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PLANT ENCYCLOPEDIA

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38,238 plants

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dragon fruit

Hylocereus undatus

A vigorous, branching, epiphytic cactus with a scrambling habit and thick, jointed, three-angled stems with scalloped edges and fine grey-brown spines. Large, fragrant white flowers to 30cm across, with narrow, yellow-green outer segments, open at night in summer. If pollinated, these are followed by reddish pink edible fruits

tutsan

Hypericum androsaemum

H. androsaemum is a bushy, deciduous shrub to 75cm with upright branches and paired oval leaves. Heads of up to 11 small, cupped, yellow flowers appear in midsummer, followed by long-lasting dry, berry-like fruits that mature through red to black

perennial candytuft

perennial candytuft

Iberis sempervirens

I. sempervirens is a spreading evergreen sub-shrub to 30cm in height, with narrow, dark green leaves. Flowers pure white, in dense heads to 4cm in width, at first flattish, later becoming rounded, from late spring

black-drink tree

black-drink tree

Ilex vomitoria

Large evergreen shrub or small tree about 6m tall, with dense branches. Dark glossy green and gently serrated leaves to 4.5cm long, are often purple tinged when young. Small white flowers in spring are followed in autumn by bright red berries, in some forms they are yellow, produced on female plants if pollinated by a male plant

Garden Balsam

Impatiens balsamina

Impatiens balsamina is a frost-tender annual with erect, succulent, often branched stems, growing 30–80 cm tall. Its alternate, lanceolate to elliptic leaves are bright green with serrated margins. From summer to the first frosts it bears axillary, spurred flowers in white, pink, red, purple, or bicolour, often double in cultivation. The ripe seed capsules burst when touched, giving the common name touch-me-not. It is valued for bedding, borders, and containers, providing long-lasting colour.

busy lizzie

Impatiens walleriana

Also commonly known as 'Busy Lizzie', 'Balsam', or simply 'Impatiens', this is a species of the genus Impatiens, native to eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique. It is a tender herbaceous perennial plant but mostly grown as annual bedding. It grows approximately 15–60 cm tall, with broad lanceolate leaves 3–12 cm long and 2–5 cm broad. Leaves are mostly alternate, although they may be opposite near the top of the plant. The changeable, simple leaves are stalked and 1.5 to 6 cm long, green and sometimes spotted, pinkish or reddish on the underside. It's a very floriferous plant with blooms 2–5 cm diameter, with five petals and a 1 cm spur. The leaves and stems are semi-succulent, and all parts of the plant (leaves, stems, flowers, roots) are rather soft and easily damaged. A very useful summer bedding plant for more shady locations in the garden that will also thrive in full sun if kept moist and well watered.

Chinese ixora

Ixora chinensis

Ixora chinensis is a tender, bushy evergreen shrub with a rounded, upright form. Its opposite leaves are glossy, leathery, oval to lance-shaped and dark green. Dense terminal corymbs of small, tubular, four-lobed flowers appear mainly from summer, in shades of red, orange, pink, yellow or white. The long-lasting flower clusters are highly ornamental in a conservatory or bright indoor position.

green ebony tree

green ebony tree

Jacaranda mimosifolia

J. mimosifolia is a fast-growing, deciduous, rounded tree growing up to 15m tall. Its fern-like leaves up to 45cm long comprise many small bright green leaflets each up to 1cm long. Trusses of blue-purple, trumpet-like flowers each up to 5cm in diameter are borne in spring and early summer and are followed by woody seed pods containing flat, winged seeds

Japanese garden juniper

Japanese garden juniper

Juniperus procumbens

Juniperus procumbens is a low-growing, evergreen conifer forming a wide, mat-like spreading shrub. Its foliage consists of dense, prickly, blue-green to grey-green needle-like leaves. It is dioecious, with small inconspicuous flowers and fleshy, berry-like cones that are blue-green and glaucous. The plant is valued for its texture, year-round colour and ability to cascade over walls or spread as ground cover. It is slow-growing and typically reaches 0.5–1 m tall with a spread of 2–4 m.

Mexican hat plant

Mexican hat plant

Kalanchoe daigremontiana

K. daigremontiana is an upright succulent perennial with trinagular-lance-shaped, grey-green leaves, often spotted with brown, and with a row of plantlets on each edge; pendent, tubular greyish pink flowers 2cm long open in winter

chandelier plant

chandelier plant

Kalanchoe delagoensis

Upright perennial succulent to 1m tall with almost cylindrical, grey-green leaves spotted red-brown and producing plantlets at the tips of the leaves; panicles of tubular or bell-shaped purple-grey to pale orange-yellow flowers are borne in late winter and early spring

Copper Spoons

Kalanchoe orgyalis

Kalanchoe orgyalis, commonly called Copper Spoons, is an evergreen succulent shrub with erect, branching stems and distinctive spoon-shaped leaves. The leaves are covered in fine copper-brown hairs, giving them a metallic copper to olive-green sheen, with new growth often more intensely copper-coloured. Small yellow, bell-shaped flowers are produced in clusters in spring. It is grown primarily for its sculptural foliage and makes an excellent specimen for containers or conservatory display.

red-hot poker

Kniphofia uvaria

An herbaceous perennial reaching approximately 120cm in height when in flower with green, linear strap-like leaves and spikes of tubular orange flowers that emerge from firey red buds in summer and autumn.

common lettuce

Lactuca sativa

This is the species from which all our lettuce varieties have been bred. It forms a loose rosette of green or red-purple leaves which then elongates to a tall flowerhead of small, pale yellow flowers - as seen in all our food lettuces if they 'bolt'. Many varieties are available, varying in colour, size and shape, some less-prone to bolting than others

crape myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica

L. indica is an upright, deciduous tree or large shrub with peeling brown and grey bark and, 8cm long, dark green leaves which are bronze when young. The crinkly, white, pink or purple flowers are produced from summer to autumn in showy, conical panicles up to 20cm long

sweet pea

Lathyrus odoratus

L. odoratus is an annual that climbs to about 2m using tendrils. The flowers, produced in summer and early autumn, are 3.5cm across, strongly-scented, with wine-red standard petals and purple wings and keels. Hundreds of cultivars have been raised, a few of which can be seen here

Flowerpot Parasol

Flowerpot Parasol

Leucocoprinus birnbaumii

Leucocoprinus birnbaumii is a small, bright yellow mushroom with a bell-shaped cap that flattens with age, covered in fine powdery scales. The stem is slender, hollow, and often has a ring. It typically appears in pots of houseplants, emerging from the soil in warm, humid conditions. The bright color makes it noticeable, but it is not cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Texas Sage

Leucophyllum frutescens

Leucophyllum frutescens is an evergreen shrub with a dense, rounded to upright habit and silvery-grey foliage. The small, oval leaves are covered in fine hairs, giving the plant a soft, felted texture. In summer and autumn, especially after rain, it produces tubular to bell-shaped flowers in shades of purple, magenta or occasionally white. It is valued in dry gardens for its heat and drought tolerance, silvery foliage and colourful flowering displays.

Himalayan honeysuckle

Himalayan honeysuckle

Leycesteria formosa

A vigorous, deciduous shrub with erect sea-green stems bearing long-pointed, ovate leaves and pendulous racemes of white flowers with showy red-purple bracts, followed by deep purple berries

Blazing Star

Liatris cylindracea

Liatris cylindracea is a compact, clump-forming herbaceous perennial with narrow, grass-like leaves arranged in basal tufts. From mid-summer to early autumn it produces slender, upright stems topped with cylindrical spikes of fluffy, purple-magenta flower heads; the flower heads open from the top of the spike downwards. It is one of the shorter Blazing Stars, usually reaching only 30–60 cm tall, which makes it excellent for the front of sunny borders and wildlife plantings. The long-lasting flowers attract bees and butterflies and are also good for cutting. Its fine texture and vertical flower spikes give an informal, prairie-style accent to the garden.

Ruffled Fan Palm

Ruffled Fan Palm

Licuala grandis

Licuala grandis, commonly known as the ruffled fan palm, is a stunning tropical palm with large, circular, pleated leaves that resemble a fan. Each leaf is deeply segmented and has a distinctive ruffled edge, giving the plant a unique and elegant appearance. It grows as a single trunk with a crown of leaves at the top, reaching a height of 1.5 to 2.5 metres indoors. The leaves are a rich glossy green, and the plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers on a long inflorescence, though it is primarily grown for its ornamental foliage.

Lily

Lilium

Lilies are bulbous perennial plants with erect stems bearing whorled or scattered leaves. They produce showy, trumpet-shaped or recurved flowers in a wide range of colors including white, yellow, pink, red, and orange, often with spotted or striped patterns. The flowers are typically borne in racemes or umbels at the top of the stem, and many varieties are highly fragrant. With heights ranging from 0.5 to 2 meters, lilies are prized for their elegant form and vibrant summer display, making them essential in herbaceous borders and cutting gardens.

Asiatic Lily

Lilium asiaticum

Asiatic lilies are hardy bulbous perennials with upright stems clothed in narrow, lance-shaped leaves. In summer they produce clusters of upward-facing, bowl-shaped flowers in a wide range of colours including yellow, orange, red, pink and white, often with contrasting spots or streaks. They have no fragrance. The plants are compact, typically reaching 60-120 cm in height, and are ideal for borders, containers and cut flowers.

trumpet lily

Lilium longiflorum

L. longiflorum is a bulbous perennial with narrow, glossy dark green leaves and pure white, trumpet-shaped sweetly fragrant flowers up to 17cm long in summer