Get to know 9 plants selected from Tonga. 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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Solanum wendlandii
A tender, woody plant that will grow as a climber with support. Hooked prickles appear on branches and the stalks of green leaves. Pale purple flowers, about 5cm in diameter, appear in summer and are followed by orange, poisonous fruits
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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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Adiantum capillus-veneris
A low-growing spreading fern with gently arching, twice divided elegant fronds supported on wiry black stems. Semi-evergreen in warm sheltered gardens or if grown as a houseplant
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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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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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Citrullus lanatus
Citrullus lanatus, commonly known as watermelon, is a vigorous annual vine with deeply lobed, rough-textured leaves and yellow, monoecious flowers. The fruit is a large, oblong to round berry with a hard green rind often striped or mottled,
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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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Phyllanthus urinaria is an annual herbaceous plant, usually 10-60 cm tall, with erect to spreading, often reddish stems. Its small, alternate, oblong leaves are arranged in two rows along the branchlets, giving a feathery appearance. Minute
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