Obsessed with tropical plants

[CactusBoss]

along with the cactus bug i've now caught a new bug/addiction, tropical plants. who else is obsessed with these guys? they're just so cool with the fascinating foliage and such. unfortunately i can't grow a lot of them cause the air is too dry . also does anybody have any tips for raising humidity? I really wanna try Aphelandra again.

[Micaela]

I have a huge pot filled with Alstroemeria, I also have Callistemon, Schefflera arboricola 'Green Golden', Duranta erecta, Polygala myrtifolia (my fave), Dracaena marginata and several Cycas revoluta and Coleus. I think the air of the central Italy is perfect for them. Sadly for me/luckily for my tropical plants, the humidity here is high, living in front of the Adriatic sea. Maybe you could spray water on your plants again and again..but it's not practical. Or you could put your plant on a flower pot saucer filled with expanded clay and water, the plant wouldn't be in very close contact with water, but the water evaporating should rise the humidity. Anyway someone else here could have better ideas..

[Bruce]

You can certainly try a saucer or humidity tray filled with water but I wouldn't expect too much. Although humidity trays are still standard advice in the world of orchids, I read an article years ago in one of the orchid journals that actually measured the humidity difference created. If I remember correctly, there was almost no difference once you got a few inches above the tray. So very short plants might gain some help but anything of any size wouldn't.

As I said, I read the article a long time ago (15+ years), so maybe there's been some newer research (or maybe I'm not remembering it correctly)... Sorry I don't have anything better to offer.

[teo]

I think some kind of wardian case is what you need to create a suitable (micro) climate for tropical plants inside a normal home.

[CactusBoss]

Would a parlor palm be okay for a dry indoor environment? I really want a palm of any kind that can survive the lower humidity of my home.

[Bruce]

You might want to check out Cycads. They're palm-like and some species grow in dry environments. There are folks right on this forum that are growing them and can probably steer you in the right direction. Just use the 'search' function.

[majcka]

You might want to check out Cycads. They're palm-like and some species grow in dry environments. There are folks right on this forum that are growing them and can probably steer you in the right direction. Just use the 'search' function.

That is what I was thinking.

[CactusBoss]

You might want to check out Cycads. They're palm-like and some species grow in dry environments. There are folks right on this forum that are growing them and can probably steer you in the right direction. Just use the 'search' function.

Problem with that is I have pets so that's an instant NO! Does anybody have experience with Rhapis excelsa and or Chamadorea elegans? the only palm I've ever kept as a house plant was Chamadorea cataractium and that thing didn't last long cause it was too dry. The leaves started yellowing like crazy!

[majcka]

What about Brighamia insignis?

[CactusFanDan]

Tradescantias are really nice. There are lots of nice xerophytic tropical plants to be explored, though. Like some of the funky bulb plants, like Massonia and Haemanthus and Rauhia. Drimia uniflora is one on my wishlist too. It's the smallest flowering bulb plant!

Things like Brugmansia and Datura are great, but you've got to be sure pets don't eat them, since they're extremely toxic.

[CactusBoss]

What about this? i'm really going for a kind of palm? http://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/parlor-palm.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Harriet]

Palms, like the parlor palm, have been staples of indoor plant collectors plant list at least since the Victorian period. Light and damp soil are all you need.

[CactusBoss]

Palms, like the parlor palm, have been staples of indoor plant collectors plant list at least since the Victorian period. Light and damp soil are all you need.

So dry air will be okay?

[Harriet]

Probably.

[CactusBoss]

I hope so cause the humidity can drop to like 20% indoors in the winter here.