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PLANT ENCYCLOPEDIA

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leek

Allium porrum

Leeks are herbaceous perennials usually grown as annual vegetables, with upright stems which can be blanched white, and green or blue-green leaves about 30-50cm long; plants may flower by bolting in their first year, or the following year if left to overwinter, with stems up to 1.5m high topped by rounded flowerheads 5-9cm across of hundreds of star-like pale pink to white flowers which are visited by bees, in summer

Alocasia 'Regal Shield'

Alocasia 'Regal Shield'

Alocasia 'Regal Shield'

Alocasia 'Regal Shield' is a striking foliage plant with large, shield-shaped leaves that can reach up to 60 cm in length. The leaves are deep green with prominent silver-white veins, creating a dramatic contrast. This hybrid grows in a clump-forming habit, with sturdy stems supporting the upright leaves. It is prized for its tropical appearance and bold architectural form, making it a popular choice for indoor spaces and shaded patios.

Elephant Ear

Alocasia cucullata

Alocasia cucullata is a compact, rhizomatous evergreen perennial with glossy, deep green, hood-shaped leaves that are broadly ovate to heart-shaped with prominent venation. Its slender, upright stems form dense clumps, giving it the look of a small palm-like foliage plant. The flowers are inconspicuous, typical aroid spathes and spadices, and are rarely the main ornamental feature. It is valued mainly for its architectural foliage and works well as a houseplant or tropical container plant.

Variegated Alocasia Frydek

Variegated Alocasia Frydek

Alocasia frydek variegata

Alocasia 'Frydek Variegata' is a bold, evergreen tropical foliage plant with large, arrow-shaped leaves. The velvet-textured deep green blades are decorated with irregular cream or white variegation and prominent white veins. It forms an upright clump from a rhizomatous rootstock, with long, sturdy leaf stalks. The arum-type flowers are small and seldom seen on indoor plants; this cultivar is prized for its dramatic leaves rather than its blooms.

Alocasia

Alocasia longiloba

Alocasia longiloba is a tropical herbaceous perennial grown chiefly for its dramatic, arrow-shaped to hastate leaves. The leathery blades are deep green with prominent pale veins and often a purple-flushed underside, carried on long upright petioles. Plants form a clump of bold foliage rather than a dense bush, with pale green to cream inflorescences typical of Araceae appearing in warm conditions. It is valued as a striking houseplant or conservatory foliage subject.

Green Velvet Alocasia

Green Velvet Alocasia

Alocasia micholitziana

Alocasia micholitziana is a striking tropical perennial grown for its handsome foliage. Its softly velvety, dark green leaves are broadly arrow-shaped and marked with prominent, silvery white lateral veins. The plant forms a clump of long-stalked leaves, giving an upright yet dense habit. As a member of the arum family, it occasionally produces a typical aroid inflorescence, though it is primarily cultivated for foliage display.

Variegated Alocasia

Variegated Alocasia

Alocasia micholitziana 'Variegata'

Alocasia micholitziana 'Variegata' is a striking houseplant with large, heart-shaped leaves that display irregular white or creamy variegation against a deep green, velvety background. The prominent white veins and purple-tinged undersides add to its ornamental appeal. This compact Alocasia forms a clump of upright stems and rarely exceeds 1 meter in height, making it ideal for indoor containers. Its unique foliage pattern and texture make it a focal point in any plant collection.

Jacklyn alocasia

Jacklyn alocasia

Alocasia tandurusa

Alocasia tandurusa is a tropical herbaceous perennial grown for its large, glossy, arrow-shaped leaves with prominent veins and slightly wavy margins. It forms an upright clump of long, slender petioles and produces typical arum inflorescences, although the flowers are secondary to the foliage display. The bold, architectural leaves make it a striking foliage plant for warm indoor or conservatory settings.

Descoings aloe

Aloe descoingsii

A miniature aloe forming a low clump (6cm) of fleshy, grey-green leaves with toothed margins and decorative white flecks. Positioned on a sunny windowsill it will produce a slender flower stalk in spring and summer, bearing dark orange, urn-shaped flowers

soap aloe

Aloe maculata

A succulent with thorny blue-green leaves which are strongly speckled white and form a neat, fleshy rosette. In early spring, spires of light orange flowers are held on tall branched stems, forming a flat-topped flowerhead. It is tolerant of salt so suited to coastal areas

Climbing Aloe

Aloiampelos ciliaris

Aloiampelos ciliaris is a fast-growing, evergreen succulent with long, slender, scrambling stems that climb through shrubs and trees. Its fleshy, narrow leaves are bright green with small white teeth on the margins and a characteristic fringe of hair-like teeth at the leaf-sheath junction. In late winter and spring it bears loose, one-sided racemes of tubular, orange-red flowers that are highly attractive to sunbirds, bees and butterflies. The rambling stems root easily where they touch moist soil, allowing the plant to form an open, tangled shrub. It is mainly grown for its unusual climbing habit, colourful winter flowers and drought-tolerant, sculptural form.

Alpinia purpurata

Alpinia purpurata

Alpinia purpurata

A tender perennial up to 4m high, with lance-shaped, slightly glossy green leaves to 80cm long. In summer, produces long, semi-upright flower spikes, with small white flowers surrounded by overlapping, bright red bracts

Slender amaranth

Slender amaranth

Amaranthus viridis

Amaranthus viridis is an erect annual with slender, often branched stems and long-stalked, ovate to diamond-shaped, bright green leaves. Its tiny green flowers are carried in dense, slender spike-like inflorescences at the stem tips and in the upper leaf axils. Overall the plant forms a light, airy mass up to about 1 m tall. It is grown as a leafy vegetable in many warm countries and can also provide fine foliage texture in a summer border.

pineapple

Ananas comosus

A terrestrial bromeliad with dense rosettes of dark green, lance-shaped, evergreen leaves up to 1m long, with spiny margins. In summer it produces cone-like clusters of purple flowers, with reddish-yellow bracts, followed by bright red, edible pineapples up to 30cm long

dill

Anethum graveolens

An upright annual or biennial herb 60-100cm tall, with finely dissected, aromatic blue-green leaves approximately 35cm long. Flat umbels of tiny yellow flowers are produced on upright, finely ribbed stems in mid-summer. Dill is often grown as a herb for fresh scented leaves and as a cut flower. Dill seeds are also important culinary additions. Essential oil contained in seeds has medicinal properties. Various cultivars of dill are available; cultivar 'Mammoth' can reach up to 1.5m tall and cultivar 'Mariska' is very popular with florists

Variegated Anthurium

Variegated Anthurium

Anthurium andraeanum (variegated cultivar)

The Variegated Anthurium is an evergreen perennial with heart-shaped, dark green leaves heavily variegated with creamy white or pale yellow patches. Its showy, waxy spathes (modified leaves) come in shades of red, pink, or white, surrounding a prominent yellow spadix. The plant forms a tidy, clumping habit and can bloom repeatedly throughout the year under suitable conditions. Its striking foliage and long-lasting flowers make it a popular choice for indoor decoration.

Black-leaved anthurium

Black-leaved anthurium

Anthurium forgetii

Anthurium forgetii is a compact, essentially stemless aroid that makes a striking foliage houseplant. Its broadly ovate to almost round leaves are thick and leathery, with deeply pigmented, dark green blades that can appear almost black in low light. The leaves are marked with conspicuous silver-white veins and are held on long petioles, gradually forming a neat clump. The inflorescence is a relatively short spathe-and-spadix, but this plant is grown mainly for its sculptural foliage.

Velvet-leaf Anthurium

Velvet-leaf Anthurium

Anthurium hybrid

Anthurium Magnificum x Crystallinum is a stunning hybrid with large, heart-shaped, velvety leaves that feature striking silvery-white veins. The foliage has a dark green to bronze undertone, creating an elegant display. This plant produces typical anthurium spathes in pale green or cream, though it is primarily grown for its ornamental leaves. Its compact, clumping habit makes it an ideal specimen for bright indoor spaces or tropical greenhouses.

Long-leaf anthurium

Long-leaf anthurium

Anthurium pallidiflorum

Anthurium pallidiflorum is an evergreen epiphytic perennial grown for its dramatic, strap-shaped, deep green leaves that can reach over a metre long and arch or hang gracefully. The inflorescences consist of a pale green to creamy-white spathe and a slender spadix, but the foliage is the main ornamental feature. It forms a dense clump on a short stem and looks especially effective in a hanging basket or on a high shelf. This tropical species requires warm, humid, frost-free conditions.

flamingo flower [Pink Champion]

flamingo flower [Pink Champion]

Anthurium Pink Champion ('Antinkeles')

An upright, epiphytic perennial to approximately 50cm, with glossy dark green leaves. Waxy pink heart-shaped spathes with pink spadices are produced periodically throughout the year.

Norfolk Island pine

Norfolk Island pine

Araucaria heterophylla

An elegant, conical, coniferous tree with distinctive whirled branches of juvenile, fan-like foliage and mature, spiralled foliage. Young plants are often used as houseplants

Living rock cactus

Living rock cactus

Ariocarpus retusus

A slow-growing, spineless cactus with a flattened rosette of thick, triangular, hatchet-shaped tubercles that resemble weathered stones. The grey-green to brownish skin is often rough and cracked, helping the plant blend into its rocky limestone habitat. Funnel-shaped white, cream or pale pink flowers are produced from the woolly crown in autumn. It is prized for its striking, sculptural form and rarity.

Crown-tipped coral fungus

Crown-tipped coral fungus

Artomyces pyxidatus

Artomyces pyxidatus is a saprobic coral fungus that produces upright, repeatedly branched fruiting bodies, usually 5–15 cm tall, with whitish to pale tan branches. The branch tips are distinctive crown-like or cup-shaped with small points, giving the colony a candelabra-like silhouette. It grows on decaying hardwood logs and stumps in moist woodland, fruiting mainly from spring to autumn. Though not a vascular plant, it is valued in woodland gardens and educational displays for its unusual form and decomposer role.

Bamboo Orchid

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 the stem in summer, creating a striking vertical accent. Its bamboo-like appearance and elegant blossoms make it a popular choice for tropical-style gardens.