Araceae plants such as the famous monstera deliciosa are amongst the most popular indoor plants. Their gigantic leaves can be striking.
We summarize four of the most popular Araceae plants you can grow in your home. We share tips and tricks around environmental conditions and watering requirements to keep your plants healthy.
General Characteristics of the Araceae Family
Araceae is diverse family of plants that includes 3,200 species in 145 genera of terrestrial, epiphytic, or aquatic plants that can range in size from large to small, stand upright, or hang from a branch. More than 140 species and about 25 genera have been identified in India. They are usually rhizomatous herbs or root-climbing vines. The leaves are alternating, simple or complex, petiolate, occasionally extremely big, and often have a base that sheathes the plant. The inflorescence is a fleshy spike or spadix that is frequently petaloid or vividly colored and is subtended or commonly partly wrapped by a bract or spathe. They can be found in low- to middle-elevation damp and wet woods. Due to their gorgeous inflorescences and leaves, several climbing Araceae species are grown commercially in gardens and greenhouses.
Common Plants of Araceae Family
Monstera Deliciosa
It’s a well-known indoor plant, which has broad, glossy green leaves with deep splits and holes in them. It is also known as “fruit salad plant.” The Monstera Deliciosa is an exotic indoor houseplant with leathery leaves that is native to Mexico.
Growing Requirements for Monstera Deliciosa
Light Requirements
The most important thing while taking care of Monstera is to find ideal place for them. Look for a spot with strong, filtered indirect light. This plant won’t be able to handle the high temperatures and its leaves may get brown and sunburned if you set it in direct sunlight. In the same way, if you leave your plant in complete darkness with no light, this might hinder its development!
Soil Requirements
Ensure that the container you use to plant your Monstera has drainage holes. Use potting soil of excellent grade that drains well. By adding perlite or lava rocks, you may improve soil aeration.
Water Requirements
Here, only a little irrigation is necessary. When you water, make sure to strive to uniformly moisten all of the compost. Then, wait until it is almost completely dry before watering again.
Temperature and Humidity
Most houseplants enjoy temperatures between 65°F and 85°F (18°C and 30°C). It’s ideal to keep the temperature above 60°F (15°C). Although normal room humidity will do, humid circumstances are preferred. Use a fine-mist mister or humidifier to increase the humidity level in the room.
Potting Monstera Deliciosa
To avoid getting wet feet during potting, use well-draining soil and a container with drainage holes. You should give Monstera deliciosa some sort of structure or trellis to support it as it is a climber in its native environment and uses its aerial roots to cling to big trees. Every two years, a Monstera deliciosa plant outgrows its container. Transplant as needed to a new container that is a few inches deeper and wider than the previous one to encourage growth.
How to Propagate Monstera Deliciosa?
Propagation for this plant is pretty simple. Just cut a stem with several nodes or leaves, and submerge it in water. We advise using a large transparent jar so you can monitor the rate of development. Remember to periodically change the water to keep it fresh by placing this in a warm, well-lit area. The stem is ready to be repotted once the roots are visible and numerous. Keep in mind that root growth often takes two to three weeks, so be patient with the procedure and have faith that you will finish up with a lovely new home plant.
Leopard Lily plant
The flowers on the leopard lily plant perennial beauty are unique and beautiful. Each flower has six bulbous-shaped petals that are bright orange with uniformly distributed dark reddish-orange specks that resemble spots on a leopard. The blooms are perched on wiry stalks. Early to midsummer is when the blooms blossom, and by the end of the season they have changed into seed clusters. Gray-green matte foliage with long, strap-like leaves. This plant, also known as Belamcanda chinensis or Iris domestica, is an iris, not a lily.
Growing Requirements for Leopard Lily plant
Light Requirements
Ledebouria socialis can tolerate a variety of lighting conditions, but it requires strong indirect light to grow. 8 hours of direct, strong light are ideal. In low-light conditions, the variegation may lessen or disappear and direct light may burn the leaves.
Water Requirements
Ledebouria socialis doesn’t need a lot of water since it stores water in its bulbs. Only water when the soil has been drying for a few days or more. In the winter, when they are not actively developing, water them less.
Temperature Requirements
For optimum growth, leopard lily plants require warm, humid conditions. From spring till summer, maintain the temperature between 65°F and 75°F (18°C and 23°C), and fertilize every month.
Soil Requirements
The plant is not at all picky about the soil it grows in and would be content in typical garden soil. When planting, mix in a little amount of sand and organic matter to the soil to improve drainage and development. During the growth stage, fertilize once every two weeks.
Repotting Leopard Lily plant
In a manner similar to that, Dieffenbachia is replanted. Repotting may be necessary every year or every two years, depending on the rate of development. The fresh roots can be slightly trimmed using a scissor once the old, dry roots are removed. However, the new container shouldn’t be bigger than ten centimeters, as the plant would otherwise focus its energy on growing its roots rather than its leaves.
How to Propagate Leopard Lily plant?
The spring cutting back of the plants signals the start of the propagation. You don gloves before you begin the task. Cut lengthy branches; they are excellent for cutting heads. The cuttings are around 10 cm in length when truncated, and they are then placed in a container with soil and sand. When roots have developed after around six to eight weeks, the cutting can be repotted into a pot containing propagation soil.
White Princess Philodendron
One of the most eye-catching philodendrons you may include in your indoor garden is the White Princess variety. Its lavishly white-splashed, gorgeously green foliage will glimmer and thrill. If you follow the White Princess plant’s simple care instructions, you ought to be able to appreciate its beauty for many years.
Growing Requirements for White Princess Philodendron
Light Requirements
As they grow beneath the forest canopy in rainforests, White Princess Philodendrons need strong, indirect sunlight to thrive. The ideal location in your house is next to a window that faces north or east, or in a shady area in a room that faces west or south. Never place them in direct sunlight as it will harm the leaves and long-term exposure might cause the plant to die.
Temperature Requirements
The recommended daily temperature range for a philodendron white princess is 18°C to 25°C (64-77°F). Regarding temperature, they’ll be good in most households; just make sure they don’t get too cold during the winter or at night; try to keep them above 12°C (54°F).
Water and Fertilizers
Once a week, check your plant, and if the top half of the soil is dry, water it. A philodendron should not be overwatered; in fact, they thrive when submerged. In the summer, feed your plants with a balanced fertilizer once a month. When feeding them for the first time, dilute the feed to prevent fertilizer burn, which can readily be seen on the white areas of the leaves.
Soil Requirements
It’s crucial to maintain a regular watering schedule. You want to keep the soil wet during the summer, but not drenched. A typical commercial potting soil is a good option for the White Princess. Create your own soil mix by combining ingredients like perlite, sphagnum peat moss, coco coir, and vermiculite. This supports a somewhat dry growth medium, which helps guard against root rot on the plant.
Repotting White Princess Philodendron
Placing your Philodendron White Princess in a larger pot gives its roots more room to spread and promotes the plant’s optimum development. It’s time to repot your plant when the roots begin to poke through the drainage holes. Normally, you should re-pot this lovely plant once a year. When repotting, fill the new pot with fresh, conventional, commercial potting soil and replace the old growth medium with it.
How to Propagate philodendrons?
Propagating White Princess Philodendrons is a simple technique to grow more of these beautiful tropical plants. Wait till your White Princess Philodendron reaches a certain size before taking large enough cuttings. Take stem cuttings that are at least 3 inches long, have two or three nodes and have at least one leaf to begin the propagation process. Keep them warm and shaded from the sun. You ought to observe roots forming in a few weeks. Plant the cuttings in a potting mix after they are a few inches long.
White Butterfly Plant
An evergreen climber cultivar of the aroid family, Araceae, is called Syngonium “White Butterfly.” Because of its lovely leaves, it is frequently planted as a houseplant. Young arrow-shaped, light green, mottled leaves with lovely creamy-white venation are produced. As the leaves mature, they take on an entirely new structure. Young arrow-shaped leaves are separated into three lobes or five to nine different leaflets in mature leaves, which are not very similar to them. It occasionally blooms in cultivation, although the flowers resemble arums. It is best grown as a conservatory and glasshouse specimen because it is not frost resistant.
Growing Requirements for White Butterfly
Water Requirement
In soils that are consistently wet, the Syngonium White Butterfly thrives well. When watering, care should be taken to enable the soil to dry. The “little and frequent” watering strategy used by the majority of growers does not work with the Syngonium White Butterfly plant. Determine your plants’ proper water requirements, and maintain modifying them as the seasons change. For instance, to account for the slow drying process during the winter, the time between waterings is increased.
Ideal Temperature
It prefers moderate humidity levels between 60% and 80%. For a tidy appearance, often dust and clean the plant’s foliage. 61 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal range for this (16 degrees to 21 degrees Celsius). It can withstand temperatures as low as 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius). Anything less than this causes a wide range of issues, including withering and dehydration.
Soil Requirement
The Syngonium White Butterfly may flourish in a wide range of soil types. It can also thrive in normal soil and is fairly hardy. The pH range between 5.5 and 6.5 is optimal. The pH is rather low, which deters undesired bugs. The plant thrives in organically rich soils, thus making a potting mixture with coarse sand and leaf mold is advised. Also effective is all-purpose potting soil.
Light Requirement
Basically, the plant should be placed in locations with direct yet strong sunshine. If the plant is maintained indoors, artificial lighting can be used to cultivate it. It is preferable to plant it in a slightly lighted location if it is cultivated outside.
How to Propagate White Butterfly?
Syngonium’s may be readily propagated from cuttings by putting them in compost or water. Make sure the stem has at least one leaf and cut it from a healthy plant slightly below a node. Plant the stem, making sure the node is immersed, in wet compost or water. Within two weeks, new roots will start to grow. In order to give the young plant, the best chance of surviving, propagate in the spring or summer.
Potting & Repotting
It is essential to select a container with a drainage hole at the bottom since this plant prefers soil that drains effectively. Additionally, be sure to use a porous container, such as one made of ceramic or terracotta. If your White Butterfly is a bit tall and you don’t feel like pruning it, you may offer its tendrils plenty of room and assistance for climbing by including a trellis in the pot.
Every one to two years, you should re-pot Syngonium, replenishing the soil at the start of each growing season. To ensure that your plant maintains any nutrients or energy lost during the relocation procedure, repotting it at the start of the growing season is essential. During this time, you can divide the plant if you want to retain your White Arrowhead in a smaller container.
Summary
The Syngonium White Butterfly is a beautiful plant with a reputation for cleansing the air. Although simple to maintain, it is vulnerable to aphids and spider mites. Low humidity favors brown, crunchy leaves, and low light conditions can also cause them to become variegated. Syngonium plants are incredibly flexible indoor plants; you can train them to trail or climb, depending on the impression you desire, such as dangling over the edge of a shelf or climbing support. Keep Syngonium White Butterfly away from children and animals at all times since it is harmful to both.