Get to know 20 plants selected from Cyprus. Discover their scientific names, identifying features and growing needs.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
A compact evergreen shrub with ovate to broadly lance-shaped glossy dark green leaves. Single 5-petalled flowers 10cm across with yellow anthered red stamens are produced from the leaf axils from summer to autumn, though in cultivation semi
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Ocimum basilicum
An aromatic tender annual or short-lived perennial, 30-60cm tall and 30cm wide, with bright green, elliptic leaves approximately 5cm long and 2-3cm wide. Many different cultivars available, varying in size and colour. Small, tubular white o
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Olea europaea
Has a rugged, much-branched habit and slow growth, eventually 4.5-9m. Leaves are narrowly obovate or oval, to 7.5cm long, leathery, silvery beneath. Very small white flowers are borne in axillary racemes to 5cm long. Many cultivated varieti
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Bougainvillea glabra
A virgorous climber with semi-glossy leaves to 13cm long. In summer it bears flowers formed of papery, petal-like magenta bracts. It requires the protection of a temperate glasshouse or conservatory, although potted plants can be moved outs
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Plumeria rubra
P. rubra is a deciduous shrub with few succulent branches bearing oblong leaves to 40cm long, and terminal panicles of highly fragrant, yellow-centred rose-pink flowers to 9cm across, in late summer and autumn
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Nerium oleander
N. oleander is an evergreen shrub with narrowly lance-shaped grey-green leaves and terminal clusters of salver-shaped, pink, white or red flowers 3-4cm across, in summer
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Lantana camara
L. camara is an evergreen shrub with sometimes prickly stems bearing wrinkled, ovate leaves and terminal clusters of salver-shaped flowers 1cm across, opening yellow and ageing to red, from late spring to autumn
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Citrus limon
An evergreen small tree or shrub with spiny stems, ovate to elliptic leaves, and strongly fragrant white flowers tinged with purple. The oval yellow fruit is juicy and acidic, maturing in autumn. It has a rounded, open canopy and glossy dar
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Acacia saligna
This plant is listed on Schedule 9 of the UK Wildlife & Countryside Act as an invasive, non-native species and is banned from sale. See cultivation notes for further details\r\n\r\nA fast-growing shrub or small evergreen tree, varying in h
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Epipremnum aureum
An evergreen self-clinging climber to 4m or more, with glossy bright green ovate leaves spotted and streaked with cream or yellow; green flowering spathes appear only rarely in cultivation
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Vicia faba
An annual producing two to four, square-sectioned, upright stems, 0.4 to 1.2m tall, clothed with oblong, blue-green leaves. Clusters of scented, tubular, black and white or dark red flowers are produced all the way up the stem, followed by
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Monstera deliciosa
M. deliciosa is an evergreen shrub to 5m or more, climbing by aerial roots, with heart-shaped, pinnatisect and often perforated, glossy deep green leaves to 90cm; flower spathes 30cm, white, followed by cone-like cream fruit
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Pistacia lentiscus
A tender evergreen shrub or small tree, up to 3m high, with pinnate, aromatic, leathery green leaves divided into up to 7 pairs of leaflets. Small flowers are produced in late spring and early summer; on male plants these are reddish and he
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Euphorbia milii
A more or less evergreen shrub to 1m, with thorny, succulent branches, leathery obovate leaves and axillary clusters of very small yellow flowers with showy, bright red bracts
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Ficus microcarpa
A bushy evergreen shrub to 4m when grown in a container, with glossy dark green, ovate leaves; in warm climates grows into a large tree with abundant aerial roots
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Ceratonia siliqua
A Mediterranean evergreen shrubby tree with thick brown bark and dark green, leathery, pinnate leaves. Tiny green-tinted red flowers in racemes 2-6cm long, during spring, are followed by edible black-brown leathery pods containing a sweet p
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Ficus carica
A large shrub or small, spreading tree to around 3m tall and 4m wide with rounded, lobed leaves. Insignificant flowers are followed by edible fruit that ripen to shades of green and purple. Many cultivated varieties of fig have been develop
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Zamioculcas zamiifolia
an evergreen, rhizomatous perennial. The smooth, shiny leaves, 40-60cm long, arise directly from the ground, and have six to eight pairs of leaflets. One or two green and white, arum-like flowers may appear among the leaf bases in summer, f
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Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
K. blossfeldiana is a bushy evergreen succulent perennial to 40cm, with fleshy, ovate leaves, and terminal panicles of tubular red flowers spreading lobes in early spring
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Cicer arietinum
More commonly known as the Chickpea, this annual legume has small, green feathery leaves either side of the stem and produces fat green seedpods containing two or three peas to each pod in spring or early summer. Crops are usually ready fo
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