Get to know 20 plants selected from Malaysia. Discover their scientific names, identifying features and growing needs.
Caladium bicolor
Caladium bicolor is a tuberous perennial grown for its striking, heart-shaped leaves that display a vibrant mix of green, white, pink, red, and burgundy. The foliage is papery thin with prominent veins, arising directly from the underground
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Asplenium nidus
An evergreen fern forming a striking rosette of strap-shaped, undivided, bright green, fronds to 1.2m in length
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Syngonium podophyllum
S. podophyllum is an evergreen climber, to 2m tall, compact when young with large arrow-shaped leaves veined and suffused with silvery-white; adult leaves are divided into 5-11 finger-like leaflets. Arum-like flowerheads with cream spathes
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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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Capsicum annuum
This is the wild plant from which many of our cultivated sweet peppers and chillies have been bred. It shows a wide range of fruit shapes, colours, sizes and degree of capsaicin production - from where the heat may or may not be felt. It ha
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Dieffenbachia seguine
Dieffenbachia seguine is a popular houseplant known for its large, ovate leaves that are dark green with cream or white variegation. It has a thick, cane-like stem that supports the foliage, and under ideal conditions it may produce a small
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Sansevieria trifasciata
S. trifasciata is a succulent perennial forming a clump of erect, sword-shaped deep green leaves with pale green transverse bands, with racemes of small, tubular pale green flowers in summer or autumn
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Catharanthus roseus
A woody-based evergreen perennial, to 45cm in height, with somewhat fleshy stems bearing ovate leaves and 5-petalled flowers, to 4cm across, pink, red or white in colour
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Clitoria ternatea
Clitoria ternatea, commonly known as Butterfly Pea, is a twining perennial vine with attractive pinnate leaves and large, vibrant blue flowers resembling butterflies. The flowers are about 4–5 cm across, often with a white or yellow center.
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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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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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Ficus elastica
Large, tropical evergreen tree, often grown as a houseplant. Large, broadly oval-shaped, glossy dark green leaves, occasionally red-flushed, with bronze-coloured undersides are 30-45cm long. Yellow figs are produced in clusters on mature tr
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Coleus scutellarioides
A tender, evergreen perennial to 60cm, with semi-succulent, square stems bearing ovate, toothed leaves. The species shows some leaf variegation and numerous brightly coloured cultivars have been developed from it. Small, blue flowers are bo
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Asystasia gangetica
Asystasia gangetica is a spreading, herbaceous perennial with ovate, dark green leaves arranged in opposite pairs. Its funnel-shaped flowers are white to pale lavender with purple markings, appearing in racemes from summer to autumn. It for
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Mimosa pudica
M. pudica is a spiny annual or short-lived evergreen perennial of low, spreading habit, with divided leaves that are sensitive to touch, and fluffy pale pink or pale purple flowerheads in summer
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Terminalia catappa
Terminalia catappa is a large deciduous tree reaching 15–25 m in height with a spreading, umbrella-shaped canopy. Its broad, obovate leaves are 10–25 cm long, turning brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow in autumn before falling. Sma
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Arundina graminifolia
A terrestrial orchid with tall, reed-like stems and grass-like leaves, growing in clumps. It produces showy, pink to purple flowers resembling Cattleya orchids, each bloom lasting several weeks. The flowering spike emerges from the top of t
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Cordyline fruticosa
Cordyline fruticosa is an evergreen shrub reaching up to 2-3 meters in height. It has erect stems with a tuft of sword-shaped or lanceolate leaves at the top, each 30-60 cm long. The foliage exhibits a wide range of colors, including deep g
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Codiaeum variegatum, commonly known as croton, is a striking evergreen shrub grown primarily for its bold, leathery leaves. The leaves come in a dazzling array of colors including green, yellow, orange, red, and purple, often with variegate
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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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