My Top Ten Plants of 2010

There have been lots of ups and downs among the leaves this year. I've embraced a whole new category of plants (Bromeliads) and all but given up on others (Hedera, Begonia.) At various times, I've battled fungus gnats, aphids, spider mites, mealy bug, scale and white flies. (Out of these, only the mealies prevailed: I had to throw away my Hoya multiflora because I just could not get rid of the damned things. Over the years, I have occasionally had plants succumb to scale or spider mites, but with diligence, I can usually get the upper hand with them. But I've never won a battle with mealies, ever.) I've dealt with sunburn, root rot, and naughty cats (apparently, Nolina recurvata looks like something good to nibble on.) But there have been a few plants that have done well, caused or attracted minimal trouble, and just made me consistently happy over the past year. Here, in alphabetical order, (because I couldn't make up my mind how to rank them otherwise) are my top ten favorite houseplants of 2010.

1. Aechmea fasciata: This is a plant I was once afraid to try. I was sure that once I got one home, the flowers would immediate fade, the inflorescence would shrivel, and the plant would die soon after. Instead, the little blue flowers lasted a good while, the pink inflorescence lasted for months, and not only is the mother plant still looking good, there is also a good sized offset.

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2. Aloe greenii x lineata: This made the list as a first time bloomer this year.

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3. Astrophytum capricorne: This is another first time bloomer. The flower was impressive, but I think my favorite thing about this plant is its crown of thorns. (Yes, I know cactus have spines, not thorns, but crown of spines doesn't have the same ring to it.)

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4. x Chamaelovibia 'Captain Jessop': I'm not 100% certain of the ID. What I am certain about is that this little cactus put on a hell of a show this year. It is only 2.5 inches tall, but it bloomed three times, each time with flowers bigger than the plant itself.

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5. Epiphyllum 'David W. Grant' : Cacti were a big hit with me this year, apparently. At any rate, after several years with no flowers whatever, my only Epi bloomed twice, once in May, then again in October. The plant itself is rather ugly, but the flowers are wonderful.

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6. Hoya carnosa 'Krimson Queen': This plant needs no special care, continues to grow like a weed, has beautiful leaves, and bloomed all summer long. It also inspired one of my favorite posts and accompanying photo series: Six out of Seven

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7. Mammillaria formosa subsp. microthele: Once again the ID is a bit tentative, but there is nothing tentative about my love for what will always be Mom's Plant

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8. Monstera deliciosa: Another perennial sentimental favorite, because I grew it from seed, and because it is awesome. It survived a scale infestation this year, and keeps on putting out big, beautiful leaves.

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9. Sansevieria hallii: A handsome, trouble-free plant that grows slowly, but steadily. This year's new leaf ended up being taller and thicker than all the others that came before it.

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10. Vriesea splendens: The plant that started my successful entry into the wonderful world of Bromeliads. It went seamlessly from blooming to pupping, and continues to grow larger. And I love the dark patterned foliage.

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Honorable mention: Aglaonema. I can't single out a particular plant or species. Every one of my Ags is doing well and remains trouble free.


I'm looking forward to the coming year of growing. I know there are going to be difficulties. But I know just as certainly that there will be delights.

Epi Encore

Late last May, I posted about my Epiphyllum 'David W. Grant', which was putting on an unprecedented blooming extravaganza. There were twelve flowers in all. Well, Mr. Grant has taken the stage again, this time with only a single bloom. But since there have been several years when this plant didn't flower at all, I'm especially pleased with the repeat performance in 2010.

Epiphyllum 'David W. Grant' from three different angles

After a summer spent hanging in the tree outdoors, Mr. Grant is back in his usual spot in the spare room. (AKA the "Cats' Room", since that is where we keep their litter boxes and other accoutrements.) Perhaps, after a winter with the same care as last year, there will be a return engagement next May.

Oh, Mr. Grant!

I have a confession to make. Occasionally, some of my plants get a bit neglected. One of those plants is my Epiphyllum 'David W. Grant.' During the fall/winter, it hangs in the spare room where we keep our cats' litter boxes, a room where I am disinclined to spend a lot of extra time. So I occasionally forget to water it. Not only that, the room has only a north window, which is not an ideal situation for an Epi. It is a bright room though, and it does get additional light reflected off of the off-white siding of the house next-door.

And how does Mr. Grant reward me for the neglect and less than ideal conditions? Like this:

Leaf with several flower buds

Epiphyllum 'David W. Grant' whole plant, showing the leaves a bit worse for wear. I moved it into the kitchen to photograph.

I've counted 12 flower/buds in various stages of maturity. And how will I reward Mr. Grant? With a summer outdoors, where it will get plenty of light, humidity and rain.

Flowers vs. Foliage

Every now and again at the Garden Web House Plants Forum, someone posts a thread inquiring about people's taste in plants. One question asked is whether we prefer plain green foliage or variegates, another popular one is whether we grow house plants mostly for their flowers or for their foliage. It isn't hard to figure out where I stand on this issue. After all, this blog is called "Life Among the Leaves," not Life Among the Blossoms."

The two pots of Hippeastrum 'Orange Sovereign' make eye-catching accents in this grouping. But my favorites in this picture, without question, are the foliage plants, particularly the Dracaena reflexa 'Song of India'

I do love flowers. Few things bring me more joy than seeing my outdoor garden in full bloom. In fact, I tend to err towards flowers outdoors--I don't have enough foliage interest going on there. It is something I intend to work on. Also, I do grow a few houseplants strictly for their flowers: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Hippeastrums, and Phalaenopis orchids all have exquisite blooms and rather dull foliage. I think the foliage of epiphytic cacti, like Schlumbergera and Epiphyllum is interesting it its own right, but I don't think I'd be as interested if they didn't bloom as well.

Epiphyllum 'David W. Grant'

As beautiful as the Epi bloom above is, to me it pales in comparision to the foliage of this Aglaonema 'Siam Aurora'

But for the rest of my plants, flowers are strictly a bonus--a sign that the plant is healthy. (I've heard that sometimes sick or dying plants bloom as a last-ditch attempt to reproduce, but that hasn't happened to me yet.) Beautiful or intriguing foliage is what I look for when I go plant shopping. Oh, and as to that variegated vs, plain green thing: I covet variegated plants of all sorts, but I think the most beautiful plant I've ever seen was a healthy, shiny, deep green Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig'. Second place goes to a well-grown Homalomena 'Emerald Gem.' Both plain green, they just seem to embody the essence of "planthood" to me.