THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997 TAG: 9701310062
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY REID BARROW, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 85 lines
HOW WOULD YOU like a ficus that doesn't drop its leaves?
Or a Chinese evergreen with pure white stems that stands apart from traditional Chinese evergreens?
The two are among the new varieties of houseplants that you may find in area greenhouses this year. Local buyers have just returned from the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition in Florida and their discoveries will begin showing up in garden centers this month.
One ficus that isn't fickle is a lush dark green, dense bush ficus, appropriately called Midnight because of its dark leaves.
``It has been bred to retain its leaves,'' said Jeanie Davis, houseplant manager at McDonald Garden Center on Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach.
The Spire ficus, also bred to retain its leaves when disturbed, is one of the plants that Lynda Houk, greenhouse manager at Atlantic Garden Center, is excited about too.
Both women also like the new Chinese evergreens, with white stems. They have green and white mottled leaves that stand out against thick creamy white stems. Chinese evergreens, easy on the green thumb, take low light and live on a wet-dry cycle.
``It's good for people on the go,'' Houk noted.
Also look for new varieties of peace lilies. Some have darker green leaves and larger, more rounded, pure white flowers without the touch of green you see in other peace lilies. Though they don't like to get too dry, peace lilies are easy to grow, needing little sun.
If you want something a little exotic, consider a doristenia. Growers call it ``the weed,'' because it grows so fast, but it's interesting, Houk said. It has big shiny green leaves and weird flat blooms that are brown and spongy.
``It spits out white seeds from the surface of the bloom,'' she added.
African mask, one of Houk's favorites, is another unusual houseplant that hasn't been around too long. Dark green with thick, light green raised veins, its large elongated leaves are reminiscent of a carved tribal mask. A purple underside adds to it exotic beauty. African mask needs bright light to maintain the contrasting leaf colors.
So does Tropic Maria, a beautiful dieffenbachia whose leaves turn creamy white as they get older. Tropic Maria can grow into a large floor plant, Houk added.
As far as flowering plants go, colorful and reliable cyclamens are blooming their hearts out all around town, just in time for Valentine's Day. McDonald has a new ivy-wreath topiary grown in an outer pot with an inner pot meant to hold a small flowering plant, such as a cyclamen, which would make a delightful Valentine's gift.
McDonald has ivies of many varieties growing in charming wreath, ball, cone and heart-shaped topiaries as well as creeping across harder-to-care-for animal topiaries. Ivies like light and a wet-dry cycle.
``When you water, the foliage likes to get water too,'' Davis said.
If you're interested in rare or unusual blooming plants, you might want to order a catalog from Logee's Greenhouses in Danielson, Conn. They sell more than 1,000 varieties of houseplants, including hundreds of begonias for the ``low-light apartment,'' said Logee's horticulturist Debbie Lavoie.
This year, Logee's is touting two new Brugmansias, or angel trumpets. Really small trees, angel trumpets have large fragrant trumpet-shaped blossoms that bloom throughout the year. Sunray has 12-inch bright yellow, cascading blossoms, and Peaches and Cream has flowers the color of orange sherbet.
Lavoie also is high on the fragrance of winter-flowering jasmine. A newer variety, Tortuosum, doesn't need the cooling period in fall to bloom, as do other jasmines. The vining plant is covered with clusters of small, sweet, white-to-pink flowers.
For bright winter blooms, consider the everblooming Scutellaria Costaricana, a sun-loving plant with orange-scarlet plumes with yellow throats, Lavoie said.
Whatever you like, there's sure to be something out there in the coming month to suit your fancy and lift your winter spirits. ILLUSTRATION: L. TODD SPENCER
The Virginian-Pilot
Jeanie Davis of McDonald Garden Center likes the new white-stemmed
Chinese evergreens.
FIND THE UNUSUAL
Logee's Greenhouses in Danielson, Conn., sells more than 1,000
varieties of rare plants.
It has a wide selection of begonias, geraniums and herbs, as well
as numerous other plants suited to the home or conservatory.
A 1997 catalog is available for $3 (refundable with your first
order) from Logee's Greenhouses Ltd., 141 North St., Danielson,
Conn., 06239, or call (860) 774-8038.