Plants & Trees Encyclopedia

Aloe — Aloe is a genus containing about four hundred species of flowering succulent plants. The genus is native to Africa and is common in South Africa’s Cape Province and the mountains of tropical Africa, and neighbouring areas such as Madagascar, the Arabian peninsula and the islands off Africa. The APG II system (2003) placed the genus in the family …

Allspice — Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper,”Kurundu” Myrtle pepper, pimento , or newspice, is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant. The name “allspice” was coined by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of several aromatic spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Allspice is not, as is mistakenly believed by some …

Alfalfa — Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), also known as lucerne, purple medic and trefoil is a perennial flowering plant cultivated as an important forage crop. In the UK, where it is not widely grown, it is known as lucerne. Alfalfa lives from three to twelve years, depending on variety and climate. It is a cool season perennial legume, sometimes growing to …

Alder, White — Alnus rhombifolia (White Alder) is an alder native to western North America, from Washington east to western Montana and south to California, occurring at altitudes of 100–2400 m. It has not been reported from northern Baja California but has been predicted to occur there on the basis of its climatic adaptation. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree …

Alder, Black — Black Alder, European Alder or Common Alder is an alder tree native to most of Europe, including all of Britain, Fennoscandia and locally in southwest Asia. Alnus glutinosa thrives best in moist soils, and grows under favourable circumstances to a height of 20-30 m, though often less. It is characterized by its 5–10 cm short-stalked rounded leaves …

Ailanthus — Ailanthus (derived from ailanto, an Ambonese word probably meaning “tree of the gods” or “tree of heaven”) is a genus of trees belonging to the family Simaroubaceae, in the order Sapindales (formerly Rutales or Geraniales). The genus is native from east Asia south to northern Australasia. Also known as “ghetto palms” or “poverty trees”, they are ubiquitous in the …

Ageratum — Ageratum known as Whiteweed is a genus of about 60 tropical American herbs, annuals and perennials from the Sunflower family Asteraceae, tribe Eupatorieae. They form tussocks or small hills. They grow to a height of 75 cm. The opposite leaves are cordate or oval, hairy or tomentose. The margins are slightly toothed or serrate. The leaves form compact …

African Violet — Saintpaulia, commonly known as African violet, is a genus of 6 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae, native to Tanzania and adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa, with a concentration of species in the Nguru mountains of Tanzania. The genus is most closely related to Streptocarpus, with recent phylogenetic studies suggesting it …

Acanthus — Acanthus is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region and Asia. Common names include Acanthus and Bear’s breeches. The genus comprises herbaceous perennial plants, rarely subshrubs, with spiny leaves and flower spikes …

Acacia — Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1773. Acacias are also known as thorntrees or wattles, including the yellow-fever acacia and umbrella acacias. There are roughly 1300 species of Acacia worldwide, about 960 of them native to …