Tough houseplants that anyone can grow By Dorothy Dobbie
Pothos.
Philodendron. 32 • 2021
T
here is no such thing as a brown thumb, only busy people who don’t have time to fuss over the green things in their homes. So, to help you, we have compiled a list of a few plants that are never-miss. They can tolerate neglect and spring right back when you think they are on the brink of death and gratefully un-wilt, drop a sad leaf or two, but smile on you with perky leaves and even some blooms when you turn your attention to them for a moment. Philodendron Number one in my home is a plant that doesn’t look its thirty-some years. It has no drainage and has not been repotted for at least two decades. I am speaking of the pretty little philodendron in my bedroom. It is never fertilized and watered only occasionally when it looks very dry. If I neglect it too long, it will transform a leaf into yellow as a signal. Philodendron hederaceum, also known as heartleaf philodendron, is a mildly vining plant, tumbling pleasingly out of its pot. Give it a haircut once in a while and put the cuttings in a glass of water. They will grow roots and can stay in that water as long as you like. Repotted, the cuttings can provide a gift for a lonely friend. Philodendron has some important relatives that are almost as tough. Philodendron bipinnatifidum, a largeleafed variety will fill an empty corner that doesn’t get direct sunlight. On the other hand, Philodendron ‘Birkin’ is a cultivar much in the news these days as the new kid on the block. It is not easy care, needing lots of humidity, so if you don’t have a lot of time to devote to your plants, shun this shiny little striped beauty. Pothos Philodendron is easy to confuse with pothos, Epipremnum aureum, (also called Devil’s ivy) another hardy, vining plant that has variegated markings of gold, white or yellow on its leaves. The leaves are narrower than those of the heart-shaped leaf of the philodendron, but larger, thicker, and
Spider plant. Issue 1
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