Aglaonema

General Culture:

Grow as an indoor plant area. Prefers diffused sun or good indirect light. Avoid placing in direct sun. Well-drained, peaty potting mixture. Consistent moisture from spring to fall. Does not require winter dormancy, but appreciates a winter period of rest. Reduce watering from early fall to late winter. Do not allow soils to dry out. This indoor plant tolerates atmospheric dryness and somewhat shady locations. Normal room temperature with recommended 60 degrees F. minimum winter temperature.

Noteworthy Characteristics:
Chinese evergreen is an evergreen perennial that generally resembles dieffenbachia (dumb cane) in appearance. It typically grows to 20” tall. Thick, elliptic to lance-shaped, dark green leaves (to 4-8” long and 2-3” wide) with attractive silver-gray blotches on erect, sometimes branched stems. As a houseplant, it rarely flowers. Each axillary flower (typical arum family) features a small creamy white spadix enclosed by a pale green spathe, usually in late summer to early fall. Clusters of red berries follow the flowers. Genus name comes from Greek aglaos (bright) and nema (thread). Commutatum means changing in form.

 

The Plant: Lush, green, leafy plant with silvery patches on leaves, and shiny stamens. Originates from tropical East Asia. Foliage colour is everything on this houseplant.

 

Its needs: Semi-shade, no direct sun. Rich potting compost mix, kept moist but not over-watered. It does not do well if affected by cold or chill, so keep away from draughts.

Advice Information

 

Care: Feed this houseplant every other month during growing season. Moderate warmth and humidity. Mist-spray the leaves to remove dust and keep moist. Over sized plants can be split and re-potted in spring. Watch for mealy bug. Take care not to damage the foliage of the Aglaonema. Do not over-water this houseplant in winter. It should be allowed to dry out from time to time at this season.

Mealy bugs may be a problem in the leaf axils. 

Good for: A shady corner at home or in the office. Simple but effective houseplant.

Caladium Bicolour - Angel Wings

Caladium bicolour (Also known as C. hortulanum) Angel Wings

Heart shaped leaves that are colored in various patterns of white, pink, red or green. Caladiums are available as a tuber or as a greenhouse started potted plant. If you want to save the tuber for the following year, it must be dug up in the fall and stored in a cool, dry place for the winter. A great accent plant in the shade garden, in combination planters, or as a potted plant in a shady area.
 
Sun: Part shade to full shade
Water: Medium
Height: 1 - 2.5 feet

The Plant: Caladiums - Angel Wings - are grown for their spectacular foliage, large heart-shaped leaves with deep red veins running through a central coral-pink leaf, edged with white splashes and a green leaf-margin. It is easy to see why the proper name of Caladium is often substituted by the more descriptive Angel Wings.

The leaves of Angel Wings Houseplant, can reach up to 30 cms in length.

Its needs: Good light but no direct sun. If placed in shade leaf coloration suffers. Avoid draughts. Use an enriched potting compost, can even add a little well-rotted manure. Caladiums appreciate warmth during the growing season and extra humidity in high summer.

Care: The Angel Wing plant dies down completely in winter. The leaves should be cut off and the tubers stored in a cool dry place until replanted in early spring. Apply water only until the new growth is established. Once first leaves are fully unfurled (opened out), use a dilute liquid feed once a week.

Good for: Caladiums work well individually or planted in groups in large containers, providing an excellent display of coloured foliage through the growing season.

Ornamental Plants

If we wish to grow our house or indoor plants successfully, we have to know a little bit about them, and in particular try to replicate the growing conditions which were their original habitats.

This may seem a little daunting - and a lot of bother - but it is surprising how adaptable these 'houseplants' plants are. Most can live in the same habitat as humans - but with perhaps a little understanding, care and attention.

The main criteria for success with indoor plants, is simply not to grow your particular plant in conditions which are alien to it!  A bit difficult sometimes - especially when the house plant has been given as a present, and needs to be seen to be doing well!

There are so many indoor plants available these days that it is possible to find one for virtually any situation, or house, or any style of decor.

Houseplants can be very beneficial and healthy to our lives. They purify and renew our stale indoor air by filtering out toxins, pollutants and the carbon dioxide we exhale - replacing them with life sustaining oxygen!

Research by NASA showed that some house plants are more efficient in filtering out toxins than others. Philodendrons and Spider plants were found to be the most efficient in the removal of formaldehyde. Gerbera Daisies and Chrysanthemums were found to be effective in the removal of benzene, a known carcinogen.

Generally, allow one houseplant per 100 square feet of living area. The more vigorous the plant, the more air it can filter. Plants will do little - if anything -to filter tobacco smoke in the air.