Shade garden

This easy to grow species, it is truly spectacular when it produces its glorious colored flowers. A large number of H. pubicalyx cultivars are in cultivation, each displaying a different flower color or, occasionally leaf color.
Some cultivars have variegated leaves - see photo of the leaves.

Long, thin chartreuse and cream-colored leaves with green, and a little pink, accents help this Hoya stand out. The unique leaf markings provide depth and look stunning as the vines begin to trail. The new foliage of this Stringbean Hoya look alike are touched in pinks and near reds and mature to a nice medium yellow to cream and green with a dark outline on each narrow leaf. The stringbean-like leaves are very narrow, dark green and almost

Tricolor variegated hybrid, a great plant for both sun or shade. The variegated pink/crimson, green and white colored leaves compliment other plants. It needs to be pinched back often to keep from getting leggy. Tough, hardy and colorful, these showy plants with their brilliant leaves and soft stems can be a great addition to a planting. Brightest colors are generally obtained in stronger light. It makes a wonderful houseplant and a cute present.

Evergreen small perennial, up to 3 feet tall. Bright mauve, old fashioned puckered foliage popular among indoor gardeners. Great accent plant in warm climate gardens. Tolerates shade and can be grown as a perfect house plant.

Star Jasmine, very easy to grow, fast growing. Glossy, green foliage giving it a tropical effect. It is also grown for its intensely fragrant white flowers. They are up to 2 inch wide, with very strong scent. The vine can be grown on a trellis, fence, or planted in a container. Blooms from April to September.

Jasmine Sambac Belle of India - A very rare variety with long narrow petals. Everybody wants this one because it has such a fine structure and elegant flowers.
See Jasminum Sambac Page

Jatropha (Gout plant) is an attention grabber and a must in every tropical garden. It has a large bottle-like caudex and huge leaves up to 10-12 inches in diameter. The more shade, the bigger the leaves. Great natural bonsai. Makes a good potted plant but can also be used as a conversation piece specimen in a small garden.

Orange Plume Flower - large plant, blooming size. Very tropical looking, large glossy leaves and showy flowers. The plant is relatively cold hardy and takes light freeze with no damage.

Laos Silver Stripe is certainly one of the most beautiful of all the Kaempferia angustifolia cultivars. It is one of the large types and have boldly striped leaves of green and silver. The flowers are typical for the species, orchid shaped white and purple flowers that most often occur towards the beginning of the season. This hard to find variety is a must for any Peacock Ginger collector!
The Kaempferia angustifolia complex is full of many cultivars and wild forms that range from tiny green leaf plants, the size and shape of the leaves varies greatly between cultivars as well.

Beauverd's Widow's Thrill, False Hoya. This is a very unusual kalanchoe that is sure to attract attention. It's one of the few climbing species along with Kalanchoe schizophylla. This succulent climber has gray wiry stems and green narrow leaves turning purple-black in high light with adventitious plantlets often forming on the leaf tips. Its hanging flowers are bell-shaped and rather large compared to the slender stems. Blooming in clusters, they are an unusual grayish green color with fine purple speckles. Flowering is in the winter and spring months. The wiry stems and hooked leaves help it vigorously scramble and twine upwards. It can swallow surrounding plants if not pruned to keep it under control. So it is best to grow it on a trellis to 8 feet or in a hanging basket where it can be allowed to cascade. Grow in full sun or bright shade and allow it to get dry between waterings. It generally likes warmth with dry cool frost-free winters. It's native to south and southwestern Madagascar.

Schizophylla = "crazy leaves". This is a very curious kalanchoe, as it is one of the few climbing species along with Kalanchoe beauverdii. Its smooth leaves are deeply cut with a fern-like appearance turning orangish in bright light. It climbs by means of its hook-like finely divided mature leaves. The stems are thin curling up to 12 feet or more in length! The seldom seen inflorescence consists of pendulous, bell-shaped lavender-grey flowers in spring to summer. It seems to be given to vegetative growth so that flowering is rare, especially if frequent pruning has been necessary. The variable leaves are very decorative and the plants are easy to grow. In its native Madagascar it is a hemiepiphyte (seedlings growing in the canopy as an epiphyte, later with roots growing down into the ground). It is found in rocky and shady brush in central Madagascar from 3 to 5 thousand feet in elevation. Grow it as an epiphyte, in a hanging basket, or as an interesting climber on a trellis.

Kalanchoe synsepala is a very attractive succulent plant, grows up to 20 inches tall. The fleshy leaves will grow enormous and are with red margin. Flowers are tubular, very pale pink to reddish, small in dense terminal cymes. It produces baby plants at the ends of long stems, which eventually and bend down to the ground and take root, giving rise to its common name of Walking Kalanchoe.

Pin-Mala. A small tree up to 15-20 ft, with leathery leaves and white fragrant flowers followed by showy prune colored fruit. It is very easy to grow, and is not picky about conditions, can be happy both in sun or filtered light. It is relatively cold tolerant, grows fast even in poor soils, and creates a nice shade in no time. Tolerant to most soil types, salt tolerant. Cold hardy to low 30F.

Macaranga, Bingabing Nasturtium Tree, Parasol Leaf Tree, Bingabing. This exotic small tree has huge 1-2ft rounded leaves resembling in shape nasturtium leaves. Mature leaves are tough like cardboard, very special tropical look! Can be grown in a pot (grows up to 6-7 ft in a pot). An eye stopper, a must for tropical plant collection. Medicinal plant.
Read article about this plant.

Vibrant, pink flowers form along the upright stems. Its broad, deeply veined leaves with purple to reddish undersides protect the column of flowers clustered along the stems. As a semi-epiphytic plant, remember to dry out between watering and grow in a porous potting mixture. As the plant matures, the spectacular show of flowers becomes more wondrous.

Brazilian plume, Brazilian red cloak - blooming size plants. This small to medium size shrub has large leathery leaves and spike of crimson to mauve flowers. It is amazingly hardy for such tropical looking plant and can survive light freeze without damage.

Large Leaf variety of Miracle Fruit with larger fruit.
This unique fruit makes sour taste sweet.
It is one of the strangest tropical fruits. The 'miracle' is that if lemon or other sour food is eaten after the miracle fruit, the sour tastes sweet, as if sugar has been added. A natural chemical in the fruit masks the tongue sour taste buds so that lemons taste like lemonade or lemon pie, or lemon candy. The sweet sensation lasts for half an hour to a few hours.
See Article about this plant.
See Growing instructions for this plant

Miracle Fruit - unique fruit makes sour taste sweet.
It is one of the strangest tropical fruits. The

Monocostus uniflorus, Costus uniflorus. This is a soft and delicate small ginger growing with spiral stems and dark green, oval thick leaves which are about 2 inches to 2.5 inches long. Large, single lemon-yellow flowers emerge at the tip of stems of graceful texture spring from a spiraling cone. It will bloom almost all year and will make a beautiful free full blooming hanging basket.
See article about gingers by John Banta.

Swiss cheese plant. A jungle climbing relative of the philodendron from Mexico and Guatemala. It is seen in gardens in tropical and subtropical areas, growing well in partial sun or shade. The plant begins bearing after three years. The large deep green, cone-like fruit is actually an unripened flower spike, covered with hexagonal scales that dry out and separate as the fruit ripens from the base upwards, revealing the white pulp. It takes a little longer than a year to mature to an edible stage.
See Article about Philodendrons.

Monstera adansonii (friedrichsthalii) hybrid, possibly with M. obliqua. Window Leaf. An unusual form of Monstera with smaller leaves that have many holes. Makes an interesting indoor specimen. This is a hybrid variety. There are many hybrids in cultivation between Monstera adansonii, Monstera obliqua, Monstera friedrichsthalii.
The plants we have for sale are propagated from the exact plant you see on this picture. We do not have a named hybrid for it if the type of hybrid matters to you.
See Article about Philodendrons.

Neea, Saltwood, Pigeon Plum, Hoja de Salat. 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 its native countries, this plant is widely used medicinally. From book "Messages from the Gods. A Guide to the useful plants of Belize": "To treat babies who can not sleep, often accompanied with crying, especially when they have been frightened by chickens..." Very useful plant especially for those who are afraid of chickens!

Nematanthus Bijou is a cross between N. wettsteinii x N. fritschii. The variety Bijou has extremely ornamental leaves with bright mauve underneath. Nice large pendent flowers much like N. crassifolius and N. corticola. Plants are easy to care for, drought resistant, and, with proper care, can bloom all year. The variety Bijou has extremely ornamental leaves with bright mauve underneath. Plants are easy to care for, drought-resistant, and, with proper care, can bloom all year. Tolerates filtered light, perfect houseplant!
Nematanthus (Goldfish Plant) is a genus of flowering plants of the family Gesneriaceae. All of its species are endemic to Brazil. The plant is generally an epiphyte in nature and a hanging-basket plant in cultivation.

Pitcher plant does well in both cooler or warmer conditions. Tubby pitchers may be constricted at the waist, pale green to red-infused, while the stems are compact. Passive pitfall traps produced at the tips of the leaves trap and digest small insects. Color of the pitchers light-green, often with light or dark-red or violet spots.
Nepenthes are extremely versatile and adaptable to many different growing conditions. The number one choice to try on a windowsill or tank, very easy, vigorous and attractive.
Do not fertilize these plants with dry fertilizer! They get all their food from "eating" insects! If you are growing the plant where it cannot catch insects for long periods, you can add an occasional small insect such as a fly, a cockroach or a few very small insects to mature pitchers. Many types benefit from very mild, diluted liquid orchid fertilizer such as SUNSHINE Orchidasm, and solution should be added only to the pitchers when they are 3/4 filled with water.
See Article about this plant.

Nepenthes x St. Gaya is a compact, easy-to-grow hybrid of N. khsiana x (ventricosa x maxima). It is a vigorous growing carnivorous tropical pitcher plant with large upright pitchers with cherry red speckles on yellow-green backgrounds. The trap mouths are wide and oval. Its parent species are quite adaptable, growing in the open or shade, among grasses and shrubs. It is very cold tolerant, but prefers warm, humid, bright conditions. It is quite good at catching large insects, such as: stink bugs, wasps and yellow jackets. It is a great house plant, that can be grown outdoors in the warm weather with a minimal transition period. It is a good Nepenthes for beginners.
Do not fertilize these plants with dry fertilizer! They get all their food from "eating" insects! If you are growing the plant where it cannot catch insects for long periods, you can add an occasional small insect such as a fly, a cockroach or a few very small insects to mature pitchers. Many types benefit from very mild, diluted liquid orchid fertilizer such as SUNSHINE Orchidasm, and solution should be added only to the pitchers when they are 3/4 filled with water.
See Article about this plant.