This week’s houseplant, Philodendron, comes in many varieties, including Splitleaf, Brasil and Hope Selloum, but one of our favorites here at the nursery is the “Swiss Cheese” philodendron.

The name comes from the holes that form on its heart-shaped leaves as it gets older.

In addition to being beautiful, they are relatively easy to care for.

• All philodendrons like bright, but indirect, light.
• These are tropical plants, so they like their humidity. A swiss cheese philodendron in your bathroom or kitchen will likely be a happy plant.
• It’s a good idea to let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings.
• If you give them some support, they will climb like a vine.

Finally, if your leaves are pale, it’s likely that your Philodendron isn’t getting enough calcium and magnesium. A good fertilizer will help you correct any nutritional deficiencies for your plant – just ask one of our experts at Warner’s about which fertilizer would be right for your philodendron.

Ferns are typically underrated, and we think we know who’s to blame: yuppies.

A long time ago, in an attempt to cater to the wave of young urban professionals, lots of bars decided to go upscale. They installed better lighting, started offering fancier expensive drinks and added a lot of plants, mostly ferns, to their decor. The term “fern bar” was coined – and for many who missed the shot-and-a-beer vibe of their local watering hole, it wasn’t meant as a compliment.

But the haters don’t appreciate how versatile, easy to maintain and just plain luscious ferns are. And they seem to come in endless varieties. There’s the Western Sword with its layers of fronds coming up to a point like a sword; the Asparagus Fern, with its airy, delicate appearance and the Crocodile Fern with its scaly textured leaves. Not to mention the Birds Nest Fern, the Lady Fern, the Eagle Fern, and the Ostrich Fern (there’s a lot of ferns named after animals, aren’t there?) 

Caring for Your Fern 

• Light: Ferns grow in the wild on forest floors where there’s a lot of shade, but this doesn’t mean that your houseplant has to be in a dark corner. So give your fern some morning or late afternoon sun, similar to the dappled light it would experience in the wild. No direct sunlight, however; that will make them lose their leaves or turn the fronds yellow.
• Water: Ferns like moisture, so stand their pots on trays of damp pebbles and mist them regularly unless you are using a humidifier in the room, in which case that should be enough humidity for them.
• Fertilizer: During the summer, feed your ferns every two to four weeks (dilute the strength because ferns have delicate root systems, and full strength will scorch them). Stop feeding in winter, while the plant is “resting.” 

This week’s Houseplant of the Week, the Ponytail Palm Tree is definitely beautiful, but it has a secret. It’s neither a palm nor a tree.

In fact, the Ponytail Palm actually is a member of the Agave family, which makes it a succulent.

It’s popular for many reason. First is that expansive beauty that just makes it a great addition to a home or other indoor space.

Another plus for our little imposter is that it’s super easy to care for. It can go some time between waterings, making it a favorite of folks who don’t have a lot of time for plant maintenance or who travel on a regular basis. (We realize that, right now, traveling on a regular basis isn’t a part of our lives, but it will be again some day.)

Caring for Your “Ponytail Palm”

• Light – Technically, the Ponytail Palm needs sun, sun and more sun (or some form of bright light). However, did we mention this is a very forgiving plant? You could give it low light for half a year and then bright sunlight the other half and it would still be happy. That’s really helpful during the winter.
• Water and Humidity – As mentioned above, you can wait two or three weeks between waterings. Make sure to let the soil dry out completely in between waterings. Also, they like their air dry.
• Temperature – Don’t leave your Ponytail Palm out in the cold. They are a bit sensitive to temperature and thrive when it’s anywhere from 60 to 80 degrees. But definitely keep it away from the A/C vents!
• Fertilizer – A general fertilizer works, but only once in spring and once in the summer. Too much food may lead to brown leaves. If you get brown leaves, use sharp scissors to just off the discolored part of the leaf.

If you need a cute hanging plant that will add a lot of character to your outdoor patio or a really sunny nook of your home, we highly recommend Burro’s Tail.

It’s fleshy, overlapping conical leaves make it look like a braided tail. Those stems can grow to two feet and during the summer (the one pictured here is a baby; if they have the room to really grow those stems, Burro’s Tail can sometimes look like the plant version of Cousin Itt from the Addams Family). In summer, the stems have pink or red flowers at the ends. 

Scientifically known as the sedum morganianum, the Burro’s Tail likes full sunlight for growth and to enhance the blue-green or green-gray leaf color.

In terms of maintenance, it’s a typical succulent. It prefers gritty, well-draining soil and moderate watering, except in winter when you should cut back. You’ll want to let it dry out between waterings, as excess water will damage this plant easily.

You can propagate a Burro’s Tail either from the stem or leaf cuttings; the leaves are very delicate and break away easily. 

Arrowhead plant by User:Omegatron / CC 3.0

Take one look at the lovely Arrowhead Plant and you’ll see where it gets its name. The distinctively shaped leaves are contrasted by their lighter colored veins, giving it a bold and striking look.

This plant is great both as a table topper (if you trim the runners) or as a hanging plant.

Caring for Your Arrowhead Plant

Water: Water well and then allow the top half of the soil to dry out before watering again. Arrowheads droop when they are thirsty but are known to rebound quickly once they get a drink. As with most plants, avoid over-watering, which can lead to root rot.

Food: During the spring and summer (its peak growing time), these plants like fertilizer every couple of weeks. Drop down to once a month in the fall and winter.

Light: The darker green variations of this plant will do okay in low to medium light, but if it’s a lighter green or burgundy/pink variety, they need more light.

Temperature: Anywhere from 60 to 75 degrees works for the arrowhead. They love humidity, but can survive in the normal household humidity. However, keep them away from things that could sap the moisture from them, like air vents or fireplaces.

Rare and super unique, String of Dolphins is a fun succulent whose leaves literally look like tiny dolphins jumping out of the water.

These plants look fabulous in a mixed container or in a hanging basket on its own with the distinctive leaves hanging down.

Like most succulents, String of Dolphins are relatively low maintenance and have few growing issues. They need well-draining soil, however, to thrive.

They prefer bright, indirect light or filtered light from a window. They also tend to thrive in slightly crowded conditions, so think about mixing them with other smaller succulents and decorating with a sea theme of seashells or sand dollars.

Don’t let the name fool you – Pilea Depressa might be called the “Baby tears” plant, but you will have nothing to cry about with this beauty.

Alex, our houseplant guru here at Warner’s, is a big fan. She says, “This plant will spice up your room with its bright green color.”

Pilea Depressa has small thick leaves. It’s a nice and easy-to-keep plant that looks very pretty in a hanging pot, because the stalks with leaves will hang down. But it also does well in a terrarium, where it can be a decorative climbing plant.

Pilea Depressa likes medium to high light, but no direct light, which will burn the leaves and turn your bright green plant brown.

Allow your plant to dry out between waterings, and don’t let water stand in the saucer underneath the plant.

The Neanthe Belle 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.

For tall, cool elegance you can’t go wrong with Rhapis excelsa, better known as the Bamboo Palm or Lady Palm.

Dark green with fan-like groups of leaves set on tall stalks, the plant is from Asia, most likely China or Taiwan. It’s low lighting and humidity needs makes it a popular choice for offices.

You should place this palm near an east-facing window out of direct sunlight in a room. Water the palm when the soil is dry to a depth of 1 inch during the spring and summer and 2 inches during the fall and winter.

You can repot your palm every couple of years, increasing the size of the pot each time if you want it to grow. After you’ve reached the desired size, continue to repot every couple of years to refresh the soil (they like a soil mix similar to what you’d use for African Violets).

You’ll only want to feed your plant during the summer and take care not to over-fertilize.

Photo courtesy of Eric in SF through Creative Commons 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

With the Areca Palm, the thing to remember is that this houseplant loves the light. Bright, indirect light, preferably from a south or west facing window is the ticket to making this palm grow.

And grow it will. Your tabletop version will gain anywhere from 6 to 10 inches every year until it reaches its mature height of six to seven feet.

Their fronds can have up to 100 leaves that spread out beautifully, which is why this variety is often referred to as the butterfly palm. However, they are one of the few palms that do well if you trim them, making it easier to keep the plant indoors for its lifespan without having to rearrange your furniture to fit it. 🙂

While Areca Palms are not difficult to care for, you can’t neglect them. They like enough water to keep their soil slightly moist in the spring and summer, while you should let the soil dry slightly between waterings in the fall and winter. As for food, you can use a time-release fertilizer in the spring that will last the whole season.

You’ll need to repot your Areca every couple of years, mostly to replenish the soil and remove fertilizer salt deposits that can build up.