Richard Lyons Nursery, Inc.

Rare & Unusual Tropical Trees & Plants, Flowering, Fruit, Native, Palm, Bamboo, Heliconia, Hummingbird, Butterfly

Brownea ariza a Crowd-Pleaser

You might say that Brownea ariza comes from a good family. That family is the Fabaceae, or legumes, whose edible representatives include beans and peas. Browneas, though, are known for their beauty, and B. ariza is a standout in that group. Native to northern South America, this small tree first catches one’s eye with its unusual habit of foliation: New leaves…
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June 10, 2017 0
Richard Lyons Nursery no longer sells citrus trees.

Citrus Greening Update

As has been stated in this space periodically over the past several years, Richard Lyons’ Nursery has ceased selling citrus. That’s because of the continuing incidence of citrus greening (or Huanglongbing), a disease that so far has no cure. A news story published May 31 in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune focuses attention on the subject in a…
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June 2, 2017 0

Podranea ricasoliana (Pink Trumpet Vine)

One of the hardiest of vines introduced to the United States is Podranea ricasoliana, the Pink Trumpet Vine. During the fall, winter and spring it bears fragrant pale pink, bell-shaped flowers highlighted by red stripes. The glossy foliage is also attractive. The plant is one of the Bignoniaceae family, which also includes the Jacaranda Tree. The vine…
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May 28, 2017 0

We highly recommend a lizard for your house

Well, not exactly, but we needed to get your attention. What we’re really talking about is the Lizard Vine, Tetrastigma voinierianum. This vigorous species, native to Laos and North Vietnam, is a liana, that is, a woody vine. The plant is in the grape family (Vitaceae); indeed, its leaves are grapelike in shape, but are…
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May 20, 2017 0

Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora)

Jaboticaba is the Brazilian term for four very similar species of Myrciaria that produce one of the more interesting-looking tropical fruit trees in the southern half of Florida. The name of the best- known of those species, M. cauliflora, suggests why: It is cauliflorous, meaning that its flowers and fruits are borne directly on the…
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May 13, 2017 0