Kangaroo paw fern (Microsorum diversifolium) is an epiphytic fern native to the forests of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Its silvery green fronds end in paw-shaped tips that give the plant its common name, and its creeping rhizomes make it a natural fit for hanging baskets and wide, shallow containers. Indoors it stays compact at […]
One look at the large, thick, heart-shaped leaves of anthurium clarinervium explains why it has become a popular houseplant. The prominent veins are ivory or light green and wide, spreading across each leaf like the pattern of corrugated cardboard, which gives the plant its common name, velvet cardboard anthurium. Native to Mexico, it grows in
Shasta daisies (Leucanthemum x superbum) are short-lived perennials that anchor borders from early summer through fall. They bloom hard for a few seasons, then the middle of the clump goes bald while the flowers get smaller and fewer. The fix is division, and fall is the best time to do it. Plants divided in autumn
Indoor plants add color and cleaner air to a home, but a few of the most popular species pull in unwanted insects. Pests follow predictable cues: moist soil, tender growth, and shelter. The same logic applies beyond the plant shelf, because the conditions you create decide what shows up, which is why contractors who want
The five-leaf chocolate vine, Akebia quinata, is a perennial climber native to Asia and parts of North America. It earns its name from the purplish-brown blooms that carry a delicate chocolate scent and from the glossy dark green leaves that grow in clusters of five. The plant is known for how fast it covers ground:
The sago palm earns its popularity from feathery, arching fronds that read like a tropical centerpiece indoors or in warm-climate gardens. Despite the name, it is a cycad rather than a true palm, but its care mirrors palm requirements: warm, humid conditions, acidic and well-draining soil, and bright indirect light. It works as a houseplant
Grass does not stop growing because it gives up. It stops because temperature tells it to, and the pause is a survival mechanism called dormancy. Cool-season grasses shut down twice a year, once when heat climbs into the 80 to 90 degree range and again when temperatures drop to freezing or into the high 30s.
Philodendron Dark Lord is one of the most dramatic plants you can grow indoors, with new leaves emerging bright burgundy and maturing to a deep, almost black green. This hybrid of philodendron imperial red belongs to the Philodendron erubescens group, a family of climbing aroids native to the tropical jungles of Central and South America.
Fall is a busy season for anyone who enjoys decorating with plants, and garden centers make it easy to fill a cart with colorful mums and golden blooms. The trouble is that several of the most popular fall flowers are poor choices for autumn planting, no matter how good they look on the shelf. They
Squirrels treat a fall pumpkin patch as a buffet, and the damage is not limited to the garden. Carved pumpkins on a front porch get the same attention, and the animals are clever climbers that are difficult to exclude completely. The practical goal is to reduce damage to a tolerable level rather than to remove
