#variegated foliage

[toothwalker]

Euonymus fortunei (or possibly japonica), a variegated shrub

Surrey, UK, January 2025

[yveslyves]

alocasia variegata

[ts-56]

Morning Outside My Window 

[patriciastrike]

[regnum-plantae]

Ctenanthe burle-marxii, Marantaceae

I haven’t written about a tropical plant in a while, so here’s the overload of texture and colour of a Ctenanthe species grown as ground cover in one of the heated greenhouses of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Related to the more commonly encountered, but just as attractive Calatheas, they have similar requirements, shared with many other tropical plants which grow low in the understory: bright indirect or filtered light, moderate air humidity and careful watering, appropriate for the season and the changing light levels, will keep them happy, thriving houseplants. If you live in a tropical or sub-tropical area you can grow or try to grow it outdoors, where you should place it away from open areas bathed in direct sunlight, and it can do well in containers which can be moved in the shade or indoors as necessary depending, on the temperature and humidity. 

In the central photo you can see a developing flower spike, but the small white flowers which will emerge from it are not nearly as impressive as the foliage, which fully makes up for it! I haven’t been able to read about any other particular use for this plant -other than being part of its original ecosystem, which is obviously all that matters after all, whether it is of use to us or not- but I read that the leaves of Calathea are crafted into utensils by some Native People of tropical America, so the similar leaves of Ctenanthe might be used as well, but that’s just speculation.   

[geopsych]

Garden triptych.

(not my garden)

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day Thursday 30 March 2017

A native to the streams and seashores of Japan Farfugium japonicum (leopard plant) is a rhizomatous evergreen perennial with simple, rounded leaves and branched clusters of daisy-like bright yellow flowers in late autumn and early winter. There are several variegated cultivars - plants with golden spotted leaves being Farfugium japonicum ‘Aureomaculatum’ or those with white edged foliage being Farfugium japonicum 'Argenteum’. They have been used in green walls and raised beds in Tokyo, Japan, so bring much needed greenery into the urban environment and a plant reference to the countryside beyond the city.

Jill Raggett

[ts-56]

Deep Inside This Feeling Called Love