Sansevieria: If you are familiar with this botanical name, the first thing that comes to mind is Sansevieria trifasciata. Now if you are not familiar with this botanical name, I bet you are familiar with the common names of Snake Plant or maybe even more familiar with Mother-in-Law’s Tongue. A long flat thick succulent leaf,…
Read more
After a brief hiatus, we are back with another installment. This week I am highlighting a group of plants that are commonly called Elephant Ear Plants. These plants belong to the genus Alocasia. They are native to Asia, and they instantly give a shaded area that tropical look due to their very large leaves. Richard…
Read more
Today’s topic is all about Ground Orchids (Spathoglottis). Ground orchids are as the name suggests, terrestrial orchids which grow in moist, light shaded areas of the garden. There are several hybrids and cultivars producing a wide variety of colors, ranging from white to yellow, along with bicolored flowers. The most common color is violet and…
Read more
Looking around the nursery in some filtered light I came across three tropical irises. Two are in the genus Neomarica, commonly called the walking irises due to the flowering stems arching to the ground after flowering and new plantlets developing where the old flowers have died. This gives the appearance of ‘walking’ along the ground.…
Read more
We continue our survey of interesting edible tropical plants that can be grown in southern Florida. Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus): Though commonly known as West Indian Lemon Grass, this popular herb is native to maritime Southeast Asia. It grows in dense clumps capable of reaching 6 ft. high and about 4 ft. wide. Its blue-green…
Read more