Inexpensive plants

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

Josephs coat, copperleaf, calico plant, bloodleaf, joyweed and parrot leaf - all these common names in reference to the often brilliantly colored leaves which provide foliage contrast to gardens and container plantings. Best foliage colors are developed in full sun. May also be grown indoors as a houseplant as long as it is sited in a bright, sunny location and soils are kept moist. Grown exclusively for its colorful foliage - rich purple to burgundy leaves. Forms spreading foliage mounds to 12-30" tall.

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.

Mountain Soursop, Wild Custard Apple, Guanabana de monte, Wild Soursop.
Read more about this plant:
Grow Your Own Food: Annona montana - Mountain Soursop. Exotic fruit, a cold hardy alternative to a Soursop.

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.

Yellow Butterfly weed - great butterfly attractor! Drought tolerant, tough plant.
This plant is very attractive to butterflies. Long bloom period from late spring throughout the summer. Flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and leaves are a food source for monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars).

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.

Bixa orellana, also known as the Lipstick Tree or Annatto, is a bushy shrub or small tree native to South America. It features large leaves and charming pink flowers, but its most notable feature is its seeds. These seeds contain a natural pigment called annatto, ranging from yellow to deep orange-red, which is widely used in cosmetics, particularly lipstick, for its vibrant colors. In culinary arts, annatto serves as a popular spice in Latin American, Caribbean, and Filipino cuisines, adding a mild, slightly peppery flavor and a rich yellow-orange color to dishes like rice and stews. Beyond its culinary and cosmetic uses, annatto seeds are also valued for their medicinal properties, offering antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. The dried seed pods of the Bixa plant are also used in flower arrangements, adding a unique visual element. When used as a hedge or screen, Bixa should be pruned often to encourage bush growth at the bottom of the trunk.

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.

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.

This is an extremely rare variety of the European Holistic Medicinal Plant - Golden Tendril. It has showy variegated leaves and makes a beautiful houseplant on top of its medicinal value. It tolerates wide range of conditions and requires very little water; takes both bright sun or shade and is very fast growing and easy. Leaves will turn purplish at the edges when placed in bright light. It has small, white fragrant flowers arranged in clusters of three. This is a good groundcover for mild, moderately dry climates, as well as a nice container or hanging basket plant. With a good care Callissia fragrans can reach more than 3 feet high as an indoor plant. In this case, you need to make a support to it that the plant wouldn't break under its own weight. The plant has wide medicinal use in Europe and Russia, literally every household, millions of Europeans use this plant as a home remedy. According to scientific research, active biological substances from steroid group contained in this plant can struggle with any types of infections, stimulates metabolic processes, strengthens immunity and circulatory system, has a positive influence on growths and much more... some people consider it a virtual panacea. Whether it works for everybody or not, it is definitely fun to own such a legendary plant!
See article about this plant: Callisia fragrans, Golden Tendril - Holistic Medicinal Plant

Camphor Tree, Camphor Laurel. This is the aromatic tree from which camphor was derived (used in medicines and mothballs). Camphor trees are densely covered with shiny oval and elliptical leaves, up to 5 inches long.
Branches and leaves are used for aromatic medicinal sauna.

Night blooming jasmine. Garden favorite - the sweetest fragrance at night is intoxicating.
One of the most famous and desirable fragrant plants. Flowers are pale yellow to white, open at night and stay extremely fragrant until sunrise. Aroma is sweet, pleasant and intoxicating. These flowers are widely used in India and other countries of South Asia for perfumery, medicinal applications and in religious ceremonies. Best location will be near driveway, window or entrance, where the magic fragrance can be appreciated.
See video about this plant.

Veld grape - unusual succulent vine with tendrils, fleshy 3-lobed leaves and quandrangular 4-winged stem and grape-shaped leaves, used medicinally to help fractures heal faster. Good for hanging baskets.

Perfect neglect plant! Grow it either as house plant, hanging basket, fast growing ground cover, or decorate your patio with it. It needs no attention and will reward your "no-efforts" with beautiful waxy foliage. Cissus rotundifolia comes from East Africa. It has green stems with almost round leaves. The leaves are fleshy, waxy, toothed and of a deep green color. Tendrils arise opposite young leaves and the plant climbs on supports with their help. Needs very little water.

Pagoda Flower. Rare variety with off-white to yellow flowers. This rare variety with off-white to yellow flowers is one of the most impressive flowers of Florida winter season. We have this plant growing in our frond yard under the oak, in shade, and it keeps blooming all winter long! This variety seem to be hardier and more vigorous than regular red variety. It is also very drought tolerant, we never water it! The plant produces lots of root suckers so it spreads with time, but this is the great feature for the location: it covered an ugly wall, and its lush large leaves are such a tropical addition to the landscape. Highly recommended for shaded locations that can use both color and green.

Bleeding heart - one of the most spectacular blooming vines. Spectacular, dramatic flowers are slightly flat, they have white sepals on either side of bright crimson petals. The appearance may be liken to a line of dangling hearts, each emerging from the other. This plant is often seen in pots where it will abide in a continual state of flowering. As long as you provide lots of light to it, it'll bloom most of the time.

Clinacanthus nutans, or Phaya-Yor in Thai, has been traditionally used in Thailand for the treatment of Herpes infections. In addition this herb also exhibits an excellent and rapid-acting anti-inflammatory activity which makes Clinacanthus nutans topical product a good natural product for the relief of minor skin inflammation and insect bites well.

Butterfly pea, Asian pigeon wings. Perfect vine! Blooms year-round, fast growing, easy, not invasive, controllable, not messy, curious white flower - Clitoris-like flower shape, hence name of the plant. Fast-growing climber with fine foliage, pinnate leaves.

Coffee - the most popular fruit tree suitable for indoors. Shade loving plant, easy to grow, providing regular water.
See video about Coffee tree: GROW your own COFFEE plant - Free Coffee Everyday.

Illustris Colocasia is a classic beauty. The heart-shaped, large purple-and-green leaves of Illustris are huge, and their dark highlights are stunning. This elephant ear is a lover of moist shade, but does best with a little dappled sunlight. It will tolerate boggy conditions. Provide light shade to full shade and consistently moist or boggy soil. It is a strong fast growing variety that does great in container, landscapes, ponds and patios.

African lilac, Jamaican lilac - Fast growing shrub with astonishing fragrant velvet leaves. Tall stalks shoot out multiple lavender blue flowers. Both foliage and inflorescence makes an outstanding display. Attracts butterflies. Leaves have pleasant tobacco-like scent.

Red Button Ginger, French Kiss. Spectacular red ginger, with bright red button-like flower cones almost year-round. The yellow flowers that emerge from the red cones are edible. The plant can withstand a light frost for short periods of time but will stop blooming.

Perfect landscape plant for boarders, flowe beds and rock gardens. Easy to grow grass-like perennial with erect, sword-shaped leaves and branched spikes of showy, funnel-shaped red/orange flowers in summer.