Posts

Video: How to grow and care for geraniums with Garden Answer!

Watch as Laura from @GardenAnswer along with the help of Espoma Organic Seed Starter, takes you step by step through the process of planting and caring for multiple varieties of geraniums.

Laura feeds her indoor geraniums with Indoor! Espoma Organic liquid plant food.

 

 

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/gardenanswer 

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer

https://www.instagram.com/gardenanswer/

 

Featured Products: 

VIDEO: Seed Starting for Spring with Kaleb Wyse!

Seed starting is easy when you follow along with Wyse Guide! Bundle up your seeds this winter with Espoma Organic Seed Starter, and by the time it’s warm enough to put them outside, you’ll already have beautiful, strong root growth. Watch the full video below for a step-by-step introduction to spring your seeds into action! 

Learn more about Wyse Guide here:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGrayBoxwood 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyseGuide/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WyseGuide/ 

Website: https://www.wyseguide.com/ 

 

Featured Products:

Video: Indoor Plant Care with Garden Answer!

Hang out with Laura @Gardenanswer as she gives her plants some TLC and provides some essential indoor plant care tips!

Laura feeds her indoor plants with Indoor! Espoma Organic liquid plant food.

 

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/gardenanswer 

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer

https://www.instagram.com/gardenanswer/

 

Featured Product:

 

VIdeo: Winter Plant Projects with Garden Answer

Who says you can’t pot plants in the winter?

Watch as Laura from @GardenAnswer shows you what she’s planting this time of year while using Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix and Bio-tone Starter Plus! Laura takes you on a tour of her majestic greenhouse and beautiful plant studio. Take notes as she shares valuable plant care tips that you can utilize to be successful his winter.

Learn more about Garden Answer here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/gardenanswer 

https://www.gardenanswer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gardenanswer

https://www.instagram.com/gardenanswer/

 

Featured Products:

 

 

BAGR 110 Blog: Low Waste Plant Parenthood

Caring for plants can connect us back to nature. Engaging with them on a daily basis either in our homes or in our gardens can help us understand the importance of preserving the natural world around us. In this blog, we do a deep dive into low-waste choices you can make to have a more sustainable plant collection and a more positive impact on the environment.

This blog is inspired by Episode 110 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Nick Cutsumpas of Farmer Nick.

Don’t get intimidated by the “zero” in “zero waste”

As a society, we often get intimidated and overwhelmed when we see something that says “zero.” Even if we strive for zero waste, we recognize that there are certain wasteful elements in our lives that are inevitable. 

Let’s face it—achieving “zero waste” is almost close to impossible. Instead, let’s try to reduce waste as much as possible and promote a “low waste” style of plant parenthood. 

We don’t need 10% of the population living a 100% zero waste lifestyle. We need 100% of the population making choices that lead them to be at least 10% more sustainable.

 

What is Waste?

To put it simply, waste is something that will end up in a landfill. Items that cannot be recycled should be considered waste. It is a growing problem affecting not just the environment but also our population.

Waste contaminates water if not disposed of properly and can get absorbed by fish and other aquatic life. This then spreads into the food chain and is now affecting the population.

 

Here are 3 low waste tips you can apply to your approach to plant care. 

 

Low Waste Tip #1: Reuse everything (or at least as much as you can)

Take a look at something, pick it up, and instead of the Marie Kondo style of, “Does it bring me joy? If not, throw it away,” try saying, “What kind of purpose do you have in my now?”

Here are some examples for upcycling your plant products: 

  1. If you buy a plant at the garden center and it comes in a plastic pot. Instead of throwing it away, save it to use for another plant, or try and return it to your garden center for them to reuse.
  2. Many companies now have lots of fantastic alternative types of packaging, whether it’s compostable packing peanuts, recyclable shipping containers, or even pots made out of rice. Try supporting companies that use sustainable packaging.
  3. Instead of tossing a glass yogurt container or bottle, upcycle it into a propagation vessel.
  4. If composting is available to you, instead of tossing your dead houseplants, annuals, and food waste in your garbage, compost them and use them in your garden in the years to come.

Espoma has always been a zero waste manufacturing facility and continues to strive to create zero waste during its manufacturing processes.

Here are some of Espoma’s sustainability accomplishments

  • < 1% waste of packaging materials
  • Recycling of skids and damaged pallets
  • Largest recycler of manure – Prevents millions of lbs. of raw manure from leaching into waterways

Low Waste Tip #2: Choose sustainably made, organic fertilizers and potting mixes

Plant roots require soil as a foothold. It contains nutrients that allow plants to grow. Putting them in high-quality potting mix or soil is an easy choice when trying to set your plant up to thrive. 

Anyone who wants to take care of the environment should not be buying from places that use potentially harmful synthetic fertilizers. 

As for quality soils, look no further than Espoma’s Organic Potting Soils. This contains a rich blend of only the finest natural ingredients. No synthetic plant foods or chemicals are used.

Low Waste Tip #3: Know your plant number!

This might be tough for some people to hear, but knowing your plant number not only saves you money but also saves your plants and your waste footprint! 

Say you have 50 plants and they’re all thriving under your care. Let’s assume that is your limit or plant number. If you add your 51st plant and then the quality of care suffers for the other plants, you might start losing plants in your collection due to overwhelm or negligence. That’s not sustainable. 

Before you bring a plant home, be honest with yourself and ask, “Do I have the space? Do I have the time and the right environment for this?” 

This is also a lesson in restraint—by taking a step back and knowing that you don’t need another plant in your collection: you limit waste and increase the likelihood of your plant collection bringing you joy instead of stress.

Protecting the environment

In today’s world that divides us, the environment is one of the things that can be quite polarizing depending on what views you have. But no one can disagree with the fact that we all use and require the natural resources the Earth so generously offers us.

Anyone who has been inspired by the vastness of the ocean, the awesome height of a redwood tree or the simple relaxation a hike can bring can understand the importance of nature. So all humans, in essence, should view themselves as stewards of the earth. 

Understanding your responsibility to the Earth doesn’t require you to move to a cabin and live off the grid. You can live in sync with nature and it can be done so in a way that does not detract from your lifestyle by making simple, sustainable choices that benefit you and the planet.

*****

About Our Interviewee

Nick is a “plantrepreneur” who is passionate about all things green. As a full-time plant coach, urban gardener, and landscape designer, Nick’s mission is to leave the earth greener than when he found it—giving people the knowledge and confidence they need to create their own green spaces in the pursuit of environmental action and social justice. 

Watch Nick and other rapid-fire renovators on Netflix, Instant Dream Home. This showcases Nick and his incredibly talented friends taking big risks and making painstaking plans to transform families’ homes from top to bottom in just 12 hours.

​​Follow Farmer Nick:

Website

Instagram

 

Featured Products:

 

BAGR 113 Blog: How to Green Up Your Living Space

People are spending more time than ever indoors and at their screens, and that’s why it’s never been more important to have plants in our living spaces. This blog covers the benefits of having plants indoors and provides simple and affordable tips for greening up your own living space to be more in sync with nature. 

 

This blog is inspired by Episode 113 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla discusses why and how to green up your living space.

 

Why Should I Have Plants Inside My Home? 

Being around plants has been proven to have a variety of benefits for humans. Plants can increase your creativity, alertness, productivity, cognitive performance, and concentration. They can also reduce stress, help lower blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce mental fatigue. Not to mention… plants look beautiful! Who doesn’t want a more picture-perfect home? 

 

What is Biophilia? 

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already a fan of nature. Biophilia is a hypothesis initially created by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm and then made popular by biologist Edward O. Wilson that states that humans have an innate desire to be around other living things. We are nature, therefore we seek to be around other natural things. It’s why we feel so calm around our pets, or so peaceful in natural settings.

 

How to Green Up Your Living Space

The best tip to make your space greener: always have a plant in your eyesight. This is especially important for areas you spend a lot of time in: the kitchen, living room, and home office. Make sure that where you look, there is some iteration of plant.


     1) Use Plants or Images of Plants

If you have a window in your space, make it a focal point. Place a desk, table, or couch against the window for that visual connection with nature. Put plants within the eye-line of your tables or any place you’ll be looking frequently. Another option is to put pictures of plants on the wall, so if you can’t have the real thing, you can still benefit from seeing pictures of nature. Photos, watercolors, paintings, or even botanical wallpaper can invoke that feeling of plants in your space. 

 

“Maria’s favorite botanical wallpaper is from Rifle Paper Company”

 

     2) Incorporate All of Your Senses

Different sensory inputs can mimic nature in your space too. Think of ways you can incorporate sounds, smells, and textures in nature. A small trickling water fountain, a soundtrack of calming rainforest noises or birdsongs, and scented plants, candles, or diffusers can all help green up your space. 

Our favorite scented plants: 

  • Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
  • Hoya lacunosa: blooms smell like cinnamon
  • Maxillaria tenuifolia, nicknamed “The Coconut Orchid” has a piña colada scent! 
  • Rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

     3 ) Use Your Space Wisely – Look up!

If you have a small space, this is especially important. Using vertical space to display plants or images of plants can really help fill in empty areas. You can use shelves, install hanging planters, attach plants to curtain rods, or even create green walls. Don’t just let your bookshelf be all business–let it be a little planty as well. 


     4) Mix Up Your Textures

Greening up your space doesn’t have to be with just living things. There are so many patterns in nature that show up and have been proven to relax us. Consider having accent details in your space made of natural wood grains, leather, stone, fossil textures, or bamboo as a way to mimic being outdoors in nature.

 


     5) Think About Your Light Setup

A window with natural light will of course give you lots of options for plants. But if you don’t have a window, you’re certainly not out of luck! Picking plants for your space is all about understanding your light setup. 

Remember: plants use light to make their food. So no light = no food = dead plants. If you truly have no natural light in your home, opt for a grow light. 

Suggestions for low-light homes: 

  • Snake plants (Sansevieria spp.)
  • Philodendron
  • Air plants (Tillandsia spp.)  

Suggestion for high-light homes:

  • Fiddle leaf figs (Ficus lyrata)
  • Succulent collection
  • Any type of Peperomia or Hoya

However you choose to green up your living space, remember that plants are our connection to the natural world. Spend screen free time with them everyday.  Use watering or caring for them as an excuse to get up from your computer and take some “me time” because plant care is self care. 

*****

Check out Maria’s Planty Home Office Tour for an in-depth look into her setup and her new book Growing Joy: The Plant Lover’s Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)

For a deeper understanding of the science behind biophilia, read “14 Patterns of Biophilic Design” by William Browning, Catherine Ryan, and Joseph Clancy. 

 

About Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast

 Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast helps people care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned happy plant lady, interviews experts on various aspects of plant care, and encourages listeners to not only care for plants, but learn to care for themselves along the way.

 

Recomended Products:

      

 

 

BAGR 117 Blog: Alocasia Care 101

There are so many reasons to love Alocasia, from their unique leaf shape to their gorgeous vein patterns and their incredible variety of colors. In this blog, we do a deep dive into Alocasia care.

 

This blog is inspired by Episode 117 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Enid Offolter, owner of NSE Tropicals.

 

Best Soil for Alocasia 

Alocasia plants prefer well-draining soil. Using Espoma’s Organic Potting Soil Mix amended with aerated blends like Orchid Mix and Perlite will ensure an airy potting soil for your Alocasia. 

 

Alocasia Watering Requirements 

Because Alocasia plants prefer well-draining soils, they do not like to sit in any standing water. It’s best not to let them dry out completely either. Let the top half of your soil dry out with the bottom half staying moist before you water again. 

 

The Type of Light Alocasia Need

Most Alocasia plants need shade, but some large varieties like Alocasia macrorrhiza ‘Borneo Giant’ can tolerate full sun. Smaller varieties like Alocasia reginula ‘Black Velvet’ and Alocasia cuprea prefer darker environments. That being said, indoor lighting environments are considerable darker than their natural outdoor ones. Bright, indirect light like an Eastern-facing window is best for most Alocasia varieties in your home. 

 

Alocasia Humidity Requirements

Alocasia plants are tropical, so they prefer moderate to high humidity indoors. Typical indoor conditions would work for Alocasia, potentially adding some humidity during dry Winter months. Aim for 60-80% humidity for happy plants. 

 

Fertilizing 

Stick with fertilizing Alocasia during the growing season from Spring through Summer. Espoma’s Organic Indoor Houseplant Food is an all-purpose liquid fertilizer you can use every two to four weeks during the growing season for healthy, new growth.

 

Common Alocasia Problems

Alocasia plants can be prone to root rot, so it’s important not to over-water. To help prevent over watering, try keeping your Alocasia a bit more root bound. If your pot is too big, it’s much easier to give your plants too much water because it takes the soil longer to dry out.

 

Alocasia Dormancy Period

Most Alocasia varieties will go “half dormant” in the Winter, where they tend to look like they might be dying. You may even observe your Alocasia trying to flower, which really takes a lot of energy out of the plant. 

But don’t worry! This is completely normal for Alocasia plants during the Winter months. Make sure to leave the yellowing leaves for the plant to absorb that energy back into itself, and your Alocasia should come back just fine in Spring. In the Spring, remove dead leaves and continue watering and giving it light and new growth should show up in no time. 

 

Best Alocasia Varieties for Beginners

Two varieties of Alocasia for beginners are Alocasia baginda ‘Dragon Scale’ and Alocasia ‘Silver Dragon.’ Both do well indoors with bright, indirect light. 

 

Best Alocasia Varieties for Advanced Plant Parents

Two Alocasia varieties that tend to be best for more advanced plant parents are Alocasia cuprea and Alocasia azlanii

There really are so many wonderful varieties of Alocasia that any plant parent can find one to fit their needs! 

*****

About Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast

 Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast helps people care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned happy plant lady, interviews experts on various aspects of plant care, and encourages listeners to not only care for plants, but learn to care for themselves along the way.

About Our Interviewee

NSE Tropicals is well known for its large selection of hard-to-find anthuriums, philodendrons, and other unusual plants. Their online store is dedicated to bringing the odd, unusual, rare, exotic or seemingly unattainable to fellow collectors. 

Enid Offolter of NSE Tropicals just released her new book, Welcome to the Jungle: Rare Tropical Houseplants to Collect, Grow, and Love. This book is all about unusual aroids and how to care for them. It profiles 50 plants that aren’t so common in the plant trade and you certainly won’t find at big box stores. 

​​Follow Enid & NSE Tropicals:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

 

Featured Products:

 

BAGR 125 Blog: Palm Care 101

Large, gorgeous palms can bring the vibes of the tropical jungle right into your home. With huge leaves cascading over delicate stems, it’s hard not to love these beautiful plants. However, palms are notoriously tricky plants to successfully care for indoors. In this blog, we’ll cover how to not kill palms and how to properly care for them.

This blog is inspired by Episode 125 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Chris Satch of The NYC Plant Doctor.

Most Common Houseplant Palms

Palms are in the palm family, Arecaceae. One of the most common houseplant palms we see is the parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans).

 

Other common indoor palms include the fishtail palm (Caryota mitis).

 

and the areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens).

Indoor palms need filtered water and increased humidity.

Palms can unfortunately be quite finicky and a little more difficult than other houseplants. There are quite a few types of palms, but we will focus mostly on parlor palm care. 

Parlor palms do not like a lot of salts or hard water, because salts can damage the leaves and turn the tips black. 

Indoor palms also prefer more humid environments. Humidity and salt damage are both abiotic damage, which means they’re caused by a non-living thing and should affect the plant evenly and symmetrically. A trick for palm diagnosis is salt damage often looks black, while humidity damage is brown.

 

Watering Houseplant Palms

Because indoor palms are sensitive to salts, use distilled water or even better, rainwater. 

Watering palms can be very nuanced, because a palm is a thin-leafed plant and any plant with very thin leaves goes through water quickly. While you want the soil to dry out enough to prevent fungus gnats, you don’t want it to stay dry for long. 

A general watering rule for palms is to let the top centimeter of soil dry out, and then water again. Make sure they don’t get too dry between waterings.

Light Requirements for Houseplant Palms

The parlor palm is specifically sold as a low-light plant, but it really isn’t a low-light plant. Because palms are so slow growing, they need quite a bit of sun indoors. A bright, sunny window is a great spot for an indoor palm. 

Why Are My Palm Leaves Yellow?

If your new leaves are significantly paler than the rest, that’s an indication your palm needs more light. 

The Best Temperature for Houseplant Palms

Palms don’t like ambient cold temperatures and certainly don’t like cold drafts. First, indoor palms will stop growing if they get too cold. And once they do get warmer temperatures, they’ll actually wait to start growing to make sure their environment won’t get cold again. 

Houseplant palms really love warm, tropical “vibes” indoors so make sure your environment is around 65-80 degrees.

How Much Do You Fertilize Houseplant Palms? 

If you consider how palm trees grow outdoors, many of them grow in poor, sandy soils without many nutrients. To replicate that for indoor palms, they really don’t need to be fertilized often.

Try Espoma’s long lasting, slow release Palm-tone to ensure dark green leaves. 

Repotting Houseplant Palms

Indoor palms dislike their root mass being disturbed. When you do repot an indoor palm, try not to loosen the soil or disturb the root mass. Try to keep it as intact as possible. 

Pro tip: do not plant palms in terracotta pots. Not only does terracotta dry the plant out too much, but it also holds onto salts. Stick with plastic or sealed ceramic pots to set yourself up for success.

Houseplant Palm Pests

Indoor palms are also very susceptible to pests. Their thin leaves and clumped roots lend to many insects hiding in the foliage. Pests like spider mites, mealy bugs, scale, and aphids are all possible on indoor palms. 

To manage pests, take your palm outdoors for treatment when the weather is warm, if possible. Use a hose with a strong water blast to dislodge as many insects as possible. Use the force of the water to spray the undersides of the palm too, since many pests will cling to the bottom of the leaves. 

Don’t Get Discouraged!

If you decide to try and care for a palm indoors, know that this is not a beginner plant. You might need to try one or two varieties until you find the right fit. However, if you can get your palm in the right light with clean water, they can be a wonderful addition to your home as a WOW factor statement plant.

*****

About Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast

 

Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast helps people care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned happy plant lady, interviews experts on various aspects of plant care, and encourages listeners to not only care for plants, but learn to care for themselves along the way.

About Our Interviewee

Chris Satch is a professor at the New York Botanical Gardens and an expert in all botanical, horticultural, and plant-related topics. Often called The Plant Doctor, he has helped thousands of people with gardening or houseplant problems to achieve success.

With his M.S. in Plant Science from Rutgers University, and his vast experience doing plant research and working in the horticulture industry, he helps plant lovers find solutions for themselves and their businesses. 

​​Follow Chris:

Instagram: @botanictonic | @nycplantdoctor

Website

Parlor Palm Care article

 

Featured Products:

 

The Gift That Keeps on Growing: Why Green Gifting is the Way to Go

The holidays are right around the corner, and gift shopping is in full swing. Not sure what to get the gardener in your life? We’ve got you covered. Even for those less horticulturally inclined, a low-maintenance plant can be a welcome addition to their home or office. Plant presents are going to be all the rage this year, and when you pair them with a bottle of Espoma Organic Liquid Fertilizer, they’ll only continue to grow for holiday seasons to come. Here’s our guide to meaningful plant presents and why green giving is a great option for the holidays!

 

5 Recommendations for a Meaningful Plant Present

     1. Aloe Vera

Health is wealth, and just one aloe vera plant can bring significant medicinal benefits! Aloe can be used to treat burns, improve digestion, nourish skin, and more. These super air-purifying succulents are also easy to care for, and they only need bright natural light and infrequent watering (typically every 3 weeks, but longer in the winter). Gift aloe vera with good wishes for your recipient’s health, and pair your present with Espoma Organic Cactus! Liquid Fertilizer to keep the love growing. 

 

     2. Christmas Cactus

If the name isn’t enough of an indicator, Christmas cactus plants make great holiday gifts! They’re low-maintenance like aloe vera, thriving in bright sunlight and with spaced-out watering. Christmas cacti are known to bloom red, pink, orange, or cream flowers right around the end of December, year after year. With a bottle of Espoma Organic Cactus! Liquid Fertilizer and care instructions, a Christmas cactus is a living, reblooming reminder of love. That’s a gift that truly keeps on giving!

 

3. Peace Lily

The peace lily is an oh-so aesthetically pleasing present to put on your shopping list. With dark green foliage and elegant white flowers, the peace lily is a visually striking addition to any space. It symbolizes purity, rebirth, and tranquility and is a great way to express your genuine support for someone. The peace lily is also easy to care for because the flowers will droop as a signal that the plant needs more water. With visual beauty and simple maintenance, the air-purifying peace lily is a lovely gift that will last beyond the holiday season.

   

 4. Philodendron

Looking for something with more of an artsy touch? Philodendrons are a frequent feature in modern art, making them perfect for a creative plant lover. The plant symbolizes health, growth, and beauty, so they make ideal gifts for someone entering a new phase in life. Philodendrons vary in appearance, but their low-maintenance nature makes them a common pick for plant parents. Amp up the love by gifting a heart-leaf philodendron variation and include a bottle of Espoma Organic Indoor! Liquid Fertilizer to keep the plant thriving for years to come! 

 

5. Poinsettia

This wouldn’t be a proper plant-centric gift guide without mentioning the poinsettia. More than 100 varieties of poinsettias are available today in a wide range of colors, but you can’t go wrong with classic red and green. Poinsettias are easy to find around the holidays and not too difficult to care for—just be sure to limit their exposure to the cold, as cool temperatures can cause the leaves to drop prematurely. To make this festive plant present extra special, repot it in a decorative container!

 

Why Gift a Plant Present?

Sustainable gifts have been on the rise for years now, and what better way to go green than by supporting a local gardening store and gifting a thoughtfully picked plant? Plants make beautiful decor items, functional air purifiers, and unique reminders of love. With a symbolic selection, care instructions, decorative repotting, and a boost from an Espoma Organic Liquid Fertilizer, a plant present will leave a lasting impact on your recipient’s health and happiness… even if they are a bit difficult to wrap.

*****

We hope this plant-centric gift guide helps you incorporate a little fun and foliage into your holiday shopping this season. Have a plant present idea we missed? 

Share it with us on our Facebook page

Or on our YouTube Page

Tag us on Instagram!

 

Featured Products:

 

 

Popular Aroids to Add to Your Collection

This blog is inspired by Episode 153 of Bloom and Grow Radio Podcast, where host Maria Failla interviewed Enid Offolter, owner of NSE Tropicals.

​​Aroids have always been fascinating with their different leaf shapes, structures, and textures, so it’s no surprise that this set of plants are blooming into popularity. In this blog we discuss five popular and unique aroids to add to your collection. This blog is definitely geared towards you curious-collector plant parent types out there, so let’s dive in!

What Are Aroids? 

Aroids are in the family Araceae, which includes many common houseplants like philodendrons, anthuriums, monsteras, ZZ plants, and pothos. Many of these are “moderate light” plants indoors, mimicking their natural growing conditions as understory plants outdoors. To learn more about aroids check out our blog, “What’s An Aroid?

Why Are Aroids So Popular? 

Aroids grow well indoors, which helps their popularity because plant parents can grow them easily. They are surprisingly hardy and difficult to kill. Most aroids are also easy to propagate and share with other plant lovers. They come in many different forms too: big round leaves that give you a tropical look, skinny leaves, and three-inch tall all the way up to three-feet tall aroids. 

Now that you’ve learned a bit about aroids, let’s jump into 5 unique aroids that would be great additions to any plant collection. 

5 Popular & Unique Aroids

Unique Aroid #1: Philodendron tortum 

Philodendron tortum has long, skinny leaflets that look similar to a fern and prefers to climb. New growth emerges like a corkscrew and plants can grow about 18 inches to two-feet tall. It’s a fascinating philodendron that adds interesting textures to your collection. 

Being pretty easy to care for, Philodendron tortum doesn’t create much drama or stress. It prefers indoor light conditions at mid-range to bright light with well-draining soil. 

 

Unique Aroid #2: Philodendron bernardopazzii

Next up is Philodendron bernardopazzii with its glossy green leaves and lighter veins down the center. Long, narrow leaves can grow up to three feet in a large enough environment, and form a slender heart shape. The stems also have a bit of red in them. 

Philodendron bernardopazzii is another aroid that’s easy to care for. Give it something to climb for support and it will be even happier. It prefers mid-range to bright light and well-draining soil. 

 

Unique Aroid #3: Anthurium veitchii

Anthurium veitchii has a long leaf that’s corrugated with ribs all the way down its heart shape. Leaves are about eight-inches wide and can grow up to five-feet long in a beautiful shade of green.

Its care can be slightly more difficult than the previous two aroids. It needs more humidity than philodendrons and better placement. Because it can grow long, try growing Anthurium veitchii in a hanging basket or on top of a pedestal. It can get by on a little less light than the above philodendrons, but still prefers medium light. Make sure you plant it in well draining soil. 

 

Unique Aroid #4: Anthurium ‘Selby’s Silver’

Anthurium ‘Selby’s Silver’ is named in honor of Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. This aroid can grow in much smaller pots with its small, clumping leaves. It stays relatively normal in size with leaves about three-inches long. Its new leaves are reddish, so you’re likely to have all different color leaves growing at the same time.

Anthurium ‘Selby’s Silver’ is another that’s a bit more delicate than a philodendron. Opt for a well-draining soil like our Organic Potting Soil Mix combined with our Organic Charcoal to add even better drainage. These aroids prefer a decent amount of humidity and medium light as well. 

 

Unique Aroid #5: Philodendron distantilobum

And finally we have Philodendron distantilobum. This climbing aroid has a similar leaf shape to  Philodendron tortum, but much wider. New growth also has the corkscrew curl as well. Provide some extra support for this climber, since it attaches to structures as it grows. 

Similar to the other philodendrons, medium to bright light and well draining soil is preferred. 

 

*****

Want to know more about aroids and unique houseplants? Check out Enid Offolter’s new book, Welcome to the Jungle: Rare Tropical Houseplants to Collect, Grow, and Love

 

About Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast

 

Bloom & Grow Radio Podcast helps people care for plants successfully and cultivate more joy in their lives. Host Maria Failla, a former plant killer turned happy plant lady, interviews experts on various aspects of plant care, and encourages listeners to not only care for plants, but learn to care for themselves along the way.

 

About Our Interviewee

 

NSE Tropicals is well known for its large selection of hard-to-find anthuriums, philodendrons, and other unusual plants. Their online store is dedicated to bringing the odd, unusual, rare, exotic or seemingly unattainable to fellow collectors. 

 

Enid Offolter of NSE Tropicals just released her new book, Welcome to the Jungle: Rare Tropical Houseplants to Collect, Grow, and Love. This book is all about unusual aroids and how to care for them. It profiles 50 plants that aren’t so common in the plant trade and you certainly won’t find at big box stores. 

​​Follow Enid & NSE Tropicals:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

 

Featured Products: