Move over, venus flytrap – there’s a new carnivore in town.

Nepenthes, which is often called the monkey cup or tropical pitcher plant, is rather exotic looking. From its tendrils you’ll see globe- or tube-shaped protrusions that act as traps. In the tropics, monkeys are often seen drinking rainwater from these “pitchers” which is how it got its most popular nicknames.

However, if you are smaller than a monkey, you might want to watch out. While insects are the primary diet for Nepenthes, larger versions of the plants in the wild have been known to trap rats, lizards and even the occasional bird. (Yikes – cue the “Little Shop of Horrors” soundtrack.)

Not to worry, however; the hybrids we offer at Warner’s will most likely stick to bugs.

Caring for Your Nephentes

• Light – These plants love bright (although not direct) sun. A nice windowsill with bright light is perfect for this plant, which needs a hefty dose of light to develop its “pitchers.” Just make sure the plant doesn’t scorch, which will show up as red zones on the plant’s upper most growth.
• Humidity – Although this plants roots are in the tropics, you don’t have to have a hothouse to grow a Nepenthes. They’ll tolerate lower humidity although they probably won’t develop as many pitchers. A terrarium is a great choice for this plant, however, because of the increased humidity it provides.
• Soil – Your medium for this plant should be a mix of moss and perlite, not potting soil (the minerals in potting soil will actually damage the plant).
• Water – Don’t let your Nephentes dry out completely. On the other hand, standing water is a bad idea as it causes root rot. 
• Temperature – As you would expect with a plant that comes from the tropics, Nephentes doesn’t like the cold. Please keep it away from the air conditioner or drafts.

Pilea Involucrata is better known as The Friendship Plant, so called because it easily produces small offshoots (or “pups”) that you can separate and share with friends.  It is known for its textured, deeply veined leaves with silver and bronze coloring.  

Caring for your Friendship Plant:

• This plant likes bright, direct light and will tolerate medium light, but no direct sunlight, please.
• Pot in nutrient-rich but loose and well-draining soil. 
• Water regularly but do not over-saturate the soil.
• Use a well-balanced, half-strength fertilizer during the growing season.

Chlorophytum amaniense is an indoor plant that goes by many names: Mandarin Plant, Fire Flash, and the Orange Spider Plant. And, yes, all of those names have one thing in common – they highlight the orange glow that comes from this easy to care for plant.

While we typically see color from a plant’s variegated leaves or pretty flowers, this plant’s unique hue comes from its stems, which are called petioles. They rise up and contrast dramatically with the plant’s luscious deep green leaves. It often looks like there’s a little fire going on within the plant.

The Mandarin plant is often called the Orange Spider and, indeed, it’s a relative of the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum). Like its cousin, it’s very tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. For example, while you shouldn’t put it in direct sunlight or total shade, it will pretty much thrive in low-, medium-, or bright-light areas.

Water your plant when the top inch or so of the potting mix dries to the touch. (The volume of water depends on where you put the plant – the warmer or brighter the spot, the more water it will use up). And while it likes regular waterings, it’s pretty forgiving if you miss a week or two.

Check out the Mandarin houseplant today at Warner’s Nursery!

The Neanthe Bella or Parlor Palm is one of the most popular houseplant palms in the world – and its easy to see why. With its elegant lush leaves, this palm is a lovely addition to any home.

The plant can reach three to four feet in height, but it will take several years to get there. This plant thrives in a variety of indoor lighting conditions, but a room with medium to bright light and a north or west facing window is best. Do not keep your plant in direct sunlight.

Keep your plant evenly moist, meaning the soil should never be completely dry or overly wet. Do not keep the plant in standing water for more than 15 minutes as this can lead to root rot and pests.

The Parlor Palm needs more fertilizer than most indoor palms. Feed monthly in spring and summer with a slow-release fertilizer. If the leaf tips are brown, you could be over fertilizing.

Showy, beautiful and easy to care for, Dieffenbachia can make a super indoor plant.

Its tolerance for low light and numerous varieties make it a favorite houseplant for homes and offices. 

The Starbright cultivar of this plant is notable for its thinner leaves with a cream-colored starburst pattern.

One word of caution, however. If you have small kids or pets, you’ll probably want to make sure you place this plant out of reach. Diffenbachia’s milky sap is a mild irritant and should be kept from bare skin. The sap can even result in temporary loss of speech if ingested by causing swelling of the tongue and throat! That’s how Dieffenbachia came by it’s other name, “dumb cane.”

Caring for Your Dieffenbachia

• Light: It likes bright but filtered light, particularly in the spring, when it’s tender new leaves can get easily burned. Make sure to rotate your dieffenbachia so they don’t pull to one side of the planter.
• Water: Keep your Dieffenbachia moist, but be careful not to overwater.
• Fertilizer: Feed every couple of weeks with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to encourage growth

Showy, beautiful and easy to care for, Dieffenbachia can make a super indoor plant.

Its tolerance for low light and numerous varieties make it a favorite houseplant for homes and offices. 

One word of caution, however. If you have small kids or pets, you’ll probably want to make sure you place this plant out of reach. Diffenbachia’s milky sap is a mild irritant and should be kept from bare skin. The sap can even result in temporary loss of speech if ingested by causing swelling of the tongue and throat! That’s how Dieffenbachia came by it’s other name, “dumb cane.”

Caring for Your Dieffenbachia

• Light: It likes bright but filtered light, particularly in the spring, when it’s tender new leaves can get easily burned. Make sure to rotate your dieffenbachia so they don’t pull to one side of the planter.
• Water: Keep your Dieffenbachia moist, but be careful not to overwater.
• Fertilizer: Feed every couple of weeks with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to encourage growth

Tall, dark, handsome and super easy to grow: what’s not to love about a rubber tree plant, the first of our ficus trifecta.

(The other two are the Ficus Benjamina and the Fiddle Leaf Fig; click on their names to read more.)

With it’s beautiful dark glossy leaves, ficus elastica is one of the easiest varieties to cultivate. It doesn’t drop leaves and doesn’t demand much maintenance.

It also grows fast. In nature, rubber tree plants can grow to up to 80 feet, so if you keep re-potting this houseplant into bigger and bigger pots it will get wider and taller. However, If you limit it to a 10-inch diameter pot, you should get a nice 3- to 4-foot tall plant.

Rubber plants love light but keep it from direct sunlight that might burn its leaves. Do not attempt to grow this in a spot with low light; you’ll be disappointed.

Water your rubber tree about once a week during the spring and summer and every two weeks in fall and winter. Good potting soil will make your rubber tree happy. Use fertilizer sparingly – maybe once in the spring and once during the summer.

Also, do not be alarmed by some root structure that you might see at the base of the plant. Your plant is not trying to climb out of its pot; these are “aerial” roots and perfectly normal.

It’s interesting how many plants have common names that remind you of creatures that live in the water. Heliconias are known as “lobster claws” because their flowers have that shape. Then there’s the String of Dolphins. Today’s fish-as-a-plant is the Goldfish Plant.

Nematanthus gregarius features dark green leaves and flowers of red, orange and gold that do look a lot like goldfish.

They are an easy plant to grow and care for and are also great for propagating. Plus, they make quite a splash (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves) with their colorful flowers.

Caring for Your Goldfish Plant

Goldfish plants want a lot of light, but direct sun will burn them so make sure it’s indirect. They also grow well under artificial light in the winter.

These plants love humidity, so make sure that their soil never fully dries out and if you have them in a hanger, mist them on a pretty regular basis. (And mist them with room temperature water, not cold, which can damage the leaves). If you want a really happy Goldfish plant, you might want to consider the bathroom, where they’ll thrive on the steam from the shower!

You’ll want to fertilize on a regular basis during the growing season (spring and summer). Controlled release pellets are a good choice.

Other tips

• This is a long-living plant, and will thrive if you repot it every couple of years.
• You can easily propagate this plant. Pick a stem a few inches long without a flower bud and they will take root very easily.
• Also look out for aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs as these are common pests on this tropical plant.

Ceropegia Wodii has many names, but the most common is String of Hearts. It’s also known as a Rosary Vine. Both names are very accurate. The leaves of this lovely plant are distinctly heart-shaped and they drape down along a thin, wire-like stem that looks like a vine.

This succulent trails beautifully and makes it a popular plant for hangers. The vines, with the hearts looking like beads hanging along it, can grow to two or three feet.

Caring for Your String of Hearts

These plants are pretty tolerant and easy to grow. Plant using a cactus potting soil mix or a regular potting mix of soil and sand.

Water your String of Hearts sparingly. Your best bet is to allow the soil to nearly dry out and then water thoroughly. These plants are native to Africa and might droop a little during the winter, but don’t worry; they’ll come back in the spring.

String of hearts can survive in lower light settings, but does best in bright, indirect sunlight. Less light will result in less contrast in the leaf variegation.

Fertilize during the spring and summer, but cut back in the fall to allow your plant to rest during its semi-dormant period during the winter.

Other tips

• Rotate your plant periodically to ensure even growth on all sides.
• Make sure your plant has excellent drainage and remove excess water from the plant saucer after watering.
• You can cut off errant stems, but pruning is not strictly necessary.

Looking to put some pizzazz in your houseplant collection? Well, Warner’s is happy to announce we have some rare Frizzle Sizzle in stock. This native of South Africa is a bulb plant that features fabulously corkscrew leaves.

When in flower, the Frizzle Sizzle (more formally known as the Albuca spiralis) has fragrant, yellow blooms with a sweet smell similar to vanilla.

Caring for Your Frizzle Sizzle

• Keep them warm. This plant thrives best at temps over 60 degrees. 
• It likes sunlight, but not direct sunlight, which can burn its leaves.
• On the other hand, not enough sunlight will take the sizzle out of the frizzle and your leaves won’t curl as much.
• Let your plant dry out between waterings. 
• Frizzle sizzles tend to go dormant in the summer after flowering. At that point, stop watering and fertilizing until you see new foliage in the fall/winter.
• The Frizzle Sizzle seems to be blessedly free of pests and disease, making it an easy plant to maintain.
• Final note: When your Frizzle Sizzle sends up its flower stalks in the spring, the tips of the leaves might brown. This is a natural occurrence and not a sign that your plant is ill.