PLANT ENCYCLOPEDIA

Find your plant

Mexican breadfruit plant

Monstera adansonii

A tender perennial that will either climb (given support) or trail to 2m. The stems produce adventitious roots and heart-shaped leaves with oval holes between the main veins

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sword fern

Nephrolepis exaltata

N. exaltata is an evergreen fern to 1m tall, forming a large clump of narrow, arching, ladder-like, pinnate light green fronds to 2m long, the pinnae narrowly oblong or sickle-shaped; often produces young plant on runners

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baby rubber plant

Peperomia obtusifolia

P. obtusifolia is an evergreen perennial to 25cm, with leathery, broadly elliptic leaves and tiny white flowers in dense spikes to 12cm in length

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ivy-leaved philodendron

Philodendron hederaceum

A fast-growing, tropical evergreen climber between 3-6m in height, with heart-shaped, bronze-green leaves to 30cm long, red-tinted beneath, with large, overlapping basal leaf lobes; purple flower-spathes are 5cm long and may be produced on mature plants in summer

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silver inch plant

Tradescantia zebrina

A trailing evergreen perennial to 15cm, with lance-shaped, deep bronze-green leaves with two longitudinal silvery bands above, purple beneath; rosy-purple flowers in small terminal clusters appear sporadically throughout the year

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spotted begonia

Begonia maculata

A fibrous-rooted species with erect stems to 1m. Foliage is green with silvery-white spots above, red below and has a heart-shaped base, a wavy texture and an undulate margin. Flowers are pale pink or white and are held in pendulous groups in summer; female flowers are more numerous than male ones and tepal sizes are unequal

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fiddle-leaf fig

Ficus lyrata

A robust evergreen tree to 5m or more, with glossy dark green, obovate or fiddle-shaped leaves to 45cm in length, the veins impressed above; flowers and fruits not seen on container-grown plants

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African mask plant

Alocasia amazonica

Alocasia amazonica is a compact, clump-forming evergreen perennial with striking arrow-shaped leaves that are dark green with prominent white or silvery veins. The leaf blades are glossy, leathery, and have wavy margins, while the undersides are often purple-tinged. It typically reaches 30–60 cm in height, with a similar spread, making it an ideal specimen for indoor containers. The plant's bold foliage provides a tropical aesthetic and serves as the main ornamental feature.

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Nerve Plant

Fittonia albivenis

Fittonia albivenis is a low-growing, evergreen perennial with delicate, oval leaves marked by striking white or sometimes pink veins. The plant forms a dense mat of foliage, rarely exceeding 30 cm in height, and produces small, inconspicuous flowers in spikes. Its vibrant leaf patterns make it a popular choice for terrariums and indoor displays.

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white bird of paradise

Strelitzia nicolai

S. nicolai is a massive, evergreen perennial, with oblong, grey-green leaf blades up to 1.5m long on 2m long leaf stalks. In spring it produces blue and white flowers, opening in succession, from blackish, beak-like spathes

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common ivy

Hedera helix

H. helix is a vigorous, self-clinging climber with three- to five-lobed, glossy, evergreen leaves, often with pale green veins, and some reddish or bronzy colours in autumn. Mature plants produce bushy, non-clinging branches with diamond-shaped leaves, and small, nectar-rich, greenish-yellow flowers in clusters of rounded heads in autumn, followed by black berries in winter

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English lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

L. angustifolia is a compact, bushy shrub to 1m tall and rather more wide, with narrow, aromatic, grey-green leaves. In mid- and late summer it produces long, unbranched stalks carrying short, dense spikes of fragrant, pale to deep purple flowers

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sweet basil

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 or pink-tinged flowers emerge in terminal, slightly hairy spikes in late summer

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tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

This is the original plant from which all know varieties of tomato have been bred. The original species is quite a large, branching and climbing plant growing up to 2m tall that is perennial subshrub in its native tropical habitat. The stems and leaves are covered with short hairs. The plant flowers with yellow, star-shaped flowers, 1-2cm across, that produce green berries, ripening to variable-sized tomatoes. There are many different cultivars that bear fruit differing in size, shape and colour

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bell pepper

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 has green leaves and usually white flowers, though occasionally tinged purple. It is actually a woody perennial but is almost always grown as an annual in the UK as it is hard to keep alive over the cooler months

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coleus

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 borne on an upright, branching spike to 20cm

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Madagascar dragon tree

Dracaena marginata

An erect evergreen shrub to 4m, with long, sword-shaped, recurved, dark green leaves, finely edged reddish-brown

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Mexican snow ball

Echeveria elegans

A succulent perennial forming a clump of evergreen rosettes of spoon-shaped, whitish-green leaves and one-sided racemes of lantern-shaped pink flowers, tipped with yellow, in late winter and spring

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polka dot plant

Hypoestes phyllostachya

H. phyllostachya is a bushy evergreen sub-shrub to 30cm tall, with thin, ovate dark green leaves heavily spotted with light or deep pink. Small, 2-lipped tubular magenta flowers are borne in terminal spikes

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blushing philodendron

Philodendron erubescens

P. erubescens is a stout evergreen climber, with glossy dark green, triangular-ovate leaves to 40cm in length, red-purple beneath. Flower-spathes 15cm in length, red-purple

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missionary plant

Pilea peperomioides

P. peperomioides is an erect evergreen perennial to 30cm or more, with fleshy, rounded, long-stalked mid-green leaves to 10cm in length; tiny pale green flowers sometimes tinged pink

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common staghorn fern

Platycerium bifurcatum

P. bifurcatum is an evergreen, epiphytic fern with heart-shaped sterile fronds and grey-green, arching, fertile fronds to 90cm in length, forked into strap-shaped segments, bearing brown spore patches beneath the tips

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Dwarf Umbrella Tree

Schefflera arboricola

Schefflera arboricola, commonly known as the Dwarf Umbrella Tree, is an evergreen shrub native to Taiwan. It features palmate compound leaves typically composed of 7-9 leaflets, glossy and leathery. The plant has a compact, bushy habit with good branching, making it ideal as a houseplant. Mature plants can reach 2-3 meters in height, but potted specimens remain smaller. Its unique leaf shape and adaptability make it a popular indoor plant.

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Tree Philodendron

Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum

A large, evergreen tropical plant with deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves that can reach up to 1 meter in length. The leaves are bipinnate, giving a feathery appearance, and are held on long, sturdy petioles. As it matures, it develops a thick, woody stem, making it an impressive architectural houseplant. This plant is prized for its bold foliage and is often used as a focal point in indoor spaces or conservatories.

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