Rare & Unusual Plants & Seeds

Trees

• Raising rare trees requires a certain amount of space, and a great deal of patience. Trees can be cultivated domestically by planting them in the ground in climates that are compatible with their needs, or by raising them as houseplants in other climates. The Wollemi Pine is one of the oldest tree species in the world, and one of the most endangered. A native of Australia, the Wollemi Pine is now the focus of a conservation effort that is distributing Wollemi seedlings around the world to be grown by individuals, thus ensuring its survival.

Cacti

• Cacti are a form of succulent that grow in desert environments. Succulents feature thick leaves with meaty interiors that can store moisture, allowing them to survive in very arid surroundings. Succulents cannot survive in freezing environments, because the moisture in their leaves freezes and destroys the cell structure. Rare cacti include the Ariocarpus genus, native to northern Mexico, which has become endangered in the wild due to habitat destruction and excessive commercial collecting, and the Turbinicarpus genus, also native to northern Mexico. Seeds of many endangered cacti are available for sale online, and their domestic propagation may help to save them from extinction.

Flowers

• Flowering plants exist in the hundreds of thousands around the world. Many species are still being discovered in remote regions of tropical rain forest. Nepenthes tenax is a carnivorous flowering pitcher plant that is native to Australia. It features a large bloom shaped like a pitcher that holds a viscous liquid. It attracts insects inside of the pitcher who then become mired, die, and are digested by the plant.