43. Soils
ā¢ Commercial Mixes
ā¢ Special Mixes
ā¢ Make Your Own
ā Peat Moss (1 part)
ā Vermiculite or Perlite (2 parts)
ā 8-8-8 Fertilizer (1/2 cup)
ā Chelated Iron (1 tsp.)
44. Repotting
Step by Step
1. Select a new pot
2. Remove plant while
supporting plant
3. Check for bound
roots-cut or unwind
4. Place in the center of
new soil
5. Firm soil and water
46. Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen)
Aglaeonema commutatum
Low Light Plant
Many varieties and some
hybrids of Aglaonema are
available, many with highly
variegated foliage.
Low growing and compact,
it is a tough plant well
suited for many uses.
Common Varieties:
āSilver Queenā; āRomanoā;
āB.J. Freemanā
47. Cast Iron Plant
Aspidistra elatior
Low Light Plant
Often overlooked. Related
to the Snake Plant. Has the
ability to persist under
difficult situations.
Leaves are 2 ft. long and
may be solid or variegated
with a creamy white.
48. Parlor Palm
Chamaedorea elegans
Low Light Plant
Grown for height (6ft).
Feathery leaves.
Not the easiest of plants to
grow because they are
attacked by scale,
mealybugs, and spider
mites.
49. Prayer Plant
Maranta spp.
Low Light Plant
Oblong leaves are green
on the upper surface
with dark green to
brown splotches in a
line along both sides of
the midrib.
Tolerates artificial or
existing room light and
can live well under
average home
conditions.
51. Peperomia
Peperomia spp.
Low Light Plant
Many varieties are
available (āPepper
Faceā, āWatermelon
Peperomiaā, āEmerald
Rippleā).
Most are small compact
plants but color and leaf
texture vary greatly.
CAUTION:
Peperomiaās are easily
overwatered.
52. Pothos (Devilās Ivy)
Epipremnum aureum
Low Light Plant
Often confused with
Philodendron.
One of the easiest
indoor plants to grow.
Well adapted to hanging
baskets or where a
trailing habit is desired.
53. Peace Lily (White Flag)
Spathiphyllum floribundum
Low Light Plant
One of the most
satisfactory plants for low
light situations.
One of the few low light
foliage plants that will
also flower under low
light.
54. Snake Plant (Devilās Tongue)
Sansevieria trifasciata
Low Light Plant
Common Snake Plant
produces sword shaped
leaves up to 4 ft. long.
Leaves have bands of
gray over deep green.
Birdsnest Sansevieria are
much shorter and form
rosettes only a few inches
high.
Both are easy to grow.
55. African Violet
Saintpaulia ionantha
Medium Light Plant
Among the most popular
houseplants.
Almost all colors
available.
Leaves grow to form a
rosette.
Many variegated varieties
are available.
56. Bamboo Palm
Chamaedorea erumpen
Medium Light Plant
Can survive in relatively low
light, but will grow several
feet taller, in a brighter
location. Bamboo palm does
best in reasonably warm
temperatures.
Keep them away from leaky
windows and cold entryways
where they'd be exposed to
blasts of frigid air.
57. Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata
Medium Light Plant
Fronds form on creeping
rhizomes. They are feather-
like and arch or hang if grown
in a basket.
Boston Fern often suffers
from low humidity indoors.
58. Bromeliad
Ananas spp.
Vriesia spp.
Medium Light Plant
Light is the limiting factor for
most bromeliads.
The rosette forms a base that
holds water.
Plants must be a certain age
to flower (1 to 2 yrs.). It only
flowers once then offshoots
develop to form a new plant.
59. Corn Plant
Draceana fragrans
massangeana
Medium Light Plant
Broad leaves with generous
yellow stripes running along
their length.
Good dependable plant.
Slow growing but can reach
20ft tall.
60. Christmas Cactus
Schlumbergera bridgesii
Medium Light Plant
To initiate and develop buds
for holiday flowering:
Keep cool at night (50-55
degrees) during October and
November or place the plant
in continuous, uninterrupted
darkness for 14 hours daily at
a night temp of 60 degrees
during the same months.
61. Dragon Tree
Dracaena draco or
marginata
Medium Light Plant
Narrow leaves tapering to the
tip. Green with a red edge is
the color of the original
species, but selections are
available with white or white
and red stripes the length of
the leaf, and with a purple
cast to the whole leaf.
62. Dumb Cane
Dieffenbachia amoena
Medium Light Plant
Large, white-variegated
leaves carried on upright
stems brighten this rather soft
plant.
The largest types may reach
several feet in height.
63. Fiddle-leaf Fig
Ficus lyrata
Medium Light Plant
Fits well as a background
plant in a massing of
houseplants.
Large leaves with a narrow
place part way down their
length reminiscent of the
shape of a violin.
64. Grape Ivy
Cissus rhombifolia
Medium Light Plant
Easy to grow and well suited
for hanging baskets or where
a trailing habit is desired.
It climbs easily if given the
opportunity.
65. Holly Fern
Cyrtomium falcatum
Medium Light Plant
Arching fronds twelve to
eighteen inches long in a
rosette. The dark green, shiny
leaflets are broad with wavy
edges.
Holds up to low humidity
indoors.
66. Kentia Palm
Howea forsterana
Medium Light Plant
A tall, stately, slender plant
with gracefully arching large
fronds. Kentia palms can
withstand lower light levels
better than most large plants.
Though slow-growing, a
Kentia palm is capable of
eventually reaching your
ceiling.
67. Ming Aralia
Polyscias fruticosa
Medium Light Plant
Pure foliage plant that
naturally form exotic
branching patterns.
The much-divided leaves give
a shaggy appearance.
Bonsai like.
Highly subject to mealybugs
and spider mites.
68. Nephthytis (Arrowhead Vine)
Saintpaulia ionantha
Medium Light Plant
Vine-like habit. Easy to grow.
Arrowhead is easy to grow
and may be grown in a
container of water. The plant
tolerates low light but an
east window or medium light
is ideal.
The plant may need
occasional pruning to keep it
under control.
69. Rex Begonia
Begonia rex
Medium Light Plant
Grown for their large colorful
foliage.
This species bears up to 5
flowers, each about 2 inches
across. The sepals and petals
are wine-red flushed with
yellow. The lip color ranges
from whitish to rose-red.
70. Rubber Plant
Ficus elastica
Medium Light Plant
A common houseplant that
grows stiff and upright.
Lower leaf drop is common in
low light.
Large, broad leaves, often
eight inches long.
71. Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
Medium Light Plant
Very easy to grow and is very
adaptable for hanging
baskets.
āVittatumā is the common
variegated type.
All are susceptible to foliar
tip burn.
72. Split-leaf Philodendron
Monstera deliciosa
Medium Light Plant
Leaves becoming larger as
this vine slowly clings higher
on its support, interesting for
the holes in the blade that
give the common name
āSwiss-cheese plant.ā
Flowers form on a good sized
plant in a fleshy spike that for
a short time is surrounded by
a wrapping leaf.
73. Wandering Jew
Tradescantia zebrina
Medium Light Plant
Fast growing, trailing plants.
Many have variegated leaves.
Leaves are elongated with
pointed tip and striped
dark green and silver
lengthwise. The underside
of leaves are purplish.
Leaves are arranged along
a trailing stem.
75. Coleus
Coleus x hybridus
High Light Plant
Commonly grown outdoors as
an annual for its colorful
foliage.
Can make a good indoor plant
if adequate light is provided.
76. English Ivy
Hedera helix
High Light Plant
Many varieties of ivy are
easily grown indoors. The
dwarf varieties are preferred.
There are many different leaf
shapes and sizes with widely
varying patterns of coloration
available.
77. Jade Plant
Crassula argentea
High Light Plant
A succulent which can grow
to more than 10 feet tall.
Very susceptible to
overwatering.
78. Norfolk Island Pine
Araucaria heterophylla
High Light Plant
Durable plant where size
permits its use.
It can grow to over 100 ft. in
its native environment and
can quickly outgrow its space
indoors.
79. Pony Tail
Beaucarnea recurvata
High Light Plant
Able to reach more than
twenty feet tall in the wild,
but slow enough in its growth
to work well in a container
for a long time.
Masses of creamy flowers
from the upper nodes in the
spring.
80. Schefflera (Umbrella Tree)
Saintpaulia ionantha
High Light Plant
Schefflera can grow to a
rather large size. High light
intensity is preferred but
lower light intensities are
tolerated.
Water only when the soil
surface has dried out.
81. Swedish Ivy
Plectranthus australis
P. oertendahlii āVariegatusā
High Light Plant
Easy to grow, trailing plant
suitable for pots or hanging
baskets.
Tiny flowers appear year
round.
82. Wax Plant
Hoya spp.
High Light Plant
Several named varieties of
wax plant are available. Some
are vigorous vines which
climb by means of twining.
Many have variegated
foliage, which is sometimes
deeply curled or crinkled.
Fragrant
83. Weeping Fig
Ficus benjamina
High Light Plant
Most popular of ficus plants.
Tolerant to a wide range of
environmental conditions but
sometimes reacts to rapid
changes by almost total
defoliation.
84. Flame Violet
Episcia cupreata
Very High Light Plant
Beautiful trailing indoor
plants with flowers in a
variety of colors.
They are very intolerant of
low temperatures.
85. Geranium
Pelargonium spp.
Very High Light Plant
Popular outdoor plants but
also make good indoor plants
and will flower continuously
if given adequate light.
86. Hibiscus
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Very High Light Plant
Tropical Hibiscus with large
showy flowers often seen in
garden centers. It is not
winter hardy.
Requires too much light for
most home interiors.
87. Wax Begonia
Begonia x semperflorens-
cultorum
Very High Light Plant
Commonly grown outdoors as
an annual but can make an
excellent houseplant if light is
adequate.
Flowers in white, pink or red.
88. Signs you spend
too much time
gardeningā¦
QUESTIONS
High maintenance
plants suddenly
appeal to you.
