Flowering Plants

Gazania
Gazanias are grown for the brilliant colour of their flower which appear in the late spring and early summer. They prefer a sunny position and are tolerant of dryness and poor soils.

A commonly grown variety is the Trailing Gazania (Gazania rigens var. leucolaena). They are commonly used as groundcovers and can be planted en masse to cover large areas or embankments, assisted by their fast growth rate. Cultivars of this variety include 'Sunburst', 'Sunglow' and 'Sunrise Yellow'.




Marigold
Calendula pot marigold, is a genus of about 12–20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean region to Iran. Calendula should not be confused with other plants that are also known as marigolds, such as corn marigold, desert marigold, marsh marigold, or plants of the genus Tagetes.

The name Calendula stems from the Latin kalendae, meaning first day of the month, presumably because pot marigolds are in bloom at the start of most months of the year. The common name marigold probably refers to the Virgin Mary. Claims that its old Saxon or Anglo-Saxon name is 'ymbglidegold' are unsubstantiated, as is the claim that this means 'it turns with the sun'.

 

Melampodium

Melampodium a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae. The 39 species it contains are rugged plants native to the tropical to subtropical regions that include Central America, Southwestern United States, California, Florida, the Caribbean, and South America. Most of the species can be found in Mexico, five in the Southwestern United States, and three are scattered in Colombia and Brazil.




Perwinkle

Periwinkle is a color in the blue family. Its name is derived from the lesser periwinkle or myrtle herb (Vinca minor) which bears flowers of the same color.

The color Periwinkle is also called lavender blue. The color periwinkle may be considered a pale tint of blue or indigo – a pastel blue or indigo.

 


Aster

Aster (syn. Diplopappus Cass.) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The genus once contained nearly 600 species in Eurasia and North America, but after morphologic and molecular research on the genus during the 1990s, it was decided that the North American species are better treated in a series of other related genera. After this split there are roughly 180 species within the genus, all but one being confined to Eurasia. The name Aster comes from the Ancient Greek word ἀστήρ (astér), meaning "star", referring to the shape of the flower head. Many species and a variety of hybrids and varieties are popular as garden plants because of their attractive and colourful flowers.




Balsam Plant
The common names Policeman's Helmet, Bobby Tops, Copper Tops, and Gnome's Hatstand all originate from the flowers being decidedly hat-shaped. Himalayan Balsam and Kiss-me-on-the-mountain arise from the fact that the plant originates in the Himalayan mountains.
The species name glandulifera comes from the Latin words glandis meaning 'gland', and ferre meaning 'to bear', in that the plant has glands that produce a sticky, sweet-smelling, and edible nectar.

 


Begonia
Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae and is a perennial. The only other members of the family Begoniaceae are Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands, and the genus Symbegonia which more recently was included in Begonia.

"Begonia" is the common name as well as the generic name for all members of the genus. The genus name, coined by Charles Plumier, a French patron of botany, honors Michel Bégon, a former governor of the French colony of Haiti. It was adopted by Carl Linnaeus. As a member of the order Curcurbitales, begonias are relatively closely related to such food crops as pumpkins / squash, gourds, cucumbers, and melons.

Blue Button

Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower, Bachelors button, Bluebottle, Boutonniere flower, Hurtsickle, Cyani flower) is a small annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe. "Cornflower" is also erroneously used for chicory, and more correctly for a few other Centaurea species; to distinguish C. cyanus from these it is sometimes called Common Cornflower. It may also be referred to as basketflower, though the term properly refers to the Plectocephalus group of Centaurea, which is probably a distinct genus.

Red Button

Acmella oleracea, also known under its old names Spilanthes oleracea and Spilanthes acmella and commonly referred to as Spilanthes Extract, is a flowering herb in the plant family Asteraceae, also known as toothache plant or paracress as the leaves and flower heads contain an analgesic agent spilanthol used to numb toothache. It is native to the tropics of Brazil, where it is called Jambu, and is grown as an ornamental (and occasionally as a medicinal) in various parts of the world. A small, erect plant, it grows quickly and sends up gold and red flower inflorescences. It is frost-sensitive but perennial in warmer climates.

Celosia

Celosia is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word κηλος (kelos), meaning "burned," and refers to the flame-like flower heads. Species are commonly known as woolflowers, or, if the flower heads are crested by fasciation, cockscombs. The plants are well known in East Africa’s highlands and are used under their Swahili name, mfungu.

Celosia Dwarf

Seed production in these species can be very high, 200–700 kg per hectare. One ounce of seed may contain up to 43,000 seeds. One thousand seeds can weigh 1.0-1.2 grams. Depending upon the location and fertility of the soil, blossoms can last 8–10 weeks.

Cork's Comb

cant find

 
Dianthus
Dianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species extending south to north Africa, and one species (D. repens) in arctic North America. Common names include carnation (D. caryophyllus), pink (D. plumarius and related species) and sweet William (D. barbatus). The name Dianthus is from the Greek words dios ("god") and anthos ("flower"), and was cited by the Greek botanist Theophrastus.

The species are mostly perennial herbs, a few are annual or biennial, and some are low subshrubs with woody basal stems. The leaves are opposite, simple, mostly linear and often strongly glaucous grey-green to blue-green. The flowers have five petals, typically with a frilled or pinked margin, and are (in almost all species) pale to dark pink. One species, D. knappii, has yellow flowers with a purple centre.




Portulaca
Portulaca is the type genus of the flowering plant family Portulacaceae, comprising about 40-100 species found in the tropics and warm temperate regions. They are also sometimes known as Rose Moss or more commonly Moss Roses.

Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is widely considered an edible plant, and in some areas an invasive type of weed. Some Portulaca species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Nutmeg (Hadula trifolii).
Purslane can be eaten raw or cooked, and lends itself to stir fry dishes. Some say it has a slight lemon-like taste and mushroom-like texture. It is relatively easy to grow in more northern climates, including the New England area in the United States.

 



Rose (Thailand) 
 
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe.

SunFlower

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head). The sunflower is named after its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. It has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads of flowers. The heads consist of many individual flowers which mature into seeds, often in the hundreds, on a receptacle base. From the Americas, sunflower seeds were brought to Europe in the 16th century, where, along with sunflower oil, they became a widespread cooking ingredient. Leaves of the sunflower can be used as cattle feed, while the stems contain a fibre which may be used in paper production.

SunFlower Dwarf

Pacino is a dwarf ornamental Sunflower growing to a height of only 36". They say it is very  easy to grow, but I had a tuff time with it this past summer. 'Pacino' grows quickly, producing big, bold yellow flowers measuring 4" to 5" across in late summer. 'Pacino' is a good choice for beds or containers.



Torenia

Torenia is a genus of plants in the snapdragon family, Scrophulariaceae or also classified in Linderniaceae by some authors. Often called Wishbone flowers, some species are grown as garden plants. Many F1 and F2 Torenia hybrids have been hybridizied in the last 30 years. Colors can range from white with yellow throats to violet, blue, cobalt, lavender and purple.

 


Cosmos

The foliage presents itself as a cloudy mass of fresh green, crowned in the upper reaches by numerous vivid mauve or magenta flower heads, which dance and sway gracefully in response to the wind, even the tightest breeze. The overall appearance of Cosmos is that of a medium-size shrub that is soft, flexible, feathery and fernlike, due to the abundant, graceful, airy, delicate foliage and the equally delicate, fluttering blossoms.

Climbers

Money Plant

Money plant is a common name for a few different plant species, including:

• Epipremnum aureum - a tropical vining plant from the Solomon Islands
• Lunaria annua - a herbaceous biennial, grown for its attractive spring flowering and dried silver seed pod middles
• Crassula ovata - a small plant with fleshy leaves, also known as a jade plant or a friendship tree
• Pilea peperomioides - a small plant with very round, dark green leafs, also known as Chinese Money Plant, Lefse Plant, or Missionary Plant and is from the south of China
• Pachira aquatica - Seven leaf tree. It is also known as Malabar chestnut, Guiana chestnut, provision tree, or saba nut.Often sold with trunks braided.

Passiflora

Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, the namesakes of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. For information about the fruit of the passiflora plant, see passionfruit. The monotypic genus Hollrungia seems to be inseparable from Passiflora, but further study is needed.

 

Passion Fruit
Passion fruit is round to oval, either yellow or dark purple at maturity, with a soft to firm, juicy interior filled with numerous seeds. The fruit is both eaten and juiced; passion fruit juice is often added to other fruit juices to enhance the aroma. The two types of passion fruit have clearly differing exterior appearances. The bright yellow variety of passion fruit, which is also known as the Golden Passion Fruit, can grow up to the size of a grapefruit, has a smooth, glossy, light and airy rind, and has been used as a rootstock for the Purple Passion Fruit in Australia. The dark purple passion fruit is smaller than a lemon, though it is less acidic than the yellow passion fruit, and has a richer aroma and flavour. It tastes like lemons, guava and pineapple combined.

Peperomia Hanging

Peperomia (radiator plant) is one of the 2 large genera of the Piperaceae family, with more than 1000 recorded species. Most of them are compact, small perennial epiphytes growing on rotten wood. More than 1500 species have been recorded, occurring in all tropical and subtropical regions of the world, though concentrated to Central America and northern South America. A limited number of species (around 17) are found in Africa.

Blue Pea

Clitoria ternatea, common names including butterfly-pea, blue-pea, and cordofan-pea, is a plant species belonging to the Fabaceae family.

Dipladenia
Mandevilla is a genus of plants belonging to the family Apocynaceae, the Dogbane family. It consists of about 100 species, mostly tropical and subtropical flowering vines.

Mandevilla is native to Central and South America and many Mandevillas come originally from the Serra dos Órgãos forests in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The genus was named after Henry Mandeville (1773-1861), a British diplomat and gardener.

Mandevillas develop spectacular flowers in warm climates. The flowers come in a variety of colours, including white, pink, yellow, and red. As climbers, Mandevillas can be trained against a wall or trellis to provide a leafy green and often flowering picture of beauty. They have a tendency to attract insects like mealybugs and scales.

Episcia Hanging

Episcia is a genus of about 8 species belonging to the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae. The species are found in the tropical regions of Central America and South America (frequently cultivated elsewhere and sometimes naturalizing in tropical regions). The species are perennial herbaceous plants characterized by a stoloniferous habit, red (rarely orange, pink, blue or yellow) flowers, and frequently have marked or patterned leaves. They are grown in the tropics, and in temperate regions as houseplants, primarily for their attractive foliage. Numerous cultivars have been produced, primarily by selection and hybridization of the species E. cupreata and E. reptans.

Rangon Creeper

The Rangoon Creeper is a ligneous vine that can reach from 2.5 meters to up to 8 meters. The leaves are elliptical with an acuminate tip and a rounded base. They grow from 7 to 15 centimeters and their arrangement is opposite. The flowers are fragrant and tubular and their color varies from white to pink to red. The 30 to 35 mm long fruit is ellipsoidal and has five prominent wings. The fruit tastes like almonds when mature. The niyog-niyogan is usually dispersed by water.
Rangoon Creeper is found in thickets or secondary forests of the Philippines, India and Malaysia. It has since been cultivated and naturalized in tropical areas.

Stephanotis

Stephanotis, is a genus of flowering plants. The name derives from the Greek 'stephanos' crown and 'otis' ear which refers to the arrangement of the stamens in the flower which (supposedly) are ear shaped. Genus of 5-15 species of evergreen, woody-stemmed climbers from tropical woodland in Africa. They are grown for their strongly perfumed, waxy, tubular, usually white flowers. Leaves are opposite, ovate to elliptic, and leathery. Stephanotis is a beautiful but difficult plant - it hates sudden changes in temperature, needs constant cool conditions in winter and is attractive to scale and mealy bug. The stems of Stephanotis can reach 10 ft or more, but is usually sold twined around a wire hoop. The heavily-scented waxy flowers appear in summer.

The best known species is Stephanotis floribunda (Madagascar jasmine), which is cultivated as a tropical or hothouse ornamental, and whose flowers are a popular element in wedding bouquets. The Stephanotis has grown in popularity over the past few years along with some of the other spring flowering vines. It is known by a few different names such as the “Madagascar jasmine” and the “bridal veil”.

Fruit Plants

Guava

Guavas are plants in the Myrtle family (Myrtaceae) genus Psidium (meaning "pomegranate" in Latin) which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Guavas are now cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, subtropical regions of North America, and Australia.





  Ladies Finger

Lady finger, or ladyfinger may refer to plants:

• Okra
• Polygonum persicaria - more commonly called "lady's thumb"
• Mammillaria elongata - a species of cactus in the genus Mammillaria
• Lady Finger Banana, A variety of banana also known as Sucrier, Sugar Banana, or Date Banana.

Lemon

The lemon is a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit's juice, pulp and peel, especially the zest, are used as foods. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade.







 
Limau Purut 

The kaffir lime is also known as combava, kieffer lime, limau purut, jeruk purut or makrut lime, Kabuyao (Cabuyao). It is a lime native to Indochinese and Malesian ecoregions in India, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and adjacent countries. It is used in Southeast Asian cuisine.







Lime

Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in colour, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavours of foods and beverages. Limes are grown all year round and are usually smaller and less sour than lemons.






Mango

The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to the Indian subcontinent from where it spread all over the world. It is one of the most cultivated fruits of the tropical world. While other Mangifera species are also grown on a more localized basis, Mangifera indica – the 'common mango' or 'Indian mango' – is the only mango tree commonly cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions, and its fruit is distributed essentially worldwide. It is recognized and honoured by the Government of India as the National Fruit of India. It is also the National Fruit of Philippines and Pakistan.




Mexico Chilli

Chili pepper (also chile pepper or chilli pepper, from Nahuatl chilli) is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.
Chili peppers originated in the Americas. After the Columbian Exchange, many cultivars of chili pepper spread across the world, used in both food and medicine.

Bau Long Long

Sub-canopy tree up to 28 m tall and 32 cm dbh. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate, compound, leaflets penni-veined, tertiary venation conspicuously reticulate, glabrous to hairy below, usually petioles of leaflets conspicuously swollen. Flowers ca. 6 mm diameter, yellow-cream, placed in racemes. Fruits ca. 25 mm diameter, yellow-cream, berries. Seeds with white aril.





Brinjal White
 

The eggplant, brinjal eggplant, aubergine, melongene, brinjal or guinea squash is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus Solanum. It bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used in cooking. As a nightshade, it is closely related to the tomato and potato. It is domesticated in India from Solanum incanum.

It is a delicate perennial often cultivated as an annual. It grows 40 to 150 cm (16 to 57 in) tall, with large coarsely lobed leaves that are 10 to 20 cm (4–8 in) long and 5 to 10 cm (2–4 in) broad. Semiwild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (7 ft) with large leaves over 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (6 in) broad. The stem is often spiny. The flowers are white to purple, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. The fruit is fleshy, has a meaty texture, and is less than 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter on wild plants, but much larger in cultivated forms.





Brinjal 

Brinjal is a rather small plant growing up to 1.5 m high. Brinjal is classified as a herb because of its non-woody stem. The simple leaves are oblong to oval, slightly lobed, and have an undersurface that is a paler green than the upper surface. Both leaves and stem are covered with fine hairs. The flowers sprout singly or in small clusters from the leaf axils. Individual flowers are star-shaped, light purple in colour and have short stalks. There are 5 stamens attached to the corolla tube and a single superior ovary. Its root system is fibrous. The fruits are berries with many seeds. Fruits are either long or round and vary in colour according to the variety: white, orange, green, purple or black. It is a perennial with fruits growing all year round.



Capsicum

Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years. In modern times, it is cultivated worldwide, and has become a key element in many regional cuisines. In addition to use as spices and food vegetables, capsicum has also found use in medicines.

The fruit of Capsicum plants have a variety of names depending on place and type. The piquant (spicy) variety are commonly called chili peppers, or simply "chilies". The large mild form is called red pepper, green pepper or bell pepper in North America, sweet pepper in Britain, and typically just "capsicum" in Australia, New Zealand, and India. The fruit is called paprika in some other countries (although paprika can also refer to the powdered spice made from various capsicum fruit).

Chiko

Manilkara zapota, commonly known as the sapodilla, is a long-lived, evergreen tree native to southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. An example natural occurrence is in coastal Yucatán in the Petenes mangroves ecoregion, where it is a subdominant plant species. It was introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonization. It is grown in huge quantities in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mexico.

 



Chilli

Chili pepper, the spicy fruit of plants in the genus Capsicum; sometimes spelled chilli in the UK and chile in the Southwestern US, including with reference to the derived products.










Pomelo 

The pomelo is a crisp citrus fruit native to South and Southeast Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) flesh and very thick albedo (rind pith). It is the largest citrus fruit, 15–25 centimetres (5.9–9.8 in) in diameter, and usually weighing 1–2 kilograms (2.2–4.4 lb).

Shrubs

Galphimia

Galphimia is a genus in the Malpighiaceae, a family of about 75 genera of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales; the name is an anagram of Malpighia. Galphimia comprises 26 species of large herbs, shrubs, and treelets.








 
Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known as hibiscus, sorrel, and flor de Jamaica, or less widely known as rosemallow.



 


Jasmine

Jasminum commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World. Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers.

Loropetalum

Loropetalum is a genus of 3 species of shrub in the witch-hazel family, Hamamelidaceae, native to China, Japan, and south-eastern Asia.

The name Loropetalum refers to the shape of the flowers and comes from the Greek loron meaning strap and petalon meaning petal. Flowers are produced in clusters during spring and are similar to those of the closely related witch-hazel. Each flower consists of four to six (depending on species) slender strap shaped petals 1-2 cm long.

Murraya

The genus Murraya comprises 12 species in the family Rutaceae, including the Curry Tree. This genus, along with genera Clausena and Glycosmis within the same family, are a major source of carbazole alkaloids. Parts of these trees are used in folk medicine and the leaves of M. koenigii are and ingredient in curry. The genus has important horticultural uses in landscaping, as well.






Pomegranate

The pomegranate Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall. Native to the area of modern day Iran and Iraq, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as well as the Himalayas in Northern India.

Today, it is widely cultivated throughout Turkey, Iran, Syria, Spain, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, China, Burma, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Philippines, the drier parts of southeast Asia, the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe, and tropical Africa. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is also cultivated in parts of California and Arizona for juice production.




Bird Plant

A Mexican herb (Heterotoma lobelioides) having yellow-and-purple flowers that suggest the form of a bird —called also bird flower, canarybird flower.












Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina (Chubut Province). Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus. The first European to describe these plants was Philibert Commerçon, a French botanist accompanying French Navy admiral and explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation, and first published for him by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789. It is possible that the first European to observe these plants was Jeanne Baré, Commerçon's lover and assistant whom he sneaked on board (despite regulations) disguised as a man (and who thus became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe).

They are thorny, woody vines growing anywhere from 1 to 12 meters tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season. The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4–13 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colours associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow. Bougainvillea glabra is sometimes referred to as "paper flower" because the bracts are thin and papery. The fruit is a narrow five-lobed achene.




Champaca

Champaca is a large evergreen tree, native to the Indomalaya ecozone (consisting of South Asia, Southeast Asia and some parts of China). It is best known for its strongly fragrant yellow or white flowers. It is, however, primarily cultivated for its timber, and is also used in urban landscaping. Its aril-covered seeds are highly attractive to birds.



Cactus

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, within the order Caryophyllales. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek (kaktos), a name originally used for a spiny plant whose identity is not certain. Cacti are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north—except for Rhipsalis baccifera, which also grows in Africa and Sri Lanka.

Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments, even being found in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth. Cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. Cactus spines are produced from specialized structures called areoles, a kind of highly reduced branch. Areoles are an identifying feature of cacti. As well as spines, areoles give rise to flowers, which are usually tubular and multi-petaled.

Cuphea

Cuphea is a genus containing about 260 species of annual and perennial flowering plants native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species range from low-growing herbs to semi-woody shrubs up to 2 m tall. Commonly they are known as cupheas, or, in the case of some species, as cigar plants. The generic name is derived from the Greek word κυφος (kyphos), meaning "bent," "curved," or "humped."

Botanist Shirley A. Graham, currently of the Missouri Botanical Garden, has published widely on the genus. Among Graham's Cuphea contributions are two volumes in the series Systematic Botany Monographs.

 

 
Ribena - Roselle

Roselle, belongs to the family of Hibiscus. Its scientific name is Hibiscus sabdariffa. Many people call this plant "Ribena", but actually Ribena is a name of a blackcurrant drink. Roselle, tt is an annual or perennial herb or woody-based subshrub, growing to 2–2.5 m (7–8 ft) tall.

The leaves are deeply three- to five-lobed, 8–15 cm long, arranged alternately on the stems. The flowers are 8–10 cm in diameter, white to pale yellow with a dark red spot at the base of each petal, and have a stout fleshy calyx at the base, 1–2 cm wide, enlarging to 3–3.5 cm, fleshy and bright red as the fruit matures. It takes about six months to mature.





Thuja

Thuja is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are five species in the genus, two native to North America and three native to eastern Asia. The genus is monophyletic and sister to Thujopsis.

They are commonly known as arborvitaes (from Latin for tree of life) or thujas; several species are widely known as cedar but because they are not true cedars (Cedrus) it has been recommended to call them redcedars or whitecedars.






Allamanda

Allamanda, also known as Yellow Bell, Golden Trumpet or Buttercup Flower, is a genus of tropical shrubs or vines belonging to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). The genus Alamanda is native to South and Central America. Their year-round production of large, bright flowers have made the Allamanda popular ornamentals.

A woody, evergreen shrub with vigorous growth, Allamanda may reach a free-standing height of 2 metres or more. The leathery leaves are lancelike, pointed, and may either be opposite or in whorls of three or four. The yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers are 5-7.5 centimetres in diameter; cultivated forms tend towards larger blooms which may also be white, purple, pink or orange in colour. Their scent may be described as delicate and fruity.

Herbs

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a species of succulent plant that probably originated in northern Africa. The species does not have any naturally occurring populations, although closely related aloes do occur in northern Africa. The species is frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine since the beginning of the first century AD. Extracts from A.

Vera are widely used in the cosmetics and alternative medicine industries, being marketed as variously having rejuvenating, healing or soothing properties. There is, however, little scientific evidence of the effectiveness or safety of A. vera extracts for either cosmetic or medicinal purposes, and what positive evidence is available is frequently contradicted by other studies. Medical uses of aloe vera are being investigated as well.




Cat Whiskers
Fast growing, perennial bush, 1-2 metres tall, indigenous to south east Asia and Australia’s tropical North Queensland. Multi-branched stems have opposite, ovate leaves to 5cm with fine toothed margins. Terminal flower stems carry whorls of white, two-lipped flowers and protruding purple stamens, which give the flower its characteristic cat’s whiskers appearance. It is a favourite flower of my daughter, Angela. There is a variety with lavender flowers, that also makes an eye-catching display in the garden.

 


Chocolate Mint

Chocolate mint leaves have a delightful minty chocolate flavor, much like the classic Girl Scout cookie. Stems tend to run rampantly over—and under—soil. In small garden spaces, it’s best to tuck chocolate mint into a pot to curtail its wandering ways. Chocolate mint thrives alongside water gardens or in damp spots in the yard. Lushest growth occurs in moist soil in partial shade. Crush fresh leaves into water for a refreshing beverage, or add to tea or coffee. You can also dry leaves for flavoring desserts, like ice cream, meringues, quick breads, or cakes. Pick leaves frequently. Plants open lavender blooms in late summer.





Coriander
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also known as cilantro, Chinese parsley or dhania, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to regions spanning from southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5–6 mm)






 
Curly Leaves Mint

Curly Mint (M. spicata variety crispii) - This plant is valued more for its intricately curled, fringed leaves than for its fragrance. The foliage is dark green and lightly splotched with a contrasting lighter green. They can grow up to 2 feet high and are invasive. Chefs like Curly Mint for garnishes, but prefer the pleasant flavor of Spearmint and Peppermint.

 




Curry Leaf

Curry leaf has many herbal medicinal properties and its a most prominently used herb in south indian cooking. Using curry leaves with food strengthens the functions of stomach and promotes its action. It is good for indigestion problem. It also helps to control Diarrhea, and upset stomach problems.  It also helps prevent premature hair greying.

 




 
Dill

Dill (Anethum graveolens), depending on where it is grown, is either a perennial or annual herb. It is the sole species of the genus Anethum, though classified by some botanists in a related genus as Peucedanum graveolens (L.) C.B.Clarke.

 





Indian Borage

Plectranthus amboinicus is a tender fleshy perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae with an oregano-like flavor and odor, native to Southern and Eastern Africa, from South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal) and Swaziland to Angola and Mozambique and north to Kenya and Tanzania. It is widely cultivated and naturalised elsewhere in the Old and New World Tropics.






Laksa Leaf

Persicaria odorata, the Vietnamese coriander, is an herb whose leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking. Other English names for the herb include Vietnamese mint, Vietnamese cilantro, Cambodian mint and hot mint. The Vietnamese name is rau răm, while in Malaysia and Singapore it is called daun kesom or daun laksa (laksa leaf). In Thailand, it is called phak phai and the Hmong word for it is Luam Laws. In Laos, it is called phak phaew.





Lemon Balm

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, is considered a calming herb. It was used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion (including gas and bloating, as well as colic). Even before the Middle Ages, lemon balm was steeped in wine to lift the spirits, help heal wounds, and treat venomous insect bites and stings. Today, lemon balm is often combined with other calming, soothing herbs, such as valerian, chamomile, and hops, to help promote relaxation. It is also used in creams to treat cold sores (oral herpes)





Lemon Basil

Lemon basil, Thai lemon basil or Lao basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) is a hybrid between basil (Ocimum basilicum) and African basil (Ocimum americanum).

The herb is grown primarily in northeastern Africa and southern Asia for its strong fragrant lemon scent, and is used in cooking.

Lemon basil stems can grow to 20-40 cm tall. It has white flowers in late summer to early fall. The leaves are similar to basil leaves, but tend to be narrower. Seeds form on the plant after flowering and dry on the plant.





Man Tian Xing (Pavetta)

Pavetta is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. It comprises about 350 species of trees, evergreen shrubs and sub-shrubs. It is found in woodlands, grasslands and thickets in sub-tropical and tropical Africa and Asia. The plants are cultivated for their simple but variable leaves, usually opposite but also occur in triple whorls. The leaves are often membranous with small black glands. Pavetta has small, white, tubular flowers, sometimes salviform or funnel-shaped with 4 spreading petal lobes. The flowers are carried on terminal corymbs or cymes.






 
Oregano

Oregano, scientifically named Origanum vulgare by Carolus Linnaeus, is a common species of Origanum, a genus of the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is native to warm-temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.

Oregano is a perennial herb, growing from 20–80 cm tall, with opposite leaves 1–4 cm long. Oregano will grow in a pH range between 6.0 (mildly acid) and 9.0 (strongly alkaline) with a preferred range between 6.0 and 8.0. The flowers are purple, 3–4 mm long, produced in erect spikes. It is sometimes called wild marjoram, and its close relative O. majorana is known as sweet marjoram.

 


Pandan Leaf

Pandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the Pandanus (screwpine) genus, which is known commonly as pandan leaves and is used widely in Southeast Asian cooking as a flavoring. The plant is rare in the wild, but is widely cultivated. It is an upright, green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long, narrow, bladelike leaves and woody aerial roots. The plant is sterile, flowers only very rarely, and is propagated by cuttings.

 


Pereskia

Pereskia is a genus of about 25 tropical species and varieties of cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and thin stems. They originate from the region between Brazil and Mexico. The genus is named after Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a 16th century French botanist, which also has been given its own subfamily Pereskioideae. Members of this genus are usually referred to as lemon vines, rose cacti or leaf cacti, though the latter also refers to the genus Epiphyllum.

Species of Pereskia generally resemble other types of plants, such as roses. Pereskia species have large, bright green, privet-like leaves and long spiny stems. Not always succulent plants, they can be classified as shrubs, climbing plants or slightly succulent trees. However, close examination shows spines developing from areoles, and the distinctive floral cup of the cactus family. Unlike Pereskiopsis, Maihuenia, Quiabentia and Austrocylindropuntia which have persistent succulent leaves, Pereskia is the only cactus genus that has persistent non-succulent leaves. It is believed that the ancestor of all cacti resembled Pereskia. 

Parsley

Parsley (Petroselinum hortense) is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region (southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia), naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.

 





Peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita, also known as M. balsamea Willd is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world. It is found wild occasionally with its parent species.

 

Purple Basil

Purple basil is a cultivar of Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) with dark purple leaves. It is distinguished from other purple basil varieties by smaller, darker leaves. It has the darkest leaves of any purple basil variety. The plant averages a height of 20 inches (51 cm) and is grown in sunny or partially sunny environments. 

Ruta Graveolens

The Common Rue (Ruta graveolens), also known as Herb-of-Grace, is a species of rue grown as a herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula, southeastern Europe. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, especially because of its bluish leaves, and also sometimes for its tolerance of hot and dry soil conditions. It also is cultivated as a medicinal herb, as a condiment, and to a lesser extent as an insect repellent.

 



Saba Snake Grass

Sabah snake grass is a very cooling herb that is highly concentrated in antioxidants. It is good for kidney related problems. Though many people have claimed it as a wonder cure for cancer, my personal experience is that it is still more useful for treatment of kidneys and renal problems. The reason for cancer patients experiencing "healing" could be because of the high antioxidants but overdosing could have adverse effects as the body could be overcooled. I personally use an aloe herbal remedy for cancer which I find effective and have personally seen many cancer patients helped and cured.






Sage

Sage is an astringent, antiseptic, tonic herb, with a camphor-like aroma.Sage relaxes spasms, suppresses perspiration and lactation, improves liver function and digestion and has anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant and estrogenic effects.

It contains phenolic acids, flavonoids, diterpenoids, triterpenes and an essential oil which contains a-thujone, camphor, 1,8-ceneole and other monoterpenes. 





Spearmint

Spearmint in its general characteristics resembles peppermint, but it is rather more vigorous in its growth, the lance-shaped leaves are generally stem less, and the flower spikes are narrow and pointed rather than thick and blunt.






 

Sweet Basil

Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum (pronounced /ˈbæzɪl/ or, in the US, /ˈbeːzɪl/), of the family Lamiaceae (mints), sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries.

Basil, originally from India, is a half-hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in the Northeast Asian cuisine of Taiwan and the Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.

 

Tarragon
Tarragon, dragon's-wort,[citation needed] French tarragon, Russian tarragon, silky wormwood, or wild tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae related to wormwood. Corresponding to its species name, a common term for the plant is "dragon herb". It is native to a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere from easternmost Europe across central and eastern Asia to India, western North America, and south to northern Mexico.

Thai Basil

Thai basil, or Asian basil (húng quế in Vietnamese) is a type of sweet basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide distinctive traits. Its flavor is more stable under high or extended cooking temperatures than that of sweet basil. Thai basil exhibits small, narrow leaves and purple stems, with a mauve (pink-purple) flower. One cultivar commonly grown in the United States is 'Queen of Siam'.

 



Thulasi

Ocimum tenuiflorum, Holy Basil (also tulsi, tulasī), is an aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae which is native throughout the Old World tropics and widespread as a cultivated plant and an escaped weed. It is an erect, much branched subshrub, 30–60 cm tall with hairy stems and simple, opposite, green leaves that are strongly scented. Leaves have petioles, and are ovate, up to 5 cm long, usually slightly toothed. The flowers are purplish in elongate racemes in close whorls. The two main morphotypes cultivated in India and Nepal are green-leaved (Sri or Lakshmi tulsi) and purple-leaved (Krishna tulsi).

Tulsi is cultivated for religious and medicinal purposes, and for its essential oil. It is widely known across South Asia as a medicinal plant and an herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda, and has an important role within the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving tulsi plants or leaves.







 
Thymes

Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus. Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring, and thereafter grows as a perennial. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or by dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well. The plants can take deep freezes and are found growing wild on mountain highlands. Along the Riviera it is found from sea level and up to 800m.