No Cause for Alarm, This Popular Plant Has Nothing to Do With Insects
Spider Plant – Chlorophytum comosum is probably the most common, popular and easiest to grow of all hanging or trailing houseplants. It is a native of southern Africa so keep it in a bright area – but without direct sunlight! When it starts to wilt (slightly) it’s time to water. And, to further prove its ease of care bonafides, it needs very little water in winter. As long as it is planted in a good potting mix, it really doesn’t need to be fertilized. The only other maintenance is to remove any leaves that turn brown as they die off so that the new growth will continue. Spider plant is another air-purifying plant that helps to control benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene.
Spider Plant – photo by Darren Sheriff
House Needs a Little Beautification? Try a Peace Plant!
Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum spp. is so easy to grow, it is sometimes referred to as a ‘closet plant’. I don’t recommend taking that literally, however! Depending on the species, it is native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia. The Peace Lily makes for an excellent plant for the home or office because it not only brightens up a spot, but acts as an excellent air filter.
Like most of the other tropical houseplants we have discussed, the peace lily enjoys medium to low light. The type of light you provide will create the type of peace lily you want. Peace lilies that are placed in more light, yet not direct sunlight, tend to produce white flowers more often, when grown in lower light situations they will bloom less and will look more like a traditional foliage plant. A note of caution, more peace lilies are killed by over watering than under watering. This plant is very drought tolerant. Some indoor gardeners even wait until the blossom starts to droop before watering. As counter-intuitive as this may seem, this method does no harm to the plant and will help to curb any over-watering tendencies.