This is a list of some of the plants growing in my backyard.		Bill Baar, Sarasota, FL
	SCIENTIFIC NAME	COMMON NAME	COMMENTS
	Acasia farnesiana	sweet acasia	Florida native
	Acer rubrum	red maple	Florida native
	Adenium obesum	desert rose	Three varieties; white flowers, red/white, and red
	Adiantum pedatum	common maidenhair fern
	Adiantum peruvianum	silver dollar fern	A maidenhair fern with large leaves
	Aechmea bracteata?	bromeliad	Large plant with sharp teeth; bloom has red bracks, black berries
	Aechmea fasciata	bromeliad sp.	Brilliant pink flowers, white waves in leaves
	Aechmea gamosepala	match stick bromeliad	Nice foliage; blue tipped flowers on pink stems, then berries
	Agave americana	century plant	Have two of several forms; most agaves are monocarpic
	Agave lophanta 'Quadricolor'		Multi-colored leaves; greens, yellows, some pink
	Albuca bracreata	pregnant onion	AKA Ornithogalum longibracteatum
	Allamanda schottii	bush allamanda	Yellow flowers
	Alocasia macrorrhiza	elephant ear	Large plant
	Alocasia micholitziana 'Fydek'	elephant ear	Fuzzy green leaves with white veins
	Alocasia plumbaea		Dark purple, shiny leaves
	Aloe barbadensis	aloe vera
	Aloe juvenna	tiger tooth aloe	Small clumping aloe
	Aloe saponaria		Both referred to as aloe vera ?
	Alpina zerumbet 'Variegata'	variegated ginger	Large ornamental leaves
	Anthurium salviniae		Have three species. Need help naming
	Aristolochia grandiflora	dutchman's pipe vine	Unusual, large, purple and yellow flowers
	Arthraxon hipidus	jointhead arthraxon	Starts coming back with summer rains; rapidly spreding gound cover
	Asclepias curassavica	scarlet milkweed	Florida naturalized
	Asclepias tuberosa	butterfly weed	Florida native; type of milkweed
	Averrhoa carambola	star fruit, carambola tree	Star shaped yellow friut
	Bambusa chungii	blue bamboo	Clumping bamboo; has white "bloom" on newer culms
	Bambusa lako	timor black bamboo	Shiny black culms
	Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr'		Thin green and yellow striped culms
	Bambusa oldhamii	giant timber	Large, common bamboo
	Bambusa textilis	weavers's bamboo	Upright, thin-walled bamboo
	Bambusa textilis var. gracilis		Slightly smaller than textilis
	Bambusa ventricosa	Buddha's belly	When kept potted has swollen nodes; used for bonsai
	Bambusa vulgaris 'Vitatta'	golden Hawaiian, painted	Yellow with green stripes
	Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin'	dwarf Buddha's belly	Swollen, short nodes. Some call this Buddha's belly
	Billbergia pyramidalis	bromeliad	Common, robust plant with bright red with touch of blue blooms
	Bougainvillea sp.		Various colored bracts. Currently have four colors
	Breynia disticha	snow bush	Bush with small multi-colored leaves
	Brugmansia (candida ?)	angel's trumpet	Large, fragrant (smells like suntan lotion) flowers; yellow/orange
	Caladium sp.	caladium	Showy leaves growing from bulbs
	Calathea spp.		Ornamental leaves
	Callicarpa americana	American beautyberry	Florida native; purple/lavender berries
	Canna flaccida	yellow canna	Florida native
	Capsicum spp.	peppers	Many cultivars
	Caralluma spp.		Similar to huernia
	Carissa macrocarpia	natal plum	Edible fruit. Used as hedge, bonsai
	Carnegia gigantea	saguaro	Slow gowing cactus
	Caryota sp.	fishtail palm	Forms a clump with multiple trunks
	Catharanthus roseus	periwnkle, vinca	Tough plant, blooms almost constantly (see Vinca)
	Cereus peruvianus (hildmannianus………..	..repandus?)	Columnar, night blooming cactus; large white flowers
	Cereus spp.	night blooming cereus	Need help with naming different species
	Chlorophytum comosum	spider plant	Common hanging basket plant
	Cissus quadrangularis	veldt grape	An unusual vine; said to have medicinal qualities
	Citrus x meyeri 'Improved'	Meyer lemon	Lemon thought to be crossed with mandarin or common lemon
	Cleistocactus winteri (many synonyms)	golden rat tail cactus	Long stems covered with golden spines; red flowers
	Clerodendrum thomsoniae	bleeding heart	Flowers white with red "heart"
	Clerodendrum walichii	bridal's veil	Tall shrub with shiny leaves and white flowers
	Clerodendrum x speciosum	red bleeding heart	Faster growing than C. thompsoniae
	Coccoloba uvifera	seagrape	Florida native; edible berries
	Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic'	elephant ear	Dark purpleleaves
	Colocasia 'Pink China'	elephant ear	Stems are pinkish
	Colocasia 'Pucker Up'	elephant ear	Has dark chocolate/purple leaves
	Colocasia spp.	elephant ear
	Cordyline terminalis	Hawaiian ti	Dark red leaves; tropical look
	Coreopsis leavenworthii	tick seed	Florida native. Some other species very similar
	Crassula lycopodioides (syn. muscosa)	watch chain plant	Common name is good description
	Crassula ovata (syn. argentea)	jade	Good indoors or out
	Crassula ovata 'gollum'	finger jade	Good indoors or out
	Crinum americanum	string lily	Florida native; white fragrant flowers
	Crinum asiadicum		White fragrant flowers
	Crinum asiadicum var. procerum		Red flowers
	Crinum hybid Stars & Stripes	crinum lily	Flowers have white petals whith red stripes down the middle
	Cryptanthus 'Elaine'	bromeliad	Colorful red/pink leaves with silver/white striations
	Cryptanthus spp.	bromeliads	Typically smaller bromeliads with a wide variety of leaves
	Crytomium falcatum	Japanise holly fern
	Dendrocalamus brandesii		Clumping bamboo
	Dendrocalamus membranacea
	Dendrocalamus strictus		Has solid core
	Dieffenbachia sp.	dieffenbachia	Common house plant
	Dietes vegeta	African iris	White flowers with purple center
	Dionaea muscipula	Venus flytrap	Carnivorous
	Dioscorea elephantipes	turtle back	A type of caudiciform
	Diospyros digyna	black sapote	AKA chocolate pudding tree
	Dracaena fragrans	corn plant	Large leaves, thick trunk
	Dracaena marginata	dragon tree	Usually seen potted; gets larger in ground
	Duranta erecta	golden dewdrop	Bush with pale blue flowers, light orange/gold berries
	Dyschoriste oblongifolia	blue twinflower	Florida native
	Ebinopsis ebano	Texas ebony	Have seedlings; they become 25' to 30' trees
	Echeveria pulvinata	E. frosty	Tiny white hairs
	Echinocactus grusonii	golden barrel	Cactus that does OK in Florida climate
	Epiphyllum guatemalense var. monstrosa		Curly shaped night blooming cactus; white flowers, pink pod
	Epiphyllum oxypetalum	Dutchman's pipe cactus	Epiphytic, night blooming cactus with long-stemmed flower
	Ervatamia coranaria	crape jasmine	Fragrant flowers
	Erythrina herbacea	coral or cherokee bean	Florida native; attractive red flowers
	Eucharis amazonica (syn. grandiflora)	eucharist or Amazon liliy	White flowers; hosta-like leaves
	Eugenia brasiliensis, syn. E. dombeyi	grumichama	AKA Brazil cherry or tree grape
	Euphorbia aeruginosa	miniature saguro	Prickly; has caudex roots, tiny yellow flowers
	Euphorbia ingens ?	candelabra tree	As with most euphorbias, sap may irritate skin
	Euphorbia lactea 'cristata'	elkhorn or brain cactus
	Euphorbia lactea 'white ghost'	white ghost	White speckled with green and pink; candalabra shape
	Euphorbia milii	crown of thorns	Currently have four varieties
	Euphorbia stenoclada	silver thicket	Aka Madagascar spiny thicket
	Euphorbia tirucalli	pencil plant/tree	Bushy tree; can be used as house plant; sap can be poisonous
	Euphorbia trigona 'red' or 'rubra'	red african milk tree
	Ficas benjamina	ficas	Common as house plant
	Ficus aurea	strangler fig
	Ficus elastica	rubber plant
	Ficus lyrata	fiddle-leaf fig	Common as house plant; can grow into a large tree
	Ficus pumila	creeping ficas	Morphs into plant with larger leaves when established
	Ficus pumila, variegated		Same but with green and white leaves
	Gardenia sp.	gardenia	White, fragrant flowers
	Gasteria sp.	cow tongue, ox tongue	Succulent with thick leaves
	Geranium spp.
	Gigantochloa atroviolacia	tropical black bamboo	Clumping
	Gigantochloa pseudoaurundinacea	maxima bamboo	Large culms with cream colored stripes
	Gloriosa rothschildiana	gloriosa lily	Smooth tan bulbs that look a little like legs
	Gmelina philipensis	parrot's beak	Grows fast and has thorns; yellow linked flowers hang down
	Graptopetalum sp.		Hen's nest type plant; deep red flowers
	Habranthus robustus	rain lily	Pale lavender, nearly white flowers; seeds heavily
	Habranthus tubispathus v. roseus	rain lily	Pale yellow flower with reddish center
	Haworthia attenuata ?		White dots on leaves
	Haworthia cooperi (per Succ. Society)		The ends of the thick leaves are clear
	Haworthia limifolia		Narrow ridges on leaves
	Hedera spp.	ivy	Have a few species
	Hibiscus spp.		Have a few of over 200 species
	Hippeastrum spp.	amaryllis	Have a few varieties including orange, red, red/white flowers
	Hoya carnosa 'variegated'	hoya	One of several hoya species that exist
	Hoya kerrii 'Variegata'	heart-leafed hoya	Vining plant with waxy flowers
	Huernia sp.		Small stem succulent with small bell shaped purple flowers
	Huernia zebrina var. magniflora		Unusual and attractive flowers
	Hylocereus spp.	dragon fruit	Night blooming cactus with edible fruit
	Hylocereus undatus ?	night blooming cereus	Climbing; three ribs
	Justica brandegeana	shrimp plant	They spread given proper light
	Kalanchoe beharensis	elephant's ear kalanchoe	Leaves have velvety hairs
	Kalanchoe blossfeldiana		Compact clusters of bright flowers
	Kalanchoe synsepala	walking kalanchoe	Toothed leaves; formes tiny new plants on long stems
	Kalanchoe thyrsiflora	paddle plant, desert cabbage	Leaves change color with conditions (cold, draught, sun)
	Kalanchoe tomentosa	panda plant	Narrower leaves than beharensis, with brown edges
	Koelreuteria paniculata	golden rain tree	Ornamental tree
	Lagerstroemia indica	crepe myrtle	Large bush to small tree; used for bonsai
	Leonotis leonurus	lion's tail	Bush with orange flowers
	Lobelia cardinalis	cardinal flower	Florida native; attractive red flowers
	Machairophyllum latifolium		Low growing succulent; slight broadening at end of leaves
	Magnolia sp.	magnolia	Mine appears to be related to M. grandiflora
	Mangifera indica 'Nam Doc Mai'	Nam Doc Mai mango	This is a monoembryonic mango
	Melocactus bahiensis ?	Turk's cap	There are several very similar species of this plant
	Mimosa strigillosa	sunshine mimosa	Florida native; used as ground cover
	Moringa oleifera?	moringa tree	Fast growing, brittle; used as food and supplement
	Morus nigra 'Tice'	black mulberry	Provides edible fruit
	Muhlenbergia capillaris	muhly grass	Florida native
	Musa sp.	finger banana	Several small, tasty bananas per bunch
	Mussaenda lutea, luteola?	mussaenda	Light yellow bracts
	Myrica cerifera	wax myrtle	Florida native
	Nephrolepis biserrata	macho fern	Florida native; AKA giant sword fern
	Nephrolepis exaltata	sword fern, boston fern	Florida native
	Odontonema strictum	firespike	Florida naturalized, not to be confused with firebush (native)
	Opuntia humisfusa	prickly pear	Florida native; there are a few very similar species
	Opuntia pilifera? erinacea?		Older pads have several long white spines
	Ornithogalum longibracteatum	pregnant onion plant	AKA O. cluadatum
	Pedilanthus tithymaloides 'variegatus'	devil's backbone	Type of euphorbia; can be a houseplant
	Peperomia clusifolia 'jellie' ?	peperomia	Variegated leaves with pink, green,pale yellow
	Peperomia clusifolia 'Red ridge'?	peperomia	Dark green leaves with reddish edges
	Peperomia humilis		Florida native; small leaves
	Peperomia obtusifolia	peperomia	Florida native; more common
	Pereskia grandifolia	rose cactus	Shrub with long spines on trunk, rose like flowers, pear shaped fruit
	Persia borbonea	bay or red bay	Florida native
	Petria volubilis	queen's wreath	Vine; lavender flowers
	Phlebodium aureum	golden polypody	Florida native; mostly epiphytic, often growing up cabbage palm
	Phylostachys aurea	fishing pole bamboo	Running bamboo; use as potted plant only
	Phylostachys nigra	black bamboo	Running bamboo; not to be confused with b. lako, which is clumping
	Pinus elliottii	slash pine	Florida native
	Pinus palustris	longleaf pin	Florida native (P. elliottii and P. palustris known to hybridize)
	Platycerium bifurcatum	staghorn fern	One of the common species
	Platycerium vassii? veitchii?	staghorn fern	A more upright plant with thinner 'fingers'
	Plumbago auriculata	plumbago	Bush with light blue flowers
	Plumeria alba	frangipani	Easily grown from cutting; white fragrant flowers
	Polypodium (Phlebodium) aureum	golden polypody,	Florida native: has 'rabbit's foot' llike rhizomes
	Polypodium polypodiodes	resurrection fern	Florida native; usually found on old live oaks
	Portulaca grandiflora	moss rose	Brilliant red flowers
	Pseudosasa japonica	arrow bamboo	Running bamboo; used as potted plant
	Psycotria nervosa	wild coffee	Florida native; shiny dark green leaves
	Punica granatum	pomegranate 'Big Red'	Said to do well in this area
	Quercus hemispherica	laurel oak	Florida native (Q. laurififolia also called laurel oak)
	Quercus nigra	water oak	Florida native
	Quercus virginiana	live oak	Florida native
	Rhexia sp.	meadow beauty	Florida native; attractive flowers
	Rhipsalis baccifera	mistletoe cactus	Not mistletoe but has similar pale white seed pods
	Rhipsalis cereuscula		Multiple branches off branch
	Rhipsalis cruciforme 'spiralis'	corkscrew cactus	Long, twisting stems
	Rhipsalis elliptica?		Broader leaves with multiple small white flowers along edges
	Rhipsalis goebeliana?		Simliar to R. elliptica but smaller, narrower leaves
	Rhipsalis mesembryanthemoides		Small, tightly grouped elliptical leaves
	Rhipsalis micrantha		Thin triangular stems, rotating every few inches
	Rhipsalis paradoxa	chain cactus	Long pendent stems with 3-4 sides that alternate every few inches
	Rhipsalis pilocarpa ?		Half inch white flowers at branch ends, white hairs
	Rhododendron sp.	azalea	Ornamental bush
	Rudbeckia hirta	black-eyed Susan	Florida native
	Sabal palmetto	cabbage palm	Florida native
	Sansevieria cylindrica	spear sansevieria	Leaves are long solid 'spear' like
	Sansevieria trifasciata	snake plant	Keep potted; invasive
	Sarracenia spp.	pitcher plants	Many plants, grown from unnamed hybrid seeds
	Scadoxus multiflorus	blood lily	Bloom is a ball of small red flowers
	Schefflera arboricola (variegated cv.)	dwarf umbrella tree	Or dwarf schefflera; tends to spread
	Schlumbergera sp.	Christmas cactus	White with pink flowers
	Scindapsus aureus	golden pothos	An invasive vine; leaves grow much larger as vine climbs; removing
	Selenicereus anthonyanus	ric rac or zig zag cactus	AKA cryptocereus anthonyanus (old name)
	Selenicereus grandiflorus	queen of the night	Night bl. cactus with large white flowers, narrow, sprawling branches
	Serenoa repens	saw palmetto	Florida native
	Solandra maxima?	chalice flower	Large chalice shaped flowers (grandiflora, longiflora?)
	Spathyphylum sp.	peace lily	From tissue culture several years ago
	Sprekelias formosissima	Aztec lily	Large red flowers
	Stachytarpheta jamaicensis	blue porter weed	Florida naturalized
	Stapelia gigantea	carrion or starfish flower	Large pretty flowers but they stink and attract flies
	Stapelia scitula	stapelia	Purple/brown, hairy flowers about 2" diameter
	Strobilanthes dyerianus	Persian shield	Shrub with variegated leaves of green, silver, purple
	Stromanthe sanguinea		Multi-colored leaves; greens, yellows, some pink
	Syngonium sp.	arrowhead plant	Ok as house plants; invasive; trying to get out of yard
	Tabebuia impetiginosa	purple tabebuia	Medium size tree with showy flowers
	Tabernaemontana divaricata	crepe jasmine	Glossy-leafed bush with fragrant white flowers
	Tacca integrifolia	bat plant	Large unusual flowers
	Thunbergia erecta	bush clock vine	Bush with purple (white and gold centers) flowers
	Thunbergia laurifolia	blue trumpet vine	Can become invasive
	Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Variegata'	vareigated Asian jasmine	Used as ground cover and climbing vine
	Trachelospermum jasminoides	Confederate jasmine	Vine with small white fragrant flowers
	Tradescantia pallida	purple queen, purple heart	Purple ground cover
	Viburnum obovatum	Walter's viburnum	Florida native
	Vinca rosea	periwinkle, vinca	Continually blooming perennial (see Catharanthus)
	Viola floridana, sororia?	Florida violet	Florida native
	Vitis rotundiflolia	muscadine grape 'Noble'	Noble is a good fruit producing grape for the area
	Wodyetia bifurcata	foxtail palm	Large, popular palm
	Zamia floridana, syn. pumila	coontie	Florida native
	Zamia furfuracea	cardboard plant	Similar to coontie but broader leaves, larger plant; not a native
	Zephyranthes atamasco	rain lily	Florida native, though similar plants may not be
	Zephyranthes candida	rain lily	White flowers, no seeds
	Zephyranthes capricorn	rain lily	Light scarlet flowers; seeds
	Zephyranthes citrina	rain lily	Yellow flowers; seeds but won't divide
	Zephyranthes grandiflora	rain lily	Pink flowers, won't seed
	Zephyranthes 'Krakatau'	rain lily	Crimson flowers; seeds
	Zephyranthes macrosiphon	rain lily	Rose/pink flowers; seeds
	Zephyranthes nymphaea	rain lily	Pale, nearly white flowers; seeds
	Zephyranthes reginae	rain lily	Light yellow flowers; seeds
	Zephyranthes rosea	rain lily	Rose red flowers; seeds
	Zyphyranthes smallii	rain lily	Florida native; pale yellow flowers; seeds