Caring For Houseplants

Dungeon plants are very tough

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with another guest at a dinner party. When he discovered I was a garden writer, he got all embarrassed. He said, "I've had only one plant in my whole life and I killed it."

I asked what kind of plant he had and he said he had a Mother-in-Law's Tongue left to him by a friend who was moving. Looking back, I wasn't very polite because I laughed out loud and said, "You can't kill a Mother-In-Law's Tongue, it's a dungeon plant." That means its so tough it probably could grow in a dungeon.

He said he didn't know why his plant died, but with some investigation we discovered he had unknowingly set the plant in direct sunlight. The Mother-In-Law plant, Sansevieria trifasciata, is stemless with long narrow rigid leaves with pointy ends. It definitely does not want full sun. My new acquaintance cooked his dungeon plant. I urged him to try again and put the plant in the other side of the room away from the sun. I assured him if it was watered from time to time, it would outlive him.

I learned the term "dungeon plant" from a grower down in Homestead, Fla. He grew all manner of foliage plants -- plants grown for attractive foliage, while having blossoms of little consequence. The following houseplants fall into his category of dungeon plant, plants that need less light than other popular houseplants. He included:

Dieffenbachia: This plant is noted for being one of the easiest to care for. It has fairly large elliptical leaves that might be all green, cream with green borders or a mix between the two.

Dracaena: Sometimes called the "dragon tree," it comes in many shapes and sizes (see www.dracaena.com). Many varieties can grow to be 3 to 5 feet tall, making a stunning statement in any room, as long as there is not too much light.

Chinese Evergreen(Aglaonema):This tropical foliage plant is one of the most durable houseplants you can find. It tolerates poor light, dry air, air-conditioning and drought. Its large leaves may be green to dark green, and variegated silver or gray depending on species and cultivar.

Peace Lily(Spathiphyllum): Sometimes called a "spath plant," this is one foliage houseplant that has blossoms that are very attractive and last for a very long time. The slightly fragrant white blooms resemble calla lily blooms.

Prayer Plant(Maranta leuconeura erythroneura):This interesting houseplant is called a "prayer" plant because each evening its leaves start slowly folding up, until completely closed in the dark. Then it will open the leaves back again in the morning. The beautifully intricate leaves have a herringbone pattern in many colors.

There are other dungeon houseplants. Just look for a label that says that the plant requires "low light." They are perfect houseplants for yardeners.

Jeff Ball, a Metro Detroit freelance garden writer, has a yard care Web site at www. yardener.com. E-mail him at jeff ball@star band.net