The attractive osier-like Rattan palm, a climbing palm, has pale yellow fruits, about 0.5 cm across, resembling small, pointed cones, arranged in a raceme. These are often known as “canella berries” in the potpourri trade. It is alsothe source of “palm spirals,” either as a tubular spiral or pyramidal spiral, the individual stems 0.5-1 cm wide, the entire spirals 5-10 cm high. It is widely cultivated In India and Australia but in the wild is native to Indonesia, Java and Bali in Indonesia; Peninsular Malaysia; all parts of Thailand; Cambodia; Cochinchina and Central Annam in Vietnam; all parts of Laos; Myanmar; Bangladesh; and Andaman. ... Learn More

This multi-purpose fruit and also herbal medicinal tree is native to Southeast Asia where it has a variety of uses. For fruit production, because it is a dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown, the large, fleshy, rather olive-like fruits being eaten fresh, salted or in syrup. In addition, a black dye obtained from the fruits is used for making ink. Finally, the wood is soft and light in weight, and is often used for making lightweight furniture and plywood. Very few enormous seeds are ever available. ... Learn More

This spectacular, fast-growing tree, unbelievably, a member of the Mallow family, bears very tropical-looking palmate foliage, and has an extraordinary bulbous green trunk studded with astonishingly-large, triangular-shaped "thorns". It produces extremely beautiful, sizeable pink and cream lily-like flowers, which are fragrant and borne in great profusion, and are followed by large woody pods that split open to release the long white flossy hairs of the famous kapok. It is native to North-Eastern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Southern Brazil. Although finally becoming an open ground tree in warmer countries, it also makes a superb greenhouse or patio specimen. ... Learn More

This universally popular, relatively dwarf palm, most often grown as a houseplant, produces masses of attractive light green fronds on slender, arching stems. An elegant plant, easy to look after, with excellent air purifying qualities, it is undemanding in terms of light, water, temperature, humidity and feed, making it perfect for those of us that like low-maintenance room-mates. On NASA’s list of 50 Indoor plants that clean the air, it is perfect for filtering and purifying stagnant air, and is a popular choice for growing in the work place, and indeed is one of the most heavily sold houseplant palms in the world. Small yellow flowers occasionally appear from spring to autumn, followed by small black fruit. Of course, it also makes a gorgeous garden specimen in warmer climes, and is found growing in the wild in Mexico and Guatemala. ... Learn More

Potted bamboo palms bring color and warmth to any room in the house. There are many to choose from, but most need bright indirect light in order to thrive. However, this unusual palm is an exception to this rule and will grow in low light conditions, although they will grow taller with more light. Indeed it is also remarkably tolerant of dry air as well as low light levels. It grows as a clustering clump of stems, each ringed similarly to bamboo, and from which the common name Bamboo Palm arises, each stem being topped by an open crown of delicate feathery leaves, usually to 50cm long. ... Learn More

Usually a pale green to yellow when ripe, this amazing fruit is much larger than a grapefruit, with sweet flesh and thick spongy rind. By far the largest citrus in the world, the pummelo can reach 12" in diameter. Similar in appearance to a large grapefruit, it is native to South and Southeast Asia and is a natural citrus fruit, not a hybrid, and is indeed one of the original citrus species from which the rest of cultivated citrus were produced by hybridisation. The pummelo tree itself bears most attractive white flowers and generally has a somewhat crooked trunk and low, irregular branches. Botanists amongst you may be interested in its large number of names worldwide which are appended below...... Chinese grapefruit, Assamese: ৰবাব টেঙা robab tenga • Bengali: বাতাবি লেবু batabi lebu, ছোলঙ্গ cholanga, জাম্বুরা লেবু jambura lebu • Gujarati: પપનસ papanas • Hindi: बतावीनीम्बू batawi-nimbu, चकोतरा Chakotara, पपरमास papar-mas • Kannada: ಚಕೋತ ಹಣ್ಣು cakota hannu • Konkani: तॉरंद toranda • Malayalam: കമ്പിളിനാരങ്ങ kampilinaranna • Manipuri: ꯅꯣꯕꯥꯕ নোবাব Nobab • Marathi: बंपारा bampara, चकोत्रा cakotra, पपन्नस papannasa • Mizo: kamalo • Oriya: ବାତାପି batapi • Sanskrit: करुण karuna, मल्लिकापुष्प mallikapuspa • Tamil: மெதுக்கு metukku, பம்பளிமாசு pampalimacu, பொம்மாசு pommacu • Telugu: పంపరపనస pamparapanasa • Urdu: چکوتره Chakotara ... Learn More

A fascinating and very valuable multi-branched evergreen shrub, boasting showy terminal clusters of yellow flowers with long stamens, that radiate from each flower and protrude outwards. The flowers and the seed pods appear at the same time making an unusual and most attractive sight. Flowering period is from winter into late summer giving a superb period of blossom. Easy-to-grow in almost any aspect, and very undemanding, it provides sweet nectar for pollinating insects over a very long period! ... Learn More

Popularly sought by collectors but not common in cultivation, this recently described, elegant, slender species cycad is suited to tropical gardens which have a seasonally dry climate, although it also makes an impressive pot plant. With an attractive, smooth, yellowish trunk with a nicely rounded base, and green leaves, it is easy to grow, tolerating dry periods, and thrives best in full sun in a well drained soil. In the wild it grows on limestone cliffs from southeast Thailand to southern Vietnam. ... Learn More

Like its closely-related cousins the ordinary common tomatoes, the egg-size fruit makes good eating, and is typically made into jams or conserve, although it is recommended that the skin and seeds are removed before cooking. It is easily grown from seed and makes an attractive contrast to the more typical foliage of cannas, gingers and bananas. The roots of this plant are quite tough surviving moderate frosts, and in relatively mild areas usually re-grow from the base. It therefore makes either a fruiting shrub, or even a perennial tree, with a trunk, producing a crop of fruit yearly in warmer countries! Otherwise grow in a large container and overwinter frost free. ... Learn More

This superb, elegant, and and much-cherished slow-growing tropical palm has a thin, bright green trunk adorned with white rings and a long, glossy, crimson crownshaft, from which the shuttlecock crown of fronds with unusual bright scarlet stems and leaf ribs emerge. One of the world's most stunning palms, it also lends itself to making a magnificent parlour plant, all it asks is warmth with good light. ... Learn More

New, rare, delicious, and barely ever available in the Western World, the beige skin of this fruit contains luscious flesh which is sweet, tasty and delicious, and which is translucent white, with the shiny brown seed visible inside, looking like the pupil of an eye. As a result, they resemble the bulging eyes of the dragons often depicted in Chinese art. Closely related to lychees, they are native to China, Taiwan and South East Asia. The skin is hard and smooth, rather than softly-prickly like the common lychee, but peels off more easily than that of the lychee, rather like an egg shell! Containing many nutrients and vitamins that are claimed to fight various diseases, the Chinese name is "Long Yan Rou", which means Dragon Eye Meat! Finally, the tree is hardier and bears more heavily and later in the year than the lychee. ... Learn More

One of the most beautiful of the clumping/clustering palms, this is a beautiful specimen for smaller gardens and can be used as a smaller dramatic palm in a larger garden design also, and even in a large container. Native to montane forest throughout Madagascar, it is mostly admired for its prominently ringed multiple trunks which rtesemble tyhick sugar canes. It performs best in a sheltered, shaded site, however it will certainly take full sun as well. While it closely resembles the popular Golden Cane Palm (Dypsis lutescens), this one is more tolerant of cool conditions and light frosts, and will grow well in warm temperate to tropical conditions. ... Learn More

Growing on almost any terrain, even on gravelly, sandy or saline soils in tropical America, this large ornamental shrub bears ivy-like leaves, and clusters of yellowish-green flowers and large yellow fruits. Although the plant and seeds are toxic, it is a plant of many uses, being used to manufacture soap, cosmetics, fuel and medicines. It is also being cultivated for biodiesel oil including its use as an airline fuel. In Nigeria, tests with 200 and 400 mg/kg, physic nut extract produced pain relief that compared well to aspirin, the researchers believing the extract works through both central and peripheral pain mechanisms. Morphine and similar drugs act on the central nervous system, whilst aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, have an impact on both the peripheral and central nervous systems. The findings of the study are important because new, more effective pain-relieving drugs without addiction and side effect issues are needed. ... Learn More

This compactish, slow growing, pretty palm makes a slender, smooth trunk topped by large, circular, fan-shaped leaves with silvery undersides, which are arranged in a dense crown. A remarkably useful plant, the leaves are a popular thatching material, and are often harvested from the wild for local use, the stem of the plant being used to make poles! It is native to the Caribbean, the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Cuba, Bahamas, Southeast N. America down to the Florida Keys, and much of the Caribbean region. In the wild it grows in open woodlands and coastal areas, but will thrive in any open situation in subtropical and tropical climates, and prefers a well-drained, calcareous soil. ... Learn More

This rare and totally unique, graceful, fast growing palm has gorgeous, finely divided, weeping fan leaves, and is easy to germinate and fast and easy to grow. Adaptable and hardy in every respect, it is one of the most rustic and most resistant to the cold, in short, a nearly foolproof palm, which will tolerate all types of soil, drought and sea wind. It has an unusual attractively-marked trunk, because dying leaves fall away cleanly. It is ideal either as a pretty landscape specimen, or even as an indoor plant on a commercial basis. It is endemic to the woodlands of Queensland, Australia, and is known only from Magnetic Island near the City of Townsville, and south along the coast as far as Rainbow Beach. ... Learn More