Purdue
University
Consumer Horticulture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
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Purdue
University
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By Mary Welch-Keesey, Purdue University Consumer Horticulture
Specialist, at White
River Gardens
AFRICAN VIOLET Saintpaulia ionantha
The plant is a rosette-forming perennial bearing ovate, mid-green leaves, up to 2 inches long, on leaf stalks 2-1/2 inches long. The leaves may be ruffled, scalloped, quilted or even variegated. One-inch flowers are produced throughout the year in blue, lavender, pink, red, white and bicolors. African violets grow best with bright light, constant conditions and high humidity.
BEGONIA genus Begonia
This is a genus of about 1,500 species and numerous cultivars of more or less fleshy annuals, herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and climbers, including some succulents and epiphytes. Begonias are fibrous-rooted, rhizomatous, or tuberous, the tubers becoming dormant in winter. Some are grown for their colorful flowers and others for their decorative, alternate, usually asymmetric, leaves. It was named after Michel Begon (1638-1710), a French patron of science.
BLUSHING BROMELIAD Neoregelia carolinae
This is an epiphytic bromeliad with open rosettes of 12 to 20 strap-shaped, toothed, mid-green or variegated leaves which are 16 to 24 inches long and darker beneath. The inner leaves are purplish to red. The flowers are violet or lavender, up to 1-5/8 inches long. Bromeliads appreciate bright light and warmth. Be careful to not overwater the soil but keep the central vase formed by the leaves filled with rain water. Feed by spraying the leaves with a dilute fertilizer solution.
CHRISTMAS PEPPER Capsicum annuum
These are cultivars of our garden pepper that have been selected for fruit color and form. The fruits, which are often quite hot to the taste, can be globular or conical and range in color from yellow, orange and red to green and purple. Purchase plants with good fruit color as good color will not develop in the low light of home environments. This is a true annual and plants should be discarded when the fruit fades.
CHRYSANTHEMUM Chrysanthemum x grandiflorum
An herbaceous plant with scented foliage and sunflower-like flowers that comes in all colors of the rainbow except blues and purples. Chrysanthemums with large flowers have been selected for the florist trade and are not hardy in Indiana's winters. Garden mums, with smaller flowers and bushier habit, flower outdoors in autumn and can remain in the ground year-round. Formerly known only as an autumn plant, florist mums are grown as pot flowers and for flower arrangements all year.
GLOXINIA Sinningia speciosa
This is a tuberous perennial with rosettes of ovate to oblong, scalloped, dark green leaves, 8 to 12 inches long, which are covered with velvety hairs. It produces solitary or clustered, nodding, tubular bell-shaped red, violet-blue, or white flowers 1-1/2 inches long. Though the plant flowers naturally in summer, commercial producers have flowering plants available all year round. After flowering, store tuber dry at about 55°F, then repot in spring and fertilize weekly.
KALANCHOE genus Kalanchoe
There are about 130 species of this genus, ranging from shrubs and climbers to small trees. All have fleshy stems and toothed or scalloped fleshy leaves, usually arranged in opposite pairs. K. blossfeldiana, popular as a flowering pot plant, has orange, red or yellow flowers held above the foliage. K. pinnata is unusual because it bears living young as tiny plantlets, complete with roots, along the edges of the leaves.
ENGLISH IVY Hedera helix
This evergreen, woody vine has both juvenile and adult foliage. The juvenile leaves, with which we are most familiar, are lobed and carried on aerial, root-bearing stems. The adult foliage is on stiff nonclimbing and rootless stems and the leaves are usually rounded, not lobed. The flowers are small and greenish, produced only on the branches of the adult stage and not often seen in garden situations. Ivy is not a parasite and does not harm the trees and walls on which it climbs.
ROSEMARY Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary is grown for its evergreen foliage, a soft grey-green, and for its pleasing scent. It is a woody shrub that can grow to six feet in warm climates. In Indiana it should be brought inside for the winter. Prostrate forms and white and violet flowered forms are available. Use the leaves fresh or dried to flavor pork and veal dishes or to add fragrance to potpourris and soaps.
AZALEA genus Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of 500 to 900 species of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, some epiphytic. They occur in diverse habitats, from dense forests to alpine tundra, and from sea level to high altitudes. The plants are grown mainly for their spectacular, sometimes strongly scented flowers. Azalea is the common name for the deciduous species and hybrids of the genus. All azaleas need acid soil.
CAMELLIA genus Camellia
This is a genus of over 250 species of long-lived, evergreen shrubs and small trees, 3 to 70 feet tall, native to Asia. The usually glossy, mid-to-dark green leaves are simple, alternate, and lance-shaped, with toothed margins. They are popular for their bold foliage and abundance of showy, white, pink, red, (or rarely) yellow flowers. It was named for G. J. Camellus (1661-1706), a Jesuit missionary who brought it to Europe from Asia. Tea, Camellia sinensis, also belongs to this genus.
CITRUS genus Citrus
There are about 16 species of evergreen, usually spiny shrubs or small to medium-sized trees in this genus. These are the familiar citrus fruits of commerce but, in warm climates, can also be grown in the home garden for fruit or ornament. Others are grown indoors as pot plants. The species include lemon (C. limon), lime (C. aurantiifolia), Mandarin orange (C. reticulata), and sour orange (C. aurantium). Citrus fruits are used in beverages as well as included in wreaths and centerpieces for display during the holiday season. Pomadors, made by inserting whole cloves into oranges, make sweet-smelling home-made gifts. Seeds from limes, lemons and oranges germinate easily.
GARDENIA genus Gardenia
The genus consists of about 200 species of shrubs or small trees which are native to the tropics and subtropics. The flowers may be solitary or paired, white or yellow, and are usually large and fragrant, quite attractively held against the dark green, leathery foliage. This is a difficult houseplant to grow successfully, requiring high humidity, warm temperatures and extremely constant conditions. The genus is named for Alexander Garden (1730-1791) a Scottish physician and botanist.
Last updated: 6 April, 2006
For questions on this article, please contact Mary Welch-Keesey (mwelch@indyzoo.com).
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