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Spathiphyllum
Also commonly known as the peace lily, spathiphyllum is a highly popular variety of houseplant which originates from the tropics of south-east Asia and America. The plant is loved for its beautiful and long-lasting flowers, which bloom most commonly in spring, but which can be forced into a second winter blooming. Description Spathiphyllum has glossy…
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Staghorn fern
The staghorn fern, known by its botantical name as platycerium, is an epiphytic and so grows on the branches of other trees and plants to absorb nutrients and moisture from the air. Description The staghorn fern produces two kinds of leaves, namely foliar and basal. The foliar leaves have brown coloured structures which function as…
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Stephanotis
Stephanotis is a genus of wood stemmed, evergreen plants. It gets its name from the shape of the stamens within the flower which are said to resemble an ear, hence the name comes from the Greek ‘stephanos’ crown and ‘otis’ ear. Description The blooms of the stephanotis are generally white in colour and have a…
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Streptocarpus
Streptocarpus is a house plant commonly known as the “Cape Primrose” that is a relative of the African violet, with long-blooming and spectacular flowers that bear a slight resemblance to primroses. Description Streptocarpus produces wrinkled leaves from an irregular rosette that grows from the ground. The leaves may be strap-like or rounded. It produces showy…
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Stromanthe
Stromanthe is a genus of the marantaceae family and comes in four varieties, including stromnathe porteana, stromanthe ramosissima and stromanthe sanguinea. A more common name for the Marantaceae family is the ‘prayer root’ family. Description All varieties are flowering plants that are notable for their large and starchy rhizomes. The majority of plants include pointed,…
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Tacca chantrieri
Tacca chantrieri, pronounced as TA-ka CHAN-tree-ay-ree, is a rare plant, also known by the names, ‘devil’s tongue’ and ‘bat plant’, due to its unusual maroon foliage with green bracts, which are said to resemble whiskers or wings. Description This plant is slender with long stems and can reach heights of between 80 and 110 centimetres.…
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Tillandsia cyanea
Tillandsia cyanea is commonly referred to as a pink quill due to its long quill-like, pink bracts that grow from the centre of the plant. It is an epiphyte, which means it is a plant that grows upon another, and is capable of nourishing itself through rain and dew in the air, rather than through…
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Tradescantia fluminensis
Tradescantia fluminensis is more commonly known as Wandering Jew and is a species of spiderwort that is native to South America. Other names for this quick-growing plant include Inch Plant, Wandering Willie, River Spiderwort, Small-Leaf Spiderwort and Wandering Trad. Description This plant is invasive and forms a dense mat underneath the cover of forest trees…
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Tradescantia spathacea
Tradescantia is named after John Tradescant senior, who was gardener to Charles I and collected the first tradescantia from Virginia in the USA. Spathacea refers to the spatula-like leaves. Its common names are Moses-in-the-cradle, Oyster Plant and Boat Lilly. Description It is a stunning clump-forming perennial with a short, sturdy stem and a rosette of…
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