as Okinawa Spinach, it is native to Indonesia. Okinawa Spinach is commercially grown in China as a green, it is not a true spinach. Both the stems and the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The top of the leaves are dark green and the undersides are purple. Okinawa Spinach has an unique flavor with a faint hint of pine, and will add a beautiful aesthetic element to cuisine. This green is also known as cholesterol spinach, and there are many claims that it lowers can cholesterol. This plant will thrive in pretty much any type of soil from clay to silt to sandy soils. It does well in any type of light other than full shade, but will grow best in full sun to partial shade. Okinawa Spinach is not a heavy feeder, and is relatively pest-free. It is good to cut back flowering branches to promote new shoot growth, because the shoots and leaves are what are harvested. Okinawan spinach is very adaptable to container gardening and even grows well on a windowsill. The younger leaves will have a much better flavor than the older leaves. The leaves and young shoot tips can be steamed, used in stir fry, tempura, stews, and soups. Just add them at the very end.
See article about this plant: Longevity Spinach Super-food Recipes.
Watch Video about this plant.

Alakaline Herb, Sambung Nyawa, Longevity Spinach. The plant is well known in South East Asia, with folklore uses in Thailand, Indonesia and China, and leaves of the plant are eaten as a vegetable. This is a very low maintenance, fast growing herb/vegetable that can be grown indoor and outdoor. The leaves are picked for salads, soups, or sauteed them to make a dish. They are also be made as tea and extract. The plant is often referred to as Sambung Nyawa which means Continuation of Life. The purpose of this plant is to incorporate it into your diet for a healthy life, as many generations of African and Asians have done traditionally.
See article about this plant: Longevity Spinach Super-food Recipes.
Watch Video about this plant.

Lady Di heliconia - the living tribute to Princess Diana. It's a vigorous plant and prolific warm-season bloomer. Grows 3-4 feet tall. grows in partial shade to full sun. Inflorescence has 5 to 8 dark red bracts. Good heliconia for pot culture. This is a very hardy plant, needing little attention once established.

Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak. One of the most recognized and widely grown species, and one of the most beautiful. The inflorescence it produces is one of the most colorful you will ever encounter. The flowers last a long time and make an excellent cut flower. It is an easy grower in tropical areas but some room is required because the stalks can reach 7 feet in height. It can withstand temperatures in the high 20s. Can be grown in large pots

Bizarreness! The Ribbon Bush is a terrific, leaf-less plant from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific with long, flattened stems resembling tapeworms - hence its nickname "Tapeworm Plant". It's hard to capture the unusual beauty of this plant in pictures. This is an awesome, offbeat plant that will get people asking: "What the heck is that??". This plant needs very little care, makes a great houseplant, and is very hard to find.

This Thailand species has a lovely light fragrance with a strong and vigorous growth habit similar to Hoya carnosa. The umbel of flowers is about 3" wide and boasts tiny maroon stars with white frosted edges. The leaves are dark green with silver white flecks and darker accented green veining. It's a strong grower that likes to ramble so provide support with a trellis or stake to help manage its wandering ways.

Wax Hearts, Sweetheart Hoya, Valentine Hoya, Heart leaf. Hoya kerrii - Sweetheart Plant - makes an ideal houseplant. It has become increasingly popular in recent years. Unusual and quirky "heart" shape leaves appeal to anyone looking for that special novelty gift for their plant enthusiast friend.

Variety with variegated leaves with neon-green center variegation of the leaf.
Wax Hearts, Sweetheart Hoya, Valentine Hoya, Heart leaf. Hoya kerrii - Sweetheart Plant - makes an ideal houseplant. It has become increasingly popular in recent years. Unusual and quirky "heart" shape leaves appeal to anyone looking for that special novelty gift for their plant enthusiast friend.