The gifting season is fast approaching and many people are wondering which plants make the best gifts for their plant-loving friends and family.
There are some plants to consider that can live a long time and let those who receive them think of you for years to come.
Thanksgiving-Christmas cactus
- Potting: Give them rich, well-drained soil in a pot that drains and allow the plants to become dry before watering.
- Lighting: Exposure to moderate light is best, especially in an east or west-facing window.
- Availability: Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas cactus are very similar in appearance and many of the commercially-sold plants are their hybrids. Holiday cacti are generally seasonally available everywhere or online year-round.
Phalaenopsis orchids-Texas Super Star plants
- Difficulty: For an attentive beginner
- Potting: Orchids need perfect drainage and orchid pots with holes are best for them. Set them inside a separate decorative pot on a layer of wet gravel to allow good drainage and high humidity. Overwatering and soggy soil will kill orchids. Water by soaking in rain or distilled water for 15-30 minutes, drain well.
- Lighting: Bright indirect light, not direct sun
- Availability: Phalaenopsis come in a multitude of colors and patterns and are now sold virtually everywhere plants are sold.
Snake plant-Sansevieria-mother in law’s tongue
- Difficulty: Easy for beginner
- Potting: Need a well-draining pot and soil. The plants should be allowed to get almost dry before being watered.
- Lighting: Will tolerate very low light to sun.
- Availability: These plants come in a variety of sizes, leaf shapes and color patterns, and the more common ones can be found in the big box and garden stores. Rare collector’s varieties are generally found at specialty nurseries and online.
ZZ plant
- Difficulty: Often said to be the easiest possible house plant to grow.
- Potting: Need a well-drained pot filled with well-draining soil as overwatering and soggy soil kills them. Always allow to dry completely before watering.
- Lighting: Happiest with bright indirect light but will tolerate anything from low to direct sun.
- Availability: Readily available anywhere that houseplants are sold.
Pothos
- Difficulty: Perfect beginner’s plant
- Potting: Pothos needs well-drained soil, as soggy soil will kill them.
- Lighting: Tolerates levels from very low to moderate direct light.
- Availability: There are numerous varieties of pothos with beautiful patterns and colors. Standard pothos varieties are available almost anywhere plants are sold, but the rare ones may have to be ordered from specialty growers or nurseries.
Peace lily – Spathiphyllum-closet plant
- Difficulty: Good beginner’s plant
- Potting: Peace lilies like well-drained soil and good, clean water, free from chemicals and salts. They do best with rainwater or even distilled water. Water thoroughly and wait until your plant looks slightly droopy before you water it again.
- Lighting: Thrive in bright indirect light but also tolerate some sunlight and even survive in low light.
- Availability: Peace lilies come in a variety of sizes, from 15 inches to 6 feet in height. They can also have variegated leaves. Almost anywhere that sells houseplants sells peace lilies.
Chinese evergreen-Aglaonema
- Difficulty: Another excellent beginner’s plant
- Potting: Aglaonemas need well-drained soil, high humidity or misting, low to bright indirect light and moist but never soggy soil. Allow plants to dry partially before watering.
- Lighting: The brighter the color, the more light the plant requires.
- Availability: There are numerous colors and varieties of Aglaonemas available. The plants are usually easy to find at any place that carries houseplants.
Regardless of whether the recipient is an experienced gardener or new to loving plants, you cannot go wrong in giving one of these plants.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.