Category Archives: Blooming houseplants

Zonal geranium is a common plant for the garden. There are also many showier varieties that make beautiful and rewarding houseplants. These special pelargoniums have graced sunny windows for many decades.

Leaf variegation often appears in halo patterns, with a red or bronze halo ringing the leaf’s center and white bands or splashes near the margin. Varieties with mostly green leaves are valued for their flowers, which often are produced year-round when plants are pruned periodically to force out new growth.

Three little known facts about Zonal geranium plants

What does Zonal geranium even mean?

Zonal geraniums get their name from the “zone” striping through the middle of their leaves. The colors are red, blue, or purple color. This physical attribute is a helpful way to distinguish a zonal geranium from other types of Geranium

How long can zonal geranium live?

Zonal geraniums can live up to 3 years. However, you can make it to live indefinitely by propagating it from rooted stem cuttings.

Where did geraniums come from?

Geranium originates from South Africa. At present, you can find more than 250 wild species of geranium still growing in Africa. The first geranium came to Europe at the beginning of the 17th century

Zonal geranium plants care guide

Light

Zonal geranium is one of the best flowers for full sun. They like to receive at least six hours of sunlight each day. I usually put mine in their favorite spot – a place with a lot of bright light from a south or west window.

Temperature

Zonal geranium temperature tolerance range is from cool to average room temperatures (60–75°F/16–24°C).

Watering and fertilize tips for geranium

Allow soil to dry to within 1 in/2.5 cm of the surface between waterings, but do not allow the roots to become so dry that the plants wilt.

I usually feed my geranium plants every 2 weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer in summer

Soil for geranium

Any good potting soil that drains well. I always add a handful of sand to standard potting soil to improve drainage when potting geraniums. Try to repot the plant annually in spring to provide a clean pot and fresh potting soil. This will give the plant a fresh start. It will reward you with a lot of flowers in summer

Propagation. How to grow geraniums from cuttings

When new growth emerges in spring, take 3–4 in/7.5–10 cm-long stem tip cuttings and root them. Some varieties are much easier to propagate than others.

How to coax bedding geranium into bloom?

Coaxing bedding geraniums, which also are zonal types, into bloom is very easy. In late summer, I gradually move outdoor-grown plants to shadier quarters to acclimate them to reduced light.

Even when acclimated, zonal geraniums often shed half their leaves when they are moved indoors, so it’s a normal thing. Don’t be alarmed. Clean up after them, and prune off up to half of the long, brittle branches. Blooming should resume after 3 to 5 weeks.

Geranium winter care. How to overwintering zonal geranium

Zonal geraniums can grow health in containers with little care. I usually bring the plant inside in winter before the first frost. You want to cut the plants half the normal size, dig it up and transplant into the container. Remember to inspect the plants for any sign of disease. I recommend using a potting mix that drains well. Throughout the winter, place the plants in a cool location with bright, direct sunlight. Water the plant as normal.

Display tips

Once-popular dwarf varieties with variegated leaves, such as Skies of Italy, are well worth seeking out. In addition, some zonal have scented leaves, including pink-flowered ‘Roger’s Delight’, ‘Prince Rupert Variegated’, and many others.

How to grow geraniums in pots

There are many ways to draw out the beauty of Geraniums. The easiest one is to grow geraniums in good quality terracotta pots that feature simple relief patterns.

Geraniums are among the cheeriest plants you can grow in an office that includes a spot of bright sunlight. They will reward you with beautiful flamboyant flowers years around

How to plant geraniums in hanging baskets

When growing geranium in hanging baskets uses the standard good potting mix that drains well. Remember to let the soil dry 1-2 cms between watering. Hanging baskets of zonal geraniums can give a little Italian touch to your balcony

How I deadhead my geraniums

I always deadhead my geranium whenever I see the bloom look brown or weak. When deadheading your geraniums, you need to go snap the stem below its node or joint, where new growth begins. If you just simply pull off the top flowers, you missed the chance to promote new growth and bloom

Guzmania Lingulata plants are also referred to as Scarlet star plants. This is a popular plant of choice from the Bromeliad family. This plants’ native range in Southeast Mexico to Tropical America. Many older strains of scarlet start grew quite tall, but most modern named varieties are smaller, reaching a mature size of 10 in/25 cm tall and 12 in/30 cm wide.

This bromeliad has a rather upright posture, and its glossy green leaves add to its appeal. A flamboyant bloomer, in its third or fourth-year scarlet star, produces a brightly colored quilled spike, which emerges just above the foliage in the plant’s center. As the flower spike fades, usually 6 or more weeks after it appears, pups emerge from near the base of the Guzmania lingulata plant. Although scarlet star appreciates high humidity, it is less demanding of light than other bromeliads, and often grows beautifully in the bright artificial light of offices.

Guzmania lingulata plant specification

Light: Scalet star plants love moderate to bright year-round, with no direct sun; grows well with bright fluorescent light.

Temperature: Average to warm (65–80°F/18–27°C) year-round.

Fertilizer: Feed monthly year-round with a houseplant fertilizer mixed at half the normal strength. Feed leaves, roots, and reservoir.

Water: Keep a cup filled with at least 1 in/2.5 cm of water, and dribble enough water to the roots to keep them lightly moist. Empty old water from a cup every 2 to 3 weeks and promptly replace it. Leach pots once during the summer to remove accumulated salts.

Soil: Guzmania lingulata prefers bromeliad or orchid potting soil.

Repotting: Repot annually in spring until the plant fills a 6 in/15 cm pot. Small pots help induce blooming in mature plants.

Propagation: Remove the offsets of your guzmania lingulata plant and pot them up when they are at least 3 in/7.5 cm tall. Maintain high humidity for a month after potting up the pups.

Display tips and Varieties

The handsome glossy leaves are spineless, so this bromeliad poses no danger when placed near activity areas. Moving a blooming plant to slightly lower light helps to intensify the color of the bracts. In order to draw out the beauty of the leaves, consider cleaning scarlet star leaves using damp cloth frequently.

There are numerous named varieties of Guzmania lingulata. The most popular is ‘Luna’, which produces a mauve spike. Others bloom yellow, red, or pinkish lavender. Varieties with reddish leaf markings often are not as vigorous as green-leafed selections.

Flaming sword plant is one of the showiest bromeliads. This houseplant features stiff, arching leaves banded with maroon, which form a tight vase in the center. Mature plants grow 20 in/50 cm tall and 24 in/60 cm wide.

• Family: Bromeliaceae
• Origin: Tropical America
• Other names: Flaming Sword, Flaming Touch, Painted Feather, Zebra Bromeliad, Vriesea

Flaming Sword houseplants are not as easy to grow as some other bromeliads, but it will succeed when provided with bright light, warm temperatures, and moderate to high humidity. If all goes well, a 3- to 4-year-old plant will reward you with a tall, flattened flower spike, which is usually bright red, with small yellow flowers emerging from the bracts.

The spike persists for several weeks, after which the plant slowly declines while producing one or more offsets. Wait until the parent flaming sword plant is quite far gone to propagate a new plant from the pup.

How to care for a Flaming Sword Plant

Light: Flaming swords prefer bright indirect light year-round, with some direct sun in winter.

Temperature: Warm (70–80°F/21–27°C) year-round.

Fertilizer: Feed flaming swords monthly with an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer mixed at half the normal strength. Feed the leaves, roots, and reservoir.

Water: Keep the soil lightly moist at all times, and refill the reservoir every 2 weeks with fresh water. Flaming sword plants prefer a humid room and mist weekly if possible

Soil: Flaming swords go well with Bromeliad mix or orchid potting soil.

Repotting: Repot young flaming swords after 2 years, and limit pot size for mature plants to 6 in/15 cm.

How long does flaming sword live?: Individual flaming sword plants live for 3 to 4 years.

Propagation: After flowering, the flaming sword bromeliad plant usually produces one robust pup. Allow it to grow until it is at least 8 in/20 cm tall before detaching it, potting it up, and discarding the parent plant.

Selections: There are many named varieties, which vary in leaf variegation and the shade of the flowering spike. Purchase plants that have not yet bloomed, or have just begun to produce a flowering spike.

Display tips: The dramatic leaf colors make the flaming sword plant a strong focal point even when it is not in bloom. Because of its width, it is a good plant to display on a raised platform, with smaller ferns or other low-light plants beneath it.

The state flower of Hawaii, hibiscus bears the largest blossoms that can be produced by an indoor plant. Some measure more than 8 in/20 cm across, and all feature crepe-paper-textured petals that flare around a prominent yellow stamen. Individual blossoms last only 2 to 3 days, but well-adjusted plants often bloom intermittently from late spring to late fall.

Hibiscus plants need warmth, so they are best grown near a south or west window. If possible, move them outdoors in summer to a place where they will receive partial sun. Be sure to bring them back indoors before night temperatures fall to 50–55°F/10–13°C. You can control the size of your hibiscus by pruning the plant lightly in early summer and more aggressively in Autumn. Hibiscus blooms form on the tips of new branches, which emerge from just below where older branches are tipped back.

Hibiscus plant profile

Light: Bright, including some direct sun.

Temperature: Warm (65–85°F/18–29°C).

Fertilizer: From spring through summer, feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer. In winter, feed monthly. Alternatively, fertilize twice yearly with a high-nitrogen, controlled-release fertilizer. Special hibiscus fertilizer has an analysis of 18-5-23.

Water: In warm weather, water as often as needed to keep the soil lightly moist at all times. In winter, allow the soil to dry to within 1 in/2.5 cm of the surface between waterings.

Soil: A light-textured potting soil that contains perlite and peat.

Repotting: Annually in fall, prune back stems by one-third, and also trim off about one-fourth of roots before repotting.

Longevity: 5 to 10 years for most hybrids.

Propagation: Many hibiscuses can be propagated by rooting 6 in/ 15 cm-long stem tip cuttings. Many hibiscuses are grafted onto special rootstocks, so rooted cuttings may not show the vigor of their parent.

Selections: There are dozens of named varieties in shades of pink, blue, red, and yellow, with many colors.

• Dragon’s Breath features bold red, 8 in/20 cm blossoms with white swirls in the centers.
• The Path is bold yellow with magenta centers.

Display tips: Grow plants in pots that can be slipped inside larger planters equipped with wheels so they are easy to move outdoors in summer.

Problems and troubleshooting

Buds drop off soon after they form.

CAUSE: Environmental stress or weak cultivar.

REMEDY: Any type of stress that strikes when buds are swelling can cause plants to give up their will to bloom. Water attentively after bud appear and avoid moving bud-bearing plants unnecessarily. Varieties that produce large, double flowers are more likely to drop buds than those that bear single blossoms.

Leaves turn yellow and drop off.

CAUSE: Normal in fall, but excessive leaf drop can be caused by a sudden reduction in light.

REMEDY: Plants that are grown outdoors in summer — and even those kept indoors year-round — often shed some of their leaves when returned to comparatively dim indoor rooms. To keep shedding to a minimum, gradually accustom plants to less light.

Leaves appear parched, with pale yellow specks.

CAUSE: Spider mites.

REMEDY: Prevent this problem by washing off leaf undersides with plenty of water once a month. See page 276 for details on identifying this pest. If spider mites are present, isolate the plant, prune off badly infested branches, and spray plant daily with water. Use insecticidal soap if the problem persists.

Leaves small and misshapen.

CAUSE: Too much phosphorous in fertilizer.

REMEDY: Some hibiscuses are sensitive to high amounts of phosphorous (the middle number in a fertilizer’s analysis). Leach pots as described on page 263 and switch to a low-phosphorous fertilizer.