Rare and Unusual Plants
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Flowers by color:
Blue Flowers Pink Flowers Purple Flowers Orange Flowers Red Flowers Salmon Flowers Yellow Flowers White Flowers
It is our strong opinion that a garden that people remember is much more easily created when plants are used that most of the garden visitors don't recognize. That doesn't mean that all of the plants in the garden have to be rare and unusual. But the effective use of unusual plants does catch the eye and as a consequence makes a garden stick in the memory. I find it interesting how in different areas certain plants seem to be used all of the time, when they are almost never used here. Locally rare plants will have just as big an impact on most garden viewers. Even an unusual flower color on a relatively pedestrian plant can catch the eye. When we can grow almost anything, it stands to reason that we should not recreate the gardens of the local strip mall. Those strip malls are not filled with bad plants, just boring oft used ones. So plant a rare plant in your garden, make your garden unique in your neighborhood. For the most part the unusual plants are not any more difficult to grow than their more commonplace relatives, just more fun.
When we can grow almost anything, it stands to reason that we should not recreate the gardens of the local strip mall. Those strip malls are not filled with bad plants, just boring oft used ones. So plant a rare plant in your garden, make your garden unique in your neighborhood. For the most part the unusual plants are not any more difficult to grow than their more commonplace relatives, just more fun.
Rare Plants List
Abutilon megapotamicum Seashell
Achillea clavennae * Yarrow
Achillea kellereri * Yarrow
Achillea tomentosa * Wooly Yarrow
Adenophora liliifolia * Lady Bells, False Campanula
Aechmeaa recurvata var. recurvata * False Tillandsia
Aeonium arboreum atropurpureum
Agastache aurantiaca 'Apricot Sunrise' * Hyssop
Alyogyne Monterey Bay
Anigozanthos 'Royal Cheer'
Aquilegia formosa * Crimson Columbine
Arctotis acaulis 'torch purple'
Arenga engleri * Dwarf Sugar Palm, Formosa Palm
Aristolochia macroura * Dutchman's Pipe Relative
Artemisia 'Huntington' * Wormwood
Artemisia pycnocephala 'David's Choice' * Sandhill Sage
Asclepias cordifolia * Purple Milkweed
Asclepias linaria * Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa * Butterfly Weed
Asteriscus sericeus * Canary Island Daisy
Banksia blechnifolia
Banksia burdettii
Begonia echinosepala
Begonia 'Freddie'
Begonia 'Irene Nuss'
Begonia luxurians * Palm Leaf Begonia
Begonia Ramirez * Ramirez Begonia
Bletilla striata * Purple Chinese Ground Orchid
Bletilla striata alba * White Chinese Ground Orchid
Bromelia humilis
Bulbinella nutans * Cat's Tail
Calceolaria integrifolia golden nugget
Calibanus hookeri * Mexican Boulder
Calocephalus brownii * Cushion Bush
Campanula primulifolia * Spanish Bellflower
Carex buchananii * Leather Leaf Sedge
Carex flacca * Blue Sedge
Carex morrowii * Variegated Sedge
Carex testacea * Orange Sedge
Carpenteria californica elizabeth
Ceanothus hearstiorum
Chilopsis linearis * Desert Willow
Chitalpa Dawn Rose
Cosmos atrosanguineus * Chocolate cosmos
Coreopsis 'nana' * Dwarf Tickseed
Cotula lineariloba * Brass Buttons
Craspedia globosa * Billy Buttons
Cuphea llavea 'Bat Face' * Bat faced Cigar Plant
Cyrtanthus mackenii * Ifafa Lily
Deuterocohnia brevifolia
Dianella tasmanica * Flax Lily
Diascia integerrima * Spur Flower
Dicentra chrysantha * Golden Eardrops
Dicliptera suberecta * Hummingbird Bush
Dorycnium hirsutum
Dracunculus vulgaris Voodoo Lily
Dudleya caespitosa * Sea Lettuce
Dudleya candelabrum * Candleholder Liveforever, Candleholder Dudleya
Dudleya farinosa * Bluff Lettuce, Cliff Lettuce
Dudleya traskeia * Santa Barbara Island Liveforever
Encephalartos horridus * Blue Cycad
Eriogonum grande rubescens * Pink or Red Buckwheat
Erodium chrysantha
Erodium reichardii alba * White Storksbill
Erodium reichardii bishops form * Pink Storksbill
Epipactis gigantea * Giant Stream Orchid
Fuchsia thymifolia
Galvezia speciosa
Geranium 'stanhoe'
Graptopetalum amethystinum * Jewel Leaf Plant
Grevillea poorinda blondie
Helianthemum nummelarium 'Rose Glory' * Dark Pink Sunrose
Helianthemum nummelarium 'St Marys' * White Sunrose
Helianthemum nummelarium 'stoplight' * Red Sunrose
Helianthemum nummelarium 'wisley primrose' * Yellow Sunrose
Heuchera Santa Ana Cardinal
Justicia suberecta
Keckiellia cordifolia
Parahebe lyallii
Penstemon cobaea * Beard Tongue
Penstemon 'Husker's Red' * Beard Tongue
Phygelius capensis * Cape Fuchsia
Prunella laciniata * Heal All
Puya alpestris * Sapphire Tower
Puya venusta
Rhamnus californicus Eve Case
Rhodohypoxis baurii * Rose Grass
Rosa minutifolia * Baja Rose, Littleleaf Rose
Salvia gesneriiflora
Salvia Argentine Skys
Salvia iodantha
Salvia karwinskii
Salvia leucophylla point sal
Salvia microphylla Berzerkley
Salvia semiatrata
Silene maritima vulgaris * Catchfly
Sisyrinchium bellum * Blue Eyed Grass
Smilacina racemosa * False Solomon's Seal
Teucrium fruticans azureum
Thunbergia battescombei
Tibouchina heteromalla* Silver Leafed Princess Flower
Tillandsia bergeri * Air Plant
Trichostema lanatum
Venegasia carpesioides
Vriesia hieroglyphica