Houseplants seem to get more attention during the doldrums of winter than any other time. Not much else is growing green now, or dare I say, flowering?
We had a surprise blooming from a houseplant that had spent its summer and part of autumn on a balcony outdoors. Once inside it was protected from the harsh weather, but it didn’t get regular watering or perhaps not enough water at some point. Some leaves have brown tips, but others are dark green and glossy. It’s in a room that’s cooler than the rest of the house. Maybe it sensed it wasn’t in the best of conditions and tried to reproduce.
I think it’s a type of Dracaena with short, wide leaves that are lance-shaped and pointed at the end. The base of the leaves overlap as they sheath the main stem. When the leaves eventually fall away, they leave behind a diamond-like pattern on the stem that is characteristic of Dracaena.
A couple weeks later the flowers were still taking their turns blooming. Individual flowers are clustered into round groups.
In the close-up below you can see the individual flowers that have already bloomed are turning brown. Flowers still blooming are creamy white.
I too was pleasantly surprised by buds on my “corn plant”. This is the third “topping” of a plant originally given to me over 25 years ago. It traveled with my husband & me from Anchorage , AK four years ago, when it had only six leaves and no roots. It presently stands 70 inches tall, in our garden tub, where the sun shines in through a large glass brick window (western exposure). Is this it’s “last hoorah”, or will the blossems die off and the plant keep growing????
Hey Arlene,
These plants seem rather hardy, don’t they? I think it really likes the place where you have it to have grown that tall! I think the blossoms will drop and the plant will keep going. If the blossoms were fertilized, the story might have a different ending.
Obviously, after 25 years of life in your house you seem to know how to care for it!
Good luck!
In my plant’s case, coolness has nothing to do with its flowering. It has resided in a bedroom that is usually about 70 degrees year round, gets a full day’s light (north window) but no sun, and is about an inch away from the steam radiator which dries the air and the soil out in the winter and gets pretty warm in that spot. It has lived in that spot (probably pot bound – no room for a larger pot) for about 20 years. This week I have found two branches that have blooms. A delightful surprise!
Hi Estelle!
You may be right about my plant too. I’m pretty sure it was root bound as it was given by a friend because they were moving. It was in the same pot for a long time, probably several years for them and another 4-5 years for me.
After it is done blooming, will you re-pot it? I’m afraid that its flowering might be the plant’s last hurrah!
hello,,,,I just drop it in a pot full of water,,,,when the root will shown may be I hv to keep it on soil,,,,someone talked me like that,,,but I don’t understand what hv to do now with these leavs,,,,I am going to right way or not,,,, plsss help me by ur valuable comments,,,,plssss,,,,,,
Hey Nasrin,
Do you already see roots developing in the water? If so, put the plant in soil and keep it lightly watered until it seems to have adjusted to its new surroundings. If no roots yet, it may take a while to develop them so have patience.
Let us know how it works out for you.
Good luck!