| I recently bought a house plant at Home Depot and have lost the tag. It has large oval leaves, purple underneath and variegated soft greens on top. The new leaves come up curled and all purple. Very beautiful. Can you give me the name so that I can get instructions for it's care. T think it is tropical. Thank you. |
| I can't tell from your description exactly which plant you have, but I can give you some general care instructions until you can determine the name of your plant. You can revisit the garden center and find a duplicate, then jot down the name of the plant. Most houseplants are tropical or sub-tropical in nature which is why they do so well in a warm indoor environment. Most tropical or sub-tropical plants grow in communities in the wild, where they enjoy and rely upon other plants to provide shade, humidity, and nutrients in the form of duff (fallen, decomposing leaves). These are the conditions we can try to duplicate in our homes. Provide your plant with moderate to bright light indoors, but no direct sunshine. If you're comfortable sitting near the plant and can read a newspaper without turning on a light, the exposure to light is probably just right for your plant. Warm indoor temperatures, about 70F during the day and cooler at night should be fine. Water your plant when the top half inch of potting soil is dry to the touch. Water thoroughly so excess water drains freely from the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Feed your plant with a half strength dilution of a water soluable fertilizer every 4-6 weeks for best growth. Hope these guidelines are helpful. Enjoy your new houseplant! |
