Creating Terrariums with Tropical Plants

Posted on December 27, 2024 | 1 comment

When I was in middle school and my family moved into a new home in Sugarland Run, in Virginia, the realtor gave my parents a housewarming gift of a large, foot high glass bottle of little plants. It was the first time I saw a terrarium, and I thought it was magical. A tiny, enclosed forest of tropical plants, where you can just imagine the trolls peeping through.

Now, with the advent of succulents, the word “terrarium” can mean sand-filled landscapes of succulents and bone-dry skulls. It also can be a singular tillandsia on white pebbles in a glass dome. There are many terrarium books on the market and if you flip through the glossy pages, you will see that anything is possible.

But to go back to the basics, to re-create that magical world, is actually very easy. It also is a great indoor project to do in the winter.

At the very least, you need the container, pebbles for drainage, potting mix, and the plants. You can use activated charcoal, moss, and decorations. A water mister with a stream option makes clean up easy and if the opening is wide enough for your hand to get through you should not need special tools.

Look around your house for a glass container. For beginners, it is easier to have one with a wide opening. It can be an open container or one with a lid; you can always add a lid. See if you have an old goldfish bowl, fish tank, or even a glass cookie jar. If you don’t have one, visit the local Salvation Army, Goodwill, flea market, or pet stores for cheap containers.

Purchase pea gravel and houseplant potting mix from the hardware store or nursery. You can get a large, heavy bag of pea gravel in the outdoors nursery section of Home Depot and Lowe’s or you can purchase a small bag where they sell houseplants. You can also purchase small bags of pea gravel at nurseries. The Fair Oaks location of Merrifield Garden Center has a bin where you can purchase pea gravel by the scoop.

Often the plants in the 2-inch containers are root bound so tease the roots apart.

Purchase a few small tropical plants, the type that are sold in plastic 2-inch containers. Make sure you look at the price of each one because when viewing from the top, they all look the same, but when looking at the price tag from the side, you may notice that some plants are three times more expensive than others. No need to purchase expensive ones.

Selecting plants for the terrarium is very similar to purchasing plants for containers in the garden. Think “thriller, spiller, filler.” Choose an upright plant, a mounding plant, and a trailing or creeping plant. Have an odd number of plants — 3 or 5. Create visual interest through different textures and colors. Also, think of how you can create more interest either with moss, decorative stones, or bark.

You can purchase bags of activated charcoal at the houseplant section of the hardware store or the nurseries. Activated charcoal has been treated at a very high temperature to be more porous and is used as a filtration system. It is supposed to remove impurities and prevent mold and mildew. The are just as many advocating the use of charcoal as those who say it is a waste of money. I use it when I am using a completely enclosed system.

Teasing apart one plant to get several.

You also can purchase sheets of dried moss. There are a few types available locally and more online, including live moss. Do not dig up moss from your garden. You could be bringing in insects, bacteria, and fungal organisms, which when placed in a terrarium, could “bloom” out of control.

When selecting the container and the plants, keep in mind the headroom – the space above the plants that is necessary for oxygen. Make the headroom about half the height of the container.

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. Remove the plants from the containers and examine the root structure to see if a) they are root bound and b) you can easily divide the plant. Like plants you purchase for the garden, these may be root bound and must be teased apart before planting. Likewise, if you look where the growth is coming from, you may see that you can loosen and separate to have more than one plant. If you can get more than one plant but you only need one, just pot up the extras for a future terrarium.
  2. For the plants you are going to put in the terrarium, moisten the root system by submerging in a mug of water.
  3. Add a layer of pea gravel for drainage to your container.
  4. Add a thin layer of charcoal, just to cover the pea gravel.
  5. Add a layer of the potting mix. The depth will depend on the container and plants. Add enough to cover your plants’ root systems.
  6. Insert plants with moist root systems.
  7. Add more potting mix around plants, tamp into place with your fingers.
  8. Add moisten moss if desired (moisten by spritzing with water). Tamp everything in place.
  9. When you are satisfied with the placement you can either clean up now and wait to add the decorative pieces later or add everything now and clean up. I like to clean up and then let my terrarium sit for a few days so I can ponder if it is truly done or not. A terrarium is a work of art. You need to feel comfortable that you have made it the best it can be.
  10. Clean by misting or squirting the foliage with water – just enough to get the soil off. Wipe the container’s sides with a paper towel. It is not necessary to water the plants, and you don’t want to inject too much water.
  11. If there is a lid, put the lid on. The next day, if there is condensation, take the lid off, wipe the sides, and let the moisture evaporate to “dry” out a bit. Condensation is a sign of too much moisture, which may lead to fungal issues.
  12. Place the terrarium in a warm area with bright light, not in direct light.

Terrariums are not watered often like houseplants. Theoretically the plants get enough water by being in an enclosed or partially enclosed environment and by being in proximity with each other. You should water when the soil looks dry, lighter in color, or the plants are wilting. Keep an eye on condensation and “critters.” If a piece of plant has died or is moldy, remove it.

Terrarium plants are not fertilized. You are not encouraging growth; you are encouraging a level of equilibrium, so the plant is able to obtain what it needs. In other words, you are creating a mini world of tropical plants.

Try making a terrarium this winter. This is a fun activity to do with your friends, garden club, or kids. They also make excellent gifts.

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Color Your Cocktail with Butterfly Pea

Posted on December 22, 2024 | 1 comment

Often seen in cocktails on social media, butterfly pea plants (Clitoria ternatea) are vines that bloom beautiful pea-like flowers, about 2 inches wide. Typically, flowers are cobalt blue with a yellow inner strip. A member of the legume family (Fabaceae), the green leaves are similar to Kentucky coffee trees.

The flowers are also available in white,  lavender, and a pale light blue, single or double flower, but the cobalt blue is well-known in Asian countries. The flowers are dried and sold in bags, or in powdered form, or as an extract. A tea is made with the flowers, which can be brewed alone or with other herbs such as lemongrass, ginger, and mint.

When brewed with boiling water the tea is blue and can be drunk like an herbal tea. However, when an acid is added, such as lemon juice, the tea turns purple. When an alkaline liquid such as roselle tea is added, the tea turns red. Butterfly pea tea acts like a litmus strip, the color of the drink changes with the pH of what it is mixed with. This does not affect the taste but has transformed butterfly tea into a novelty cocktail drink. You will find lots of cocktail drinks made with the flowers on the internet. The blue flowers also are used to dye food such as custards, puddings, rice dishes, and sticky rice.

Butterfly pea is native to Africa. Here in Virginia it is grown as an annual which grows rapidly in the summer up a trellis or obelisk. As a member of the pea family, the plant fixates nitrogen, which is good for the soil. The vine can take full sun to light shade and is drought tolerant.

I have not seen the plant sold at local garden centers but you can order seeds online. It is relatively easy to grow from seed and once you have a mature plant, you can let some flowers go to seed to save the seed pods. Save the pods and split open when dried to reveal the seeds. Save the seeds to grow next year.

Here are a few online seed companies: Eden Brothers, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds,  Park Seed, Strictly Medicinal Seeds, and Hudson Valley Seed Company. Include the butterfly pea with your 2025 seed order and try growing magical flowers!

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Mistletoe: Not Just for the Holidays

Posted on December 14, 2024 | 1 comment

Mistletoe in the tree

In the beginning of November, I was walking in a nearby Fairfax County park and noticed a dense growth of “green” above in a tree. I knew it was too large to be a bird’s nest and too green to be a squirrel’s nest. The next day I drove back to the place with a ladder and took a few photos. A branch may have fallen because when I got home it was in the car. I could quickly see that it was mistletoe with its distinctive leaves.

Think mistletoe and you think Christmas but you may also think parasitic plant that damages trees. However, the mistletoe we associate with Christmas is not a true parasite, it is a hemiparasite, which has chlorophyll and can conduct some photosynthesis but still needs the tree for nutrients and water. Thus, they do not kill their host plant.

Close up of leaves and remains of small flowers, before berries are produced

Mistletoe plants live in the tree canopy – they never touch the ground, not even their seeds. They flower and fruit, producing a white, semi-translucent berry that has a single seed. The plant depends on birds to eat the fruit and then excrete the seeds on branches. The seeds are surrounded by a sticky substance called viscin, which allows the seeds to attach to the branch. The seeds produce a hypocotyl or stem, and then it forms a structure called a haustorium, which acts like a root and burrows into the branch to gain nutrients and water.

It takes years for a plant to mature so usually one cuts part of the growth for the holiday decorations, leaving the remaining to re-grow. Interestingly, harvesting mistletoe for holiday sales is a cottage industry in rural parts of Virginia.

There are many species of mistletoe but the North America native one commonly used for Christmas is Phoradendron leucarpum, which is not toxic to humans but may cause gastrointestinal illness if eaten. The European variety, Viscum album, is toxic and deaths have been reported in Europe. This variety was introduced to the western states by Luther Burbank (American botanist, horticulturist, and pioneer in plant breeding) in the 1900s. Viscum album is native to Europe and the British Isles but is important for Americans because this is the one that inspired the holiday traditions that were carried over to the colonies in North America.

For sale at Trader Joe’s

There actually is no concrete answer as to how the holiday tradition of kissing under the mistletoe started but there are plenty of stories and folklore.  It is known that by the 18th century it was a tradition in England which of course passed on to the colonies. Prior to Christmas trees, English homes hung up Kissing Boughs made up of greenery including mistletoe. It could be that a sprig of mistletoe is all that is left of those elaborate decorations that were made with a wire frame, greenery, and fruit. Because mistletoe is an evergreen plant that keeps it fruit in the winter and grows between two worlds (earth and sky), the druids believed it was magical, a symbol of fertility and vitality.

In mythology, Norse God Baldur, son of Odin, woke up one morning certain that every plant and animal on earth wanted to kill them. Frigg, his mother, and Nanna, his wife, consoled him but to no avail. Frigg asked every living plant and animal to leave Baldur in peace. They agreed. One day the gods were playing around and throwing objects at Baldur because they would bounce off him and not harm him. Jealous Loki tricked Baldur’s brother, a blind god, into shooting Baldur with a spear made of mistletoe wood. Mistletoe was the one species that Frigg failed to notice because it did not grow out of the ground but in the trees’ branches. Baldur died but Frigg learned to never forget the mistletoe. From then on, mistletoe hangs over doors as a reminder to never forget.

Regardless of the stories and myths, we now know more about the importance of mistletoe in the ecosystem. It is now considered to be a keystone species – a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend such that if it were removed, the ecosystem would change drastically. Mistletoe provides food: berries for birds, mammals, and fish and leaves for deer, porcupines, possums, and caterpillars of butterflies. Plus, birds and lizards feed on the insects that live in the leaves. The plant provides shelter – birds, squirrels, raptors such as hawks, and spotted owls use the mass for their nests. Fallen mistletoe leaves decay on the forest floor providing nutrients to plants, fungi, and insects. There are birds and butterflies that are entirely dependent on mistletoe for their survival. Plus, mistletoe provides early spring pollen for bees and there are some insects that feed solely on mistletoe.

So if you happen to see a green mass up in the trees, chances are it is just as important as the tree on which it lives.

Plastic mistletoe sold as a holiday decoration at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

 

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Winter Sowing 101

Posted on December 7, 2024 | 3 comments

Now that December is here it is time to plan for winter sowing. Winter sowing is a method of starting seeds outside in plastic containers in the winter so the seeds will have germinated by spring. In the spring, you transplant the seedlings to your garden bed. There are many advantages to winter sowing your seeds. You can:

  • start seeds without indoor lights;
  • start plants from seeds which is more economical;
  • start plants from seeds so you can take advantage of a wider selection of plants;
  • provide stratification (a cold period) or scarification (breaking the hard seed coat) for seeds that need it in order to break dormancy; and
  • get a jump on the cool season plants so they are able to flower or thrive in the spring before the summer’s heat.

Winter sowing is ideal for perennials, hardy annuals, semi or half-hardy annuals, and the cool season greens, veggies and herbs. Hardy annuals can tolerate cold soil and weather down to the 30’s, such as light frost and moderate freezing. Most hardy annuals expire in the beginning of the summer – they do not like the heat. Examples of hardy annuals are calendula, cornflower, annual larkspur, and pansies. Semi or half-hardy annuals can tolerate cool temperatures and cool soil down to the 40’s; they are damaged by frost. They too do not like the summer’s heat. Examples are baby’s breath, bells of Ireland, blue sage, forget-me-knots, and strawflower.

Cool season veggies, greens, and herbs include lettuce, peas, beets, radishes, broccoli, spinach, parsley, cilantro, and chervil.  Usually, one does not winter sow the warm season veggies such as tomatoes and peppers.

Seed packets and catalogs will not mention winter sowing but if you read the descriptions, you will see clues as to what plant would benefit from winter sowing. Look for words such as:

  • Hardy
  • Withstands frost
  • Self-sowing
  • Colonizing
  • Stratification required (cold period)
  • Scarification required (nicking or soaking in water)
  • Direct sow in early spring/late fall
  • Sow as early as the ground can be worked

In the DC metro area, we start winter sowing on or after the winter solstice which is December 21 and any time through January. There is no need to count days or weeks from average last frost date like you would if you were to start annuals under lights indoors.

To start winter sowing, look for plastic containers that can hold 3 to 4 inches of soil with about 2 to 3 inches headroom for the seedlings. You will often see gallon milk jugs but there are other options:

  • Clear, not opaque gallon milk, water, iced tea, juice, or apple cider jugs
  • Large plastic container of pretzels or Twizzlers that come in bulk size for the office
  • Coffee cans (cover with plastic)
  • Plastic container used to sell a roasted chicken (has a high dome)
  • 2-liter plastic soda bottles
  • Large plastic ice cream containers

Assuming you are using a gallon milk jug, make sure it is clean first and throw away the cap (do not need to cover the top).

Create several drainage holes in the bottom with a knife, exacto knife, box cutter, electric drill, or a hot glue gun without the glue.

Using a blade or scissors, cut around and below the handle or about 4 inches from bottom. Do not cut all the way across; leave a hinge on the handle side.

Fill the jug with 3-4 inches of potting mix. Do not use seed starting mix. Do not use soil from the ground or compost pile and do not use bagged soil with “moisture control” or water storing crystals. PRO-MIX works well.

Water the soil so it is moist. Sow seeds of one variety per container. If they are very fine seeds, press down so is in contact with moist soil. If very large, like coriander, press down, cover with a thin layer of soil. Water again and make sure seed is in contact with moist soil.

Close up the jug with duct tape and label or mark it some way so you remember what you sowed. Sharpies will fade so try grease pencils, colored nail polish/paint, or different colored ribbons. I used old lanyards from conferences and old colored pipe cleaners from craft projects, tied around the handles. I then wrote down which one signified which seed. Always keep a record of what you have sowed and when on paper or on your computer.

Place the jugs outside in full sun where they can collect rain or snow. It is not necessary for it to snow in your area for this to work. Periodically check to make sure they are okay — dogs or foxes did not tip them over. You will have to make sure they have enough moisture. If it has not rained or snowed, you may have to add water through the opening. If you lift the jugs and they feel light, they will need water. If on a warm day you do not see any condensation in the jugs, you may want to add more water.

In the spring, you should see seedlings. When they are a few inches tall, or when they have two sets of real leaves, open up the containers and let the seedlings sit in full sun for a few days.

Depending on the plant’s preference for cool weather and the size, you may want to move the seedlings to a larger container to let them continue to grow or you may want to transfer to the garden bed. Also depending on the seedlings, you can either pick out individual seedings or take a hunk or chunk (like carving brownies). It really depends on the size/width of individual seedlings (i.e., if thin and fragile may want to take a chunk but if the stems are stout and strong, you can transfer each one). Needless to say, it also depends on your patience.

I have friends who stay in Florida for the winter, so they set their jugs out after Christmas and then come back to seedlings, ready to be transplanted into the garden. It is that easy. Try winter sowing this year, you still have plenty of time to get your containers, soil, and seeds.

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A Great Houseplant: Anthurium

Posted on November 25, 2024 | Leave a comment

When I was young, we lived in Thailand and my mother (who grew up in Milwaukee) would buy plants and orchids from the market. I remember one houseplant in particular. The beautiful flowers were so waxy they looked like they had been polished with furniture polish. The red flowers would last for months. We did not know the names of the plants but we enjoyed their exotic beauty. Now that I am older, I know the waxy plants are called anthuriums. Although I associate them with tropical Asian countries, they really hail from South America tropical environments.

Anthuriums are members of the Araceae or arum family. The “flower,” the red, heart-shaped part, is a modified leaf called a spathe. The actual flowers are tiny and appear in the center vertical structure called the spadix. The “flower” lasts a long time, making them ideal for cut flower arrangements.

As a houseplant, anthuriums can grow in low light conditions. However, the more light you can provide the more likely it will bloom throughout the year. It definitely does not like moist soil. Water when the soil is dry to the touch. Anthuriums are easy, low maintenance plants, perfect for the home and office.

Usually one sees red-flowering plants at the hardware store or nursery but pink, green and white, and purple colored cultivars are available. There is even a black flower cultivar called ‘Black Love‘. My plant was less than ten dollars at the local hardware store but it was very root bound in a 4-inch pot so check your plant’s roots after you purchase it.

Anthuriums are the perfect winter houseplant: the flowers last a long time and the plant has an exotic, year round appeal. Try growing this easy houseplant or purchase one as a hostess gift when you visit family and friends this year.

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Grow Your Own Thanksgiving Herbs

Posted on November 17, 2024 | 3 comments

As I prepare for Thanksgiving this year, I can’t help but think of the Simon and Garfunkel song “Scarborough Fair.” I grow parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme in my zone 7, Virginia garden. The day before Thanksgiving, I can walk outside and harvest these herbs for my holiday meal. These are very easy to grow here and blend well into the typical suburban landscape. All of these with the exception of parsley are perennial shrubs that will remain in the garden year round.

Parsley

The curly type is best used as a garnish and the flat leaf type has better flavor, thus is used in cooking. I grow the flat leaf, also called Italian parsley. We use it in stuffing but I also like the contrast of green against white, mashed potatoes. Parsley also is great for turkey leftover dishes such as turkey soup.parsley

Here in Virginia, parsley can stay green above ground all winter long, especially if it is a mild winter (I took this photo in January). I always use fresh parsley as it does not dry well. Parsley is a biennial plant, which means it has a 2-year life cycle. The first year you will see foliage. The second year it will come back and although you will still see foliage, you will also see flowers and seedheads.  You can purchase parsley plants from the local nursery in the spring or you can grow it from seed. It is more economical to have a parsley bed in the garden where you scatter seeds every year. Parsley likes organic matter, moisture, and morning sun or dappled sun. To harvest the leaves, cut outer, older leaves at the base with scissors (don’t pull), leaving the core or inner, younger leaves.

Sage

Sage leaves can be used fresh or dried. I use it dry in the stuffing and biscuits and I use the fresh leaves as a garnish. Place a ring of green sage leaves on a pumpkin pie, after you have taken it out of the oven. Or create butter pats by piping soft butter (in a bag) on to clean, dry leaves on a tray. Put the tray in the fridge to harden the butter and then put the butter pats on baked potatoes.

 

Sage is a small drought resistant shrub that remains above ground all year long in my garden. In the summer, it blooms small, purple flowers that attract beneficial pollinators. I use both the leaves as well as the flower spikes for flower arrangements. Leaves can be solid green, variegated with cream or yellow, gray, gray/green, blue/gray, purple, or tricolor (pink, green, and white leaves). No matter what the color, all the leaves are edible. You can pick leaves when you need them without altering the shape or you can take a branch from the back and strip and dry the leaves for the kitchen, including making tea. Sage plants prefer full sun and well-drained soil on the dryer side. For best flavor, grow Salvia officinalis. This is not a plant you would grow from seed, it is better to purchase a small plant in the spring and plant it in the garden.

Rosemary

Rosemary can be used fresh or dried, it dries well. I use dried rosemary in the stuffing and biscuits but I cut fresh branches for the turkey platter. I either put slices of turkey directly on the branches or place the branches on the side as a decoration. Recently I have seen a lot of holiday cocktails with small rosemary branches on Instagram — I am sure you will find more ideas on social media.

Rosemary grows well in my garden because my plants are in full sun in a well-drained, terraced site. The woody shrubs remain above ground in the winter and tend to bloom when you would least expect it. My shrubs have been covered in small purple/blue flowers in December but also in the spring when the azaleas are blooming. The flowers are edible and are great as a garnish.

There are many different types of rosemary; some more cold tolerant than others; some prostrate and some are upright. If you have had trouble growing rosemary in the past, try these cold-tolerant types: ‘Arp’, ‘Hill Hardy’, ‘Salem’, ‘Nancy Howard’, and ‘Dutch Mill’. Once established, rosemary is drought and deer resistant.

Thyme

Thyme also is used fresh or dried — it dries well. I use dried thyme in the stuffing, biscuits, potato dishes, and green beans. Because the leaves are small, I sprinkle a confetti of fresh leaves on appetizers, corn chowder, and tomato soup.thyme

Thyme can be grown as a groundcover, small shrub, edging, or topiary or used in a rock garden. It is a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, full sun, woody shrub that prefers well-drained soil. In my garden, my English thyme serves as a groundcover to prevent erosion on a slope. It has spread to cover the soil, thus preventing any weeds. It remains above ground in the winter and blooms in the spring/summer, attracting bees. Again, this is not something you want to start from seed. Purchase a small plant in the spring and plant in your garden bed or take a cutting or division from your neighbor’s plant.

Growing herbs is very easy. To be able to harvest your own herbs for next Thanksgiving, consider buying these plants in the spring at your local nursery.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;

Remember me to the one who lives there,

For once she was a true love of mine.

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Plant Patents and Trademarks for Gardeners and Garden Clubs

Posted on November 9, 2024 | 5 comments

Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexander’s Great’

A few weeks ago, I was presenting my plant propagation workshop to a garden club. I dug up plants, cut branches, and brought in leaf cuttings to demonstrate making more from one. This was a hands-on, messy demonstration but everyone was able to bring a cutting or a division home with them.

While I was digging up my Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexander’s Great’, I had a fleeting thought that I was not supposed to bring divisions to the workshop. It occurred to me that there could be a patent associated with this spring bloomer. Although I keep records of my plants, usually I do not keep tags or write down which plants have patents and trademarks. But I looked up ‘Alexander’s Great’ on the Internet and sure enough there is a patent: PP #25,789.

Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexander’s Great’ was discovered in a private garden in Minsk, Belarus. It was unique in that the plant was larger, the leaves were larger, and the foliage had silver veins as compared with other Brunnera plants on the market at the time. Alexander Zuikevich, the owner, was able to propagate the plant asexually (by cuttings or divisions) so each generation was genetically the same. A plant patent was filed on November 26, 2013; the patent was issued on August 4, 2015; and it will expire on March 8, 2034.

Inventors, breeders, or ordinary gardeners can obtain a patent for inventing or discovering a plant that is new, distinct from other known varieties, and can be reproduced asexually (i.e., a clone can be made). The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues plant patents, which last for 20 years and cannot be renewed. This allows breeders time to be able to recoup whatever expenses they incurred when developing the new cultivar and to prevent competitors from propagating and selling the plant. If a plant has a patent, people cannot propagate and sell or give away that plant, until 20 years later when the patent expires.

The backside (left) of this Monrovia plant tag says: Asexual reproduction of plants protected by the Plant Patent Act is prohibited. On the front (right), Lil’ Bang is trademarked and Coreopsis ‘Red Elf’ has a Plant Patent Applied For (PPAF).

This means that gardeners and garden clubs must not dig up, divide, and give away their plants either free at a plant swap or for a fee at a plant sale if the plant has a patent. If someone does propagate a patented plant, the patent holder can sue the person in federal court. That is not to say there are “plant police” inspecting every garden club plant swap. The intent is not to punish gardeners but to deter commercial competition.

If you purchased the plant at a nursery, it was because the grower paid the patent holder a royalty for growing and/or selling the plant. There should be a tag indicating that it has a patent (or not), which always begins with the letters “PP,” followed by up to 5 numbers. If you don’t have the tag but you know the patent number, you can either look for more information via an Internet search engine or look it up on the USPTO website. If you don’t have the tag or a number, you can still search to see if it has a patent. Also, terms on the tag vary: often you will see “PPAF” (Plant Patent Applied For) or “patent pending.” When you see these terms, consider the plant patented and don’t propagate it.

Trademarks can be any word, phrase, symbol, design or a combination of these things to identify a plant. The symbol for a trademark is the “tm” superscript but it has no legal standing. A registered trademark is one that has been registered with the USPTO and has a superscript “R” in a circle. A registered trademark confers a legally recognized monopoly on the name or symbol for that plant. Registered trademarks are valid for 10 years and can be renewed.

A trademark name, registered or not, is different than the plant’s botanical name. The plant’s botanical name cannot be trademarked and thus cannot be registered with the USPTO.

Proven Winners’ Leafjoy (houseplant) tag: Use of all Proven Winners trademarks is prohibited.

Trademarks are ownership of a name while patents are ownership of the plant’s genetics. Only the trademark holder or a licensee can sell a trademarked plant under the trademark name, but anyone can use the botanical name. Growers cannot grow and sell plants under the registered trademark name unless they pay the trademark holder for a license to do so or if the growers purchase the plant starts from the trademark holder.

If a gardener has a plant with a trademarked name and no patent, the gardener cannot propagate and give away or sell divisions using the plant’s trademark name.

For example, Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’ is the plant’s botanical name. The common name is cutleaf staghorn sumac. The registered trademark is Tiger Eyes®. Usually the registered trademark name is catchy and appealing because it is used to market or sell the plant. This particular plant happens to have a patent, PP #16,185.

Also, a series of plants can be trademarked. For example, Anemone Fantasy™ Belle (botanical name is Anemone ‘Belle’ PPAF); Anemona Fantasy™ Cinderella (botanical name is Anemone ‘Cinderella’ PP #25367); and Anemone Jasmine (botanical name is Anemone ‘Ifanfj’ PP #31777). Note the unusual ‘Ifanfj’ name and the easy to remember marketing name of Jasmine.

Salvia Silver Scent

Trademarked plants may or may not be patented. Conversely, patented plants may or may not have a trademark.

Earlier in the year, Darwin Perennials sent me a salvia that is being marketed as Salvia Silver Scent. This is not a trademark. The plant’s botanical name is Salvia officinalis ‘Balsalslent’ and the patent number is PP #35,859. This was bred on purpose by Ball Horticultural Company to have numerous inflorescences while maintaining the culinary appeal of Salvia officinalis (the salvia with good culinary flavor).  In other words, they want to sell a common culinary salvia (Salvia officinalis) as a beautiful blooming perennial plant so gardeners get “two for one.” Salvia Silver Scent was granted the patent because it is considered to be a new and distinct form of salvia with medium violet-blue colored flowers, medium gray green foliage, and a moderately vigorous, compact mound shape. (And just so you know it has performed very well in my Zone 7 garden this year.)

The next time I give my plant propagation workshop, I will bring in my Salvia officinalis which I can propagate but not Salvia Silver Scent. And Alexander’s Great will stay where he is in the garden, blooming every spring.

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Enjoying Your Holiday Cactus Year Round

Posted on November 2, 2024 | Leave a comment
holiday cactus

Thanksgiving cactus with yellow anthers and sharp leaf edges

A popular blooming holiday plant is the “holiday cactus” which is an umbrella term to include the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) and the Thanksgiving cactus (S. truncata). These are not cacti at all but epiphytes from the Brazilian rainforest. In their native environment, they grow among tree branches, in the humid, shady jungles. The Thanksgiving cactus has saw-tooth serrations on the “leaves,” while the Christmas cactus has round, lobed margins. The anthers of the Thanksgiving cactus are yellow while the anthers on the Christmas cactus are purple-brown.

Both of these are grown the same way. Put them in bright indirect sunlight, keep the soil evenly moist, and provide a high humidity level. If you can keep the plant cool, like high sixties, you may be able to prolong blooms as long as 7 to 8 weeks. There is no need to fertilize in the winter while it is blooming.

christmas cactus

Christmas cactus with dark anthers and lobed, rounded leaf edges

Summer Care

In the summer, you can keep the plant indoors as a houseplant or move outdoors after danger of frost is over. Here in Virginia, I take mine out around Mother’s Day. I put mine in full shade first and then in a dappled shade area under a tree.  If you first put the plant in direct light outdoors the leaves will have sunscald, which is unsightly but not deadly.

buds

Buds appear at the end of each stem so the more stems, the more blossoms

In the summer, the plant is tolerant of dry soil. These plants prefer to be pot bound and usually are in small containers that drain quickly. If you are relying on rain, it may be weeks between watering for the small plant and the soil may become too dry so you will need to water it. Fertilize with an all-purpose houseplant food.

In mid-summer, pinch stems back to promote branching and to create more terminals for flowers. Also, this is a time to think about propagating the plant to give new ones to friends and families. Propagating is easy, see the steps below.

Initiate Blossoms

In the fall, bring back indoors before the first frost. To make it bloom again, in September, let the soil dry between watering and start to expose the plant to 5 to 6 weeks of short days. These are days in which the plant is receiving less than 12 hours of daylight. This means no artificial light after the 12-hour period (no lamps in the living room). Temperatures should be cool, below 55 degrees. When buds form, continue regular watering, bright indirect light, and cool temperatures.

Blooms on plants outside are induced by autumn’s short days and cool night temperatures. If you have kept the plant indoors, you may have to artificially induce blooms. Either turn off lights and keep the plant in the dark after 12 hours and reduce the house temperature or place the plant in a dark and significantly cooler room every evening until buds form.

Propagate

stem cuttings twisted off Thanksgiving cactus plant

To propagate, line up a few clean, small plastic containers such as yogurt containers, fruit cup containers, or plastic cups and puncture the bottoms to allow for drainage. Fill with packaged seed starting mix or a houseplant mix and water each cup so water runs through the drainage holes.

To take the cutting, simply twist off a piece of stem about three to four segments long. The stems are made up of joined rectangular segments. Each segment is called a cladode. The length should be long enough to insert into soil and stand up. You want to twist so you have the end of a segment or cladode, not mid-way into a segment. Insert into the container, water again, and tamp to ensure the stem is standing upright. You can insert several per container or just one per container.

Place on a tray, in a well-lit place, out of direct sun. The room should be warm, “room temperature,” not a cold, drafty basement.  It is not necessary to place the container in a plastic bag or to fertilize.

stem cuttings planted

Some people insert the cutting directly into the soil while others wait a day or two for the cut part to form a callus. This is done to prevent rotting. I have never had a problem with rotting so I simply insert the cutting into the wet soil.

A rooting hormone is not necessary; the plant roots easily. Remember these are epiphytic plants that grow on trees in Brazil’s coastal mountains. In their natural habitat, they have aerial roots, which is an indication that the cuttings will root easily without added hormones.

For the first few weeks, water the containers often enough so the soil is moist but not waterlogged.  Because the containers are very small, the soil will dry out faster than a full grown plant in a large container. After a few weeks, check to see if roots have formed by gently pulling to see if there is resistance. Also, if the plant is still turgid, there is a good chance it has survived the cut and is still trying to form roots. If the plant is obviously wilted or rotted, throw away the entire plant and container into the trash. This is one advantage to having one cutting per container. If it does not work, you only lose the one cutting and container, not many cuttings in one container.

roots formed on cuttings

Eventually, the cuttings will form enough roots so you can transplant to a larger container with potting soil. For the cost of the potting mix, cuttings are an inexpensive gift for friends and family.

close up of small white roots with seed starting medium attached

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Don’t Throw Your Pumpkins Away!

Posted on October 26, 2024 | 1 comment

Halloween is around the corner. By now you probably have decorated your front stoop with pumpkins or carved a few to light up the night.

After the witching hour, give your pumpkins a second life. Instead of throwing them in the trashcan, consider these other possibilities for two reasons: 1) pumpkins are still useful to us and wildlife; and 2) pumpkins in landfills are not good for the environment. In this country, more than two billion pounds of pumpkins rot in landfills, which produce methane, a “greenhouse” gas. Methane can trap heat contributing to climate change or global warming. In fact, methane is twenty times more detrimental to the environment than carbon dioxide.

Call your local farm or ask the vendors at farmers markets to see if they accept “used” pumpkins to feed their animals. Look up Pumpkins for Pigs, a Virginia-based non-profit organization, that helps funnel pumpkins to animals by maintaining a database of farms across the country.

See if there are pumpkin-related events such as a pumpkin smash. Sometimes large nurseries or farms will have family friendly events where you can catapult pumpkins or throw them down and smash them up. What a great stress reliever!

Compost your pumpkin after removing the candles and decorations. If you do not have a compost pile, contact local compost companies (often they have tables at farmers markets). Or break up the squash and leave pieces outside for local wildlife.

If your pumpkin is intact, eat it! Cut it up and make pumpkin soup, puree, or bread or roast the seeds. Or don’t cut it and make a centerpiece by gluing with a hot glue gun small succulents, moss, and dried flowers on the top.

If you can think of any more ideas, please put them in the comment section.

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Butcher’s Broom: Ancient Perennial Plant For the Future

Posted on October 23, 2024 | 4 comments

Butcher’s broom at the National Herb Garden

Years ago, I noticed a small evergreen shrub with pointed leaves and large red berries at the National Herb Garden, part of the U.S. National Arboretum in DC. This was in winter in the Dioscorides part of the National Herb Garden, a space devoted to medicinal herbs collected by Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides around A.D. 60. Back then, Greeks used butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) as a laxative and diuretic. According to the sign next to the plant, “leaves and berries were drunk in wine to encourage menstruation, to break up bladder stones, and to cure jaundice and headaches. Also used as a diuretic.” Currently, this medicinal herb is being researched to see if it can address blood circulation issues.

Butcher’s broom at the National Herb Garden

I, of course, was just interested in a plant that was evergreen in winter with striking red berries – think of how the branches could be cut for holiday decorations! Unfortunately, I never saw this plant for sale at the local garden centers. They are not popular commercially probably because they are slow growers but they are not finicky plants. Although they look like short shrubs, they are evergreen perennials that prefer shade and well-drained soil. Most plants in this genus are dioecious (male and female plants) but this particular species is self-fertile.

The foliage is stiff and thick with a pointed end, making the plant look spiny. Interestingly they do not have true leaves. They have leaflike structures called cladodes which are flat stems that look like leaves. Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus plants also have cladodes. When butcher’s broom blooms, tiny star-like flowers appear in the middle of the cladode resulting in a small green fruit. Gradually, the sphere gets larger and red so really the red fruit or berry arises from the cladode.

Butcher’s broom ‘Elizabeth Lawrence’ at the JC Raulston Arboretum

Once established, these plants are drought, heat, and salt resistant. This summer, I saw Ruscus aculeatus ‘Elizabeth Lawrence’ in a wooded area at the JC Raulston Arboretum in North Carolina.  Elizabeth (1904-1985) is the first garden writer that I “met” through her many books about her gardens in Charlotte and Raleigh, NC. Even though I graduated with a degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech, I had never read or heard of garden literature, let alone southern garden writing. I did try to visit her home and garden in Charlotte when I was in North Carolina but it was closed that day. If you visit the website, you will see a photo of the butcher’s broom on the slider.

The Elizabeth Lawrence form at the Arboretum came from her garden. She obtained the plant from her friend Mr. Krippendorf, who obtained it from the original discover, British gardener Clarence Elliott in 1955 (this information is from the Plant Delights website). This form is more compact at 2 feet tall and wide.

Another view of butcher’s broom ‘Elizabeth Lawrence’

Elizabeth mentions the plant in her books several times. She said it is “one of the most reliable shrubs for troublesome places. It will grow in the driest places, even under trees, and in all degrees of shade. The berries of this do remain all winter, and they keep their brilliant red color. A number of plants have been raised from seed sent from England by Clarence Elliott.”

She too acknowledges that it is not well known and, at the time, only available from Monrovia nursery in California. She theorized that it was because it was a slow grower. The plants she had in Raleigh did not fruit, they must have been male plants, but the ones she had in the Charlotte garden did fruit and were from seed sent from Clarence Elliott.

I looked online and did not see the plant for sale on the Monrovia website but it is available at Plant Delights Nursery. Ironically, almost 40 years since Elizabeth’s death, butcher’s broom may be a desirable plant given climate change and our current dry and hot summers. This seems like a good plant to purchase for drought tolerance as well as its evergreen nature. Plus the added benefit of seeing flowers emerge from the middle of the cladodes and the red berries!

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