Ornamental Plant Identification Natural Resources Core Ms. Doran
Plant Identification Vocabulary Common name: local name given to a particular species Examples: lion, hibiscus, human Scientific name: name used by scientists that consists of a genus name and a species name; belongs to only one species Examples: Panthera leo, Hibiscus brackenridgei, Homo sapiens
Aloe Aloe vera Prefers full sun to partial shade. Excellent drought and salt tolerances. Requires good drainage. Does well when containerized or as a mass planting. Forms own colonies.
Anthurium Anthurium andraeanum Partial shade. Moderate drought and poor salt tolerance. Easily grown in containers or used for ground cover or as a border.
Avocado Persea americana Full sun or partial shade. Moderate salt and drought tolerances. Prefers well drained soils. Can be used as a shade tree. Bears edible fruit.
Bamboo Palm Rhapis excelsa Excellent low light tolerance, but can be grown in direct sun. Moderate salt and drought tolerance. Can be used as screen planting. Excellent as a potted plant for interior use.
Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae Best flowering in full sun but best color in partial shade. Prefers slightly acidic soil with organic matter. Fair salt tolerance. Excellent group or mass planting.
Great Bougainvillea Bougainvillea spectabilis Full sun. Prefers hot, dry areas for best blooming. Fairly drought tolerant. Colorful planting for hillside areas and containerized plantings.
Croton Codiaeum variegatum Full sun for best color. Low tolerance for shade or salt. Needs good drainage. Effective accent planting. Pruning may be required.
Crownflower Calotropis gigantea Full sun for best flowering. Needs good drainage. Good tolerance for salt and wind. Used in traditional medicine and as mosquito control. Poisonous.
Dracaena; Money Tree Dracaena marginata Full sun with little shade tolerance. Moderate tolerance for salt; good tolerance for wind and drought. Excellent when containerized for indoor use.
Red Ginger Alpinia purpurata Full sun to partial shade in rich moist soil. Poor tolerance for salt, drought, or wind. Needs ample moisture and good drainage. Used in traditional medicine.
Hala AKA pandanus Pandanus tectorius Full sun to partial shade. Good tolerance for drought, wind, and salt. Both fruit and flower are very fragrant. Leaves used for lauhala.
‘Ilima Sida fallax Full sun. Moderate tolerance for wind; good tolerance for salt and drought. Needs well-drained soil. Can be used as ground cover or pruned into a shrub.
Ixora; Jungle Geranium; Flame of the Woods Ixora coccinea Full sun to partial shade, especially to encourage flowering. Fair tolerance for salt. Needs non-alkaline soils. Colorful border planting or hedge.
Jade plant Crassula ovata Full sun to partial shade. Develops red tinge on leaves in high sunlight. Good tolerance for drought, salt, and wind. Can be containerized for indoor or outdoor use.
Kukui, Candlenut Tree Aleurites moluccanus Full sun to partial shade. Moderate tolerance for sun. Good option to provide shade. Has a wide variety of traditional and medicinal purposes.
Laua’e Microsorum scolopendria Full sun ok but does better in partial shade. Good tolerance for wind and salt. Excellent ground cover when grown in shade. Smells like maile.
Mango Mangifera indica Best in full sun. Moderate tolerance to drought and salt. Flowers prone to wind damage. Can be used as a hedge, screen, or shade tree. Fruit is edible (AND DELICIOUS).
Mock Orange Murraya paniculata Full sun but can tolerate some shade. Tolerates varied soil types. Fair tolerance for wind and salt. Popular hedge plant.
Monkey Pod Samanea saman Full sun. Fair tolerance to drought; moderate tolerance to salt and wind. Good as shade tree for large areas like parks. Fine grained wood used often in ukuleles and furniture
Norfolk Island Pine Araucaria heterophylla Full sun. Shade needed when young. Fair tolerance of salt in air; excellent tolerance to wind. Can be used as windscreen. Can be grown indoors in a container.
Octopus Tree, Umbrella Tree Schefflera actinophylla May be grown in full sun or deep shade. Needs good drainage. Moderate tolerance to salt and drought. Can be containerized for indoor growing.
Papaya Carica papaya Full sun for best fruiting. Poor tolerance to drought; moderate tolerance to salt. Can be used as a border or accent plant. Edible fruit.
Paperbark Tree Melaleuca quinquenervia Full sun or partial shade. Some tolerance to salt. Tolerates a wide variety of soil. Excellent for areas unsuitable for other trees.
Plumeria Plumeria rubra Full sun for best flowering. High tolerance to drought; good tolerance to wind and salt. Tolerates a variety of soils. Can be grown indoors in containers.
Poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima Full shade to partial sun. Full sun can cause leaves to drop and delay flowering. No tolerance to salt; good tolerance to drought. Prefers well-draining soils. Can be grown indoors.
Shower Tree Cassia fistula
Snowbush Breynia disticha Best in full sun to develop varied foliage color. No tolerance for salt. Popular hedge plant.
Tahitian Gardenia, Tiare Gardenia taitensis
Ti Leaf Cordyline fruticosa Full sun to partial shade. Fair tolerance to salt; poor tolerance to wind and drought. Best in rich soil with adequate moisture and some wind protection.
Wedelia Wedelia trilobata Needs full sun for best flowering. Does well in shade. Low tolerance to drought. Commonly grown as ground cover. Excellent on slopes.