Hey all! My husband and I just bought a furnished townhome and along with that came about 20 house plants. We love them but after about 2 months of living here they are starting to look sad, as we know nothing about plants. There are 9 different types (I wont post them all now) and I am just looking for some help identifying them so I can do some research and hopefully keep them alive :) Anything you have to offer would be greatly appreciated.
2. Dracaena sanderiana, "Lucky Bamboo". 3. Philodendron scandens, heart-leaf philodendron. 4. A palm in a very small pot! 5. Sansevieria trifasciata, aka Snake Plant or Mother-in-Law's Tongue. Welcome to the Forum!
Philodendron cv. Dracaena sanderiana (not Bamboo :-) ) Philodendron hederaceum Ravenea rivularis Sansevieria trifasciata Damn Togata's fast!
Senecio (mandraliscae?) Sansevieria trifasciata Dracaena marginata Bromeliad (Neoregelia pauciflora 'Red and Green'?)
Saltcedar is very right about P. scandens correctly being Philodendron hederaceum. The first name is a synonym for the accepted species name but is still popular with growers desprite the fact "Philodendron scandens" has been out of use as a scientific name for close to 150 years. I suspect the real question here is how to grow all these plants. I can speak for the Philodendron forms since they are members of the plant family most of us call aroids. They prefer fast draining soil that will not remain soggy, moderately bright light and as much humidity as possible. They don't like to remain dry for any length of time. I am unsure what the Philodendron cultivar may be (cv) but it does appear to be a Philodendron. So many hybridizers are mixing such a variety of species together to come up with new forms it is now very difficult to tell them apart. This link will give you all the basic growing information on Philodendron but includes more info that most people care to learn in a single setting. Just scroll through the headings and pick out what you want to know. Steve http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Grow or Growing Philodendrons.html
Sydnie - You've heard from some of out best "experts" on your plants. The only ones I will comment on are the Sansevieria trifasciata, of which you evidently have two and the "lucky bamboo" They are both on my list of plants "Very Hard to Kill". Sansevieria - Water them when the soil feels dry about an inch down when you stick your finger in it. Give them bright INDIRECT light and if happy they will even bloom though the bloom is not much. Since you probably don't have any history on the plants, like last re potting etc. you should eventually re pot each one into new soil. Soil looses it's ability to sustain the plant after a while. Now it looks like its doing fine and will most likely out grow the pot. When it does dump the whole thing out, divide it in half, get rid of the old soil and re pot each half into new soil. The Dracaena (lucky bamboo) can be cut off just below the new shoot and put in water to re root, then planted in soil. Leave the old stalk where it is because new shoots may or may not emerge. If they do then they can also be re rooted and all can be planted together to give you a fuller plant. They will live in water but will be much happier in soil. If you have any more questions here's the place for answers. and welcome to the forum....barb
I would also recommend a good quality potting mix. So much of what is sold here is poor and makes the plants suffer. Cheap is NOT best. Liz
True that, Liz! For good information on how to mix up your own potting soil---and on tropical plant care, esp. that of aroids---please peruse Steve's outstanding site, mentioned in his post above. None finer anywhere!
I know this is not what the original poster wanted to know but I get curious so I went digging. The top Philodendron (first photo) appears to be a hybridized plant sold as Philodendron Prince of Orange. It could also be a hybrid created from this hybrid but without the plant in hand that is virtually impossible to determine and I’m not sure it could even be determined with less than $100,000 to spend on DNA testing. Prince of Orange is a patented, self-heading Philodendron hybrid with elliptical leaves. The immature leaves are orange but it changes colors as it matures. The patent owner recommends high interior light levels to maintain color and continued growth. The new leaves are said to a glossy bright orange, and as the leaves mature they change color from orange to apricot to yellow-green to pale or medium green. The pinkish-red petioles add to the overall color of the plant. I didn’t intend to make this a “botany lesson” but to keep you from getting lost and “turning off the light”, allow me to explain. A petiole is the stalk that supports a leaf. I know that part is often called a “stem” but the stem of a plant is the central axis and is often found at the bottom in a plant with this shape. A stem produces roots and connects the plant to the soil, rocks, and often to trees but it can also be a tuber, a rhizome and have other forms. Sorry if I am confusing you! The plant is also stated to be a relatively small or compact rosette (organized something like the petals of a rose) with short thick petioles arising in a whorl from a crown or short stalk. The original grower implies the plant has no stem but that would be impossible. I’m not going to explain that since this will turn into a treatise! Here is an explanation if you want to read it: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/What is a stem. What is a petiole.html I was amazed to read the list of claimed parents since they are in many different Philodendron sections and include plants that are already known to be hybrids, which makes the total parentage a gigantic mess! I would hate to say this to the hybrizer but this is the biggest “mutt” of a plant I have ever read about! One parent is said to be Philodendron domesticum but that plant was created in the 1960’s from undisclosed parents. Folks love to claim it is a species but it has never been observed anywhere as a native wild form. Even Dr. George Bunting who created the name "Philodendron domesticum" says in his original paper the plant is a hybrid. The second parent is obvious due to the reddish coloration, Philodendron erubescens. That species is from Central America and often has red petioles and sometimes-red stems. The next is claimed to be Philodendron wendlandii, which is another Central American species. Another claimed parent is one called Philodendron imbe, which is a published species but the same name is often used for a form of Philodendron domesticum. Finally a selection of all these hybridized forms was crossed with “Philodendron cannifolium” and it is claimed that cross was to shorten and thicken the petioles and to give the plant the rosette growth shape. The problem with that is there is no such plant as Philodendron cannifolium in science. I know, 20 of you are going to jump on me and tell me you grow it! Well, the name Philodendron cannifolium is a very bad name for a plant known to science as Philodendron martianum. The story of how that name came into existence is very long so I will just give you a link for an explanation and I doubt many (if any of you) will bother to read it. It took me weeks with the help of several botanists and scientists to figure that one out: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Philodendron martianum pc.html To say the least, this plant, although quite beautiful, is one of the biggest mixes of species plants I have ever read about. Truly a “mutt” if that word can be used in science. Scientifically I am not even certain if this is all possible since most of those plants are in totally different Philodendron sections which makes crossing them, well to say the least, “difficult”. It would take a very good geneticist to explain how all of this could even be possible but the owner now has a patent so who am I to argue. It is certainly pretty so enjoy growing it. I’m just not sure I believe all the patent information. The plant is stated to have been “created” near Orlando. Just give it porous soil, bright light and keep it warm. It will likely do fine if you keep the soil damp but never soggy. Steve
Wow! Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge! I guess my only question for now would be about the palm, is my best option to just replant in a bigger pot? Or would cutting it down keep it small? Also if I do replant it do I need to put it in a smaller plastic container first or can it go just in the pot?
I claim no expertise in palms. I've found most of mine can be controlled to a degree by removing new fronds but eventually they will get BIG! I have one in my atrium that is now pushing 16 feet! Steve
