#Houseplants

Our Prized “House” Plants Are Actually Tropical Plants in Disguise

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Ficus leaves on carpet

You may not have thought about this, but our indoor plants behave quite a bit like plants in nature. Many of them are, after all, tropical plants that have been conditioned to grow in our homes. It’s quite something to take a trip and see some of them growing “in the wild” as I like to call it.

I have seen things like my ficus benjaminii, shown above, growing in warm places–they’re actual trees like the maples growing outside my house here in Connecticut. It’s amazing. The closest we come to seeing something like that here is in a mall and it’s a paltry comparison.

I have seen poinsettias growing in Mexico and hibiscus growing in Hawaii and I am always amazed at what these plants look like compared to the puny specimens that I have at home in containers. They’re large shrubs–and sometimes even hedges.

And I am not sure that I will ever get over the 8-10′ laurus nobilis that I saw in Texas! We struggle to get those to a couple of feet in containers here in the northeast–and we buy them, if we are lucky, as very pricy small plants! How can something like get so huge out of doors?

What is my point in ranting about all this? After all, this blog isn’t a travelogue and I am not posting photos of any of these things that I am talking about (alas, they only live on only in my mind–I don’t have them on film, or digitized.)

Late summer rose garden

These random thoughts came to me as I was walking the dog up the driveway the other day and I noticed how much my roses were “slowing down” in growth and preparing to defoliate and go dormant for winter. Some already had bright orange hips while others were changing their green growth for a sort of yellowish color before they lost their leaves.

I noticed this and thought about my ficus shedding its leaves in my living room and mused, “hmm. They’re really not all that different after all.”

I know enough to stop feeding my roses (if I ever feed them) in August so that they can begin this process of “going to sleep” for winter. And our house plants, too, as I mentioned on Monday, also slow down their growth, use less water, and don’t want any additional fertilizer this time of year as they go into this quieter time of year (although I am not sure most of them are as dramatic as the ficus and lose a lot of leaves!)

Take time to notice the seasonal changes in your plants. While it can be sad, there are always those plants, like the zygocactus, that respond to lower light levels and cooler temperatures and begin to bloom. So there are always the “silver lining” plants, as I like to think of them!

Aglaeonemas are Like Stained Glass Windows

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These are some of my favorite house plants. I got my first one five years ago at a box store that I happened to pop into when I was in Pennsylvania for a friend’s wedding. Little did I know at the time that I would become a bit obsessed by these plants!!

Aglaeonema collection

I still have that plant and I have acquired a few more, most from garden centers, although it is all I can do not to obsessively collect them from sites like Etsy, where I have seen some fabulous specimens (there are some fabulous plant people on Etsy–I need to stay off there or I would run out of windows very fast!)

These plants are very easy care–much easier than the calatheas that I discussed last week. About the only thing that they object to is direct sunlight. Most of mine are in either shaded east or northwest windows. The shaded east windows never get direct sun. The northwest windows may see some direct sun very late in the day–about 5 pm or so. And even then, the sun is only there for a very brief time–probably less than 30 minutes.

The reason I describe them as being like stained glass windows is that their leaves are so lovely that when light shines through them, they do look like stained glass–abstract stained glass, of course, but stained glass nonetheless. At least that’s how I think of it. Perhaps I have an overactive imagination.

But again, as we get into the darker days of fall and winter, it’s going to be nice to have these brighter plants to enliven our homes.

Red stemmed aglaeonema–the plant that started my love affair

As we get nearer to Christmas, you’ll probably see me describe the red-stemmed aglaeonema as the “anti-poinsettia.” It’s a perfect stand-in if you want a cheery plant that’s not quite as garishly red as a traditional poinsettia (or if your house is too cold, as mine is).

But whether you choose to grow these plants for the holidays, or just as lovely year-round foliage plants, you’ll be sure to appreciate their gorgeous patterned leaves, and their easy-care habits!

Foliage is Forever

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Calathea Rattlesnake

Calatheas are one of my favorite houseplants for interesting, unusual foliage, but I must tell you that in my cooler, New England home, they struggle a little. Basically these are rainforest understory plants and my dry, cold house is about as far from a rainforest as you can get in say, February.

So, occasionally I give up and toss the sadder looking of my plants. But I find that if I start with large, robust specimens going into the fall, most of them will get through the winter just fine. You don’t want to see many of these plants when I first bring them outside for their “summer vacation.”

Calathea Zebrina

Luckily, they don’t need much of a summer vacation to revive and grow new leaves. This year I tucked them underneath a Japanese maple. Last year they summered underneath a dogwood–you know, typical rainforest plants, right? But the deep shade and humid conditions seemed to be what they needed to re-foliate to get through another long New England winter.

Calathea ornata

When I bring them inside, I do sit them on a humidity tray, altogether in one spot. I think that helps them somewhat. And of course they look lovely for a couple of months, until it really starts to get dry in my house and gray outside–but by then, I have forced bulbs for color to tide me over.

Calathea Maui Queen

There’s a significant discrepancy about growing instructions for these plants. Some growers say to let them dry a bit before watering while others suggest consistent moisture will lead to success.

Maui Queen’s leaves–the “other” side

As for light, bright indirect light is best, however you manage to achieve that. Last year, that meant that I grew these below a south window–on the floor. This year, I will bring them inside to a different room–I am hoping for more natural humidity–and I will set them on a table about 3 feet back from a west window. We’ll see how that goes.

I have seen the recommendation to grow them in the kitchen, again for the humidity. My kitchen faces east, but I think it would be too much sun. Perhaps if the other room doesn’t work out, I will try the kitchen. It’s nice to have options.