House of Houseplants

The zebra succulent My last plant post featured a lil' speed demon ( Mottled Imbe can grow 10 feet per year), so now it's time to slow it down a notch with Haworthia, the zebra cactus. Haworthia is a slow and stable succulent that doesn't need very much in terms of care. This makes it fantastic as a starter houseplant, but also a little bit ho-hum if you're looking for something with a little viv and pep. Haworthias are not the star of the houseplant show, and will happily hang out in the background while you preen over the fussier plants (*cough Alocasias cough*). They'll just keep looking sleek and modern on a shelf somewhere, and if you happen to remember to water them every once in a while, they'll reward you by growing another .001 centimeters. They're a perfect desk plant, because they won't care one bit if you take a long weekend or go on vacation for a few weeks, and they'll be perfectly happy with the indirect light of fluorescent ...

🌱 Philodendron Imbe Ilsemanii Variegata 🌱 Oh what a fun little tropical one this guy is. And such a fast grower — two months ago, it had half as many leaves. Apparently, they can climb up to 10 feet in a single season, which is insaaaaaane. This is one of those plants that makes me feel like I know what I'm doing (but actually, I have no idea). Light : These like 70-85% light, but can withstand less. Mine is a few feet away from a large west-facing window so it gets very bright but indirect light for most of the day, and maybe 20 minutes of direct light as the sun passes by.  Water:  Dude is thirsty. I water mine once every other day or so. They like somewhat damp soil; the root system just sucks it up. Fertilizer:  I've read that these should be fed just 3 times per year with a 15-5-10 mix. I'm a terrible person and have never fed mine, but it seems to be thriving nonetheless... Because these are such fast growers, you can stake them up with a mo...