Archive for 2016

To Repot or not to Repot?
One of the questions that we are most often asked is: “Does my tropical plant need to be repotted?” Most plants like their roots to balance on the edge of crowded, but not over-crowded (with the exception of some plants, like orchids, that prefer to be rootbound because this encourages flowering). Repotting should only be done when absolutely necessary, and there are a few clues that you can look for to tell you when ...

The Spider Plant has to be the most well known and most loved tropical house plant. Everyone recognizes this distinctive grass-like plant with its delicate ‘babies’.  It originated in tropical and south Africa, but has been naturalized almost worldwide.

Two cultivars or varieties are popular. ‘Vittatum’ is very common, and has medium green leaves with white centers. The stems of the ‘babies’ are white. ‘Variegatum’ has darker leaves with white edges, and the stems are green. Less commom is an all green variety. ...

The Buddhist Pine (Podocarpus) is an elegant and graceful plant with grass-like foliage. It is native to southern Japan and southern and eastern China – alternative common names, Southern yew and Kusamaki, reference these two regions. This plant is a slow growing conifer that can reach up to 60’ in its natural habitat, but remains smaller when forced to grow in a container. Typically in a home or office setting you will see a columnar shaped Podocarpus that is 4-6’ ...

There are many reasons why you may want tropical office plants, and there are many benefits to having them. Plants purify and renew stale air by trapping and absorbing air toxins and converting carbon dioxide to oxygen. They have also been shown to reduce Sick Building Syndrome and generally enhance a space by adding warmth and visual interest. But how do you go about picking the right plants for your office? There are many factors to evaluate when choosing plants ...

This immensely popular flowering houseplant, the African Violet, is native to Tanzania and Kenya. Because its natural habitat is rapidly disappearing due to clearing of land for agriculture, the conservation status of most species is listed as near-threatened. Several species are endangered.
There are 6-10 different species of African Violet, but most of the commercially grown plants are cultivars (horticultural varieties) of one particular species. African Violets can range in size from 6cm to over 20, and the flower colours ...