Inexpensive plants

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

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.

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.

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.

Rare Tree Calliandra, Powderpuff - large size shrub or small tree, similar to calliandra calothyrsis, but flowers open fully. One of the biggest calliandra flower.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Devil Bean, Rattleweed, Shack Shack. This low growing relative of Cassias/sennas has spectacular yellow flowers followed by curios, balloon-like, rattling seedpods. It has beautiful lush foliage. Very easy to grow, not demanding and fast growing. Attracts butterflies and bees. The plant can flower year round.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. The plant contains alkaloids and used medicinally in some tropical countries. The flowers and leaves have a sweet flavor and are edible as a vegetable. Their alkaloid content is very low. The roasted dehulled seeds are eaten in Vietnam. The roots are used against coughing. A decoction of the flowers and leaves is used to soothe a cold.

Anthonys Rick-Rack. This curious epiphyte is grown for the strange leaves which lend it the common name Ric-Rac Cactus, Zig-Zag or Fishbone Cactus. In the wild it attaches itself to trees, clinging by little aerial root filaments along the zigzagging succulent leaves, but is adaptable to terrestrial habits. It loves strong yet indirect lighting. It does not need a lot of water and should be permitted to dry out entirely between waterings. It is nightblooming and its flowers last only a single night in spring.

Lemon grass - versatile performer in the kitchen where it can be used in teas, beverages, herbal medicines, Eastern inspired soups and other dishes.

Horn-of-Plenty. Beautiful fragrant trumpet-like flowers. Low-growing shrub.
RECOMMENDED FERTILIZER: Angel Trumpet Delight - Smart-Release Booster.

Dorstenia bahiensis is an interesting plant with strange looking receptacles. At maturity, seeds shoot ballistically from the mature flower/fruit heads, and they germinate readily whenever the land on soil or other moist substrate.

Showy, variegated formThe Lucky Bamboo Plant which is an extremely popular houseplant and candidate for some aquariums, terrariums, and paluadariums. It is not actually closely related to bamboo grass, although its common name comes from its resemblance to bamboo grass. While not a true aquatic plant, the Lucky Bamboo Plant is extraordinarily popular and can often be applied to aquarium, terrarium, and paludarium setups! It should be positioned upright with its leaves clearly out of the water. There isn't really a well known reason for how this common name came about, although Dracaena sanderiana grows easily in water and the canes of the plant have a similar appearance to real bamboo stalks, it has no true connection with Japanese culture.

Easter Lily Cactus is native to Brazil and Argentina. It is a globular cactus that produces splendid night-blooming, white fragrant flowers up to 10" long.

Monkey Ear, Ear Pod Tree, Elephant Ear Tree. Looking for a cool looking tree that grows faster than your to-do list? This large, feathery beauty is one of the quirkiest members of the subtropics.
This fast-growing, cold-hardy giant provides ample shade in no time, making it perfect for anyone seeking instant relaxation under a canopy. But here's the real kicker - the tree's pods curl up to resemble ears! These unique legume pods aren't just fun to look at, they're also great for crafts and decorations. Nature's art project, anyone?
So, if you're looking for a curious tree with personality (and maybe a bit of ear charm), the Monkey Ear Tree is ready to impress. Grow it, shade it, and get crafty with its ear-shaped pods!

Blue sage, blue eranthemum - bright gentian blue - an unusual color in the tropics, winter bloomer, shade lover.
Learn more about Eranthemum pulchellum: Blue Sage: Winter Wonder.

This is a rare cultivar from a private collection of Mark Hooten, hardly known in cultivation.
Euphorbia decaryi is a small, perennial, leafy succulent with a shrub-like development and beautiful wavy, zig-zag edged leaves. It is a mat-forming species and spreads almost horizontally on the ground by means of rhizomes. The Euphorbia decaryi growth form illustrates the typical horizontal habit of most Madagascan euphorbias.
Evergreen or semi-deciduous, leaves tufted in rosettes at the stems tips, deep-red and green colored, narrow, very succulent, highly undulate, folded and crisp with raised veins and very attractive. Leaves in summer and under stress assume a nice coppery-bronze coloring. Flowers are very curious, hanging like small bells.

This is a shade loving Euphorbia. Grows to about 28" tall. It is shaped like a miniature palm tree. The leaves are covered with a milky white bloom that adds to the interest. It is very easy to grow the plant.
Grown often as a houseplant that is very ornamental and easy to grow even for beginners. Unlike many succulents, E. leuconeura is less susceptible to overwatering issues; it doesn't mind dry air and is very shade tolerant.
Euphorbia leuconeura is endemic to Madagascar. It is threatened by habitat loss. The natural habitat is rocky areas in the dark forests.

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.