Plants
Source: Sara Brockmueller; Denver Botanic Gardens; Jun 2018
| Name | Light | Temp | Water | Humidity | Feeding | Notes | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adiantum raddianum 'Fragrans' |
2
3
|
>50° | 0 evenly moist | required | 1 1 mo | Prefers lower temperatures in winter. | 1 |
| Aglaonema 'Sparkling Sarah' |
2
3
|
>60-75° | 2 partly dry | preferred | 1 1 mo | Avoid direct sunlight. | 1 |
| Alocasia infernalis |
2
|
>60-70° | 1 surface dry | required | 0 2 wk | Excess light leads to pale leaves. Susceptible to spider mites. | 1 |
| Anthurium AOS x crystallinum |
2
|
>65-75° | 1 surface dry | required | 1 1 mo | Tolerant of some humidity swings. Use a chunky potting mix. | 1 |
| Callisia repens 'Pink Panther' |
1
2
|
>50-70° | 2 partly dry | preferred | 1 1 mo | 1 | |
| Coffea arabica |
0
1
|
>60-70° | 1 surface dry | preferred | 0 2 wk | Susceptible to mealy bugs and scale. | 1 |
| Curio rowleyanus |
0
1
2
|
>50° | 4 fully dry | 1 2 mo | Ensure that crown gets some light. Allow a very slight wilt before watering to avoid root rot. Enjoys a cool winter. | 1 | |
| Dracaena trifasciata 'Black Gold?' |
1
2
3
|
>40-70° | 4 fully dry | 1 2 mo | Tolerates low light. | 1 | |
| Dracaena trifasciata var. hahni |
1
2
3
|
>40-70° | 4 fully dry | 1 2 mo | Tolerates low light. | 1 | |
| Epipremnum aureum 'Njoy' |
2
3
|
>50-75° | 2 partly dry | preferred | 1 2 mo | Prefers a cooler winter. | 1 |
| Euphorbia pulcherrima |
0
1
|
>55-70° | 2 partly dry | 1 1 mo | To rebloom, provide 14 hours of darkness and cool temps starting in October. | 3 | |
| Haworthia cymbiformis |
1
2
|
>50° | 3 mostly dry | 1 2 mo | Enjoys some direct sunlight. Prefers a cool and dry winter for compact growth. | 2 | |
| Hoya pubicalyx? |
1
2
3
|
>55-70° | 2 partly dry | preferred | 1 1 mo | A cool, dry period in early spring can trigger flowering. Use a chunky potting mix. Susceptible to mealybugs. Do not trim flower stalks. | 1 |
| Maranta leuconeura var. erythroneura |
2
3
|
>60-70° | 1 surface dry | required | 1 1 mo | Sensitive to drafts. Sensitive to some tap water. Loses variegation in low light. | 1 |
| Monstera 'Burle Marx Flame' |
1
2
|
>65-75° | 2 partly dry | required | 1 1 mo | Requires humidity for new leaves. Use a moss pole. Sensitive to some tap water. | 1 |
| Monstera adansonii var. laniata |
1
2
3
|
>55-70° | 1 surface dry | preferred | 0 2 wk | Grows larger leaves when climbing. | 1 |
| Monstera deliciosa 'Thai Constellation' |
1
2
|
>60-70° | 2 partly dry | required | 1 1 mo | Not tolerant of low light due to variegation. Prone to root rot. Prefers consistent conditions. | 1 |
| Nematanthus 'Black Gold' |
1
2
3
|
>50-70° | 1 surface dry | preferred | 1 1 mo | Grow in open potting mix; roots should dry quickly. Cool winter rest encourages flowering. | 1 |
| Nephrolepis exaltata |
2
3
|
>50° | 1 surface dry | required | 1 1 mo | Susceptible to spider mites. | 1 |
| Pellaea rotundifolia |
1
2
|
>50° | 1 surface dry | required | 1 1 mo | 1 | |
| Peperomia orba 'Princess Astrid' |
2
3
|
>55-70° | 2 partly dry | 1 2 mo | 1 | ||
| Platycerium bifurcatum |
1
2
3
|
>35° | 3 mostly dry | preferred | 1 1 mo | Water when just dry. Mount in spaghnum or keep in orchid mix. | 1 |
| Pteris cretica 'Roeweri?' |
1
2
|
>50° | 0 evenly moist | required | 1 1 mo | 1 | |
| Schlumbergera truncata |
1
2
3
|
>35-70° | 1 surface dry | 0 2 wk | Cold induces flowering. Use a chunky potting mix. | 1 | |
| Schlumbergera truncata 'Thor Ritt' |
1
2
3
|
>35-70° | 1 surface dry | 0 2 wk | Cold induces flowering. Use a chunky potting mix. | 1 | |
| Scindapsus pictus 'Argyraeus' |
2
3
|
>55-70° | 2 partly dry | preferred | 1 2 mo | 1 | |
| Scindapsus pictus 'Exotica?' |
2
3
|
>55-70° | 2 partly dry | preferred | 1 2 mo | 1 | |
| Selaginella martensii 'Frosty' |
2
3
|
>55-75° | 0 evenly moist | required | 1 6 mo | Best in terrarium. Can survive drying. Use spaghnum or peat moss. | 1 |
| Syngonium podophyllum 'Pink Arrow' |
1
2
3
|
>50-75° | 1 surface dry | preferred | 0 2 wk | Survives shade but prefers higher light due to variegation. | 1 |
Stats
Current species count: 29
Current specimen count: 32
Key
Light
Full sun (S window; prefer 50000+ lux)
Partial sun (direct morning/afternoon sun in E/W window; prefer 20000-50000 lux, can survive at 4000 lux)
Indirect sun (near a S/E/W window; prefer 10000-20000 lux, can survive at 2000 lux)
Shade (N window or interior; prefer <10000 lux, can survive at 1000 lux)
Listed lux values are very rough estimations.
Most plants can tolerate 2-3 hours of indoor direct sun per day, if properly acclimatized.
Water
Evenly moist: do not allow the soil to dry.
Surface dry: water when top 1/4-1/2” of soil is dry.
Partly dry: water when at least the top 1” of soil is dry.
Mostly dry: water when more than half of the soil is dry; should not be bone dry.
Fully dry: don’t water unless the soil is completely dry. To avoid root rot in cooler conditions, these can wait several weeks between watering.
Temperatures: if a “>” range is given, it specifies the minimum temperature the plant can survive at, as well as the minimum preferred temperature.
Feeding: wait this amount of time between feeding. Stop feeding in winter, unless the plant is actively growing.
Supplements and sprays
- Iron chlorosis: Yellowing leaves may be a sign of iron chlorosis. This can be caused by a deficiency of iron in the soil, but more often is due to the plant failing to take up enough iron. This can be due to problems with the root system (compacted old soil, root rot, etc), because the soil is too alkaline, or because the soil does not have enough organic material. Repotting will often solve the problem, but if that doesn’t work or is not possible, one can acidify the soil or provide an iron supplement. To acidify the soil, water with a solution of 1 Tbs vinegar in 1 gal water (or 1/4 tsp vinegar in 1 1/3 cups water). Iron supplementation can be provided monthly with chelated liquid iron, as a foliar spray or soil supplement.
Resources
How to write botanical names
(Additional note: “sp.” is unspecified species, “spp.” is several species.)
Specific light requirements for common indoor plants
Icon sources
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/183364/sun_icon
https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/183365/sun_icon