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I just don't have a clue...please help me ID!!

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2002
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by Angela14 on October 11, 2002 08:18 AM
I am a college student who just wanted to have a few green plants to decorate my otherwise dull apartment. My problem is that now I seem to be decorating in shades of brown and yellow. I bought a plant from a nursery, replanted it in a bigger pot, and have since lost the tag that tells me how to care for it. Being new to plants I have no idea what it is or how to care for it other than remembering that it said it needs low light. It is fairly bushy with leaves approx 4-5 inches long. The leaves are dark green on the outside and light green on the inner part. It has small white flowers shaped like your hands would be if you were cupping water in them with the pollen (or whatever it is) inside of it (I can't remember technical names...Biology was so long ago!) If anyone can help me identify this or give me some suggestions I would really appreciate it. I have looked all over online and this site seems to be the best I could find.
THANK YOU so much in advance!!

~Ang

by Will Creed on October 11, 2002 11:00 AM
Hi Angela,

From your description of the flowers, your plant is probably in the Aroid family. More specifically, I would guess that it is an Aglaonema or perhaps a Dieffenbachia or Spathiphyllum (peace lily). However, the latter typically has leaves that are all the same color.

If you do a Google search under the above names you will find photos that should help you ID your plant. If yours is not any of the above, let me know how yours differs.

Plant tags are notoriously unhelpful. No plant NEEDS low light. Some plants will survive in low light, but all will do better in bright indirect light. Whatever your plant is, it should be close enough to a window to receive good reading light all day long.

It is never a good idea to repot a new plant. This invariably leads to root rot as the soil stays moist for too long. I suggest that you move your plant back into its original pot by removing the soil that you added.

Inadequate light, pots that are too large, and overwatering are the likely reasons that you are struggling with your plants. Caring for plants can be fairly easy once you understand the basics.

[ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: Will Creed ]

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