Tropical Plant List A

Click Here to Go to the next set of Plants in this alphabetical list of Tropical Plants!

A selection of TROPICALS, some in very limited supply, starting at the first of the alphabet:

This page contains the following plant groups: Abrometiella, Abutilon (Flowering Maple), Acalypha (Copperleaf Plants), Acanthus, Achimenes (Nut Orchid), Adiantum (Maidenhair Fern), Aechmea, Aeschynanthus (Lipstick Plant), Agapanthus (Lilly of the Nile), Ageratum, Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen), Agrostis, Allamanda, Alocasia(Fancy Elephant Ear), Aloysia (Lemon Verbena).

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Tropical Plants for the 2010 SEASON

As various of our longterm customers regularly ask about availability of plants once offered in past catalogues (we suspect that many of you have more complete year-by-year collections of those newsprint compilations than we do), we have re-listed many of these old plant treasures this year after getting them back into propagation; furthermore, we've been propagating many new treasures from the main collections as well as readying choice new plants sent to us by those of you who love to collect and hybridize and wish to share your treasures with the rest of us. And, as usual, you will note that we like to name these new cultivars and hybrids after you! Since our customers continue to increase their interests and expand their displays of the wondrous TROPICAL LOOK in their outdoor gardens, we have added many new flashy items for this look--odd new Aroids, unusual Agaves and their cousins, dramatic strong boned Begonias, a solid selection of reliable handsome Bromeliads, some very showy palms, spiderworts and Acanthus family members. So continue to tart up your urns & planters unabashedly; shamelessly pump up those perennial beds by adding a few companion tropicals. We have also continued to expand plant selections in increasingly popular categories: tropical bonsai plants, cultivars suited for standards & topiary, tried & true succulents suited for living wreaths or dish gardens, new distinctive material to try in your windowboxes or urns, and reliable yet choice terrarium subjects. (The sheer number of terrariums and wardian cases you purchased from us last year continues to esculate.) Meanwhile, we have not forgotten our core support group (many of whom have been ordering /supporting us for well over 20 years now) who need new treasures for their hobby greenhouses & conservatories; their extensive lite gardens & plantrooms, and especially those who need a regular fix of an astounding new variegated cultivars. For those who have just finished building their first greenhouse, or have booted out the last offspring and now have an entire potential tropical plant room, please remember that we have you in mind by offering the popular #99029 Introductory GREENHOUSE COLLECTION: BEGINNER & HOBBYIST featuring 50 different labeled plants for only PRICE: $150.00, as well as #99030 THE GREENHOUSE: ADVANCED COLLECTION including more unique speciality plants for the jaded grower. These 50 rare labled plants for only PRICE: $250.00 have often been ordered for botanic gardens needing a wild selection for their supporting sales benches, as well as municipal conservatories interested in expanding their display sections while keeping within tight budgets. A reminder to our many Southern customers: most of the plants coded CGH (for Cool GreenHouse) are excellent choices for your permanent plantings even though they are summertime bedding or greenhouse plants in our Zone 6b climate.
You will notice an ever increasing number of individual photos & images this season--the attempt to illustrate nearly every plant we list continues--and we do thank profusely those of you who have sent photos we can use as so many of our older stock plants show the effect of many cuttings and airlayerings, resulting in less than typical stature for that particular species and/or cultivar--and all of us enjoy seeing how you have potted and combined your plant treasures. We have always learned more from our faithful customer friends than we have from all our many reference books. Nonetheless: We still offer many books with instructive photos & detailed discussions of a considerable number of the plants we try to keep in propagation in order to support your hobby. Our "Common Names Index" is now also maintained on our website, so you can quickly locate any plant we offer (and some we may no longer keep in stock, or only maintain in the display gardens here) if the technical Latin name eludes you. (We are the major users of this handy memory aid!) Again, please realize that if you can only bring yourself to order from an older outdated print catalogue or listing, we will try to find and propagate some of the out-of-stock items if possible; however, this will obviously delay your order considerably--if you feel that constant calls to our office staff is necessary while we attempt to give your special needs special consideration, we will need to cancel your order at that point. Too many orders go out each day for us to find time to search for ongoing paperwork.

We would like to remind those who find the seemingly endless lists of Latin plant nomenclature on the following pages to cause eyestrain followed by serious headaches that indeed a solid introductory collection of plants just may be available within your initial interest area from such possibilities as:

99021 BONSAI INDOORS: For 10 woody gnarly shrublets to shape for PRICE: $35.00

99035 TROPICAL HANGING BASKET PLANTS: With 10 cascaders for PRICE: $30.00

99034 TROPICAL HERBS: Some 10 plants for plantroom or greenhouse for PRICE: $35.00

99066 WINTER BLOOMING CONSERVATORY/GREENHOUSE PLANTS: Some five plants which will perform well in your greenhouse for PRICE: $18.00

99067 WINTER BLOOMING HOUSEPLANTS: A reliable strong five plants for a windowsill or plantroom for PRICE: $22.00

99038 BASIC TERRARIUM COLLECTION: (one of several) Some 10 plants for PRICE: $22.00

99162 THE BLACK GARDEN COLLECTION: Five somber dark plants for PRICE: $22.00

99160 THE ZOO COLLECTION: Animal named plants--5 easy plants with animals in their common names for PRICE: $22.00

99543 I'M GITTIN RELIGION COLLECTION: Nearly spiritual names--5 easy plants with religious references in their common names for PRICE: $18.00

Copper Leaf Plants (ACALYPHA) for the 2010 SEASON

The Copper Leaf Plant Family: A dramatic genus of Euphorbia cousins flaunting some of the most shamelessly colorful and elaborately furled foliage designs of the wilkesiana group delivering major visual impact for your conservatory greenhouse, or for summer urns. Several with less dramatic foliage in the hispida complex remain the most popular of blooming tropicals with remarkably attractive (and oh so touchable) pendant catkins; furthermore, several miniature forms are becoming favorites with tropical bonsai trainers as they have very reduced leaf sizes with autumn colors on stems soon mimicing woody turnks. For best results, give full sun, constant warmth, and well drained but adequately moist soil. If you plant these directly into wet chill soil, they will quickly rot. We promise--having terminated some by not practicing what we preach.

41930 ACALYPHA REPENS STRAWBERRY FOXTAIL EUP HP TGH PRICE: $ 4.25 "Strawberry Firetail/Foxtail"--(hispaniola) Trailing slim stems disappear beneath the small leaves and rosy pink velvety "Tails" which mimic their "Chenile" brethern--resembling roseate chenile pendant woolyworms fat on steroids. These terminally cute critters are splendid additions to any urn or windowbox as well as hanging baskets as they spill over the edge with masses of fluffy soft red catkins as long as bright light and warm temperatures assure their formation. Our customers report this to be one of the best choices for a sunny indoor windowsill, lite gardening setup, or hobby greenhouse container as it will be nearly everblooming in such a site. This will not bloom in low light or cool conditions; so chill sensitive we cannot ship during cool periods.

ACANTHUS species for the 2010 SEASON

The ACANTHUS FAMILY: An outstanding alliance of successful house & conservatory plants newly popular as these spectacular characters are being reintroduced into summer beds & containers. Notice the family code ACAN in this catalogue & specialty lists featuring (from over 250 genera) the following genera: Acanthus, Aphelandra, Asystasia, Barleria, Baphicacanthus, Chamaeranthemum, Crossandra, Dicliptera, Eranthemum, Hypoestes, Graptophyllum, Fittonia, Hemigraphis, Justicia, Mackaya, Odontonema, Pachystachys, Peristrophe, Porphyrocoma, Pseuderanthemum, Ruellia, Ruttya, Sanchezia, Sciaphyllum, Scutellaria, Stenandrium, Strobilanthus, Thunbergia, Whitfieldia, and Xantheranthemum. (Whew!) If you collect plants with showy flowers or stunning foliage, you already have some of these high performers. And always popular for those prefering their species to be polysyllabic.

ACHIMENES CULTIVARS for the 2010 SEASON

Maidenhair Ferns (ADIANTUM) for the 2010 SEASON

The Maidenhair Fern Family: The delicate and beautifully foliaged fern group which do require extra humidity while growing in a well drained "sweet" medium, but which are well worth the effort to grow.

11585 ADIANTUM TENERUM IMBRICATUM GREEN PETTICOAT FEL GH PRICE: $ 35.00 This is a very rare and sterile Maidenhair with very ruffled edges and large leaves. We have to propogate by division only. It may be available in the near future or by Request. Please email us if you might be interested. Email Us if You Like This Plant

Aechmea (Bromeliaceae) for the 2010 SEASON

These fabuously decorative, and unabashedly exotic "Urn Plants" from the West Indies and South America are epiphytic (growing upon tree branches and mossy rock surfaces) in the wild and thus flourish in perfectly drained mediums with such ingredients as coarse perlite and orchid bark (at all costs avoid sand which bogs down nearly all plants by eliminating oxygen from the root area). In nature their beautiful vase shaped leaf rosettes catch and hold rain water, so you need to keep water in their cups, considering the roots more as anchors than as gatherers of nutrients--thus fish emulsion is a better choice of fertilizer than any chemical formula. All perform well as houseplants with sufficient light and well watered (and lightly fertilized) cups/vases from which emerge the dramatic inflorescenceorescenceourences of colorful bracts and electic colored blossoms typically followed by showy persistent berries. Watch our speciality lists for additional rare variegated clones of these as well as other Bromeliad genera throughout the season. While dependable house plants, these become truely dramatic flourishes to your hobby greenhouse designs. See below for a fine collection and a good book.

99078 BROMELIAD COLLECTION: An introduction to the variety of genera & habits of these indestructible showy "Pineapple Family" characters. 5 plants @ 22.50--likely including also one or two picked from various genera not listed in this catalogue--typically drawn from Abrometiella, Acanthostachys, Aechmea, Anamea, Ananas, Billbergia, Cryptbergia, Cryptanthus, Deuterocohnia, Dyckia, Fosterella, Guzmania, Hohenbergia, Neoregelia, Nidularium, Hectia, Orthothanthus, Puya, Tillandsia, and Vriesea.

92024 BROMELIADS FOR THE CONTEMPORARY GARDEN by Andrew Steens Bromeliads include several thousand species and a bewildering number of hybrids and cultivars. Remarkable for the diversity of their striking foliage and distinctive forms, many also produce brilliant inflorescences in glowing colors. They are highly desirable, low-maintenance indoor plants, and in subtropical and tropical areas they can be grown successfully outdoors. Bromeliads for the Contemporary Garden is a book for beginners, enthusiasts, and connoisseurs alike. Descriptions and cultivation information for hundreds of species and cultivars, from Aechmea to Vriesia, along with an impressive range of photographs, will inspire gardeners and collectors. 0-88192-604-3, 198 pp, 290 color photos, 4 tables, 8 1/2 x 10 1/4", hardcover, © 2003 35.95 plus PRICE: $9.50 shipping.

52220 AECHMEA ORLANDIANA BERT VARIEGATA SOL TGH CGH HP PRICE: $ 35.00 We are introducing our new "Coming Soon" notice here with a wonderful plants being grown on at our nursery. This is a bromeliad with some of the most stunning variegated foliage we have seen. We hope to be offering this in the next few months. Bronzy olive-green underleaf with purple-brown joined spots & mottlings form plaid with middle crossbands. Yellow fls from salmon red bracts. Gold strip up the middle. Please email us if you might be interested. Email Us if You Like This Plant

52032 AECHMEA PINELIANA MINIATA BRO HP CGH PRICE: $ 10.00 "Bristle Cone Plant" Copper pink hued silver urn edged in maroon teeth--compact; pinecone inflorescence of red bracts over- whelming the small yellow blossoms, held aloft on stout stem. Erect urns need full sun to maintain brilliant coloration. An heirloom Bromeliad still essential in any collection for its distinctive elegant form and vivid coloration.

31368 AESCHYNANTHUS AFF LONGICAULIS/MARMORATA GES HP TGH PRICE: $ 4.50 SOLD OUT UNTIL SPRING OF 2010--DO NOT ORDER AT THIS TIME Excellent "Zebra Vine" form with cascading maroon stems ranked with pairs of brightly zoned succulent leaves, & with (often solitary) odd upright orange tubular blossoms. Tolerates lower levels of humidity than most Gesneriads.

Aglaonema for the 2010 SEASON

The "Chinese Evergreens" are grown for the beautiful leaves, often richly chevroned or ornately mottled. All Agalonemas have waxy long-lived foliage, making these low light tolerant Aroids excellent houseplants as they are uniquely evolved to tolerate less than perfect humidity. While the following offering reflects only a small idea of our collection, we do often offer rare species and cultivars on the speciality lists on this website and include more obscure types in our popular AGLAONEMA COLLECTION under the stock number of 99551 for five labeled "Chinese Evergreens" for the introductory price of PRICE: $28.00 to aquaint you with these reliable cousins of the Dieffenbachias.

Shield Plants (ALOCASIA) for the 2010 SEASON

The SHIELD LEAF PLANTS are succulently stemmed (seldom but sometimes tuberous) Aroids responding successfully to regularly moist and humid growing conditions combined with friable soil and bright (not necessarily direct) light. If accidentally chilled or dried out, fear not: just expect this to trigger any Alocasia to enter a dormant cycle--they are not dead, just resting because you have triggered their non-monsoonal mode! If you like these dramatic creatures, also investigate their kith & kin, the Xanthosomas and the bog loving Colocasias & Steudnera . . . even check their flashy shamelessly colorful Caladium cousins. Several have become important "Summertime Tropicals" for many northern gardeners in recent years, especially A. odora, A. plumbea nigra, and 'Golden Delicious,' all offered below: