UNK Green Giant In My Dad's House

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by C.Wick, Jun 1, 2009.

  1. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    A horrible picture I know, and my apologies for such.
    This giant 'Tree' is growing in my fathers house...with a sun roof letting light in but not directly.
    It's been growing in a 5 gallon red clay pot for the last 6 years...and has curved, bent, and re-curved to continue growing along the ceiling.
    My father waters all his plants once a week...and I caught him pouring flat SODA POP (caffeine free of course) into them as he walks thru the halway. ALL of his plants have amazing growth to them. My mother grew this thing for years with it only reaching maybe 3 feet. It's now about 11+ with the curves. The rabbit thing in front of it is about 4ft in height.
    Any ideas what it is and how can I help my dad replant this poor creature so it'd be happier and less 'bent'? The leaves remind me of larger 'Praying Plant' leaves but waxy. The stem/trunk is solid and no roots show in the pot (which has very little soil)
     

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  2. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Whoa! Impressive! Could this be a gigantic Dieffenbachia?
     
  3. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    That is a monster Dieffenbachia. They get that big in the jungle here, but I've never seen one that size in a house. Well done!
     
  4. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Imagine if the pop C.W.'s dad poured on the plant DID have caffeine in it...! Alert the folks at the Guinness Book!
     
  5. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    A few years ago I used to ask my dad what he was putting in his plants...and he said 'water'....one day I walked out into the hallway as he was walking thru it to witness him pouring the Caffeine free Diet Pepsi in them! I freaked! All these years I thought you hat to put fertilizer and water and here he was dumping the flat soda.
    Dad is a true nut.
    Thanx for the name on these....from what I researched we could actually cut this guy in half, bury the top into rocks/water/soil....and watch it re-root itself. Called the Dumb Plant or something like that as it's considered an easy plant to raise. (except in MY house...lol)
     
  6. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    It's called Dumb Cane because if you eat it you'll lose your voice. Calcium oxalate and all that.
     
  7. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    Ahhh...missed that part of the details....the toxicity of the plant causes that. Like the stagger plants (Dutchman's Breeches) and others.
     
  8. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    I just might try the caffeine free D.P. on MY Dieffenbachias!!!
     
  9. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    Haha! Good luck! I told my dad last night I posted his Green Giant on here? He got all embarrassed and asked y the heck did I do that...I told him I had to show what an amazing 'green thumb' he had. lol
     
  10. togata57

    togata57 Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Indeed! Tell him that we are all amazed at the health and size of his D.---and looks as if he's got a bunch of pretty good-looking other plants too. Spathiphyllum and---? More photos requested!
    If I could send a visual round of applause, I would. Well done!
     
  11. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    Definately a Spathiphyllum...he's complained that the 'flowers flop all over the place!'...lol There's no pleasing the man with these. He's bushes outside that he's actually had to cut in HALF to remove so you can still get thru the door/walk on the sidewalk, get into the garage.
    He's had this property about 15 years....and all that USED to be there were young trees (which now look like OLD forest trees...lol)
    He's an aloe plant in one window...that is ALSO in a 5 gallon pot that has completely over-filled it. And that's with me plucking pieces off here and there...and a few other unk plants that I've got images of but haven't posted yet.
    He got a LEAF from an aunt of mine that is now a beautiful plant.......he said he just stuck it in the dirt and there it grew. ~sigh~ If only we were all so lucky eh? lol
     
  12. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    At the very back looks like Ficus elastica, there's another Spath on the extreme left, what looks like a Pothos creeping across the floor, and I'd venture that perhaps a Schefflera or another Ficus in the middle foreground. These plants all grow like that in their native jungle here but I've never seen anything like that in a home garden in pots.
     
  13. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    Remembering another plant he has in the window where the aloe is? Is a Christmas Flower....it's CONSTANTLY red and blooming.....larger then the 5gallon pot IT'S in.
    The photos below are 1.Rounded leaf is VERY thick. The one my dad got from his sis and just stuck the leaf in soil...it's now a thriving plant with absolutely nothing added to it but water and sunlight. 2.These leaves start of 'kinky' and reddish/pink in color? This plant is new...it's still in a gallon sized pot. 3.Is only a section of the aloe plant...the ones shown here are wider then my handspan.
    He's only been growing most these plants about 6 years or fewer? Most were my mom's originally that looked 'cute' as they didn't GROW. She kept all her plants sitting on a little wooden wheel barrel she kept where the 'Giant' is now at. He inherited them and I truely believe my mom in heaven is the one who is STILL maintaining them. I can't figure out any other explanation to his 'arbotorium' he's got in this house.
    The Pothos is about to take over the entire floor and left side of this room...he's also 3 more in planters in the living room and kitchen that look like they're trying to contend to become the next Christmas Tree.
    I've had no luck with indoor plants...MY Pothos is still only 4 leaves and I've had it now for 3 years. HOWEVER, My GARDEN is awesome. But my dad? Can't grow a garden to save a groundhog. :o) His rose bush looks like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree...his iris' didn't bloom at all this year. He HAD lillies and I've not seen them in over 3 years now.
     

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  14. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    1 and 2 are both Begonias; 2 is one of the B. coccinea hybrids.
     
  15. C.Wick

    C.Wick Active Member

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    Oh wow...ok...
    I'll have to ask him if he's seen either of them bloom yet? Would be neat to see thier style of bloom.
    I'll have to go back and photograph the pots all these plants are in...just so you guys can see how...er.......yummy they look? :o)
    Thanx lorax for the id's to those 2!
     

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