Name that Zebra!

I have a Zebra Plant (Aphelandra sp.) but don't know it's correct Latin name. Anyone want to take a stab at it? Anyone know if it's a hybrid? (Nan, where are you? Help!!)

Here's another nifty house plant I picked up this weekend. First time I've seen this Aralia (Pennock Aralia) or Aralia 'Pennock' not sure of it's correct name either. But had to have it - just L@@K at that variegation!

Here's a 'Hand Fern' that I nabbed while on a Birthday Outing with Kell and Zuzu down in Half Moon Bay. This is Doryopteris pedata.

The reverse is pretty nifty too, looks like the edges are dipped in cinnamon!

Love that variegation on the Aralia. The leaf shape of D. Pedata is unique. I love it too!

I'm currently trying to help my boss keep her A. Squarrosa alive. Every few days I come in and it's all sad and wilty. I posted a sticky note on it that says "Keep me warm and moist like a wrung out sponge." :) The Plant Lady. LOL

Hope someone can ID the Zebra for you Lali!

GH

Lali girl, you find THE most interesting plants! I'm SO loving the reverse of D. Pedata. I'm beginning to believe Cali may be a better choice than Florida as far as a move is concerned! Ha!

Thanks GH!!! And ever the begonia junkie, this one popped into my cart along with a few others! It's a sickness, really it is!

You're KILLING me!!!!!! LOL What else are you holding out on???? LOL

GH

Oh I don't know about that! Cali is very good but better than FL? BUT I did splurge BIG TIME on an Aglaonema 'Peacock' the other day - and after I came home and researched it, GUESS where they are grown! Yup! Florida!
http://www.morningdewtropical.com/images/gallery/Aglaonema-Peacock-10.jpg
Don't you have one of these too?

I was out of my mind when I saw it.

I grabbed this at the Orchid show this weekend with the same two birthday girlies! Crassula 'Pagoda Village' (can you see why! LOL)

OMG! Good memory, LOL, Yes, I do have one of those! Isn't it just about the prettiest Aggie you've ever seen? Well, there is 'Pride of Sumatra' which is the the most colorful one that I've seen(Asiatica). I need to repot my 'Peacock' soon. I love her!

GH

After I came home and started looking them up online I went nuts looking at all the pink and red aggies out there. Kell and I were ready to go to Indonesia on a plant shopping spree! Now we need one of each. For the prices Asiatica has, we could almost fly to Indonesia (or Florida?) for them! LOL. But where there's a will, there's a way!

C. 'Pagoda Village' looks like something out of Architectural Design. LOL My, my, my.....you are knocking my socks off with these plants Lali.

Hmmmm... maybe one day a group of us DG'ers can band together and trek to Indonesia? LOL Just kidding.:)

Loving this thread!!!! Bee-u-tiful house plants and I have a zebra plant but the leaves certainly don't look like yours????

I just found out I have a zebra plant. How do you take care of yours? Also it has 3 stalks, I want to get it out of the container from store, is it 3 seperate plants or do I plant all 3 together? Any help might just help me save my new plant:) Thanks, Elizabeth

whoa! computer crashed as I was posting. Silly computers!

Who's kidding, GH? My bags can be packed in a matter of 10 minutes! Flip flops, Sarong, Bikini, sunglasses! I'm ready! LOL.

Bettygail, I've had the striped one numerous times (killed each and every one!) but I'm determined to keep this one alive. After looking it up (the striped one that is) I see that they want extra humidity and moist soil! Gee do you think letting them go bone dry before is what did them in? (tongue in cheek!)

So, I did get one more house plant, but this one was a gift from Kell. It's just about the coolest thing ever! A Protea!

All in all this was a great week for house plants! I also bought a big hanging basket lepismium - used to have a nice one but over the years, it's in a sad state due to neglect.

Uh, fir sure, Laligirl! I know that's what killed mine- letting it get too dry and not keeping it warm and humid. Leaves were dropping like flies. I was REALLY new at HPs then, so I was pretty green myself. LOL

GH

Oh Gawd, Lali, if we ALL put on sarongs, bikinis, flip-flops, and sunglasses, do you think they'd let us out of the airport? LOL They might nab me for indecent exposure. LMBO!!!!!!!!

GH

Elizabeth, best thing I can find on these Zebras (and white Zebras without their stripes like the one I have up top) is to keep them evenly moist, and plenty of humidity. Both of which can be a struggle here in bone dry northern Cali. I'm keeping it in a pebble tray filled with water, and I'm likely going to resort to using a wick (mason's line -string, run down the side of the rootball into the water below) to keep it evenly moist so I don't kill it forgetting to water it.

I'll consult some of my houseplant books and see what I come up with other than that.

I think here in south Texas, you can choose ANY companion plants with zebra and nothing dies outside in a pot with 90+ percent humidity everyday....this conglomerate is even growing and happy in 38 degree nights. (sorry for the blurry pic)

I figure if we all show up in sarongs, flip flops etc, they'll shove us on a plane and tell us to get the heck out of there. Could work to our benefit to show up in tropical gear!

oh sure, rub it in Miss Betty! LOL. In the summer, we hover around 15-20% humidity and it's in the 40's now inside my 'playhouse' (just a name I call my home office)- But in general, I run a humidifier or keep humidity lovers in a zip up indoor greenhouse. I'm from Houston so I know the humidity well!

begoniacrazii--Thank you. I'm in west tx and it's very dry right now. Maybe a pebble tray with water will help. Should I replant all 3 stalks together or seperate them do you think? My husband got this plant for me since I joined DG and I"ve not killed a plant yet-don't want this to be my first. :) thank you for your help, I hope mine looks half as pretty as yours!!

I'm not the expert on these Zebras but I guess if your goal is to have a less 'full' look, then repotting each individually would be the way to go. It's my understanding that when they experience dry air or dry soil, they start losing their lower leaves and have a long stalk with the foliage up top. Sort of Dr. Seuss-ish.

I think it all boils down to what your preferences are. If you are just looking to get it out of a plastic pot and into a nice decorative type pot - it would depend on the size of the pot.

My personal preference is to keep them together. If you look at that Aralia above, it is similar to yours in that it has three plants in the pot. Together keeps the plant(s) looking more full and robust. Just my 2¢ =º)

I think I will do them all together. I want the "fuller" look. I guess just a pot size up from what it's in from the store? I have let it dry out b/c I didn't want to "over"water till I found out more about it. Guess I better repot and water good. Plant food?

begoniacrazii, not surprised that you are from Houston!!! Wish I knew 1/100th of what you do about plants in general..........specially begonias!!

so Elizabeth, I looked the Zebra up in three of my house plant books and they all generally say the same thing; Bright indirect light, evenly moist but never soggy soil, prefer to be 'pot bound' (aka root bound), rich organic soil, high humidity especially during the bloom period. Root easily from cuttings.

Thanks for the compliment Bettygail but I don't know that much, just have a good library! LOL.


Let's hope we can keep them alive. This silver one is pretty nifty. I've seen them before but wasn't brave enough to get them since I had killed them before. Maybe GH needs to send us sticky notes to remind us!


(Begonia 'Thompson's Ice Storm', a new one from the last ABS meeting I went to)

Lali, is that a Brad Thompson hybrid?

GH

I'm guessing that it is. I was quite enamored with the silver leaves. A lot like 'Looking Glass' but no mildew.

I just bought Aphelandra squarrosa the other day. Here's a pic. It's beautiful. I had planned on putting it in the terrarium, but after getting home and on to plantfiles decided it would be able to stay in there very long since it gets over 4'! Glad to hear some growing tips :~)

Lana

!!
I wanna go plant shopping with you so bad, Lali!!
Gorgeous!

Look up A. aurantiaca and aurantiaca roezlii....could be one of those, and I'm thinking most likely the roezlii.....that is, unless those names have changed, which these darned plant names seem to do all the time!

Your Polyscias is balfouriana 'Pennockii'....I have a smallish one of these...it's a bit more particular about light and humidity than the other Polyscias. My favorite Polyscias, but the spider mites like it as much as I do;)

Your fern is one that's been on my want list for YEARS, lucky you!!

GH, you know Jen from GW...her and I have both been looking for that fern, ferociously, lol!

Let me know how how the fern grows for you, Lali, 'cuz I'm gonna have one some day!!

Nan, let me know if you all find it! I went googling it and of course, I don't see any vendors who sell it. I don't even think it's in the Plant Files. Nevertheless, it's a really pretty fern. I'm really taken with the backs. Like Lali said, it looks right cinnamonish. LOL(yum!)

GH

Lali, they could use that pic of Crassula 'Pagoda Village' in plantfiles. That's a beautiful plant.

Lana

Nan & GH, that fern is pretty common here. I bought it last year in a 4" pot so some local grower is selling them to the market. I'll keep my eye out for them again if you are interested - I think they were something like 5 or 6 bucks. This one is in a huge 8" pot and has several plants in the pot.

Nan, I did a google search of images of both of those Aphelandra and didn't see a photo of the one like mine. Guess I'll have to do some more research.

First thing I did when I brought Pennockii home was to put systemic houseplant granules in the soil for the mites. My other aralia have had them before too.

I found this at Lowe's yesterday and had no idea what it was, but loved it....Someone from Administration identified it....long name, so I call it ZZ plant. She said to just treat it like a philodendron and it would be fine.

Oh nice one!! I have them too. I killed one after several years though from over watering. They seem to prefer dry soil.

thanks for the tip!!!! I noticed that it was in a bulb pan????

My Aphelandra squarrosa has dropped leaves. I've been spraying the leaves with a water bottle. Any suggestions? Elizabeth