Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the allamanda, tulipan and zamia. Family: Apocynaceae Alternate Names: Golden Trumpet, Bush Allamanda Use: The allamanda is grown as an informal fence in tropical climates, and as a houseplant elsewhere. It is excellent for use in planter boxes, especially when used with other brightly colored flowers for contrast. […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the triangle palm, yucca and thunbergia. Family: Arecaceae Alternate Names: Neodypsis decari Use: Bold and formal, this fast growing palm makes an excellent accent plant in open space. Its three planed leaf base provides the name, for the leaves emerge from a triangular formation. The leaves are a […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are bamboo, banana and bird of paradise. Family: Musaceae Use: Banana is a tree-like plant (actually a herb), closely related to plantains. It produces edible fruit that grows in clusters. There are many fruits to each tier, which is called a hand. Bananas are the staple starch in […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the bismark palm, bottle palm and blue agave. Family: Areceae Use: The bismark palm is prized as a landscape specimen, singly or in rows. Its height can vary from 40 to 70 feet, and branched reach up to 15 feet across, with a crown of spiky fronds. […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are bougainvillea, breadfruit and bromeliads. Family: Nyctaginaceae Alternate Name: Paper Flower Use: Bougainvillea is an ornamental climber for covering fences and walls. It is also seen as a sprawling shrub. The paper flower can be grown in pots, or trimmed as border hedge. It has thorns, bright green heart-shaped […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the buttonwood, calabash and butterfly palm. Family: Combretaceae Alternate Name: Button Mangrove Use: Both the green and silver (C. erectus sericeus) varieties are available as ornamental trees, and have been cultivated as bonsai. The heavy wood is durable, taking a fine polish, and is used for boats and […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the celosia, century plant and coconut palm. Family: Amaranthaceae Alternate Names: Cockscomb, Chinese Wool Flower Use: Celosia is a showy, fast-growing annual with red, gold, yellow, or pink flowers, lasting up to two months. They make excellent cut flowers. Raise celosia in a greenhouse or a conservatory in […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the coffee tree, swamp lily and heliconia. Family: Rubiaceae Use: The beans produce a beverage and stimulant used widely for at least 1000 years. There are about 60 species in the wild, about 10 species under cultivation. The most valuable are arabica and robusta. Flowers: Coffee flowers are small, white, star-shaped […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the ponytail palm, croton and dwarf poinciana. Family: Agavaceae Alternate name: Elephant’s Foot Use: The ponytail palm is a tropical landscape specimen. It can be grown indoors as a potted plant, and is also grown as a bonsai. Cultivation: The ponytail palm is a hardy, forgiving plant for a […]
Continue Reading
Three beautiful options for your tropical garden in Mexico are the desert rose, dracaena and pothos. Family: Apocynaceae Alternate names: Impala Lily, Desert Azalea, Sabie Star Use: Related to the frangipani but more drought tolerant, this small shrub is evergreen. It grows to 6 feet high in the wild, but is usually smaller in cultivation, and is often […]
Continue Reading