Plant Information
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Family: Didiereaceae
Origin: Madagascar
One of the primary members of the 'spiny desert' in the south of Madagascar, Alluaudia procera dominates the landscape in dense stands; its wood is often used for house-building and charcoal production. Tiny round leaves sprout prolifically along the spiny stems of Alluaudia procera during the wet season; they fall at the onset of the winter drought. Its stems are heavily spined; yet, the lemurs of the 'spiny desert' leap from one plant to another apparently without harm. For an interesting example of convergent evolution, compare Alluaudia procera with Fouquieria splendens (Ocotillo), native to the deserts of the U.S. and Mexico, and located at Quail Gardens just across the path from A. procera in the New World Desert Garden. The resemblance between these unrelated plants is strong--long slender spiny stems, small leaves that appear with rain, and terminal inflorescences.
Wallum Banksia
Family: Proteaceae
Origin : S.E. Australia
A fascinating group of Australian plants of the Protea family. A fast-growing tree with a corky bark. Flowers are yellow green in straight cylindrical heads. Attractive ornamentals valued for their foliage, flowers, and cone-like fruits. Widely cultivated commercially as cut flowers.
Burmese Fishtail Palm
Family: Arecaceae
Origin : Burma
Growing from 12 - 40 ft high, this tree is widely planted in the tropics as an ornamental. It has a very thin trunk. As it starts to flower, the tree begins to die, but will continue to produce seed for a few years as it is dying. The outer coat is poisonous, causing irritation to the skin. Caryota spp. occur predominately in high rainfall tropical regions but also to relatively high altitudes and on hills in the subtropics.
White Sapote
Family: Rutaceae
Origin: Mexico
The white sapote is usually a luxuriant evergreen tree but some varieties may be deciduous. Round fruits are 2-5 inches in diameter with a smooth pale green to yellow skin. The ripe flesh is buttery in texture and surrounds 2 to 5 large seeds. Its sweet flavor has been described as resembling a ripe pear in rich syrup or a custard of bananas and peaches.
Cheirolophus canariensis var. subexpinnata
Family: Asteraceae -
Sunflower Family
Origin : Canary Islands
Formerly Centaurea canariensis
Shasta Daisy
Family: Asteraceae (compositae) - Daisy Family
Greatly valued for the profusion of blooms carried over long periods in summer.
Giant Tropical Bamboo
Family: Poaceae (Grass
Family)
Origin: South East Asia
Possibly the world's largest bamboo species. A giant, clump-forming bamboo.
Bamboo are giant members of the grass family. There are over 1000 species of bamboo in the world. Bamboo is considered the world's most useful plant. Young shoots are used for food by people, pandas and other wild animals, cattle and goats. Mature bamboo culms are used for timber, plywood, paper-pulp, reinforcement for concrete, and basket-making (just to name a few).
Bush Poppy
Family: Papaveraceae -
Poppy Family
Origin : California and N. Baja
Suitable in gardens where drainage is good. A frost-tender evergreen with fragrant yellow poppy flowers, native to dry rocky hills of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico.
Dragon Tree
Family: Agavaceae
Origin: Canary Islands
This odd-looking tree grows to about 40 ft. or more. It is broad, with a thick, bare trunk and a crown of many stubby branches, each bearing crowded, sword-like, 2 ft. long leaves. The flowers are small, from which bright orange berries develop. It grows to a great age. The sap, after being dried, is called Dragon's Blood, and is used both medicinally and for coloring varnishes used on fine furniture.
Encephalartos altensteinii x trispinosus
Prickly Cycad
Family: Zamiaceae
Origin: South Africa
Cones borne in clusters of 2 - 5, yellow-green in color with scarlet seeds.
Family: Zamiaceae
Origin: South Africa
Cones solitary, reddish brown in color with seeds pale red.
Family: Zamiaceae
Origin: Zimbabwe, Mozambique
Some 25 species of dioecious cycads. All of the species of Encephalartos are found on the African continent. More than half are endemic to South Africa, their center of origin.
Female cones are typically more robust and produce very colorful seeds that are slowly exposed as they ripen from the top of the cone downward. The color of the cone and seed vary from species to species. Female cones utilize more energy than male cones, with several years lapsing between coning of the female plants.
The female Encephalartos has brilliant orange cones with red, infertile seeds.
Rhodesian Cycad
Family: Zamiaceae
Origin: South Africa
This female Encephalartos has a massive green cone
Bamboo
Family: Poaceae (Grass
Family)
Origin: Northwestern South
America
Entire houses can be constructed of Guadua culms.
Musa acuminata X Musa balbisiana
Banana
Family: Musaceae
The banana is a mini-course in botany and is best described by explaining what it is not. Firts there is no such thing as a banana tree. Towering before you is a giant herb ( a non-woody plant whose aerial portion is relatively short lived). In the tropics some varieties soar to a height of 30 feet and thereby claim the title of "the world's largest herb." What appears to be a trunk is really a pseudo stem composed of tightly wrapped leaf sheaths from which new leaves unfurl. The true stem is underground in the form of a corm.
Blue Candle, Garambullo
Family: Cactaceae
Origin : Central Mexico
Blue-green in color, with numerous upcurving branches. The edible fruits are harvested and sold in Mexican markets as Garambullas.
Triangle Palm
Family: Arecaceae (Palm
Family)
Origin : Madagascar
This tree grows to 30 ft. Its leaves are 8 ft. or more in length and emerge one above the other, giving a three-sided effect to the trunk.
African Blue, African Blue Basil
Family: Labiatae
Origin: Tropical Asia
One of the most important culinary herbs. Other species are useful in cooking but are also medicinal having antiseptic and febrifugal properties.
Mexican Fence Post Cactus
Family: Cactaceae
Origin : Central Mexico
Dark green in color, with unbranched erect stems. The nectar filled flowers, called Jarritos, are sold in Mexican markets.
Vontaky (Malagasy Name)
Family: Apocynaceae
Origin: Madagascar
P. lamerei is leafless during the dry season, sprouting bright green leaves at the beginning of rains. Its trunk is densely covered with spines when the plant is young; as the plant grows, the trunk becomes much less spiny. Full grown, it has fat, bottle-shaped trunks up to 20 feet high, crowned with short, stubby branches. Garlands of white flowers on the branch apex appear at the height of the winter drought.
Queensland pittosporum
Family: Pittosporaceae
Origin : E. Australia
This tree is grown for its beautiful, glossy foliage and often honey-scented flowers.
Chende, Chente
Family: Cactaceae
Origin : Puebla and Oaxaca, Mexico
Resembling Myrtillocactus, but with somewhat larger flowers. Flowers are pink, with red-purple fruit.
Silver Lace
Family: Asteraceae -
Sunflower Family
Origin : Canary Islands - Gran Canaria
Endangered in the wild. A shrubby perennial, silvery gray in color. Extremely attractive with finely divided foliage.
Throatwort
Family : Campanulaceae - Bellflower
Family
Origin : Western & Central Mediterranean
Flowers in numerous umbellate clusters. A perennial, reputedly effective against tracheal diseases.
A B C D E F G H I J K L
M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Old World
Desert Garden | New World
Desert Garden | Arid
Madagascar | Middle
East
Pan
Tropical/Tropical Rainforest Exhibit | Africa | Pacific Collection |
Himalayas
Australia | Canary Islands
Bamboo Collection | Subtropical Fruit | California Natives | Herb Garden | Fire Safety