D. deremensis – D. d. ‘Souvenir de Schrijver – D. d. ‘Warneckei’ – From tropical Eastern Asia, this hardy shrub grows to 15′ feet tall and 6′ feet wide. It produces terminal rosettes of dark green leaves, 27″ long and 2″ wide, are accompanied by sprays of dark red flowers

Indoors. Grow in soil based potting mix in full light with shade from hot sun and moderate humidity. Green leaves plants tolerate slightly lower light levels. From spring to autumn, water freely, applying a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly, water sparingly in winter.

zones 9-11

F. benjamina – Weeping Fig – Weeping Chinese Banyon – This popular houseplant from Tropical Asia grows 50-100′ feet tall and 50′ feet wide in the wild. It is a rounded canopy evergreen tree or large shrub, sometimes a strangler, with lower slender, arching to pendent stems that carry oval, thinly leathery, glossy leaves, dark green above, lighter beneath, 2-5″ long, each tapering to slender, twisted point. They produce spherical to oblong figs, ½” long, held in pairs, mature from green through pink or orange-red to black

Indoors grow in soil based potting mix, with added fine bark chips, in full or filtered light. During growth water moderately and apply a high nitrogen fertilizer every 4 weeks. Keep moist in winter.

Zones 10-11

There are 700-900 mostly evergreen shrubs, trees, climbers (some epiphytic when juvenile), in the Araliaceae family, in this genus. They are found naturally occurring in warm temperate and tropical areas of Southeastern Asia to the Pacific Islands, and Central and South America. They are grown mainly for their spiraled, long stalked, usually rounded, fully divided leaves, each with 3-30 stalked leaflets. Juvenile leaves are sometimes different to than the mature leaves. In summer, autumn, winter, mature trees bear compound umbels, panicles, racemes, or spikes of usually tiny flowers with 4 or 5 yellow green to greenish red petals. The flowers are followed by mostly spherical or egg shaped, black or purple fruits. Grow as a house plant.

Indoors, grow in soil based potting mix in bright filtered or indirect light. During the growing season, water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly, keep just moist in winter.

Prone to scale insects, thrips, mealybugs, and the larvae of some Lepidopteran species including Batrachedra arenosella.

S. elegantissima – Aralia elegantissima – Dizygotheca elegantissima – False Aralia – This erect, sparsely branched, large shrub or small tree grows to 25-50′ feet tall and 6-10′ feet wide in the wild, usually to 6′ feet tall indoors, its form New Caledonia It produces leaves, 3-16″ long, composed of 7-11 linear, deeply saww toothed leaflets 6-9″ long, when young, they are glossy, dark green above, dark brown green beneath,, with white midribs, adult plants have broader, stiffer, less glossy leaflets. In autumn and winter, bears yellowish green flowers in terminal umbels, to 12″ long, followed     By spherical black fruit.

Zones 14-15

There are 8 or more species of evergreen rhizomatous perennials from woodlands in the Himalayas, China, and Japan.  They produce long lasting leathery, glossy basal leaves that are elliptic to lance shaped pointed narrows at the base.  It bears solitary 6 to 8 lobed purple or gray white flowers with purple markings borne in spring and summer.  The rhizomes are pollinated by snails or slugs, and are hidden by the foliage.  They are cultivated for their tolerance of deep shade and fluctuating temperatures and neglect.  They’re commonly grown as a tough and indestructible houseplant and as a ground cover in mild climates.

When grown indoors plant in soil based potting mix in bright filtered light.  During growing season water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly.

When grown outdoors place in moist, but well drained fertile, sandy loam with added leaf mold in a sheltered site in full or partial shade.  Divide in spring.

Prone to anthracnose, fungal leaf spots, and nonparasitic conditions (algal leaf spot and slime molds).  Mealy bugs, scale insects, spider mites, and vine weevil larvae.

Aspidistra elatior ‘Variegata’ – Cast-iron Plant ‘Variegata’ – This rhizomatous perennial from China grows to 24” tall and in breadth is commonly used as a houseplant.  From the rhizomes it produces ovate to lance shaped, glossy dark green leaves with creamy white stripes or wider cream bands along the edges and down the leaf stalks, pointed at the tips, and are to 28” long, held on 6” leaf stalks.  It bears broadly bell shaped 8 lobed cream to dark purple flowers ¾-1 ¼” wide, with a maroon inside are borne singly in early summer.

Zones 7-11

There are 8 or more species of evergreen rhizomatous perennials from woodlands in the Himalayas, China, and Japan.  They produce long lasting leathery, glossy basal leaves that are elliptic to lance shaped pointed narrows at the base.  It bears solitary 6 to 8 lobed purple or gray white flowers with purple markings borne in spring and summer.  The rhizomes are pollinated by snails or slugs, and are hidden by the foliage.  They are cultivated for their tolerance of deep shade and fluctuating temperatures and neglect.  They’re commonly grown as a tough and indestructible houseplant and as a ground cover in mild climates.

When grown indoors plant in soil based potting mix in bright filtered light.  During growing season water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly.

When grown outdoors place in moist, but well drained fertile, sandy loam with added leaf mold in a sheltered site in full or partial shade.  Divide in spring.

Prone to anthracnose, fungal leaf spots, and nonparasitic conditions (algal leaf spot and slime molds).  Mealy bugs, scale insects, spider mites, and vine weevil larvae.

Aspidistra elatior ‘Milky Way’ – Cast-iron Plant ‘Milky Way’ – This rhizomatous perennial from China grows to 24” tall and in breadth is commonly used as a houseplant.  From the rhizomes it produces ovate to lance shaped, glossy dark green leaves speckled with white, pointed at the tips, and are 12-20” long, held on 6” leaf stalks.  It bears broadly bell shaped 8 lobed cream to dark purple flowers ¾-1 ¼” wide, with a maroon inside are borne singly in early summer.

Zones 7-11

There are 8 or more species of evergreen rhizomatous perennials from woodlands in the Himalayas, China, and Japan.  They produce long lasting leathery, glossy basal leaves that are elliptic to lance shaped pointed narrows at the base.  It bears solitary 6 to 8 lobed purple or gray white flowers with purple markings borne in spring and summer.  The rhizomes are pollinated by snails or slugs, and are hidden by the foliage.  They are cultivated for their tolerance of deep shade and fluctuating temperatures and neglect.  They’re commonly grown as a tough and indestructible houseplant and as a ground cover in mild climates.

When grown indoors plant in soil based potting mix in bright filtered light.  During growing season water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly.

When grown outdoors place in moist, but well drained fertile, sandy loam with added leaf mold in a sheltered site in full or partial shade.  Divide in spring.

Prone to anthracnose, fungal leaf spots, and nonparasitic conditions (algal leaf spot and slime molds).  Mealy bugs, scale insects, spider mites, and vine weevil larvae.

Aspidistra elatior – Cast-iron Plant – This rhizomatous perennial from China grows to 24” tall and in breadth is commonly used as a houseplant.  From the rhizomes it produces ovate to lance shaped, glossy dark green leaves, pointed at the tips, and are12-20” long, held on 6” leaf stalks.  It bears broadly bell shaped 8 lobed cream to dark purple flowers ¾-1 ¼” wide, with a maroon inside are borne singly in early summer.

Zones 7-11

There are 8 or more species of evergreen rhizomatous perennials from woodlands in the Himalayas, China, and Japan.  They produce long lasting leathery, glossy basal leaves that are elliptic to lance shaped pointed narrows at the base.  It bears solitary 6 to 8 lobed purple or gray white flowers with purple markings borne in spring and summer.  The rhizomes are pollinated by snails or slugs, and are hidden by the foliage.  They are cultivated for their tolerance of deep shade and fluctuating temperatures and neglect.  They’re commonly grown as a tough and indestructible houseplant and as a ground cover in mild climates.

When grown indoors plant in soil based potting mix in bright filtered light.  During growing season water moderately and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly.

When grown outdoors place in moist, but well drained fertile, sandy loam with added leaf mold in a sheltered site in full or partial shade.  Divide in spring.

Prone to anthracnose, fungal leaf spots, and nonparasitic conditions (algal leaf spot and slime molds).  Mealy bugs, scale insects, spider mites, and vine weevil larvae.

Aspidistra lurida ‘Irish Mist’ – This rhizomatous perennial grows to 6-8” tall and in breadth.  It produces lance-shaped, dark green, leaves 6-8” long.   The leaves develop yellow markings when mature.  In early summer it bears solitary bell shaped, 8 lobed, deep purple-red flowers ¾-1 ¼” wide above the rhizomes.

Zones 13-15

There are about 15 species of evergreen shrubs, small trees, and evergreen perennials, in this genus. They occur from Malaysia and the larger Islands in the Eastern Pacific, found in open forest, thickets, and scrub. They produce attractive, alternate, leathery, linear to broadly ovate, simple or shallowly to deeply lobed, often variegated leaves. Tiny, star shaped yellow flowers are produced in axillary racemes intermittently throughout summer. Where not hardy grow in a warm or temperate greenhouse or as a house plant. In tropical or subtropical climates, grow in a shrub border or a courtyard garden, or as an informal hedge or screen. Contact with foliage may aggravate skin allergies.

Indoors, grow in soil based potting mix in full light, with shade from hot sum and high humidity. In growth, mist regularly, water freely, and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks, water sparingly with tepid water in winter. Drafts and fluctuating temperatures cause leaf drop. Top dress or pot on in spring.

Prone to spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, caterpillars, stem galls, root rot, fungal leaf spots, and bacterial leaf spots.

C. variegatum var. pictum ‘Tortile’ – Garden Croton – This upright, woody based perennial grows 3-8′ feet tall and 2-5′ feet wide. It produces thick, ovate to linear, leathery leaves, to 6-12″ long, ribbon like, spirally twisted, dark green leaves. In summer it bears white flowers, 1/4″ across.

Zones 11-15