It is decidedly houseplant time. I know that lots of folks simply ignore this season. If they happen to have a few houseplants, they nurse them along. If not, they just do without plants for the nine long months of winter. Still, every year at this time a few readers write and ask for a list of the hard-to-kill plants that I like the most.
I suppose I should be concerned about advising folks who really don't want to care for plants to buy any plants. It isn't fair to the plants. On the other hand, there really are some plants that do not mind the neglect they are apparently going to get.
One of the hardiest -- or I guess I should say "sturdiest" -- plants that you can grow is the jade plant, Crassula ovata. This is a plant so familiar that I don't really have to describe its fleshy, green and often variegated pads. Jades are low-growing plants that generally grow to less than 12 inches and, with the proper care, can live 100 years or more. They need very little water. In fact, their only requirement is moderate to good sunlight. Put a jade plant by a sunny kitchen window and water it once every two weeks or when pads begin to shrivel and you will have a lifelong friend.
Next, a relative newcomer to the list of tough-to-kill plants is a plant from Southern Africa scientifically known as Zamioculcas zamiifolia and commonly referred to as the "ZZ plant" for obvious reasons. Look it up on the Internet to see what it looks like. The reason it is such a survivor is because the plant grows from a potato-like rhizome. It holds its leaves in normal conditions, but if you forget to water it or are away on vacation, it will drop its leaves. The only thing this plant, which does best in some sunlight, does not like is overwatering. It will rot. This means you should simply water it infrequently.
In my opinion, one of the very best-looking hard-to-kill plants is the ponytail palm, aka Beaucarnea recurvata. While this plant looks like a small tree (they can grow to 3 or 4 feet), with its elephant foot-like trunk and long, slender leaves growing from the top, it is actually a succulent. This is the key to their successful care: Do not overwater them. In fact, because they don't do well with wet soil, they don't need much soil and should be grown potbound. As far as light is concerned, they technically are bright-light plants, but if you give them great light in the summer, they will do just fine in the winter even if you don't have a great lighting situation.
Philodendrons are great houseplants. They have big, dark leaves, don't need much light and don't need much water. I have had some that got watered once every two months and they did fabulously. In addition, they do not do well in great sun and actually require low light conditions. My favorite are the vining heart-leafed philodendron, Philodendron cordatum. These are vine-like in growing habit. These plants should have the same temperatures as you enjoy. Anything below 50 degrees might injure or stop growth.
If you want something for a cooler house, consider English ivy, Hedera helix L., a favorite houseplant in North America ever since it was brought over by English colonists in 1727. It was planted outside (and still is) and has become an invasive weed in most places where this happened. Indoors, it has fallen out of favor in the past 10 years. Still, it is much easier to control where it grows, so no worries. You do need to avoid drought conditions, but care is simple if you do this and provide a modicum of light. These are easy plants to propagate from cuttings. Do keep pets and children from eating leaves as they are poisonous.
There are lots and lots of other easy-to-grow houseplants out there. Why not visit one of the nurseries that stays open this winter and check them out? Or, if you have a favorite florist, consider having a discussion and having him or her order some new, easy-to-care-for houseplants for you.
Jeff's Alaska garden calendar
Alaska Botanical Garden Membership drive: Now is great time to renew or start a membership for the Alaska Botanical Garden. There is a matching fundraising program going on now so your membership fee will be leveraged. Go to www.alaskabg.org.
Driveway markers: It is still not too late to pound in a few markers to keep the snowplow in place.
Mites: Check all houseplants under the leaves for mites. Look for webs and mites. Neem oil-based products will take them out if you act quickly.