Favorite houseplants sooner or later

To everyone who commented about my beautiful grandson, thank you. It is wonderful to find so many insightful, intelligent, clever people. Actually, I have 8 beautiful grandchildren, four grandsons and four granddaughters. The next kid to have a kid is going to screw up the balance (unless they have fraternal twins, a boy and a girl...hmmmm).

Natasha with her cousins Bekka, Sebastian, and Nadia

Ryan and his sister Erin

Natasha again with her baby brother Ethan

Maddox

Anyway, they all fill me with joy!

Now, about house plants. A great one has to be Agaves, I love them all but especially Agave parviflora. Not for homes with small children, but a fantastic textural plant.

There is also any bougainvillea. A wonderful flowering vine. These things look fantastic, almost unreal. I have had friends and clients think they were silk because of the flower color and texture. But with most of them when you get close enough to get bit by the spines you believe they are real.

Any of the Begonia rex species are a must have. Most begonias put me to sleep because their flowers to me are just so-so (I'm gonna get comments about that). But the rex are grown for the foliage and it is beautiful!

As far as flowers go, you cannot beat the gardenia. Sometimes a little temperamental in Oklahoma, they are actually grown as a field crop in the southeast part of the state and can be kept alive in Oklahoma City in the ground, but make it easy on yourself and grow them in pots. The flower is one of the most fragrant and tantalizing there is.

I also love the guzmanias, One of the bromiliad species they are easy to grow, interesting and come in some of the most wild color combinations you will ever see.

And speaking of flowers, (was someone talking about flowers?) you almost have to have both fucshia and passionflower. Fucshia needs high humidity so if you have a misting system it is a good idea to keep it going during the heat of the day in the summer. And after having passionflower on my trellis (and in my flower beds, and growing in my yard, and coming up in the cracks in the street, yes, it's a little invasive) I've decided it is better in a container. Besides you can get cooler colors than the regular old native maypop.

Some people think I'm crazy, but one of my all-time favorites is the mother-in-law's tongue. This is a tough plant, it can take almost everything you throw at it. I've had them break containers, go without water for months at a time and like I said, my uncle used one for an ash tray. They are a striking architectural plant and I think the different foliages are beautiful.

For a ground cover, a hanging basket, or even just for added color on the window sill, you can't really beat purple heart (Tradescantia purpurea). About three years ago I got three sprigs of this from school. I have it in almost every pot I own as ground cover, I've got a hanging basket of it, I have some that comes up volunteer every year in my side bed (yes, it's a tropical, but it is also tenacious) I've given pounds of it away, and thrown even more out. This is a very thrifty plant. I even took some out of a pot last fall and tossed it to the side, planning to offer it to my neighbor and then three weeks later planted the shoots in a hanging basket that looks beautiful thank you very much. I think you can kill this plant but I'm pretty sure it would take napalm.

Ok, from the toughest to the gentlest. While it doesn't look that picky, bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae) needs fairly constant moisture, but not too much; fairly constant watering, but not too much; fairly even temperatures, but needs a 15 to 20 degree difference day to night; lots of light, but no direct Oklahoma afternoon sun. Now you ask why I would even think about this plant as lazy as I am? When you can get it to bloom, it looks like this.

As long as we're talking about picky plants, lets talk about Lady Jane anthurium. It isn't as mean to you as bird-of-paradise, but sometimes it can be rather stubborn about blooms. But it gives you such a tropical feeling, it can make it all worthwhile. Plus the flowers are so striking that everyone will be asking you what it is.

Last but not least, false aralia (Schefflera elegantissima). This poor baby has been renamed probably more than any plant in production. I talked to a producer several years ago that said he was leaving it as a Balfourisima until he was sure they had quit messing around with the nomenclature. I love this plant, and not just because it looks like cannabis. It is one of the most fine-textured plants in production. It is easy to grow, it has very few pests, and it is just plain beautiful.

Ok, I know I have left out some of ya'lls favorites, heck, I left out some of my favorites. But I will take any suggestions or arguments and I will probably being adding to this list as I remember oldies and fall in love with new ones. Until then, I'm going to close this out.

Be good to yourself and someone you love today.

Wayne