Guzmania sanguinea

Some bromeliads are referred to as tank plants because their tightly overlapping leaves turn the center of the plant into a little water reservoir. The biggest ones can hold up to 12 gallons of water. Insects, frogs and even crabs depend on the water collected by bromeliads to survive in dry weather.

Masdevallia glandulosa

Epiphytic orchids in this genus grow high in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Because orchids are adapted to such specific conditions, global warming can have devastating effects on their habitats.

Sagittaria montevidensis

It might look harmless, but this plant is banned in some countries because its plentiful seeds and high germination rate have allowed it to take over farms and rice fields, causing serious agricultural problems.

Clerodendrum minahassae

Clerodendrum minahassae, more commonly called the Starburst or Shooting Star Clerodendron, hails from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Guzmania conifera

Guzmania conifera is related to the pineapple. Its vibrant red and yellow flower grows on a spike that can reach more than three feet high.

Victoria amazonica

When the bloom of this plant, named for Queen Victoria, first opens, it is creamy white and very fragrant, which attracts its beetle pollinators. The bloom then turns a beautiful rosy pink, and is gone after two days.

Nelumbo nucifera

The lotus plant symbolizes perpetual life, purity, and beauty in the Buddhist tradition. All parts of the lotus are edible, and many are used medicinally, particularly the seeds.

Victoria amazonica

The Amazon water lily's leaves can grow up to eight feet across and are said to be able to hold the weight of a small child.

Aechmea hybrid

This beautiful inflorescence comes from a bromeliad commonly known as the Blue Tango.

Vireya rhododendron

Victorian collectors considered a garden full of rhododendrons to be the height of fashion and an important measure of one's social respectability. The vireya rhododendron became wildly popular when it was introduced to England in 1845. It is believed that more than 500 hybrids were created, but most were lost during World War I.

Masdevalia orchid

Of the estimated 25,000 species of orchid, most are epiphytes, meaning they grow attached to tree branches or bark. While they can grow in many environments, they are particularly abundant in cloud forests. This one grows in the cloud forests of South America.

Tacca chantrieri

Tacca chantrieri is commonly known as the bat plant because of the flower's resemblance to the face of a bat.