Cyphomandra betacea 'Yellow', commonly known as Yellow Tamarillo or Yellow Tree Tomato, is a fast-growing, evergreen shrub or small tree native to the Andes region of South America. It produces large, heart-shaped leaves with a purple tinge, adding ornamental value to gardens. In spring to early summer, it bears clusters of small, fragrant, pink-white flowers, which give way to egg-shaped, glossy yellow fruits approximately 10 cm (4 inches) in length. The yellow fruits have a milder, sweeter flavor compared to the red variety, making them ideal for fresh consumption or culinary uses such as ja ... 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

Pendulous bell-shaped, golden-eyed, pale lavender flowers, up to 6 inches or 15 cm. across, hang from the enormous blooming panicle that can reach one metre across. Surely the rarest and grandest of all Dahlias, and seldom seen in gardens, it was only recently discovered in cool cloud forest at high elevations, (around 2000 m.) in Oaxaca, Mexico, where it is accustomed to cool days and not-too-cold nights. This gorgeous, statuesque, deciduous perennial tree dahlia, with towering height and bamboo-like stems can grow up to 3 m tall. It is late-flowering, from September onwards (in the northern ... Learn More

Reputedly the largest of all dahlias, this Mexican giant, in perfect sheltered conditions, can grow up to 5-8m tall, but not quite that tall in the UK! Enormous, dense clusters of large, golden-centred, pinkish-mauve flowers open on the strong, bamboo-like stems. These are thick and become woody at the base, and along with the dark green, divided, velvety leaves, often have a purplish tinge. Budding and flowering, usually in September, is initiated by a long warm autumn and days getting shorter. This magnificent beast is an unbeatable architectural plant for a warm exotic border or a large c ... Learn More

Dahlia imperialis 'Alba', commonly known as the White Tree Dahlia, is a striking, herbaceous perennial native to Mexico and Central America. This towering plant features bamboo-like, hollow stems and large, pinnate leaves that create a lush, tropical appearance. In late autumn to early winter, it produces large, pendulous, white, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers, each up to 10 cm (4 inches) across, adding a dramatic flair to the garden. Due to its impressive height and late blooming period, it serves as a focal point in landscape designs. Thriving in full sun to partial shade and mois ... Learn More

Delonix regia, "Flamboyant" or royal poinciana is a very distinctive, deciduous tropical tree with fern-like leaves,and large clusters of bright red and scarlet-orange blossoms, that is considered one of the most beautiful trees in the world! It produces enormous pendulous, 60 centimetre long seed pods! Although widely cultivated in the tropics since the 19th century, the native habitat of flamboyant was unknown to science until the 1930s, when it was rediscovered growing in the wild in Madagascar. The tree is commonly cultivated in the tropics and subtropics, but is under increasing threa ... Learn More

A small, lily-like plant growing to about 1m tall, it produces clusters of flax-like, green leaves and panicles with bright blue flowers, followed by attractive, dark blue to purplish fruits. Grows well on poor, sandy soils, and is particularly colourful, with golden hues and reddish margins to the leaves. It makes a great, colourful ground cover for tropical and frost free warm temperate climates and is great in containers. ... Learn More

This lovely tree is valued for its very large fragrant flowers, which are up to 5 inches or 12cm across and have five white, waxy petals and numerous yellow stamens, and arise solitary at the ends of the twigs facing downward. Later ripen its lemon-flavoured fruits which are used in jellies and curries, often mixed with coconut and spices to make chutneys. The thick attractive leaves are 15-36 cm long, with a conspicuously corrugated surface with impressed veins, rather like wavy potato chips. It is native to Southeast Asia and western Malaysia. ... 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! Con ... Learn More

This lovely, long-leafed shrub produces shiny leaves, whilst the flowers of this tree mature into attractive winged fruits which become red or purple as they mature, making it a popular garden plant in warmer areas. It has a wide distribution of areas where it will thrive, from subtropical to warm temperate region. The wood is unusually tough and durable and the Maori of New Zealand have used it to fashion clubs and other weapons, the Maori name for the shrub, akeake, meaning "forever and ever" ... Learn More

Velvety, fleshy, pulpy fruit, rather like a tomato or small apple, fills this rarely-seen member of, believe it or not, the willow family! An attractive tree at all times, it is widely grown in warm temperate to tropical gardens around the world. And as it is many-branching, and has a dense crown, It is also used as an inpenetrable hedging plant, on account of the masses of spines that adorn the inner branches. And finally, it has valuable uses in local and popular medicine, specifically for relieving pain and rheumatism. ... Learn More

Reputedly one of the world's oldest living plants, these amazing, evergreen, subtropical tree-like plants bear just a few branches of lance-shaped leaves, often crowded towards the tips. Mature plants produce fronds of fragrant greenish-white flowers, which are followed by attractive clusters of bright orange berries, each of which holds a sizeable, very hard, pearl-like seed. When the bark is damaged it exudes thick, red, blood-like sap, hence one of its common names! Making statuesque specimens in warmer countries, these are also superb, highly-valued, expensive pot plants elsewhere. It is ... 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 ... Learn More

This lovely tree from the Himalayas has both a prickly trunk and also branches, which display beautiful orange-red flower clusters. It is relatively tough, and can be overwintered at a minimum of 5 degrees Celsius. The name coral tree is used as a collective term for this group of trees, as the growth of the branches can resemble the shape of sea coral. ... Learn More

Fantastic, striking, torch-like flowers, formed of countless waxy bracts, are borne on separate, leafless stems and on this rare form are brilliant pink edged with a white margin. One of the world's most magnificent plants, this gorgeous Indonesian beauty produces long, elegant arching canes which are produced annually, and bear pointed banana-like leaves. In hotter countries, this fabulous exotic gem can be enormous. In SE Asia, it is sometimes used as a food ingredient for delicacies and also as a medicine. ... Learn More