Indoor Plants

Clusters of widely flaring soft orange blooms are borne throughout the year and are held above and among the rich deep green glossy foliage on an upright to spreading herbaceous tropical. Crossandras are excellent for mixed containers and in the garden for bright color in shaded areas where they often flower until frost. If kept from freezing temperatures they can easily reach 3-4' high or can easily be pruned to keep them in bounds. Item# 9820

Selected at the esteemed Biltmore Estate, Ashville, NC, the summerlong display of 2" wide dangling Chinese lantern-like flowers are a soft yellow-orange heavily overlaid with a strongly contrasting deep red veining. Biltmore Ball Gown Abutilon or Flowering Maple is an exceptionally hardy and reliable upright growing, naturally evergreen shrubby tropical that has proven to be evergreen in mild zone 8 winters but where it is not reliably hardy it makes an easy container plant that can be overwintered indoors near a sunny window. Abutilons are also known as Parlor Maples as this was a reliably flowering indoor plant and a conversation piece. The flowers attract hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a fertile, average moist soil. Item# 13087

The large, soft pumpkin orange, trumpet shaped, fragrant flowers are highlighted by a contrasting starry, lemony yellow throat and are held in clusters atop thick, sturdy stems well above the bluish green strap-like foliage. Blossfeld's Amaryllis is a rare but quickly multiplying hardy, bulbous perennial suitable for the garden or as an easy and rewarding container plant. Item# 11586

The Buddha's Belly Bush or Gout Plant produces long lasting clusters of bright reddish orange flowers that open a few at a time on sturdy stems held well above the large tri-lobed, rounded tropical foliage. The base of the plant develops into a swollen caudex providing the Buddha's belly. These are easily grown and rewarding plants that flower throughout the warmer months and will often flower sporadically through winter on established plants. Its drought tolerance lends it to a well-drained soil and is an excellent choice for the porch, patio, or even indoors. Item # 339.

Each petal of the Butterfly Amaryllis is heavily veined in burgundy and has large splotches of burgundy toward the center of the largest petals. The flowers have a narrow display and are born in small clusters atop sturdy stems in late winter and early spring. A rare and endangered species of tropical Amaryllis that makes an easy container plant. One 2-1/2 to 3" diameter flowering size bulb per container. Item# 10495.

This perennial, succulent, tropical bulb from Africa is very unique. The bulb grows on top of the soil and sends up a long twining vine with small, dark green leaves and small, star-shaped white blooms in summer. It is easy to grow in well-drained soil and good light. Item # 846.

This perennial, succulent, tropical bulb from Africa is very unique. The bulb grows on top of the soil and sends up a long twining vine with small, dark green leaves and small, star-shaped white blooms in summer. It is easy to grow in well-drained soil and good light. item # 9015

1" purple flowers are born in the leaf axils over an extended period from late spring to fall. Creeping Snake Herb develops into a nice gray-green groundcover to about 8" high. A heat and sun loving perennial that has moderate drought resistance once well-established. Provide good drainage. Item# 10581.

The deep green 4-angled succulent stems are tipped with deep green fuzzy palmate grape or cucumber-like foliage that soon becomes deciduous. The Cucumber Cactus, Cissus quadrangularis, is an easy to succulent herbaceous vining to trailing plant whose stems can potentially grow to 5-15' long if a support is provided but is easily kept as a smaller hanging basket or container plant. In spring it may produce clusters of small green to yellowish flowers that may be followed by grape-like clusters of red to black berries. This unusual succulent is drought resistant and is quite adaptable to growing conditions from full sun to light shade as well as very acidic to very alkaline soils, although, it does require good to excellent drainage and should never be soggy wet. The Cucumber Cactus has been used medicinally,as food, and as fiber in its native tropical Asia and Africa. If stems happen to break off they will readily root. Item# 12438

Long pointed buds open to wonderfully fragrant large starry white flowers to 2" across that are borne in small clusters from spring to fall on this evergreen twining climber or arching shrub. A choice selection of the ever popular Sambac Jasmine. 'Elongata' is a selection of 'Belle of India' that has larger flowers more starry flowers and appears to be a much more free flowering selection of Sambac Jasmine. Item# 9822.

Large, deep to medium green, tropical-looking, palmately lobed foliage adorns this reliable evergreen shrub. Fatsia makes an excellent choice for shaded locations and slowly develops into a fairly large shrub with time. Makes a wonderful specimen, informal hedge, or container plant for indoors or out. Item# 10311.

Considered by many to have some of the largest flowers among the Brunfelsia's, this Lady of the Night produces clusters of wavy edged, creamy white flowers that are borne on long tubes. The fragrance is released late in the day and into early morning and is sweet, heady, and intense and the flowers are borne throughout the warmer months of the year. Large thick glossy green foliage adorns this upright to arching tropical shrub. Easy indoors or out. Item# 10053

A rare and unusual succulent, the Lifesaver Cactus produces burgundy and tan star-shaped flowers that look as though a grape lifesaver has been stuck perfectly in their center. This is a low growing to trailing succulent with softly toothed 4-angled thick succulent stems that root into the soil anywhere they are in contact with it making it an easy plant to share. The Lifesaver Cactus makes for an easy and forgiving container plant for a porch, patio, or window and prefers a well-draining cactus-like soil. Grow it in an area that receives high indirect sunlight as it normally grows in the shade of larger desert plants in its native Africa. Allow the soil to become moderately dry between waterings and never keep the soil soggy wet. Item# 489

One of the most cold hardy and easy to grow bromeliads! The Matchstick Plant produces dense spikes of purple tipped, pink "matchsticks" beginning in mid-winter on sturdy upright to arching spikes that emerge from the center of the medium green glossy rosettes of nearly spineless foliage. This easily enjoyed bromeliad readily produces pups or offsets and is typically grown in soil but can also be grown as a semi-epiphyte on a board as well. 3 plants per pot. Item# 10888.

Clusters of widely flaring orange flowers are produced throughout the growing season and are held above the glossy dark green foliage on a compact well-branched plant. Mona Wallhead Crossandra or Firecracker Flower is a naturally evergreen, compact growing, herbaceous tropical plant with spring to fall flower power and revels in the heat and humidity of summer. Crossandras can be used to good effect in mixed containers or as specimen plants or add them to shaded gardens and landscapes. They can even be grown as houseplants but do enjoy some humidity. Provide a moist to average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and maximum flower power. These are easy and rewarding plants that are well-suited to use on shaded porches or patios and are small enough to be used as outdoor table centerpieces. The flowers of Crossandras attract butterflies. Item# 12478

A rare find! Clusters of widely flaring soft red blooms are produced throughout the year and are held above and among the rich green foliage on an upright to spreading herbaceous tropical. Add Nile Queen Crossandra to mixed containers for color on the porch or patio throughout the warm months of the year. Item# 9197

Large rounded clusters of 2" orange-yellow tubular flowers sit like golden crowns atop the large rich green tropical foliage of this rare beautiful tropical. Easy and rewarding, the Orange Flame Justicia, a.k.a Golden Crown Jacobinia or Justicia chysostephana, flowers throughout the year, when kept under warm tropical conditions, but will likely be late spring until fall as a die-back perennial, creating a small herbaceous plant to about 2' high and wide. Excellent for hummingbirds and a potential caterpillar host for the Malachite and White Peacock Butterflies! *Gardeners in both zone 8B and 9 have reported good hardiness with this species when planted out, a breathable, but insulative, preferably organic, mulch over and around the crown in winter will also help to improve the chances of this species returning from a well-stablished crown in spring. Planting the Orange Crown Justicia out fairly early in the growing season, once all danger of freeze and frost have passed, and soil temperatures have begun to warm, will also help to increase its reliability. See our Growing On the Edge Growing Guide for additional details. Item# 10102

The fleshy deep green to reddish green 1/2" diameter, 4-5 angled, branched stems are adorned with small spikey thorns that produces 3-5" wide pale yellow to near white starry flowers that are overlaid with intricate burgundy and dark burgundy variegation reminiscent of a Persian carpet. It can flower any time of year and multiple times per year once fully mature and under good conditions. Like Stapeliads, this plant is pollinated by flies and has a rotten carrion like odor to attract them but you may have to put your nose in the flower to notice it as it does not seem to permeate the air. The Persian Carpet Flower, Edithcolea grandis newly reclassified as Ceropegia sordida, is an evergreen herbaceous succulent from tropical Africa that can build to 4-8"H x 12"W and is typically found growing in partially shaded to occassionally full sun conditions in dry desert-like regions. Its main requirements are soils with excellent drainage and warm temperatures, preferably not below about 60^oF. The Persian Carpet Flower should make an easy summer porch or patio plant or even as a hanging basket where it receives at least some direct sunlight during the day to promote flowering. It can tolerate slightly more moisture when in active growth but should still be allowed to become moderately dry between waterings. Reduce watering in winter, especially if grown under cool conditions. These are well-established young plants that are already branching. Item# 12457

An exceptionally cold hardy and easy to grow bromeliad! The Queen's Tears Bromeliad produces large arching stems covered in big showy pink bracts the last bracts on the stems open to reveal hanging clusters of green flowers with delicately recurving petals edged in deep bluish purple, contrasting bright yellow stamens along with matching pink calyxes. The tropical, nectar rich flowers are produced in mid winter. The blue gray rosettes of foliage provide excellent contrast for the brightly colored flower spikes. Queen's Tears readily multiplies by rhizomes creating a dense mass of foliage and can be grown in a well draining soil or as a semi-epiphyte on a board. Item# 11117