Did you ever buy a plant, then later, look back and say, "If I had known this ('quantity X'), I might not have bought this?"
I think that with the explosion of tropical plants and aroids available on the Internet in the past few years, a lot of people buy stuff that they plan to keep as houseplants, and maybe later discover that it might not have been such a good idea for one reason of another. Philodendrons, and some aroids in general, are a perfect plant to use to point this up.
DO you have any "that was then, this is now" before and after photos of the monster plant that ate your house (or could?) This is one of mine: the variegated philo commonly sold as "Philodendron imbe variegata".
I actually have THREE of these. I love them, don't get me wrong! But then, I have the greenhouse space for them and am not trying to grow them inside in a window (like I did the monstera that DID eat the house, ugh!)
This was the first one I got as a cute innocent looking baby:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/PhilVar.jpg
Philodendrons: That was then, this is now
This is the EXACT SAME PLANT, just TWO YEARS LATER:
The plant has climbed up a totem with a 3" diameter and has some leaves that are over 2 ft long. Overall height at the moment is about 9 feet? Another view:
Yes i see what you mean. I think you are trying to find a home for that over grown monster.So you can send it to me.I would take it faster than you could chang your mind. But i know thats not the case,i know you would never part with it !! I have two of them but they are a lot smaller than yours. A pic. of mine. Jerry
I only wish that was true, Susan727
It was the same story with that cute lacy little Philodendron warscewiczi in the first photo. See how sweet, small and innocuous it looks there alongside the imbe? Just 2 little children, playing in the garden. Then, they decide to grow up! And this is what happens....you have to separate them, then you have to drag in a tree stump as a brace and erect an 8" diameter totem!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/DSCN5267.jpg
Then you get aroid chaos
I can think of nothing better than aroid chaos!!!! LOL
LOVE THEM- GREAT GROWING!
SHANIKA
I knew what to expect, but it still amuses me when I see people examining a 4" pot of monstera or philo selloum (sp?) with those eyes that say: "this is perfect for my desk!" ha! They will eat your desk, lol.
I am trying to get the common pothos ivy to grow up a tree so that it turns into a monster foliage plant, but haven't succeeded so far. I have been warned against possibly choking the tree if the pothos takes over, but I just can't imagine that cutesy wootsey plant creating such chaos...
Methinks she doth protest too much --such AWFUL plants! ha
This message was edited Dec 13, 2008 7:46 PM
Hey, I'm just trying to warn you...not all plants sold as houseplants, ARE houseplants!
This started with three of those cutesy wootsey 4" philo pots. I trim branches in spring and fall. I guess these plantings area about 10 yrs old.
Vossner,
I've got a Royal Palm with the pothos growing all the way up to the top (about 40 feet). The stems on it are at least 2" in diameter and the leaves are almost as large as Monstera leaves. When they get that large, they have cuts in them. That the kind of monster you're looking for?
Oh, and BTW, it does not, and cannot, choke the tree!
LariAnn
thanks LariAnn. that is good to know. I'll forge ahead w/ my project. I can just pic your palm s/ photos, ahhh