By Tommy Clarkson on the August 2020 Edition Snow Bush Breynia disticha ‘Roseo-picta’ Family Phyllanthaceae Also known as Red-leafed Snow Bush, Redleaf Breynia, Leaf Flower, Hawaiian Snow Bush, Snow-on-the-Mountain, Sweetpea Bush or Ice Cream Bush The genus Breynia is comprised of evergreen trees and shrubs from tropical forests and scrub areas of Asia, Australia, and the […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the August 2020 Edition Angel Wing Begonia Begonia Hybrid Family Begoniaceae Also known as Cane Begonia (If ever there were a contest to find the most lop-sided leaves on a plant, this might well be a good contender. However, this uniqueness notwithstanding, with delicate, year-round “flowers” of red, pink or white, it […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the July 2020 Edition Painted Drop Tongue Aglaonema nitidum f. curtisii Family Araceae Also known as Chinese Evergreen (About that common name . . . . .) If ever one were welcomed into the wild and wandering (or is that wondering?) world of tropical plant cultivars, this is a good place to […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the July 2020 Edition Bougainvillea Bougainvillea x buttiana Family Nyctaginaceae Also known as Paper Flower For many of us, this was the first non-potted, “tropical flower-ing plant” which – upon initially seeing it – we may have thought “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore!” For me, this happened in […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the May 2020 Edition Solenostemon scutellarioides Family Lamiaceae Also known as Painted Nettle or Variegated Coleus (Ladies and gentleman, meet the veritable poster child for wildly multi-colored, variegated tropical plant leaves!) The subtitle for Nellie Neal’s book, Gardener’s Guide to Tropical Plants, is “Cool ways to add hot, bold foliage and striking textures.” […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the May 2020 Edition Peperomia griseoargentea Family Piperaceae Also known as Radiator Plant or Ivy Leaf Pepper Or is it? I’ve always admired the array of interesting characters in the Peperomia genus what with some 1,000 of them, we’ve no few from which to choose! In fact, I wrote about the Pepperface […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the April 2020 Edition Scarlet Spiral Flag Costus woodsonii Family Zingiberaceae Also known as Indian Head Ginger, French Kiss, Red Button Ginger, Red Cane Dwarf, Panama Candle Plant, Panamanian Candle Ginger or Cone Ginger Born with the appellation of Thomas one derived from the Aramaic personal name meaning “twin” I actually […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the April 2020 Edition Family Zingiberaceae Also known as None known Few are the folks who don’t like the assorted flowers of Ginger! In Volume I of “The Civilized Jungle”, I wrote about the Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet). In Volume II, it was the Red Ginger (Alpinia puepirata), Torch Ginger (Etlingera […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the March 2020 Edition Mint Mentha Family Labiatae Also known as (Read on!) So, you wish to grow some mint? Great idea! But, what kind do you wish to enjoy? As one might expect, Spearmint and Peppermint are generally accepted as the most popular choices. According to Richard Marshall and Charles J. […]
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By Tommy Clarkson on the March 2020 Edition Aaron’s Beard Prickly Pear Opuntia leucotricha Family Cactaceae Also known as Arborescent Prickly Pear or Semaphore Cactus (From the very outset, I acknowledge that far be I from any manner of a sage of succulents or cacti fact guy. Thus, it should surprise no one that, for me, […]
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