You’ve got to love this leaf. The golden hue of neon philodendron’s heart-shaped foliage makes it a stand out addition to your home’s décor. Additionally, those bright leaves mean that your Neon will tolerate a variety of light levels with minimum fuss.

Here are some guidelines when cultivating your Neon Philodendron.

Light: While her golden-lime leaves tolerate lower light than other philodendrons, brighter light will reward you will more baby leaves during the growing season, which are even more beautiful (if you can imagine that) with a blush/golden color. No direct sunlight, however, or those leaves will burn.

Water: Neon likes deep drinks of water, so drench the soil and then let it dry out. When the top two or three inches of soil dry out, give Neon another good soak – although you can let your plant dry out almost completely between waterings during the winter.

Soil: A good, fast-draining soil is best. You don’t want your plant sitting in water.

Humidity: Another area where this plant is easy-peasy is its humidity requirements. However, Neon is a plant native to tropical Brazil, so it does slightly better with more humidity and will probably give you larger leaves. Consider periodic misting, which will also help you clean off any dust on your plant.

Fertilizer: You can feed your Neon while it’s growing, but scale back during the winter.

Is it piece of architectural art or a plant? Or maybe it’s both!

The African Milk Tree is a fast-growing (sometimes up to a foot a year!) indoor plant that really doesn’t ask for much. A bright corner, a little bit of water and off it goes.

For that you get a striking plant with bold, rigid, candelabra-like stems topped with delicate tear shaped leaves. One word of caution, however; the milk sap that emit from this plant is highly irritating to the skin, so please be sure to wear gloves when handling this plant.

Here’s how to take care of this unique succulent:

Light – The African milk tree likes bright, indirect sunlight. A southern-facing window works well.

Soil – This succulent isn’t fussy about its soil, but good drainage is a must.

Water – The African milk tree doesn’t need much water. It’s drought-tolerant, but you should increase the amount of water during the summer when the plant is actively growing. In winter, only provide water to the top inch of soil when it feels dry.

Fertilizer – In the spring and summer, treat your African milk tree to a monthly feeding of half-strength diluted water-soluble fertilizer. Do not feed it during its dormancy period in the fall and winter.

Tillandsia are plants that – believe it or not – live on air. Appropriately enough, they are nicknamed “air plants.” They are a great example of evolutionary adaption – they can grow on telephone poles and rocks and other places without soil. Their photosynthesis process allows them to get most of their nutrients from the air around them.

This relatively low-maintenance plant needs a good soaking when you first get it. Once it’s dry, you can place it in its new home, preferably with some bright, indirect light (or even artificial light). Do not plant it in soil and make sure there’s plenty of air circulation.

Depending on the size and type of air plant you get, maintenance involves periodic misting or soaking – more in the summer when they are likely to dry out and less often in the winter.

A couple of tips – when you soak your air plant, make sure it’s completely dry before putting it back into its home so it doesn’t develop mold. If the tips of the leaves get dried out, that’s a sign that your air plant might be thirsty or that it is getting too much direct light. You can carefully cut off these tips with sharp scissors.

A close relation to the Christmas Cactus, the Spring Cactus (also known as the Easter Cactus) is a succulent that can bloom well into May.

But don’t think of it as a seasonal plant that’s only for spring. After it finishes blooming, this cactus makes a lovely houseplant and, with a little work, you can coax it to bloom again in the future.

Caring for your Spring Cactus
These plants prefer bright, indirect light. Use a cactus mix soil to make sure they get the drainage they need. We can’t stress enough how important this is, because these plants can get root rot, so make sure you do not let it sit in water.

Spring cactus, unlike regular cacti, like cool temperatures. Fertilize monthly after the bloom period with food with a low nitrogen count. 

Following this care plan, you’ll have a nice, healthy green cactus for the bulk of the year. But if you want to have blooms the following spring, you need to be a little mean to your plant.

First, you need to stop feeding it. Then you need to put it in the dark for about 12 to 14 hours a day. Then you need to keep them cold (the best budding will happen when temperatures are about 50 degrees).

At the end of the year, you can move the plant to somewhere warmer, say about 65 degrees, and your plant will start flowering again in February.

Interested in a cactus that throws you a curve? Check out cereus forbesii ‘spiralis’ – better known as the Spiral Cactus.

This plant’s almost sculptural look makes it as much a piece of decorative decor as a part of your indoor garden. And it’s very forgiving for those of us who might underwater.

Great for a sunny, south- to west-facing window.

Caring for your Spiral Cactus

• Light – Spiral Cacti love bright, direct light.
• Water – Let your plant dry out completely between waterings.
• Soil – Cactus and succulent mixes make a great home for this plant.
• Temperature and humidity – Spiral Cacti love it warm and dry.

It’s time to try out a new twist on an old favorite (see what we did there?) Available now at Warner’s Nursery.

You already know and love the Snake Plant — that bold, nearly indestructible houseplant that somehow thrives even when you forget it exists. But did you know it has a cylindrical cousin that deserves a spot in your collection?

Meet Sansevieria Cylindrica, also called the Spear Plant or Spear Sansevieria. Where the classic Snake Plant shows off long, flat leaves edged in silvery green, the Cylindrica takes a different approach: smooth, tubular “spears” in deep dark green with a subtle grey-green variegation. The effect is architectural and striking — like something between a succulent and a sculpture.

Those spears can be left to fan out naturally from the center of the pot, or — here’s the fun part — they can actually be braided together, creating a look that’s genuinely unlike anything else on a windowsill.
Caring for Your Sansevieria Cylindrica

If you’ve kept a Snake Plant alive, you’re already most of the way there. The care is nearly identical, with just a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Water sparingly — maybe even more so than usual. Because the cylindrical leaves retain moisture, overwatering and root rot are the biggest risks. Let the soil dry out fully between waterings, and err on the side of less.
• Keep leaves dry. Avoid getting water on the spears when you water.
• It likes medium light but is flexible. It’ll tolerate both higher and lower light conditions — just keep it out of direct sunlight, which can scorch those smooth spears.

Whether braided or fanned out, the Cylindrica is a conversation piece that requires almost no effort to maintain. If you’re a Snake Plant fan looking for a next-level addition, this one’s worth seeking out.

The “Frosty Fern” (Selaginella kraussiana) is another example of a name that isn’t quite scientifically accurate – even if it describes the look of your plant perfectly. A little more on-the-nose is the plant’s other popular nicknames, the Club Moss or Spiky Moss.

But it’s the plant’s fern-like look that is key to its charm, particularly those white or golden tips that make Selaginella kraussiana look like it was kissed by a light touch of frost.

Frosty is both easy to grow and versatile, happily living in variety of containers, including terrariums.

Caring for Your Frosty Fern or Club Moss

• Light – This plant likes indirect light and in fact will thrive in a lower light situation.
• Soil – If planting in a pot, start with good commercial potting soil, which is lighter than top soil and often contains a mild “starter” fertilizer.
• Water – Frosty likes moist, well-drained soil. Check the soil moisture with your fingertips. If the top two inches are dry, or the plant is wilted, it needs water.
• Fertilizer – Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly. But don’t feed it too much; a high dose of nitrogen will dull those white tips.
• Temperature – This is a native of sub-Saharan Africa and loves humidity. If you want to make this plant happy, place it in the kitchen or bathroom. Avoid placing in drafty, hot, or high sun locations.

With St. Patrick’s Day arriving soon, we thought we’d turn our attention to what’s often called the Shamrock houseplant – but in truth is the wood sorrel known as Oxalis.

Boasting hundreds of varieties, you’ll usually see oxalis with green or purple clover-like leaves.

They are also a relatively easy houseplant to cultivate. There is one very important thing to keep in mind however: these plants tend to go into dormancy during the summer. Don’t throw them out! They’re resting, not dead.

Caring for Your Oxalis

Soil/Watering: Your Oxalis would like lightly moist soil and make sure to let it dry out between waterings.

Light/Temperature: Room temperature and good air circulation are perfect for the oxalis. It likes bright, but not direct light. (Except when it’s resting, as we’ll explain below.)

Food: Fertilize with a balanced houseplant food every few months.

I’m not dead, I’m resting: In late spring or early summer, the leaves will begin to die, but the plant is still okay. It’s just going into its period of dormancy to rest. Move the plant to a cooler, darker location, away from direct light and leave it alone – no water or fertilizer.  Just check on your plant every couple of weeks; dormancy can last from several weeks up to about three months, depending on the plant and external conditions.

When you see new shoots, your oxalis has woken up and would love it if you moved it back into the light and resumed regular care.