Interesting Tidbits about Some Favorite Houseplants
With February being Houseplant Month, I thought I’d share some odd and interesting facts I’ve discovered over years about some of my favorite plants.
Peace Lilies
They’re so pretty with their white flowers but did you know Peace Lilies are not lilies at all but are related to Chinese Evergreens and philodendrons?
Philodendrons
Philodendrons are everyone’s favorite low-to-moderate light plants but did you know that in the wild the small berries produced by philodendrons are an important food source for bats and monkeys? Philodendron seldom, if ever, bloom and fruit indoors, however.
Spider Plants
Spider plants, with their many babies, are related to asparagus. While I love asparagus, I don’t think I’ll be oven-roasting my spider plant any time soon.
Dracaenas
The popular low-light tolerant “corn” plants, etc. are named for a female dragon (Drakaina). Some wild dracaenas have a red sap which people equated with dragon’s blood.
Ficus
Our popular Rubber Trees, Weeping Figs, and Fiddle-leaf Figs are related to the hardy Ficus Carica—the fruiting fig. Do you really want to eat that Fig Newton in front of your Fiddleleaf?
Christmas Cacti
Unlike most cacti, Christmas Cacti are NOT a desert cactus. Rather, they are native to the tropical rainforest in Brazil! In Brazil, they are called Flor de Maio—or May Flowers, which is when they bloom there.
Orchids
The costly flavoring “vanilla” comes from a seedpod of an orchid. The Vanilla Orchid is the only orchid grown for anything other than the beauty of the flowers.
African Violets
African Violets are NOT violets at all, but Gesneriads—a family of plants that includes Gloxinias, Streptocarpus, and Lipstick Vines.
Venus Fly Traps
Did you know if you fertilize a Venus Fry Trap, it may stop producing traps? Why catch your own food if you don’t have to?
Jade Plants
Those pretty succulent Jade Plants are an Asian symbol of Good Fortune. Feng Shui encourages placing Jades in east windows for family harmony, west windows for creativity, and southeast windows for wealth.
Brighten Your Home With an Indoor Plant!
Houseplants not only add beauty to your home but clean the air, too. Why not brighten your home with a lovely houseplant – or even two or three?
Stop by the Greenhouse to see our great selection. We can help you select that “just right” plant for your indoor light conditions.
I stopped by the store on Rt7 the other day and was grateful for assistance from a very nice young man who carried my plants to the car for me. I very much appreciated that
I would love information about what house plants are dangerous or toxic for dogs.
Hi Bonnie!
We have a nice hand-out here on plants that are toxic to pets. Come by and grab a copy. That said, do understand you still want to discourage them from nibbling even a non-toxic plant as they may have an allergic reaction. A mister bottle on a sharp spray can work wonders! As for your citrus question, YES, citrus trees are easy indoors–if you have a window that gets six hours or more of DIRECT sunlight. As a matter of fact, Saturday, February 29th, we’re having a free seminar on growing citrus–and they’ll be 20% off!
Can a Meyer Lemon tree be grown and produce inside ?
Hi, Sherry–Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. It’s good to know!