Based on a comprehensive guide from Greenhouse Stores, here are 25 unusual and exotic plants and crops you can cultivate in a greenhouse. These selections thrive in controlled environments, offering unique flavors, textures, and visual appeal. I’ve included key details like scientific names, difficulty levels, growing seasons, descriptions, and tips where available for each.
- Cucamelons (Mouse Melons)
- Scientific Name: Melothria scabra
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: April to October
- Small, grape-sized fruits resembling miniature watermelons with a tangy flavor. They climb on supports and produce abundantly.
- Tips: Sow seeds after the last frost; use trellises for vines up to 3 meters. Harvest when marble-sized for best taste. Great in salads, pickles, or cocktails.
- Loofah Gourds (Natural Sponges)
- Scientific Name: Luffa cylindrica
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: May to October
- A vegetable that can be eaten young like squash or dried into natural sponges.
- Tips: Start indoors in March; provide strong supports and consistent moisture.
- Tea Plants
- Scientific Name: Camellia sinensis
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Produce leaves for various teas in warm, sunny conditions.
- Tips: Use acidic soil (pH 6.0-6.5); harvest young leaves after 3-4 years; long-lived plants.
- Tropical Passionflower
- Scientific Name: Passiflora species
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: April to October
- Features intricate, otherworldly flowers; needs protection in a greenhouse.
- Tips: Alkaline, well-draining soil; train vines on supports. Symbolic of historical religious imagery.
- Pineapples
- Scientific Name: Ananas comosus
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Grow from store-bought crowns; fruits in 18-24 months as striking focal points.
- Tips: Acidic compost, temperatures above 18°C, bright light. Once a luxury status symbol.
- Vanilla Orchids
- Scientific Name: Vanilla planifolia
- Difficulty Level: Expert
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Climbing orchids needing hand-pollination for pods.
- Tips: 85% humidity, 18-29°C; climbing supports; flowers after 2-3 years. Sacred to Aztecs.
- Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish)
- Scientific Name: Wasabia japonica
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Rhizomes with a spicy kick; prefers cool, humid shade.
- Tips: Shady spots, excellent drainage; harvest after 2 years. Historically guarded in Japan for its value.
- Ginger Root
- Scientific Name: Zingiber officinale
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: March to October
- Easy to start from supermarket rhizomes with buds; versatile for cooking and health.
- Tips: Warm, moist conditions; harvest rhizomes as needed.
- Tomatillos
- Scientific Name: Physalis philadelphica
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: April to October
- Savory fruits in papery husks, ideal for salsas.
- Tips: Plant multiples for pollination; harvest when husks fill. Roast for salsa verde.
- Dragon Fruit Cactus
- Scientific Name: Hylocereus undatus
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Night-blooming flowers lead to scaly pink or yellow fruits.
- Tips: Strong supports for 6-meter vines; warm temps, good drainage.
- Celtuce (Stem Lettuce)
- Scientific Name: Lactuca sativa var. asparagina
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: March to November
- Edible crunchy stems with asparagus-like flavor; leaves also usable.
- Tips: Succession sowing; harvest stems at pencil thickness. Stir-fry or pickle.
- Oca (New Zealand Yam)
- Scientific Name: Oxalis tuberosa
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: March to November
- Colorful, tangy tubers like potatoes.
- Tips: Plant after frost; sun-dry after harvest to sweeten.
- Salsify (Oyster Plant)
- Scientific Name: Tragopogon porrifolius
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: March to December
- Roots with oyster flavor; purple flowers.
- Tips: Deep containers; harvest after frost.
- Yardlong Beans (Snake Beans)
- Scientific Name: Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: May to October
- Beans up to 60cm long for vertical growing.
- Tips: Harvest young at 30-45cm. Stir-fry or pickle.
- Carnivorous Plants Collection
- Scientific Name: Various (e.g., Dionaea muscipula, Sarracenia)
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Insect-trapping plants like Venus flytraps and pitcher plants; engaging for kids.
- Tips: Rainwater only; sphagnum moss; high humidity and light.
- Air Plants (Tillandsia)
- Scientific Name: Tillandsia species
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Soil-less epiphytes that purify air and create art.
- Tips: Mist 2-3 times weekly; mount on wood; good circulation.
- Ice Plants (Crystalline Flowers)
- Scientific Name: Delosperma species
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Succulents with jewel-like flowers and water-storing leaves.
- Tips: Excellent drainage; intense light; dry between waterings.
- Banana Plants
- Scientific Name: Musa species
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Dwarf varieties fruit in containers for tropical vibes.
- Tips: Dwarf cultivars; warm, humid conditions.
- Coffee Plants
- Scientific Name: Coffea arabica
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Fragrant flowers to red berries for home coffee.
- Tips: Filtered light, acidic soil; 3-4 years to fruit. Process beans yourself.
- Stevia (Natural Sweetener)
- Scientific Name: Stevia rebaudiana
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: April to October
- Leaves 30x sweeter than sugar.
- Tips: Pinch flowers; harvest before flowering. Dry for teas or syrups.
- Lemon Balm and Exotic Herbs
- Scientific Name: Melissa officinalis and others
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Varieties like chocolate mint or pineapple sage for unique flavors.
- Tips: Succession planting; partial shade.
- Hardy Hibiscus
- Scientific Name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Large, ruffled flowers in various colors.
- Tips: Bright light, consistent moisture; above 10°C in winter.
- Exotic Melons
- Scientific Name: Cucumis melo varieties
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Growing Season: May to September
- Unusual types like Armenian cucumber melons.
- Tips: Supports for climbers; hand-pollinate.
- Miracle Berry
- Scientific Name: Synsepalum dulcificum
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Berries alter taste, making sour foods sweet.
- Tips: Acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.5); 3-4 years to fruit.
- Sensitive Plant (Touch-Me-Not)
- Scientific Name: Mimosa pudica
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Growing Season: Year-round
- Leaves fold when touched, creating an interactive “shy” plant.
- Tips: Warm, humid conditions; bright indirect light for best response.
