Skip to content

PLANT ENCYCLOPEDIA

Find your plant

38,238 plants

Search by scientific name, common name, or alias.

Morrow's sedge

Carex morrowii

Carex morrowii is a low-growing, clump-forming evergreen sedge with narrow, arching leaves that are often variegated with creamy-white margins or stripes. In spring, inconspicuous brown flower spikes appear, but the plant is primarily grown for its attractive foliage. It forms dense mounds and provides year-round interest in shady borders or as ground cover.

Golden shower tree

Golden shower tree

Cassia fistula

Cassia fistula, commonly known as the golden shower tree, is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 10–20 m tall with a spreading, open crown. Its compound leaves are pinnate, with 3–8 pairs of ovate leaflets, and it produces spectacular pendulous racemes of bright yellow flowers up to 40 cm long in early summer. The flowers are followed by long, cylindrical, dark brown seed pods that persist on the tree. This tree is prized for its lavish floral display and is a classic ornamental in tropical and subtropical gardens.

perennial cornflower

perennial cornflower

Centaurea montana

A rhizomatous perennial with simple or lobed leaves, hairy beneath, and blue flower-heads 5cm across, reddish in the centre, from late spring to summer

snow-in-summer

Cerastium tomentosum

A vigorous mat-forming perennial to 15cm in height, with narrow, white-hairy leaves and star-shaped white flowers 2cm across, with notched petals, in late spring and summer

eastern redbud

Cercis canadensis

A deciduous, spreading, often multi-stemmed tree to 10m, with papery, heart-shaped leaves, bronze when young and turning yellow in autumn. Pink flowers, 1cm long, are borne in clusters of 2-8 on bare stems before the leaves

Variegated String of Hearts

Variegated String of Hearts

Ceropegia woodii

Ceropegia woodii is a trailing succulent vine with slender, thread-like stems and heart-shaped leaves. The leaves are variegated with silvery-green patterns and purplish undersides. In summer, it produces small, tubular, purple-black flowers that resemble lanterns. This plant is highly valued as a hanging basket or indoor specimen for its delicate, cascading habit and unique foliage.

Lawson's cypress

Lawson's cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

A large, upright, conical tree with drooping branches, reaching up to 25m high. The aromatic, scale-like, dark green to glaucous green leaves, each 3-5mm long, are borne in flattened sprays. Small, globular male cones, 3-4mm long, are a reddish-pink in spring whilst the larger female seed cones are green maturing to brown

dwarf fan palm

Chamaerops humilis

A bushy evergreen palm making a medium-sized shrub, often stemless or multi-stemmed, with a rounded mass of fan-shaped leaves to 45cm in length. Short rigid panicles of small yellow flowers are borne on mature plants only

lime

Citrus × aurantiifolia

A spiny evergreen shrub or small tree with aromatic, glossy green leaves and fragrant white flowers in late spring or summer, followed by rounded green or greenish-yellow fruit (limes) 4-6cm across

lemon

Citrus × limon

A shrub or small tree to 4m tall, with spiny branches and oval, glossy, dark green leaves to 10cm long. From spring to summer it bears fragrant white flowers to 5cm across; these are followed by broadly ovoid, yellow fruits. Lemons are best grown in a cool or temperate greenhouse or conservatory and moved outside during the summer months. C. x limon is an ancient hybrid, derived from several wild species, and has given rise to many cultivated varieties.

makrut lime

Citrus hystrix

An evergreen shrub to 4m tall, with distinctive, glossy, dark green leaves in two parts. Fragrant white flowers to 2cm across are produced throughout the year; these are followed by bumpy-skinned limes. Both the leaves and fruit are widely used in South East Asian cuisine. Thai limes are best grown in a cool or temperate greenhouse or conservatory and moved outside during the summer months

Rangpur Lime

Citrus limonia

Citrus limonia, commonly known as Rangpur lime, is a small evergreen tree or bushy shrub reaching about 3 to 5 metres in height. It bears glossy, dark green leaves and produces fragrant white flowers with a purple tinge, followed by round, orange-skinned fruits that resemble small mandarins. The juicy, highly acidic pulp tastes like a cross between lemon and mandarin, making it popular for marmalade, drinks and as a rootstock. Its ornamental value lies in the colourful fruit, fragrant blossom and compact, rounded habit.

pummelo

Citrus maxima

An evergreen shrub to 4m tall, with glossy, oval leaves to 10cm long and fragrant white flowers to 4cm across that appear throughout the year. The large, green fruits are flattened-spherical to slightly pear-shaped, and may weigh as much as 2kg. Pomelos are best grown in a cool or temperate greenhouse or conservatory and moved outside during the summer months

Reindeer Lichen

Reindeer Lichen

Cladonia rangiferina

Cladonia rangiferina is a pale grey-green fruticose lichen that forms densely branched, shrubby cushions or mats. It has no true leaves or flowers; the hollow, repeatedly branched thallus creates a fine, coral-like texture. It is a slow-growing, long-lived lichen of acidic heath, tundra and open woodland, valued in specialist gardens for its architectural ground-cover effect. Its presence is strongly linked to clean air and undisturbed, nutrient-poor substrates.

silver torch

Cleistocactus strausii

A columnar cactus growing to 1.5m, with basally branched erect stems densely covered with short white spines; tubular rose-red flowers 8cm in length are borne scattered along the stems in summer

purple clematis

purple clematis

Clematis viticella

A vigorous, deciduous climber to about 5m tall, with mid-green leaves composed of two or three lobed leaflets, and single, open bell-shaped flowers 4cm across, with four broad purple or violet-blue tepals and creamy-yellow anthers in summer and early autumn on the current seasons stems

bleeding glory bower

bleeding glory bower

Clerodendrum thomsoniae

An evergreen climber to 4m in height, with twining stems bearing ovate leaves and terminal panicles 10cm across, of crimson flowers with conspicuous white calyces

Butterfly Pea

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. This fast-growing climber can reach up to 3 metres in height and blooms profusely from summer to autumn. Its striking flowers make it a popular ornamental plant for trellises, fences, and containers.

Wild tamarind

Cojoba arborea

Cojoba arborea is an evergreen tropical tree with a dense, spreading crown and bipinnate leaves made up of many small, glossy green leaflets, giving a fine fern-like texture. It bears small, creamy-white, spherical flower heads, followed by twisted seed pods. In cultivation it is chiefly grown for its handsome foliage and can be kept as a large container plant or conservatory specimen. It is relatively fast-growing when young and responds well to pruning.

Cuban oregano

Coleus amboinicus

A tender, evergreen, trailing perennial to 30cm tall, bearing fleshy, velvety leaves with finely scalloped margins; the foliage is strongly aromatic and can be used as a culinary herb. Grow in a cool or temperate greenhouse or as a houseplant

Coriandrum sativum and Allium fistulosum

Coriandrum sativum and Allium fistulosum

Coriandrum sativum and Allium fistulosum

Information to be completed

red-barked dogwood

red-barked dogwood

Cornus alba

A vigorous,suckering shrub with red stems, conspicuous in winter, and dark green foliage which takes on red or orange autumn tints. Flatheads ofinconspicuous, creamy flowers in late spring and early summer are followed by bunches of small, white berries

smoke tree

Cotinus coggygria

A large, bushy, deciduous shrub to 5m, with rounded leaves turning yellow, orange and red in autumn. Large feathery inflorescences are buff at first, later greyish

Cannonball tree

Cannonball tree

Couroupita guianensis

The cannonball tree is a large tropical tree reaching 20-35 metres in height. It has a straight trunk and a dense crown of large, oblong leaves. The spectacular, showy flowers are borne directly on the trunk and main branches, with a complex structure of pink, red, and yellow petals, and a strong, sweet fragrance. The large, round, woody fruits resemble cannonballs and can weigh up to several kilograms. The tree is highly ornamental and a unique specimen for tropical gardens or heated conservatories.