Floor plants - High light plants

Attractively named the Yellow Butterfly palm because of its yellow-green feathery willowy fronds branching from its ringed, bamboo-like trunk.

Codiaeum is a genus of plants under the family Euphorbiaceae. It comprises about 16 species, found from Malesia to the Pacific. They are shrubs with leathery leaves and often confused with the genus Croton. Some species, especially Codiaeum variegatum, are cultivated as houseplants.

Sculptural succulent, often sold as 'Cowboy cactus', although it is not closely related to true cacti. The plant has sharp spines and the sap is irritating.

Amstel King is another variety of Ficus maclellandii, with a slightly different appearance than its kin. Compare to its parent Ficus species, it has glossier, longer and wider, banana-shaped leaves and grows 30% faster.

The discovery of Amstel King can be traced in a greenhouse in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. Contrary to what other people believe that it came from tissue culture, Amstel King is actually the result of the mutation process involving Ficus maclellandii. It displays an attractive red coloration in the apical growth. Its foliage can survive well if kept indoors. Growth tips are pronounced pink to red that are beautifully contrasting against its broad, glossy leaves.

In the horticulture industry, Ficus Amstel King is a desirable cultivar not only because of its unique leaves but also because of its fascinating growth and tolerance even in adverse conditions. Its leaves accumulate dust and a better alternative to the ficus dry leaves.

A versatile plant which looks attractive as a stand alone specimen or as part of a mixed display.

Ficus benjamina grows wild in the tropical forests of India, Southeast Asia and Northern Australia and derives its name from an Indian acme Ben-ja. It has a remarkable life history. Young plants often develop from seeds lodged in the branches of other trees, soon producing aerial roots which reach down to the ground. Gradually they surround the host trunk and in time fuse together to strangle the tree that gave the seedling its head start in life.

Despite being a relative newcomer in cultivation and dubbed by the American botanist, L.H. Bailey in 1943 as “A rather unimportant tree horticulturally”, Ficus benjamina has become an immensely popular indoor plant.

A large genus of trees or shrubs cultivated for their ornamental leaves, F. elastica, familiarly known as the rubber tree, is the species we are interested in above all others, although for private collections and botanic gardens several others are noble plants. F. repens (properly F. stipulata) is a small-leaved, very useful climbing plant, growing and adhering closely to the walls of greenhouses, making a very pretty appearance, and will withstand a few degrees of frost.

The Ficus Pandurata or Fiddleleaf Fig, grows best in a high to medium high light environment. The large leaves can add a striking accent to the home or office.

Weeping Podocarpus or Fern Tree Podocarpus gracilior. It calls to mind the great gymnosperm forests that dominated the earth's vegetation until the early Cretaceous period 125 million years ago.

The Podocarpus family is found primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. They naturally occur on each continent south of the equator.

The Weeping Podocarpus comes from East Africa. It is not very demanding in its nutritional requirements.

Usually used as a large, solitary specimen. This elegant palm has grey-green foliage and an attractively banded trunk. Small specimens for containers have recently become available.

An attractive single-stemmed palm that can grow up to 6m in height. The fronds, which can grow to a length of 1.5m, are feather-shaped, glossy and strongly arched. The stem is pale, smooth and prominently ringed with the scars of shed fronds. Out of doors in December, the plant can produce large clusters of bright red berries, which give it one of its common names - the Christmas palm.

One of a group of palms named after a family of famous English nurserymen, James Veitch and his son John Gould Veitch.

Veitchia merrillii is native to the Palawan islands in the Philippines. When first brought into cultivation, it was considered especially precious. Head gardeners in Victorian stately homes would only let them out of the ‘stove’ glasshouse to decorate the mansion at Christmas.

A specimen plant used for the architectural value of its leaf clusters, sprouting from upright or branched trunks of varying height.

Indoor Yuccas are produced by lopping off stem sections from mature specimens. Once rooted, “suckers” of long, leathery leaves sprout in clusters from these truncated stems. The leaves are usually deep green with rough edges although variegated types are also available. The white, bell-shaped flowers rarely appear on indoor specimens.