This stunning plant unfolds its spathe revealing an intense, prominent black spadix, while the spathe continues to fold back, displaying its internal pattern of rich purplish brown and yellow with a distinctly velvet sheen. It is one of the very hardiest of all the exotic aroids, thriving in most British gardens and in a warm sunny spot, it is truly tropical-looking with extravagant exotic foliage. With its elongated poker-like tip and bulbous egg-timer shaped base, all resting on a short white lilac spotted stalk, it looks not unlike the horns of some emerging subterranean devil. The spathe c ... Learn More

Clusters of bright-pink pom-pom flowers, between 1-2 cm across, are dotted with yellow from the prominent anthers on this trailing vine, and are quite remarkable. The spiny pink or green stems and touch-sensitive foliage that folds up, (rather like the "Sensitive Plant" Mimosa pudica), make this a quite intriguing plant to display in a conservatory in cooler climates, or trained along an outside wall in warmer and more temperate zones. It is native to the central USA and is named for Thomas Nuttall, an English botanist who resided in the US for many years. ... Learn More

This rare and amazing giant tree-daisy comes from the high mountains of Madeira where it makes thick trunks. Huge rosettes of serrated leaves grow on the end of stout branches, the large clumps of golden flowers appearing in spring and early summer. Makes an amazing spectacle in a sheltered garden ... Learn More

This moderately-sized, columnar cactus to 4 m tall produces a candelabra-like crown, branching from the base into several slender, ridged, moderately armed, bluish green stems to 10 cm in diameter. The scented flowers open at night and are followed by round, greenish to reddish fruits with edible flesh. Stenocereus stellatus is native to central Mexico where it grows in hot, dry tropical woodlands and thornscrub between 500 and 2100 m. In cultivation it adapts well to dry tropical and warm temperate climates in USDA Zones 9 and above. In Mexico it has a long history of cultivation and is widel ... Learn More

Red flowers grow into huge, very pretty, five-sectioned seed pods with red interiors, which can reach 12 cm in diameter and open along one side to release up to 40 very large, shiny, black edible seeds. This large deciduous tree with an attractive buttressed trunk is found in disturbed, evergreen forests from India to Burma and Malaysia. ... Learn More

"Giant White Bird of Paradise". Huge black and white flowers open on this rare member of the banana family. It is often seen abroad in hotel gardens where it grows to a great height., whilst in the UK it makes an impressive large-leaved plant for a pot in the conservatory. Large seeds resemble little puppets' heads with orange hair! ... Learn More

One of the world's most unusual and attractive plants, the ever-popular "Bird of Paradise Flower" has spectacular orange and dark blue blooms on thick stems, above most attractive, leathery, banana-like leaves. In colder countries it does best in a large pot when it should be re-potted annually as it grows. In warmer climes it makes impressive evergreen clumps in the garden. ... Learn More

These beautiful blooming trees put on a brilliant display of a multitude of two to three-inch-long, fragrant, golden yellow, trumpet-shaped blooms borne in terminal flower clusters. The gorgeous silvery leaves often drop just before the flowers appear making the spectable even more amazing. Deeply-furrowed silvery bark on picturesque, contorted branches and trunk adds even more to its grandeur. Although it thrives only in warmer climates, it can be also be grown in containers, especially small ones, which eventually can turn the tree into a large bonsai specimen. It is native to South Americ ... Learn More

The 'Bat Plant'. A bizarre but quite beautiful plant with aspidistra-like foliage and large, darkest purple, almost black flowers which resemble Batman's cape. The most intriguing features though are the bunches of long 'whiskers' protruding from the centre. ... Learn More

These tropical evergreen flowers produce large, pure white petals centred by small, sombre, drooping flowers and long whiskerlike bracts, all resembling a bat's face. These amazing blossoms appear from spring and on through summer. In the wild they grow in tropical and subtropical Asia, and in cooler climates they grow best in a shady area in a hot, humid greenhouse. When raised from seed, these thought-provoking plants, ideal for the home or conservatory, produce blooms within the same year they sprout. ... Learn More

Another incredible flowering oddity with large, green veined white flowers, resembling triangular cloaks, sprouting long trailing whiskers from their purple centres. Most definitely one of the most profoundly interesting talking points you will ever grow. ... Learn More

Above sharply-toothed, lance-shaped green leaves open large, showy, bright golden yellow trumpet-shaped flowers which attract bees, butterflies, and in warmer climes hummingbirds. It produces attractive pods containing yellow seeds with papery wings and is extremely drought-tolerant, growing well in warm climates. Found native in South America around the tropics. It rarely grows very large and blooms all the year round. ... Learn More

A handsome ornamental tree with small white, flowers blooming throughout the year, but more heavily in spring. Seed pods produce an edible almond-like nut, hence the common name. Prefers well-drained, moist soil and is salt tolerant, so suitable for coastal locations. ... Learn More

This very pretty palm has glossy, dark green, circular fan leaves that have drooping leaf tips. An unusually slender-stemmed palm, the trunks can grow to more than 20 feet high or more, but rarely grow more than five inches inches thick. It is distributed over much of the northern Caribbean and is a reliable and easy-to-grow ornamental for tropical and warm subtropical areas, and a perfect palm for coastal regions. In the wild it grows on the extreme southern mainland coast of Florida, the Florida Keys, Bahamas, western Cuba, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Yucatan Peninsula ... Learn More

These summer-flowering Iris relatives from Central America have flamboyant showy carmine-pink flowers, which are Iris-like in structure, but with broad petals, held widely open. They come in a range of bright colours often spotted or flecked with a darker tone. The genus name means 'tiger-like', and this refers to the colour and pattern of T. pavonia, which is the species that is usually grown. Hardy and long-lived in a hot spot and can even self-seed when happy. ... Learn More