Last weekend, I attended the combined Michigan Cactus and Succulent Society and SE Michigan Bromeliad Society show and sale. As a cashier, I saw all the plants being purchased. More than once I warned people about the glochids contained on opuntia pads. The other...
Many jungle cacti are common plants and you may even have one. Examples of these cacti are Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus, epiphyllums, and Rhipsalis. These cacti grow as epiphytes on trees and other structures in the jungles of Central and South America. They have...
Because of the flowers, this plant caught my eye at the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. I know palms do flower, but I had never seen any like these. They are gorgeous! The fishtail palm or Caryota mitis is named for the shape of its leaves which do resemble a...
How many of you have bought plants that have pebbles glued on top of the soil? It’s kind of annoying, to say the least. Why do plant companies put glued rocks on top of the plants, anyway? It is done for ease of shipping so the soil stays put, and the plant...
When I saw this plant in a conservatory, I thought there was an oak tree growing. I discovered it was the oakleaf basket fern (Dyanaria quercifolia). Quercus is the genus name of oak trees, so quercifolia means the foliage resembles oak leaves. The shield fronds of...
I can spot a houseplant problem “a mile away”. It’s true. Often people are perplexed by what is causing problems for their houseplants. I’d like to help identify the problems and the ways to solve them. Let’s start with insects that...
