Dragon Trees

Plants are full of surprises.  You never know what to expect and that’s why to dabble in the dirt is to be humble.  Even after years of planting, you are always a beginner in the garden.  Everything ...

Growing Plants Under Glass

Nathaniel Ward was an Englishman who loved to observe the behavior of insects and was fond of enclosing them in glass jars. Once, he forgot about one of his jars and, when he noticed it again, a fern...

Titan Arums and Other Aroids

When it comes to indoor plants, one plant family (Araceae) is seen almost everywhere.  Known as aroids or arums, members of the family including devil’s ivy or pothos, philodendron, Dieffenbachia, Ne...

New President, New Oval Office Plant

The results of the Presidential election were an unbelievable surprise to many people but, at least for plant watchers like myself, the backdrop to the photo of Trump and Obama in the Oval Office was...

Flowerless Anthurium and Buggy Eugenia

I have been puzzled as to why one of my Anthurium plants will not bloom!  I have one that puts out so many “flowers” and is beautiful.  They are a light pink color.  The other one had red...

China Dolls & Coconut Palms

Q: I bought a China doll (Radermachera sinica) about six weeks ago. It lost a great many of its leaves at the beginning. I have it on a table near a sliding glass window where it gets bright light bu...

Plants Thrive on Kindness, Too

Jack Flam is a Sherman Oaks locksmith who makes you feel secure. When I went in to his store to purchase some hardware for a gate that didn’t close properly, he handed me the parts he thought I...

From Woadwaxen to Miniature Anthurium

The exuberance I experienced upon the recent discovery of a new plant was tempered by the thought that this might be an invasive species that would not be wise to recommend to an unsuspecting public....

Foliage That Looks Great in a Vase

Floral bouquets and vase arrangements would not be complete without the greenery that frequently, albeit subtly, accompanies them. Even the most glamorous flowers — irises and gladioli, for ins...

Lucky Bamboo and Meyer Lemon

During the past few months, I have received several e-mails about lucky bamboo. In case you haven’t noticed, “lucky bamboo” is the name bestowed on those twisting stems with lanceol...