Species by continent / Asia
The red berries of this plant taste sweet, sour, salty, pungent (spicy) and bitter all at once. They are known as 1 of 50 fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine.
Known by the many applications of its juice in cosmetics. Also performs well on the windowsill.
Almonds grow on winterhardy trees that originate in China. Almonds are the seeds of peach-like fruits and contain a lot of calcium, vitamins and oil.
Small annual shrub from Asia that has an important role in traditional medicine practices of the Ayurveda in India. Grows well in a pot or in the garden.
A hardy shrub from the Himalayas with blue fruits. The pulp is edible and tastes like watermelon. Peel and seeds are poisonous.
The cream-colored flowers have a purple outline, and spread a banana-like smell.
A very rare species that has been discovered in 2002 on Borneo. The purplish white inflorescence is followed by pale yellow bananas.
In 2007, this pepper from north-eastern India was declared the hottest pepper in the world. A very small piece is enough to make a dish extremely spicy. Great to try out.
A recently discovered banana species from Bhutan with a pinkish white inflorescence. Hibernate at a minimum of 5 degC.
An annual climbing plant from Asia with edible fruits. The fruits are often used in the Asian cuisine. Tripe fruits are orange/yellow and have beautiful red seeds.
A sacred tree from India, where Buddha would have experienced his enlightenment. A copy on Sri Lanka is currently the oldest living plant flower in the world.
A bamboo with ornate thickening of the stem which is also very suitable to keep as a container plant.
The trunk, bark and leaves contain a substance which plays an important role in Chinese medicine. In China and Tibet, people are convinced that this plant makes them happy.
A relatively small banana species with a very particular, dark-red inflorescence. Hibernate at a minimum of 5 degC.
Green to yellow, star-shaped fruits with juicy, sweet-sour fruit flesh. Leaf reacts to light and abrupt movement, after which it can close itself. Plant can withstand light frost.
A type of banana with whitish green fruits, which can be kept outside throughout the winter when packed in isolating material and kept at a sheltered spot.
The young leaves of this hardy tree can be eaten as vegetable. The fruits, bark and roots have an important role in traditional Chinese medicine.
Chinese liquorice resembles the ordinary liquorice, but plays an important role in Chinese medicine as one of the 50 basic herbs.
The precursor of the commonly eaten banana, with sweet bananas of about 12 cm in size. Hibernate the species at a minimum of 5 degC.
A small variety of the pomegranate, and is therefore even more suitable as a container plant in temperate climates.
A small, attractive palm of Taiwan with decorative foliage and red-orange flowers which spread a sweet fragrance. Maintain a minimum of -5 degrees Celsius.
The trusses of white flowers with purple bracts hang down like earrings. The berries taste like chocolate/caramel-raisins.
The seeds have an important role in Hindu medicine, and grow in pods with velvety soft hairs. It is a tropical climbing plant that also grows well as an annual plant.
The flower trusses with beautiful purple/yellow flowers grow directly from the stem and can be up to 35 cm big.
A small vine with beautiful lemon-yellow flowers. The species originates from South Africa and can easily been taken care off.
The ginkgo is a living fossil that should have been formed over 250 million years ago. It is the oldest species of seed plants in the world.
A hardy plant form china with orange/red berries, which contain many antioxidants and vitamins. The berries can be processed in juices, or can be dried and used as raisins.
The yellow/golden flowers spread a delicious smell throughout the whole garden. The flowers are often used in the production of expensive perfumes.
The big delicious pomegranate is rich in polyphenols, vitamin C and potassium. The species is in particular cultivated around the Mediterranean Sea.
The inflorescence of this species is overwhelming, with a big yellow flower that can bloom for a whole year and spreads a delicious smell.
This variety produces sweet edible banana fruits and can withstand low temperatures when kept at a sheltered place and packed with isolating materials.
The red pigment henna has been used for thousands of years for colouring nails, hands and hair. With this plant, you could make your own henna paste!
A rare, winterhardy species from China with beautiful pink flowers that are naturally pollinated by birds.
A large bamboo from the tropical forests of India, with sharp thorns and stems that fade from black to green. Suitable as a houseplant.
Beautiful water lily with large leaves and pinky white flowers. The plant can be kept outside, as long as the water around the roots doesn’t freeze.
Hardy plant from Japan. Fruits and seeds can be used as spice and pepper. For example with Japanse dishes.
World’s largest winged seeds which can spread themselves over a long distance by floating.
In Asia, the seeds are applied as grain and are sometimes used for tea or processed into liquor. It’s an annual plant with grey, pearl-like seeds.
The seeds all exactly weigh 0.2 grams (or 1 carat). Formerly, they were widely used for weighing diamonds and gold. Container plant which can withstand light frost.
The orange-red persimmons ripen in autumn and originate from the Himalayas. The species is hardy and has been cultivated for centuries.
A rare sleep tree/silk tree with white flowers which is hardy in a sheltered, sunny spot. At night, the leaves of this species fold over and close.
Cinnamon is the dried interior bark of the cinnamon tree and is used for all kinds of dishes and teas.
The kukui or candlenut is used in the Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine. The nuts are very oily, so they can burn like a candle.
The leaves of the curry tree are used in the Indian kitchen to make curries. The leaves can best be eaten fresh, and the plant can be grown as an indoor plant.
A rare species from north-western Thailand with rather short, broad leaves and a coloured midrib. Overwintering is possible at a temperature of at least 5 degrees Celsius.
A species from the Himalayas with beautiful orange-red flower clusters. Can be overwintered at a minimum of 5 degrees Celsius.
An annual plant with very aromatic leaves that taste like a combination of mint and apple. The leaves can be used as a vegetable in a variety of Korean dishes.
A species from India with beautiful, bright red seeds which are used in Asia for all kinds of jewellery.
Cotton has been cultivated for thousands of years for the seed fluff which is used for making textile. It’s an easily kept annual plant.
A self-pollinating, compact, delicious kiwi with high yields in a temperate garden. The smooth skin of the kiwi can be eaten, directly from the plant.
The leaves and fruits contain many vitamins and minerals, and have medical applications. The seeds purify water and contain a high content of oil.
The biggest bamboo outside the tropics, which can grow up to a height of 28 meters. The bamboo is hardy and can be grown in the garden.
A climbing container plant from the mountains of Nepal, with large, white trumpet flowers. Can be kept outside at a minimum temperature of -3 degrees Celsius.
The peculiar yellowish white noni fruits are famous for the healthy juice that can be made of the fruits. It is an easy plant to grow indoors.
Overwhelmingly beautiful flower that looks like the famous giant arum in botanical gardens, but can easily be grown.
A small variety of magnolia with purple flowers. The flowers disperse a delicious smell.
The most winter hardy Persian silk tree (sometimes referred to as Persian sleep tree) with pink-white flowers and leaves that close at night.
Cultivate your own pistachio nuts, which are rich in vitamins and minerals! It is a container plant from central Asia.
Beautiful eucalyptus with a colourful trunk that originally grew in the tropical forests of the Philippines.
The cranberry red kiwis of this variety are deliciously sweet. A hardy species that is rarely seen.
The beautiful red bracts that surround the yellow flowers make this banana species a very decorative indoor plant. The small orange fruits are not edible.
A variety of the more common M. sikkimensis from Sikkim, with red striped leaves. At a sheltered spot and packed with isolating material the variety can withstand low temperatures.
A diverse, beautiful species that grows well as an annual plant. Flowers are edible and famous for the hibiscustea. In Senegal the leaves are used like spinach.
This species has a pink inflorescence and can be grown well as a container plant because of its compact growth. Hibernate at a minimum of 5 degC.
A small banana species with a beautiful pink inflorescence that is followed by sweet pink edible bananas. A nice plant to keep in a container at a minimum of 0 degC.
The seeds of this species are of great religious significance in Hinduism and Buddhism. They are often worn as a prayer chain and would provide protection by Lord Shiva.
A rare climber from south-east Asia, with purple/yellow flower trusses, and seeds that are dispersed by water.
Sesam has been cultivated for thousands of years for its delicious and oil-rich seeds. The small, annual plant can be grown in a greenhouse or in the garden during a good summer.
A very cold-hardy kiwi with sweet fruits, and leaves that seem to be dipped in paint.
The yellow-orange coloured kiwi’s gain their sweet taste after the first night of frost and grow to be hardy climbers with silver-coloured leaf tips.
Combined with good protection against frost and a sheltered spot, the snow banana can be quite hardy. It originates from the Himalayas at altitudes up to 3.000 meters and is a...
The star-shaped flowers of this magnolia are white and spread a delicious smell. This species can flower from an early age.
Grows originally in the hills of Taiwan and has a purple/red inflorescence, followed by edible bananas. Hibernate at a minimum of 5 degC.
The leaves of this species are constantly moving under the influence of light and vibration. This goes so fast that it is visible to the naked eye. Quite a wonderful plant.
Can be quite hardy in a sheltered, sunny spot, so you can grow your own tea in the garden. White, yellow, green or black tea: it’s all possible.
A species that originates in northern India and Bhutan, and has a dark-red inflorescence. Hibernate at a minimum of 0 degC.
A bamboo from the island of Timor with deep black stems that can be kept at a minimum of -4 degrees Celsius.
The fruits require two years to mature and succeed in a sheltered, sunny spot. The leaf is graceful and hand-shaped.
Blooms with plumes full of bright, orange-red flowers that are pollinated by birds. Keep the plant at a minimum of 3 degrees Celsius.
A hardy arum from the mountains of India, with special pink-white flowers.
A bizarre flower from India, that grows from a bulb and is spotted brown and yellow.
Frankincense is the resin of the rare frankincense tree that grows in the Arabian Peninsula. This species is threatened in its existence.
Blooms in spring, produces white-yellow flowers which emit a mix of fragrances. Hardy plant.
A white variety of the pinky/white water lily. The white variety grows the same, and is hardy as long as the water around the roots doesn’t freeze.
White orchid tree A plant from India with remarkable, large, white flowers and heart-shaped leaves. The plant can withstand light frost. 5 seeds
The species starts as an epiphyte and produces aerial roots that form into woody stems and thus can take the place of its previous host. Also performs well as a houseplant.
The flowers emit a lovely scent in the evening, so this species is ideal as a houseplant. The species is especially known for its oil which is extracted from the flowers.
Beautiful, hardy tree with flowers which hang down just like a handkerchief. The flowers are white and have irregular leaves.
This species has a beautiful red inflorescence and blue-greenish edible bananas. The species can survive frost at a minimum of -5 degC.
Liquorice is harvested as roots from this small, hardy shrub from western Asia. After three years, the first roots can be harvested.
Green fruits have juicy, sour pulp and are used in the Surinamese kitchen. They grow on the stem of this tropical plant.
Rare, spectacular climber plant from Eastern Asia. Black purple flowers grow in clusters of 30 cm. Plant is suitable for a subtropical or tropical climate.