The usual gifts for Valentine’s Day are roses, cut flower bouquets or flowering containers. Humans are happier with living green around them, so maybe this year give your favorite human a foliage plant that will last much longer than flowers.
Even a few botanics lift our moods. Why not give them a lasting indoor garden that, just like your fondness for them, will last a long time. Three plants with foliage that evoke Valentines are Heart-leaf philodendron, Peperomia, and Prayer Plant.
• Heart-leaf philodendron, also called the sweetheart plant, has heart-shaped leaves that are born on beautiful vines as they mature. They make lovely table plant or hanging baskets. Often they are grown supported on a trellis but they are much prettier when allowed to trail naturally. Philodendrons need bright, indirect light and a moderate watering. Some cultivars have leaves with variegated white and green patterns.
• Peperomia has heart-shaped leaves borne on stems that also mature into a trailing plant. Peperomia cultivars have thick leaves that may be solid green or variegated purple and green, silver and green, or white and green. The make nice table or hanging plants.
• Prayer plants let your favorite person know you are praying for them, as the leaves fold in the evening and resemble hands folded in prayer. The most common cultivar has soft dark green leaves with red veins best used as a table accent plant.
Guidelines on care may be appreciated and most will have tag insets giving a modicum of care techniques.The “must knows” in plant care are watering, light, temperature, humidity, and fertilization.
Heart-leaf philodendrons and peperomias grow well in low to indirect light, but if after a few weeks coloring is lost, the light is too low. Move them into more light but know that direct light will scorch leaves. Water when soil is drying on the top. Yellowing bottom leaves that drop off indicate too much water. Always discard the water that drips out of the bottom of the pot. Prayer plants grow best in bright indirect light. Too much sun will scorch the leaves and will actually fade the variegation.
As tropicals, their optimum temperature is 68-85°F day temperature, cycling to 55°F night. Shield from drafts. Never let the leaves touch the glass of a window.
All require high humidity group or mist.
Fertilize monthly with a dilute 5-5-5 formulation.
Ellen Peffley Harp, a retired professor of horticulture at Texas Tech University, writes about gardening for several Texas newspapers.
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