Herbaceous Perennials, Groundcovers, and Small Shrubs

Aeschynanthus speciosus is perhaps the most spectacular species within its genus. Flowers may be 4 inch long, are orange with the inside of the mouth orange-yellow and with a dark red bar across the lower lobes which also have scarlet borders. The plant is displayed to best advantage in a hanging basket, where the broad surface area allows the trailing stems to root down at intervals and send out abundant side-shoots, perfect as hanging or trailing plant.
These plants require high humidity and warmth throughout the growing season, as well as strong, but not direct, light. These plants are perfect for a greenhouse, sunroom or conservatory.
Perfect for hanging baskets/pots to best display their lovely cascading stems and attractive flowers or in containers placed on a pedestal or windowsill. The plant can be kept in a bathroom window sill or kitchen for increased humidity.

This new hybrid between A. cathartica and A. violacea (bush and vine Allamanda) has amazing features: it is a compact bush or vine that produces maroon-red blooms all year. Spectacular flowering plant, great as a gift, as well as specimen container plant.

Boa is an exciting new upright Alocasia that features enormous leaves and remarkable serrated leaves with marbled stems.
It has snakeskin-like stems and serrated leaves. This variety makes an excellent container plant as well as a beautiful landscape plant for the tropical garden. Boa produces many suckers which makes for an attractive container. This is an excellent mid-size Alocasia for the centerpiece of mixed combination pots. There is something so intriguing and beautiful about the Alocasia boa. With its massive, green leaves which have highly-serrated edges and robust stems, it is a favorite for many homeowners.

Frydek makes an outstanding potted plant for the home or garden. The mature, broad, velvety black leaves have striking white veins making this easy-care plant a real beauty. The juvenile leaves appear as bright lime-green and the pale leaf stems have a purplish jagged banding which adds even more intrigue to this eye-catching species. Strong grower resisting many of the winter decline issues that other Alocasias have.

Black stems and veins adorn this extraordinary form of Alocasia macrorrhiza. This very rare and unusual elephant ear is quite different from the typical. The huge thick sculpted forest green leaves with are held upright on dramatically rigid black stems. Reaching a mature height of 4-5 ft, it loves high light with only moderate shade. Black Stem Upright Elephant Ears are among the most eye catching. Beautiful on their own or planted as a back drop for your favorite blooms, these landscaping plants provide a bold, tropical effect in nearly any garden.

Solid Gold is a giant Alocasia, easily growing to 6 ft high in good tropical conditions. It has glossy emerald green leaves up to 1 metre long held stiffly upwards, with prominent yellow veining on the underside of the leaves.
The striking and spectacular aspect of this plant is, of course, the buttercup yellow stems and veins on the undersides of the leaves. It is a bright and obvious yellow, not just a pale green or lemon color. The more light the plants receive, the brighter the stem and the darker the leaf will be. The stems of young plants are a lighter, greenish color until they get a few leaves; as they get older, the yellow color becomes more prominent.
This is a fast growing Alocasia and in good conditions. It grows larger in the ground than in pots - Alocasias seem to need a lot of room for their roots to get the huge leaves.

Alocasia Regal Shields has nearly black leaves with a burgundy underneath; a dark green topside and purple underside with lime green veins. The plant needs very little water. To keep it happy, mater moderately.

Alocasia Tiny Dancers is an unusual aroid that only grows about 14" tall with bright green stems and leaves that have a slightly cupped form. Its growth habit, however, gives the appearance of a full bushy plant as the stems emerge at different times, giving it a tiered effect. One of the best houseplants for its ease of care. Keep it moist, go light on the fertilizer and grow in a partially sunlit window if it is an indoor houseplant. It also makes an ideal plant for an outdoor patio due to its unique form.

Variegated ginger - this species is valued for its variegated foliage, and beautiful flowers.

Amorphophallus konjac is one of the largest flowers, a perennial exotic Asian plant. It grows a single, elongated center called a corm and a single large leaf that wraps around it. The corm is the part of the plant that is used, as well as its tuber, which is commonly called the konnyaku potato. It is one of the most exotic, bizarre flowers. Can be easily grown in a pot as a house plant. The single leaf dormant in winter, then in spring the plant shoots out a fantastic flower. See picture of a flowering plant.
This plant is dormant from Fall through Winter, shipped as tuber, keep on dry side until it grows back its leaves in Spring.

Voodoo lily, Devils tongue, Snake Palm, Corpse flower. The unpleasant smell that the flower omits is only present for a few hours after the flower opens. If the flower is pollinated (normally by flies if the plant is outside) it will take 1 year for the plant to mature its seeds. The seed stalk is very pretty with the seeds changing colors from green to red. During this time the tuber will not produce a leaf.

King Anthurium. Anthurium veitchii is known as the king of anthuriums. A houseplant with dramatic foliage, leaves reaching 3 feet long with a heart shaped base. Flower spike is leathery and greenish-white with a cream colored spadix. Likes partial shade or light shade. In winter, temperatures of not less than 65 degrees Fahrenheit are preferred. Likes a warm and humid atmosphere, so misting is beneficial. Reduce watering in the winter.

Very rare! Anthurium vittarifolium is a South American rain forest native with beautiful, narrow leaves, that can grow up to 6 ft in length! These make an excellent hanging basket with their pendant growth and long strap leaves.

Giant Bird's nest anthurium. For those that love jungly plants. Their enormous wrinkly leaves have an almost cardboard like texture and grow to about 2ft. Used in places that have good natural light and lots of space.

Yellow Aphelandra. Yellow flowers emerge out of long orange stalks in the fall time. Pretty and unusual! A tall, shrubby perennial with very long terminal inflorescences that are very unique and showy, with yellow flowers protruding from orange calyces in succession over many days. Grows nicely in full sun in south Florida, but it will also tolerate quite shady conditions.

White-leaved variety of Zebra Plant - gets its name from white stripes on the leaves. It is one of the best house plants. This plant is not only pretty because of its white-veined foliage, but also for the apical inflorescence with its beautiful yellow bracts.

This is a rare hybrid possibly with A. scabra (panamensis) that has bright red flowers, quite unique flowering plant from S America. Like all aphelandras, it has showy flowers that are loved by hummingbirds. The flower up to 2 inch long, tubular. They are 2-lipped, fuzzy and they bloom for one day before wilting. Inflorescence is candle-like and the prepubescent flower spikes can grow up to 6 inch in height. The inflorescence has overlapping green bracts that are tinged with yellow and orange and they have extrafloral nectaries. Each day only one or two flowers open along the inflorescence to prevent self-pollination.
It is a great addition to a collectible tropical butterfly garden. Can grow into 4-5" tall bushy specimen. Blooms sporadically during warm season. Tolerates both full sun or filtered light.

A unique FULL SHADE plant! Rugged houseplant for shady areas of the home. Once very popular, this plant was a common feature of many a Victorian hallway.
Best sited in bright indirect light, but tolerates full shade. This variety is not the commoner A. elatior 'Milkyway', but the much nicer and difficult to find Aspidistra vietnamensis 'Ginga'.
Species of Aspidistra are perennial herbaceous plants growing from rhizomes. The leaves are either solitary or are grouped in small "tufts" of two to four. The most common variety is the one with all green leaves, A. elatior (sometimes labeled as A. lurida). Aspidistra vietnamensis Ginga is quite rare and has green leaves variegated with white striping or spots.

Ponytail palm, Pony Tail, bottle palm, nolina, elephant-foot tree. Palm-looking succulent with greatly swollen trunk base and the curved, narrow leaves. Very cute plants with large caudex. Drought tolerant plant that require very little care if any. Can tolerate some freeze.

Loose clusters of pale pink flowers with golden blotch bloom on wiry stems. Broadly ribbed, iris-like leaves. Hardy and easy to grow!
Bletilla striata Yokohama is a lovely, hardy ground orchid native to East Asia. A cross of Bletilla striata Big Bob x Bletilla formosana. Bletilla Kate makes a typical clump of upright, sword-like, pleated, green leaves. Starting in late spring, terminal spikes reach 40" tall with an open cluster of medium lavender flowers, each highlighted by a dark purple stripe down the back center of each petal and a very dark purple lip surrounding a yellow throat. It is a relatively chardy orchid, in cooler climates leaves turn yellow in the fall before they die back for the winter.
Grows almost anywhere but prefers a rich, well-drained soil with adequate moisture. Water during growing season.


See video about Ground Orchids.

Chinese ginger, Fingerroot. Boesenbergia rotunda is a medicinal and culinary herb from China and Southeast Asia. It is widely used in Javanese cuisine in Indonesia. In Thai cooking it is called krachai. In the west it is usually found pickled or frozen. Kra Chai is used as an antiflatulent, expels air and nurtures strength. Used as a male tonic, vigor, health promotion, longevity, aphrodisiac.

Velvet Furry. A favorite of landscapers, this thin fuzzy rippled leaf Calathea is very attractive as well as durable. A purple leaf back adds to this plants rich color and texture.
The upper foliage of Calathea rufibarba is semi-glossy, and olive green in color. The under side of the foliage, along with the stems are rich burgundy in color. The stems are covered with fine purplish-brown hairs. Place your Calathea rufibarba in bright filtered or indirect light.
See Article - How to grow Calathea indoors.

This variety has velvety patterned ovate leaves which are light green in color with darker green stripes, like Zebra stripes. The underside of the leaves are purple and not always visible because leaves grow horizontally (although some will curve or grow more upright).
Learn more about this plant:
Calathea Zebrina: Nature's Zebra Striped Star
How to grow Calathea indoors.