Hi! I have been put in charge of keeping our office plants alive but I don't know what they are! Any help identifying these would be fabulous! Oh! And the last one has three different plants growing out of it...help!! (I've given them all names - hence the names of the files)
1 and 2 Christmas cactus; 3, some succulents named Jermaine (Haworthia); 4 and 5 variegated Schefflera; 6 Calathea (ornata?); 7 and 8 Pothos.
Wow, the three Maries need to be separated! They have totally different needs. Mary 1-2, who is a variegated Schefflera, needs full sun and soil that holds a bit of moisture, but not too much. Mary 3, who is a Calathea ornata (I agree with Togata) needs shadier conditions and soils that drain more quickly. Mary 4, a Pothos, needs the fastest-draining soil you can get your hands on - at least 50% peat and bark chips - and a place to climb in part shade. She'll go right up the office wall if you let her, but without a trellis or some kind of support, she'll also damage the wall with her aerial roots. The three Jermaines look like, from left to right, Senecio of some sort, Haworthia, and Crassula ovata. They're fine together as they have the exact same needs, but as Jermaine the Crassula and Jermaine the Senecio get bigger, you may find that they may want their own space.
Wow!! Thankyou so much! You guys are quick! I thought the three Mary's would pose a bit of a problem. I'll get into re-potting straight away and keep these plants alive and thriving. Thankyou!!!
#1 and #2 is the true "Christmas Cactus" Schlumbergera x buckleyi with it's smooth scalloped leaves. The plant grandma use to have! Unfortunately, you can no longer find these in stores anymore.
So I have heard, Bluewing! I was astonished to learn this (here on the Forum, last year)---makes me appreciate my giant GENUINE Schlumbergera, and her children (several) even more. She is an offspring of my mom's plant, which has gotta be a good 50 years old, probably more. Mine is over 25. She lives on my semi-shady patio in the summer, and in a cool naturally-lit environment in the winter. I'll tell ya---in her 18" pot, with her VAST foliage...dunno what I'm gonna do when either: 1. my arm strength finally does give out, or; 2. she can no longer fit through the doorway! ---Just finished blooming. Mom's is going strong, too. Literally, the plant my kids' grandma used to have...and still does!
An 18" pot huh togata? That is HUGE! I'll bet it's something to look at, in bloom or not! I inherited one yrs back. I was told at the time that it was around 80 plus. You wouldn't believe what a small pot they can grow in and still be huge up top! I saw one growing in a plastic 3" pot with a two foot leaf span.... Impressive! When mine past 108-9 yrs old. it pretty much collapsed:( Not sure if it was because of it's age or something I did. I managed to save a few cuttings is all. All that's left now is a 4" pot. Hopefully some time outdoors next summer, it will double in size! Can't tell you how old they can get, but have seen a couple of these Schlumbergera x buckleyi plants in a magazine one time, owners claiming one was 117, the other, geez, 122 yrs old! If yours keeps growing any larger, you may have to make a bigger doorway and buy a wagon!
