My boss brought 5 new plants into the office over the weekend. One is obviously Calla Lily and was labeled, but the other 4... I am clueless. I found images for three of them. The third image (yellow background) is not exact. The coloring is less stripey and more solid in the middle with the darker green around the outside of the leaves. The fourth plant is pretty small with small dark green leaves that are a little waxy, but thin and curve under slightly at the edges. There seem to belittle red buds with 4 petals/leaves but I my impression is these are not going to be a flashy pretty flower, probably a new stem bud?...The shape of the leaf is like the leaves in the middle image. And (I don't know the botanical term) the stem is pretty hardy but green and the leaves shoot out from it all the way up, in groups of two at perpendicular patterns... (does that make sense?) the underside of the leaf is a little red. ANY identity help or advice on how to treat them is more than welcome! I love plants but am not an expert! Thanks in advance for any help.
Number one is a schefflera (umbrella tree) Not sure about the other two, but I'm guilty of growing lots of plants without knowing what they are. Keep them in well-drained soil, moderate light (not right in the window, but with a goodly amount of indirect light) and make sure to water them at least twice a week and they'll probably be fine. My two-tone green one likes to be misted gently on occasion (this also keeps the dust off)
schefflera, rubber tree, chinese evergreen. water thoroughly and then let the soil dry a bit before watering again. all should be in a well-draining soil and should be in containers that have drainage holes so the excess water can drain out. the schef can be allowed to get really dry the rubber and the ch. evergreen shouldn't be allowed to completely dry out in between waterings. does the rubber tree have a reddish tinge to the stems/stalks and the veins in the leaves? if it does, then it should get some direct light each day to retain the coloring. if it's the regular rubber tree, it doesn't need direct sunlight - bright indirect will be fine for it. the ch. evergreen will do best in bright indirect light.
Wow! Thanks for the unexpectedly swift response! I am impressed. I really appreciate the advice. Does anyone have a guess for the fourth plant? It is really hard without an image, but if anyone has guesses at a name/family I can probably find an image... <joclyn> The rubber tree does have the reddish stem/stalks. I will put it near the window for light. BTW I was given a bottle of Safer brand Leaf Feed & Shine. Any recommendations as to which of these plants will need/enjoy this, and which may not? THANKS AGAIN!!!
All of them will like the Safers. If you take your camera to work maybe you can get a shot of plant #4....