Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Part 1 Plant Care Basics
The Path to Enlightenment: Understanding Light 2
Water World: The When, Where, How, and Why of Watering 9
Oh, the Humidity: Why It (Sometimes) Matters 16
Soiled Again: Understanding Potting Mixes 20
Let's Go Shopping! 24
Hey, Good Looking: How to Groom Your Plants 32
Moving On: Repotting Your Plants 35
Now What's Wrong? Common Plant Problems 38
Propagation: Or, How to Make More Plant Friends 49
Part 2 Plant Profiles
African Violet (Saintpaulia) 60
Air Plants (Tillandsia) 62
Aloe Vera 64
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) 66
Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium podophyllum) 69
Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) 71
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis') 74
Braided Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) 75
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) 78
Chinese Evergreen (Agiaonema) 80
Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides) 82
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera buckleyi) 84
Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia seguine) 86
Donkey's Tail (Sedum morganianum) 88
Dwarf Umbrella Tree (Schefflera arboricola) 90
Echeveria 92
English Ivy (Hedera helix) 94
Fiddle-Leaf Fig (Ficus Iyrata) 96
Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) 98
Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) 101
Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum, syn. Philodendron scandens) 103
Inch Plant (Tradescantia zebrina) 106
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) 108
Lady Slipper Orchid (Paphiopedilum) 110
Lemon-Lime Dracaena (Dracaena deremensis 'Lemon Lime') 112
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) 114
Meyer Lemon Tree (Citrus x meyeri) 116
Monstera (Monstera deliciosa) 118
Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis) 121
Nerve Plant (Fittonia) 124
Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) 126
Oxalis triangularis 128
Panda Plant (Kalanchoe tomantosa) 130
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans, syn. Neanthe bella) 132
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) 134
Polka Dot Plant (Hypoastes phyllostachya) 136
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) 138
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) 140
Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura) 142
Rex Begonia (Begonia rex) 144
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) 146
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) 148
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) 150
Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum) 152
Tree Philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum, syn, Philodendron selloutm) 154
Urn Plant (Aechmea fasciata) 156
Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia) 158
Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa) 160
Zebra Plant (Haworthia fasciata) 162
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) 164
Acknowledgments 167
Resources 168
Bibliography 170
Image Credits 173
Index 174