Tough Indoor Plants - Aglaonema, Aspidistra, Sanseveria, Kentia, Rhapis

Let’s talk about "Tough Plants". People go on their summer vacations and come back to see that their plants haven’t done so well.

• Would a different plant make a difference?
• What if it was what is considered a "tough plant?"
• What do you consider a tough plant?

I know that I have my definition. To some it may just be survival no matter what the plant looks like. To others it may just be a plant that will work for them.

The plants that fit this category seem to handle abuse fairly well, and can adapt to a variety of conditions. One characteristic that seems to be consistent is that these plants are slow or slower growers then other indoor tropicals. This is probably the reason they react slowly to changes in their environment and are so tough.

If you are having a difficult time trying to choose a plant for your home or have had trouble growing plants indoors try some of these.

We have visited a few of the plants already in past issues and we’ll try to cover some of the other ones soon in future Issues. Let’s run through a quick list of some of these "Tough Plants".

Aspidistra – Also called the "Cast Iron Plant"

This plant goes back to the Victorian times. A durable upright plant with wide dark green leaves. Very slow growing and reaches a height up to 30 inches. Not a lot of growers produce the plant because of its slow growing.

It is used as a ground cover in some of the southern states, so it will handle cooler temperatures.

Aglaonema – Known as the "Chinese Evergreen"

A low growing group of tropicals. The more common varieties are "maria" and "silver queen" which are grown in 6" up to 10" containers and reach a height of 24-28" inches. They are used as ground covers in malls or hotel lobbies and as stand alone specimens.

Two varieties "B.J. Freeman" and "Cecelia" are larger plants that are grown in 14" containers and look almost like dieffenbachias.

Many new varieties have been developed over the past few years that add new shapes and looks to the very diverse group of tough plants.

Check out http://www.aglaonemas.com

Kentia Palm- Sometimes called the "Parlor Palm"

Very slow grower. It isn’t uncommon to find kentias in 10" pots that are 5 to 7 years old. These palms were used back in the "Victorian period". Upright, graceful and grown with cool night temperatures to produce sturdy plants.

Available as single plants or planted as triples. Expect to pay more for these quality palms. Growing these indoor specimens is a labor of love.

Rhapis Palm – the Lady Palm

One of the top notch Palm performers indoors. Available in upright forms and bushes. Availability has increased greatly over the last few years and prices have come down some.

Read the articles on Rhapis covering this tough plant.

Sanseviera – the snake plant

These plants have been around for years and seem to come and go in popularity, but that doesn’t mean they still aren’t tough. They are grown from dish garden size up to 14" containers that can reach 42" in height.

You can find a plant for about any area that you want to grow this versatile group. Choose from "Hahnii" or "Golden Hahnii" for small areas such as 4 to 6" pots or the larger Laurentii as a stand alone specimen.

All varieties hold a lot of water so don’t be surprised at the weight. Of course that is one of the secrets of their toughness.

All of these "tough plants" are a great place to start when learning to grow plants indoors. You may not find them at all of your local chain stores but your better quality garden centers can help in locating these top indoor performers.

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