Plants of the Month

Smooth Satin Scindapsus is a handsome guy dressed in smooth, satin, deep green with lovely silver speckles. The curving tips of the leaf to one side gives the leaf a playful paisley shape to it. The name "Pictus" means painted or spotted. The midrib of the leaf is green, with a silvery edge on each leaf. A soft looking texture at first glance has sparkly, crystal clear little cells if you look real close. Native to southeast Asia and some Pacific isles, this epiphyte climbs trees with the aid of strong, grasping aerial roots that fasten firmly onto their host trees, soaring up to 10' long.  Supported leaves, whether in a wild jungle tree or on a mossy pole at home, can sometimes grow dramatically larger. In a hanging basket or pot, the same 10' length can be expected in a happy plant.

• Low Maintenance
• Low Light
• Trailing

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Low/Med (2):  Doesn't need as much water, but doesn't like to stay dry for too long. Plant will become droopy when really thirsty.
• Light - Low/Med (2):  These plants need some diffused light to stay happy. Prefers if there is a window in the room, but doesn't need to be very light nor close to it.
• Difficulty - Low/Med (2):  A little less finicky than most. Doesn't require much attention at all.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

Dracaena Tornado looks like a miniature version of its cousin, the good old Dracaena Massangeana in a younger stage. It has similar leaves but the opposite color arrangement with a wide green band down the center and yellow edges, but that's where the comparison ends. Tornado has very short leaves close together on the cane which veer and swerve clockwise as if swirled by a tornado. Short and dense, this little twister would be lost on the floor but is a great table or desk plant to see the spin action up close. Eventually topping out at 48", Tornado will develop the typical Dracaena stems and then be a swell floor plant.

• Also known as Dragon Tree
• Air Purifying
• Low Maintenance

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Medium (3):  Water plant when dry. Plant does not like soil to always be moist, but doesn't like to stay dry once becomes dry. Water as soon as soil is dry.
• Light - Medium (3):  Plant prefers natural, diffused light. Can be placed in a spacious living room. Indirect light preferred. No direct sunlight on leaves.
• Difficulty - Low (1):  These plants need barely any attention to thrive. Set it and forget it.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

Well, there are two explanations for the Calathea Rattlesnake's name that we know of. There may be more.... One is that the wild, dark green spots on smooth textured but wavy bumpy, pale green leaves resemble the skin of an exotic snake (probably poisonous). The other is that as a member of the Prayer plant family, Rattlesnake also folds up its leaves at night making praying hands, accompanied by a soft rustling sound that reminds one of a rattling snake tail. This is one of the hardier Calatheas which can even grow outside all year in California and Florida. Much less prone to leaf-tip burn and less of a fussy than most, this nice forgiving Calathea is a good choice for beginners and everyone else.

• Also known as Calathea Lancifolia
• Air Purifying
• Pet Friendly

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Med/High (4):  Prefers more water than most, but soil can dry out periodically. Use a spray bottle to mist and increase humidity levels without soaking the soil and roots.
• Light - Medium (3):  Plant prefers natural, diffused light. Can be placed in a spacious living room. Indirect light preferred. No direct sunlight on leaves.
• Difficulty - Low/Med (2):  A little less finicky than most. Doesn't require much attention at all.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

Curly Lipstick is the cute, curly-headed little sister of the regular Lipstick. Her little,  perfectly almond shaped-leaves have a pretty, sateen green finish with a touch of white velvet hair, but smaller than Lipstick. Each of those leaves curls and leans on its neighbor making full, fat vines. Each of those vines go snaking wherever in an unruly pile looking for all the world like a wild hairdo. On some of the vines, some of the leaves are arranged so evenly they look like a green, leafy chain. Of course, the famous scarlet red lipstick flowers appear near the end of each unruly and snaky stem, but half-sized in miniature but with all the glory of big sister Lipstick. You will love this plant!

• Pet Friendly
• Trailing

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Medium (3):  Water plant when dry. Plant does not like soil to always be moist, but doesn't like to stay dry once becomes dry. Water as soon as soil is dry.
• Light - Medium (3):  Plant prefers natural, diffused light. Can be placed in a spacious living room. Indirect light preferred. No direct sunlight on leaves.
• Difficulty - Med/High (4):  A little more finicky than most. Requires some extra care.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

The Stromanthe Sanguinea ‘Triostar’ is a wild child of the Maranta family.  Nice and long, oval leaves with pointy tips glow pinky cream, pine green, and ruby rose. Leaf undersides and stems are a flaming magenta. Newest leaves appear tightly rolled and upright, then slowly unroll and settle down mostly horizontally. The whole plant looks like a flock of exotic birds of paradise taking off from the pot.  Simply a riot of color! Indoors, a grown up ‘Triostar’ can reach 2-3 ft tall and 1-2 ft wide. Triostar shares the most charming habit of most of the Maranta family, gently folding its fabulous leaves upwards in prayer at night. 

• Air Purifying
• Pet Friendly

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Med/High (4):  Prefers more water than most, but soil can dry out periodically. Use a spray bottle to mist and increase humidity levels without soaking the soil and roots.
• Light - Medium (3):  Plant prefers natural, diffused light. Can be placed in a spacious living room. Indirect light preferred. No direct sunlight on leaves.
• Difficulty - Medium (3):  Not too difficult to keep happy, but does require some attention.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

Craigii Compacta is the tough guy in the plant world. Dark and shiny, sharply pointed and rich green, the leaves stick out evenly and tightly stacked from the sand colored canes. Their foliage is bound so tightly together, the tufted heads look like feather dusters. They will lose lower leaves as new ones appear, giving the more mature plant an artistic personality as those woody canes emerge. Its narrow, lanky shape is perfect for those tight corners where other plants just won't fit. You almost never water it much; it takes awhile to dry out. Light from the front in the evenings when you are relaxing make magical shadows on the wall. Smaller, contrasting color plants planted around the bottom of the pot make nice arrangements, too, and more to gaze upon while you're relaxing.

• Also known as Dwarf Janet Craig or Compact Dragon Tree
• Air Purifying
• Low Light
• Low Maintenance

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Medium (3):  Water plant when dry. Plant does not like soil to always be moist, but doesn't like to stay dry once becomes dry. Water as soon as soil is dry.
• Light - Low/Med (2):  These plants need some diffused light to stay happy. Prefers if there is a window in the room, but doesn't need to be very light nor close to it.
• Difficulty - Low (1):  These plants need barely any attention to thrive. Set it and forget it.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

Pothos Neon is an absolutely fluorescent, neon chartreuse version of our beloved Pothos. The entire plant, leaves and stems and everything, is a vivid, acid yellow/green with some leaves darkening down to just flaming lime when older. Neon behaves like a regular Pothos in all its habits and needs, at home potted and abiding on a shelf, counter, table, or in a hanging basket. Give it a nice, mossy, damp pole to climb and it will be just thrilled. It needs a bit more light to keep the color blazing so it loves a place near a window. Neon's also amazing in groups of plants with dramatically different colors like dark green, purple, red, or pink. It looks great planted in the pot of a larger specimen for some interest where it will climb quickly and gratefully up the stems of your big plant. Propagation is speedy and easy! Just root those extra stems you prune off in water and wait for new plant children to share with a friend.

• Also known as Devil's Ivy
• Air Purifying
• Low Maintenance
• Med/High Light
• Trailing

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Low/Med (2):  Doesn't need as much water, but doesn't like to stay dry for too long. Plant will become droopy when really thirsty.
• Light - Med/High (4):  Needs more light than most, but direct light not necessary. Can handle morning and late afternoon sun directly on the leaves.
• Difficulty - Low/Med (2):  A little less finicky than most. Doesn't require much attention at all.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

A spider plant is one of the easiest plants to own. Fast growing and hardy, it gets its name from the tiny plantlets that dangle on long stems like a crowd of little spiders under the plant like a fancy skirt. Small white flowers spangle the stems. Bright green and white striped leaves arch into a graceful curve giving it a pleasing shape. Spider plants are proven to be excellent air purifiers and are completely pet friendly. What puts this Spider in reverse is a switching of the colors, which is the opposite color combo from the original Spider plant, with the creamy yellow on the leaf edges.

• Air Purifying
• Pet Friendly

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Medium (3):  Water plant when dry. Plant does not like soil to always be moist, but doesn't like to stay dry once becomes dry. Water as soon as soil is dry.
• Light - Med/High (4):  Needs more light than most, but direct light not necessary. Can handle morning and afternoon sun directly on leaves.
• Difficulty - Low/Med (2):  A little less finicky than most. Doesn't require much attention at all.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.

• Air Purifying
• Low Maintenance
• Low Light
• Trailing

Quick Care Guide:

• Water - Low/Med (2):  Doesn't need as much water, but doesn't like to stay dry for too long. Plant will become droopy when really thirsty.
• Light - Low/Med (2):  These plants need some diffused light to stay happy. Prefers if there is a window in the room, but doesn't need to be very light nor close to it.
• Difficulty - Low/Med (2):  A little less finicky than most. Doesn't require much attention at all.

View full breakdown of Care Guide here.