Are you looking for a conversation plant? Something out of the ordinary? Well check out these weird and wild plants to spark a conversation with all your plant friends!
Dwarf Lobster Claw Heliconia (Heliconia Stricta). This beautiful Heliconia is a dwarf variety. It does great in the shade and produces a small orange bloom that resembles the claw of a lobster. It is a unique tropical that would be a great addition to any shady spot in your landscape.
Elephant’s Foot (Dioscorea Elephantipes) is a succulent that you don’t see every day! This South African native will form a caudex (root stock) that resembles an elephant’s foot that vigorously grows a vine of heart shaped leaves with yellow blooms. They grow best in a pot in well-drained soil and tolerate the heat like a champ!
Kapok tree (Ceiba Pentandra) is a large-growing tropical tree that develops large thorns around the trunk. They remind us of something from Jurassic Park! They can grow up to 200 feet tall in their native habitat, will still reach upwards of 30 feet here in South Texas. Large pink, yellow, or white blooms attract migrating birds.
Rainbow Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus Deglupta) is a tropical jewel native to Southeast Asia. They are fast-growing with fragrant foliage, but the most fascinating feature is their exfoliating bark. When it peels it reveals a rainbow of colors in shades of reds, greens, yellows, and greys. They are quite tropical and will need protection from freezing temps.
-Wyatt and Debbie
Maria Moseley says
Is this last one related to a madrone?
james says
No, the madrones are native to the Americas. Eucalypts are Australasian. Not related closely.
Penny Phillips says
The kapok tree bloom is puffy flowers that are used in making kapok pillows.
james says
Yes, when I was young, the “floss” was the filling in our life preservers too.