Indoor Plant Care - How to Houseplant Care

My Pothos Plant Pothos House Plant (A Plant by Any Other Name) Hi Plant People!  While there really are NOT very many different types of Pothos plants, there does seem to be quite a few different names given to this particularly popular houseplant. Let's see...I call it a ' Pothos' , its botanical name is Epipremnum aureum, some call it a Scindapsus aureus and I know that in some areas of the world, Pothos are called the ' Devil's Ivy' . I am curious to know why you would call this innocent looking plant ' Devil's Ivy' . Anyone know? My understanding is that this name is most often used in #Britain. Are there any #British folks out there that know how or why the name "Devil's Ivy" originated? Post in comments below, if you do, I really do wonder... Pearls and Jade Okay, I know this is a really popular plant because I work in the interior landscape business and this plant, the Pothos plant, is the one I see most of...

Spider Plant - Chlorophytum Spider Plant Wins Starring Role in Showtime Series "Homeland" Do you think this great little #houseplant, the #Spider #Plant, could win an award for "Best Plant of the Year"? Well, yes, I am being a bit humorous, or trying to be, anyway. But read on, #Plant #Lovers, as you just might see this popular #indoor #plant as a bit player in the Showtime Series, Homeland .... I have often had the opportunity to totally remake interior landscaping accounts as an interior plant care professional.  A recent account gave me the chance to redesign an indoor container garden that needed a fresh look to make it a show stopper ! It was a big indoor atrium with great lighting, twenty-foot tall Ficus trees , towering Norfolk Island Pines and some bed-like containers needing low-growing   plants that would fill out quickly. I also wanted to add some contrast to the all-green foliage in the atrium and minimize the stark container lines. Varie...

Orchids How To: Psygmorchis pusilla, finally a blooming in my mini orchidarium Interesting little Orchid, the Psygmorchis pusilla....anyone else out there have any knowledge or experience with this wonderful looking tiny plant?

Euphorbia pulcherrima - Poinsettia Pretty Poinsettia Plant Care Your pretty #holiday flowering #Poinsettia #plant will need some TLC or maybe I should say TLPC. Yes, that is tender loving #plant #care! It is the holiday season once again and Poinsettias usually start to appear just after Thanksgiving week. When the  Poinsettias , or Euphorbia Pulcherrima, are put out, the Christmas trees and decorations start going up. Poinsettia is most commonly used as an indoor potted plant at Christmas time, at least in the United States. In some of our milder climates, it can also be found in exterior landscapes. A member of the Euphorbia family, Poinsettia is a succulent plant. That tells you something about your beautiful Poinsettia flower. These native plants from south of the border do best if placed in bright  lighting  and average room temperatures. Poinsettias are not difficult to care for it you just use common sense  watering  practices. Do not expose t...

Norfolk Island Pine Care Araucaria heterophylla Question from Alex: Hello, I have a small about 7 foot Tall and 5 feet in width Greenhouse. Its place outside next to my camper and we live in southern IL. It does get cold and windy outside here. I was wondering if I should put my Larger Norfolk Pine along with the plants inside the greenhouse? It gets humid in there and never goes under 40 degrees inside. Would that be safe? The greenhouse kept 30 degrees in 17 Degree weather a few days ago. None of my plants froze or anything. Norfolk Island Pine Answer: Hi Alex, Recommended low temps for the Norfolk Island Pine are about 40 to 45 degrees F. You may see some damage or growth problems at lower temps but it should survive okay. If you think it may get colder in your greenhouse, you can help protect your tree by covering with clear plastic to let in light and keep in some warmth. Then place in your greenhouse. That should give it enough protection from the cold weather you have...

Peace Lily Plant Peace Lily A Great Flowering Houseplant One of the most common houseplants, other than  Pothos , is the Spathiphyllum. Also known as Peace Lily or White Flag, these plants are often given as gift plants. While it does not offer a lot in the way of color because the flower is white, it is still one of the few houseplants that will tolerate average indoor conditions and still produce flowers throughout the year. Bring home a Mum or Begonia and chances are, unless you have a sun room, skylight or atrium, the flowers won't last more than a week or two and still look good. Peace Lily will flower for a good part of the year and when it is not in bloom you will have a lovely foliage plant to enhance your home. If you have ever owned one of these plants, you know that if you let it dry completely, it will lay down on the floor in a full faint! While they do not need to be kept constantly wet, Spathiphyllums also do not like to be treated as a cactus, ei...

Snake Plant - Black Gold Question: I have been looking for a houseplant that is easy to care for and hard to kill. I am not very experienced with indoor plants and I have only owned a couple. Do you have any suggestions? Answer: If you don't have very much experience with houseplants, I have created list of best houseplants for anyone on my website. These are plants that just about anyone can grow and keep indoors as they are tolerant of average household conditions and are not exceptionally hard to maintain. Of course, if you really don't have any time to give to living plants, you may want to go with artificial plants. However, the plants on this list require minimal attention. Some of the plants on this list are the Snake Plant, the Pothos and various Dracaenas . These are some of the easiest to care for plants that are available. Snake Plants are really at the top of the list as they will get by with infrequent watering. Of course, if you have a problem with...

Question: I need to find a houseplant that is nearly impossible to kill! I am away often and forget to water my poor houseplants...I feel so bad when they die. Any suggestions? Answer: I don't know of any houseplants that are literally impossible to kill except, perhaps, those that are made out of silk! However, there is some good news in that the Snake Plant comes pretty close to that description. It is on my  list of best houseplants for anyone  for that very reason. Sansevieria is also known by some as Snake Plant or Mother-in-Laws-Tongue. While no houseplant is totally indestructible, the Snake Plant is very forgiving if you are not good about remembering to water your houseplants . You will need to make sure that your Snake Plant is not exposed to temperatures below 50°F as they will be damaged by cold temps. Read more about Snake Plant and proper plant care...

My Indoor English Ivy Question: I need a low growing ground cover type of plant that will do well in lower light and can be kept in a container on the patio or indoors. What type of plant would work? Answer:  English Ivy , or Hedera helix ,  is a great indoor or outdoor plant. It generally requires little care if given the right conditions, preferring bright, indirect light, cooler temperatures and some humidity. It doesn't mind very cold temperatures if "hardened off" first. It will survive temperatures below freezing. You have, no doubt, often seen English Ivy growing outside on the side of a house or on a fence. There is some English Ivy planted in a clay pot outside my front door and it has survived snow, ice and drought without much care. It is much easier to grow outside than inside but can be kept inside with some TLC.  English Ivy tends to be more difficult when you first bring it home, especially if it is an immature plant with a weak root system....

Orchids, US Botanical Gardens Elegant and beautiful flowering #plants, # Orchids are a great way to add a touch of color and class to any interior design. # Phalaenopsis Orchids are readily available in almost any store that sells indoor plants. One of the easier to care for Orchids, Phalaenopsis , or Moth Orchids , are tolerant of most indoor environments as long as they have good lighting and temperatures. Read more about Orchids care.. . When I visit a botanical garden or greenhouse , I love to take photographs , especially of flowers. I have recently posted a  pictures of Orchids  page to my website along with other houseplant and flower pictures. I would love to have pictures that others have taken to add to the gallery. If any readers have some favorite Orchid pictures or even houseplant pictures that they would allow me to post to my  plant pictures page , I would love to have them.  If you have any photos you would like to submit, you can...

Aechmea bromeliad Question from Carol:  Is there a way to get the Aechmea Fasciata to come into flower, I have had mine from a pup and now perhaps 3 to 4 years old, it has 4 pups on it well grown but has not flowered yet, I wonder if to treat it like cacti and with hold watering from September to march to force it to flower? Answer: What I can tell you is that if your Aechmea Bromeliad is in your home, in average indoor conditions, you will have a hard time getting it to #flower. They really need to be in a greenhouse type of environment. I have done this before and it only worked when I raised my plant in my greenhouse. I did not withhold water and am not sure that would work. Try putting it in a greenhouse type of situation. Very bright indirect lighting, high humidity. Ethylene gas can help induce flowering and is produced by ripening apples. Perhaps you can create a greenhouse atmosphere using a large clear plastic bag and close it around your Bromeliad. Place a cu...

My English Ivy-Hedera Helix Interior Landscapes and Indoor Plant Care I started in the interior landscape industry as an interior landscape technician in 1985, working for Tiffany's Decorative Plants in Fremont, California. One of my first accounts was the Xerox Research Center in Palo Alto, CA. It was such a big account that it took an entire day to complete all of the work caring for the plants . Not long after I started this job, my supervisor at Tiffany's (then the 2nd largest interior landscape company in the San Francisco Bay Area) let me know she had received the first ever compliment from one of their clients, my contact at Xerox. What a surprise that was, it got me a small promotion and, of course, more work! Indoor plant care seemed pretty easy to me but maybe it is genetics...my mother and grandmother were always avid gardeners but they never really ventured into the world of indoor plants. I have always enjoyed the job because I never had to stay in one ...

Aglaonema Silver Queen Question: I need an easy to care for houseplant that has some variegation and light coloring but will do well in lower light. What is the best houseplant to use? Answer: One of the best houseplants to use for a beautiful look is the visually appealing and easy to care for Aglaonema Silver Queen . Also known as Chinese Evergreens , most Aglaonemas are tolerant of lower light levels and do well in the conditions of the average home or office. For these reasons, they make great additions to any home or professional space. Aglaonema Silver Queen is one of the standards of the interior landscape industry. With its fantastic coloring it will brighten up any indoor area and can be grown in medium to bright indirect light, no direct sun, please! It is one of my favorite Chinese Evergreens . Read more about Aglaonema Silver Queen plant care...

Cast Iron Plant - Aspidistra Question: I need to find a tough indoor plant that can double as an outdoor patio plant for a shaded area. What kind of plant would work? Answer: A great plant for both indoor and outdoor areas is the Aspidistra. Also known as Cast Iron plant, this plant will survive in lower light but will flourish in bright, shaded areas, even out of doors. These plants can withstand temperatures below freezing and they have earned the name of Cast Iron Plants. Aspidistra elatior is the variety generally used as a houseplant. Most often found is the all-green foliage but you may also be able to locate a variegated type of this plant, Aspidistra Milky Way, from specialty plant shops or special order through an interior landscape company. They can be used outdoors but should be kept out of the sun as the leaves will tend to become pale and scorched looking. Read more about Cast Iron plant, Aspidistra plant care...  

Croton Petra Plant Question: I would like to find a colorful, indoor plant. What kind of houseplant fits that description? Answer: If you are looking for an indoor plant with lots of color, Croton may be the plant for you. Croton, or Codiaeum variegatum, is also called Joseph's Coat because it is a plant of many colors. Some of the varieties are simply yellow and green while others have many different colors of foliage, including red, yellow, green, white, cream and many variations of these colors. Croton is a visually attractive plant but be forwarned that the Croton needs a good light situation to retain its beautiful, vibrant colors and full, lush foliage. In addition, this pretty plant requires warm temperatures above 60° F and a relatively high humidity level. Read more information about Croton and Croton plant care...

Cattleya Orchid Flowers A great way to add a touch of color to your home is to use elegant and beautiful Orchids. Phalaenopsis Orchids are quite easy to find as they are one of the easier to care for Orchids and they are usually tolerant of most indoor environments as long as they have good lighting and temperatures. Read  more about Orchids care... I have recently posted a  pictures of Orchids  page to my website. I would love to have pictures that others have taken to add to the gallery. If any readers have some favorite Orchid pictures or even houseplant pictures that they would allow me to post to my plant pictures page , I would love to have them. You can email information and upload photos by visiting my website www.PlantAndFlowerInfo.com  and going to the contact page. Please note that pictures must be under a certain size or they will not upload. Information about your plants type, variety, etc. will help in adding a page and picture description. And yo...

Bromeliad Guzmania Bromeliads are indoor flowering house plants that add great color and texture to your indoor garden. Two favorites are the Aechmea Fasciata and the Vriesea. However, the Guzmania is by far the more common and they are grown in many colors. Bromeliads used for their colorful flower should be in a good bloom stage when you purchase them as they require special conditions to reach this stage. You can have fun with these tropical plants and propagate by removing and planting the "pups" or shoots that grow from the base of a mature specimen. It generally takes about 1-1/2 to 2 years for these plants to reach maturity and produce a bloom. Vriesea ospinae Interior landscapers use these plants as a way to add contrast, color and texture to an interior design. Their secret to keeping them looking great, other than  proper watering and good lighting , is that they are replaced on a regular schedule. This is usually every 8 to 12 weeks, depending on th...