African oil palm is a tall palm (up to 20 m tall), widely cultivated for oil production. The oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit and the kernel (seed). It is native to west and southwest Africa, but it's naturalized in many parts of the world.

Cardboard palm (Zamia furfuracea) is a tropical shrub that is not a true palm, but a cycad. Cardboard palm is an ancient plant that lived during the age of the dinosaur. It is often planted as a houseplant and needs moderate to bright light. The entire plant is poisonous, but the seeds are deadly and should be kept away from pets.

A perennial herbaceous shrub native to the Amazonian region, guinea henweed is deeply rooted with small greenish flowers. Its root has a strong, pungent, garlic-like smell that taints the milk and meat of animals who graze on it. Hence, it is used as a bat and insect repellant.

The giant fishtail palm is a monocarpic flowering plant. This plant flowers only once after ten years, and then it dies. Its seed and trunk flesh is toxic to the touch and should be handled with caution. Because this palm can reach 20 meters or more in height, it is considered a tree.

Giant taro is native to Southeast Asian rainforests. It was first cultivated in the Philippines. Its massive leaves resemble elephant ears. If cooked for a long time, these leaves are edible; however, the sap from the plant might hurt the skin. This plant is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

Egyptian grass is native to Africa and can function to anchor loose soil or sand. Because it always shows up on barren land and grows quickly, it is considered an invasive species in the United States and some other regions.

Cape leadwort is a flowering plant native to South Africa. Its Latin name, Plumbago auriculata, is derived from the word auriculata meaning "with ears," referring to the shape of its leaves. The leaves serve as food for the caterpillar of the Hummingbird hawk-moth. The plant's sticky sepals, on the other hand, can grab animals as small as a housefly.

Apple mint is widely known for the fruity fragrance and taste of its leaves. Some use them to add flavoring to teas, salads or garnish. It grows in moist soils and though it is also adaptable it won't prosper in dry ones. It is commonly grown as ground cover which helps stop the growth of weeds.

Devil's trumpet (Datura metel) is a highly toxic annual species. Devil's trumpet ingestion can cause headaches, hallucinations, coma, and death. In spite of its toxicity, it is sometimes grown as an ornamental flower.

Jerusalem artichoke is a North American native sunflower with large amber flower heads, broad leaves, and sturdy branches. Its tubers are a highly nutritious vegetable food crop that tastes sweet and nutty. The plant's Latin name, Helianthus tuberosus, stems from helios, the Greek word for sun, and anthos, meaning flower.

Amazon Lily (Eucharis amazonica) is a perennial native to Peru which has also been naturalized in Venezuela, Mexico, and many tropical islands. It grows as much as 75 cm in height, with large waxy leaves and fragrant flowers. The name amazon Lily is often also used for the Eucharis genus in general, which can cause some confusion.

Kris plant (Alocasia sanderiana) is a vigorous tropical perennial with prominently lobed leaves that have broad, silvery-white veins and red-green undersides. This indigenous Mindanao plant grows primarily on moist hillsides at low elevated deep forest areas. It's frequently grown for ornamental purposes.

For a lush lawn in high traffic areas, japanese lawngrass, or Zoysia japonica is a solid choice. Also used for sports fields, golf courses, and commercial lawns, this grass is thick and lush. It is typically planted as sod, although some varieties will grow well from seed. Japanese lawngrass needs to be mowed short and its soil needs to dry out between watering so that it can develop a more drought resistant root system.

Sea daffodil (Pancratium maritimum) is a bulbous perennial species native to the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean region, and the area surrounding the Black Sea. The sea daffodil grows on beaches and coastal sand dunes. This species is often cultivated as an ornamental plant and requires full sunlight and well-drained soil to grow well.

Large-flowered tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora) is a flowering plant that blooms from late spring to early fall. The Latin name Coreopsis grandiflora means "bug view" and "large flower." The common name refers to the small black seeds produced by the plant.

Lily magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora) is a small tree native to China. Today, this ornamental shrub has spread around the world and can be found planted throughout East Asia, the United States, and Europe. The lily magnolia received extra attention in the 1950s during the development of new magnolia trees led by the American National Arboretum. Many hybrid magnolia strains were developed and received common girls' names such as Betty, Jane, Judy, etc.

Jewels of Opar (Talinum paniculatum) is a succulent shrub species native to North and South America, as well as the Caribbean islands. After its introduction, though, it became culturally important in some East Asian regions. The jewels of Opar grows and spreads quickly because any part of its root can sprout into a full plant once it's in the soil.

Native to the Mediterranean, the italian arum is cultivated as an ornamental plant and has been naturalized in a variety of places, including the Caucasus region, Argentina, and the United States. The berries and leaves are considered to be poisonous and should avoid ingesting.

Tamarind is a monotypic perennial tree grown for its timber and edible fruits. Tamarind trees yield brown seed fruits with a sweet, acidic pulp used in various varieties of cuisines around the world. The pulp is also used as a metal polish.

The sessile Joyweed (Alternanthera sessilis) is an aquatic plant that spreads vigorously from a prominent, very deep taproot. It is listed as a noxious weed in the United States and can devastate small ponds with its aggressive foliage growth. The sessile Joyweed is so dense, it can, in fact, block drainage canals with vegetation and clog irrigation lines!