Houseplants
Bromeliads
Q: I recently read that Spanish moss and pineapples share the same plant family Bromeliacae. The two plants look so different! Can you tell me what characteristics put them in the same family?
A: Wow, you have posed a very interesting but difficult question! I am glad the complex choice of which plants fit into which group is not left up to me. Scientists group plants and animals using several criteria such as physical characteristics, growth and reproductive habits, even similar ancestry. Suffice it to say that greater minds than mine know more intimate information about Spanish moss and Pineapple and have concluded that these two plants are relatives. My limited knowledge can confirm that Bromeliacae are commonly called the Pineapple family. Some members of the Pineapple family are epiphytes while others are terrestrial. The terrestrial ones, which include pineapple, must live in soil to survive and reproduce offspring. Epiphytes, which include Spanish moss, do not require soil in order to grow but are often found in the canopy of trees. Epiphytes prefer partial shaded area and their roots are often exposed to the air for better absorption of water. In addition, epiphytes are also found in other families beside bromeliads. For instance, orchids are classified as epiphytes as well as some ferns but neither is in the Pineapple family. Both pineapple and Spanish moss are evergreen but you know plenty of other plants that fall into that category as well. So after saying all that, the bottom line is we cannot always look at the physical characteristics of a plant to determine the proper family; we have to leave that up to the experts.
Q:
Can you please tell me what plants I have growing wild on my property
on Amelia Island? I have searched and searched on the web
but can't find anything like them. They appear to be some
type of succulent, possibly in the Aloe family. 
A: The photos you sent me were beautiful. I suspected they were some type of Bromeliad but I wasn’t sure so I asked a couple of the UF/IFAS Nassau County Extension Master Gardener volunteers who specialize in bromeliads to help. One of the Master Gardener Volunteers, who has a horticulture degree and used to work for a local nursery, identified them as Bromelia pinguin. Bromelia pinquin is native to Mexico, most of South American and even the Caribbean. About one year after the fruit withers, the plant dies. It reproduces vegetatively and by seeds, which is one of the reasons it has spread so quickly in your landscape. According to John K. Francis, Research Forester from USDA, the fruit is strongly acidic, tastes somewhat like pineapple and is used to make a refreshing drink. It can become a nuisance in wildlife areas and removal may be required if it becomes overgrown and escapes formal landscapes. Their relative, Bromelia balansae, are non-natives and have a tendency to “misbehave” by escaping to wildlife areas. I realize you did not plant these bromeliads but it is a good lesson for all of us to be careful before putting plants in our landscape especially those coming from exotic areas.
Christmas Cactus
Q: Can I plant my Christmas cactus outside?
A: Christmas cactus is in the genus, Schlumbergera, 
and
in
Desert Rose
Q: I have a question about my Desert Rose plant. I live 2 miles south of Callahan and my home faces the west. My plant sits on my front porch and gets full afternoon sun. It is in a well drained pot and I water it regularly every other day. In the past 3 days I have noticed the leaves turning yellow and dropping off. What is causing this problem? I appreciate your help.
A: Regarding your Desert Rose (Adenium obesum)
plant. It is good that you placed it in well-drained soil,
but I suspect you are watering it too much. 
This
plant is classified as a succulent and requires very little
water. It hardiness zone is 10-11 and it should be grown
only in South Florida. However, some people have great luck
growing it as a house plant similar to the situation you have described. The
only problem this plant has is over watering, over fertilizing
or low light. It sounds as if you are doing everything correctly
except for over watering. I would suggest you cut back to
once every week or two. In fact, I water my succulents once
a month or so and they do extremely well. Try reducing the amount
of water you give this plant and see if it doesn't recover.
Donkey Ears
Q: I have sent you a photo of a plant
I purchased at a local garden store. 
Can
you tell me what type of plant it is?
A: I thought it belonged to the kalanchoe family so I set a Master Gardener to the task of finding the exact plant. The name of the plant turned out to be Donkey Ears, Bryophyllum gastonis-bonnieri. This plant can be grown outdoors in south Florida (zone 11) but will die once our temperatures go below 40 degrees F, therefore we should grow them only in pots. It can tolerate a wide range of light conditions from full sun to light shade. It is drought tolerant and once it blooms it becomes an attractant for bees and butterflies.
Dracaena
Q: Please tell me what I can do about my Dracaena. It is all stem and a few fronds at the top. Is there a way I can bring it all down to my size? Also I have some Lucky Bamboo with a similar problem--all stem and not much show. Any help will be gratefully appreciated.
A: Dracaenas are generally rugged, carefree
houseplants with a 
robust
and tropical appearance. They are widely used for both home and
office plantings. Many tolerate low light conditions. Allow dracaenas
to dry slightly between watering. Wait until the soil surface is
dry to the touch then water the plant thoroughly. Avoid watering
with cold water. A standard commercial houseplant potting
mixmay be used. Feed dracaenas with liquid foliage plant fertilizer
once a month during the spring and summer months. Time release
fertilizer pellets may be used also. Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) is
part of the same family. The more common Dracaena are
Dracaena deremensis, Dracaena fragrans (corn plant), and Dracaena
marginata. When the plant stems become too long or too bare
pruning it to the desired height will force it to branch out. All
of the Dracaena listed above are indoor specimens for Northeast
Florida; it gets too cold here to plant them outside. Check
out this website from Clemson University about Dracaena. htt
Freesia
Q: Can
I plant my freesia in the ground here in Northeast Florida? 
A: Freesias do best as potted plants in Florida. Corms, which are specialized stems, should be dug up and stored when foliage turns yellow. Digging them up each year and storing them in the refrigerator may be more trouble than it is worth but that decision is yours. You have had great success growing them in pots so you might not want to ruin a good thing. For those of you who would like to grow them in pots: plant corms in pots from November to December about 2 inches deep in rich potting soil. A six inch pot will accommodate about 3-6 corms. Expect blooms to occur from January to February. Freesia produces a variety of colors and prefers partial shaded light conditions. I have been told that the most fragrant blooms are the white ones, so that may help you decide on which varieties to choose. Freesia can be purchased at your local garden centers, nurseries and through reputable bulb catalog companies.
Peace Lily
Q: My peace lily is starting to have brown edges on the leaves. I have been watering it with tap water which goes through my water softener. Could that be the problem?
A: I am glad you called with this question; it is
one we often get in the winter
because
people bring plants in during cold months and will water them with
softened water. Brown edges on plant leaves can be caused by over
watering, over fertilizing or even under watering. However, once
you told me you were watering with softened water I suspected an
accumulation of salts from the softener is causing the burn on the
leaves. For house plants it is best to use bottled drinking water
to avoid salt build-up. You can recognize the salt build-up by checking
out the pot or surface soil for a white, flaky substance. In addition,
this salt build-up can also occur when watering with hard water which
will accumulate a calcium deposit. You may be able to flush out the
excess salts by allowing clean bottled drinking water to run through
the soil several times. Be sure the water is able to run out of the
bottom of the flower pot to prevent the roots from getting too wet
and causing root rot. You might consider repotting the plant in a
new container and replacing the soil with clean potting material.
The damage done by softened water is not limited to house plants;
turf grass can experience the same symptoms of salt burn if softened
water is used on lawns.
Q: I have been trying to propagate my peace lily by cutting pieces and trying to root them in water but nothing has worked. Do you have any ideas?
A: The Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii, is a very attractive houseplant for Northeast Florida. It can be grown outside in protected areas but it is better suited for Central and South Florida (zones 10-11). Remember, Nassau County shares two cold hardiness zones – 8b for the Westside and 9a for the Eastside. It is generally thought I-95 divides the county into the aforementioned zones. The reason you are having difficulty propagating this plant is it can be reproduced only by dividing its rhizomes. Rhizomes are specialized underground stems that grow just below the surface of the soil. These specialized stems are found on such plants as iris and canna. Division of rhizomes should occur at the beginning or the end of the growing season.
Philodendron
Q: My philodendron plants are very large and are putting
on "pods" among the leaves. The pods come out at
the bottom of the leaves near the main stalk. I can find nothing
in any of my gardening books that help me to understand what these
are. 
Can
you please help me? Thanks a bunch.
A: I suspect the plant you have is called a Tree philodendron or Selloum, Philodendron bipinnatifidum. This plant can grow rather rapidly and reach heights up to 15 feet as well as a spread of 15 feet. It may be sensitive to the deep freezes we sometimes have here in Northeast Florida so you may want to protect it if we develop a hard freeze (28 degrees for more than 4 hours). It can be grown in full sun or partial shade in a wide variety of soil types and is slightly salt tolerant. The pods are probably the structures covering the flower which is called a spathe; the flower portion is called a spadix. The spathe will be greenish white, similar to the structure produced by a peace lily. It will produce a few seeds which can be easily propagated by placing them in moist sphagnum moss. Obviously you are taking good care of this plant because it is healthy enough to produce flowers and seed. Good luck and enjoy your plant.
Q: I have seen a large plant growing on a tree
at a local historic home in Fernandina Beach. The leaves are several
feet long and it seems to die back in the winter. Can you tell me
what it is?
A: One of the Master Gardeners knew the plant you were referring to and was so curious she went to Centre Street to check it out. We believe it is probably the split-leaf philodendron, Monstera deliciosa, also called Swiss-cheese plant. This vine is a vigorous climber that can grow to lengths of 30 feet or more. It prefers partial to deep shade, and rich, moist soils. Its native habitat is Mexico and Central America and it has several variegated cultivars. The split-leaf philodendron can be easily grown in south and central Florida but often dies back during the colder temperatures of North Florida. Propagation can be done by seed or cuttings. The only problems it may have are with scale, mealy bugs or mites.
Prayer Plant
A: Maranta or Prayer Plant
is
a clump-forming herb indigenous to tropical Americas, primarily South
America. It is a small tropical plant with broad oval leaves, up
to 8 inches long by half as wide. The leaves fold upwards at night,
hence the common name of prayer plant. Our weather here is too cold,
so it can only be used as an indoor plant. Plant in regular, well-drained
potting mix and keep the soil evenly moist, but not wet. Grow in
diffused sun, bright, indirect light, warm temperatures (usually
between 60 and 85 degrees) and high humidity. Do not allow water
to stand on the crowns; the stems rot easily. It should be watered
at the root area only. Since the plant has a shallow root system
it should be planted in shallow pots. Re-potting can be done in February
or March but only if the plant out-grows its container. During the
winter, when our indoor air is dry, the plant may be lightly misted.
The plant responds to being trimmed at least twice a year unless
you want it as a hanging plant. Trimming helps to keep the plant
growing vigorously in a clumping fashion. Propagation is by division
of root system. Some Marantas have the red veins as you described,
but other plants are totally green. Marentas are versatile indoor
plants because they can be used as small specimen plants, hanging
plants, ground covers in interiorscapes and in dish gardens and combination
planters.
Swedish Ivy
Q: I'm attaching a picture of my Swedish ivy which I have had in a hanging basket for awhile. Lately it seems kind of pitiful looking and I'm wondering what I could do to perk it up some.
A: Swedish Ivy is often used as an indoor hanging
plant but it can be placed outside if the conditions are appropriate. 
Ideal
temperatures are 55 to 60 degrees at night and up to 80 degrees during
the day. Since most of our summer days are above 80 degrees
this plant should be grown in an area that never receives direct
light. This would be especially true during the summer. Keep
the soil evenly moistened in summer but drier during winter. Do
not over-water because this could cause root rot. Fertilize
regularly, spring through fall, with a house plant fertilizer used
according to label directions. The plant needs pinching to keep it
bushy. If the bottom leaves turn yellow and fall off, reduce watering.
Propagation is by cuttings, therefore, ideally you might consider
taking the plant indoors. If you need outdoor hanging plants
you might consider herbs, begonias, spider plants, ferns or another
ivy plant.ht