High Light

Meet 'Udom Sap' ( Dieffenbachia hybrid ), a houseplant that wears its variegation like a badge of honor. Like other Dieffenbachias, it carries broad, oval leaves, and grows into a dense, upright clump of statement foliage patterned in a mix of green and paler tones. Give it bright, indirect light to keep that variegation lively, and keep the soil consistently damp; like other Dieffenbachias, this one dislikes drying out completely. It's toxic if ingested, so keep it well out of reach of pets and kids.

Igneous™ 'Ruby Rock™' ( Aglaonema commutatum ) is a gem still catching the light — deep green leaves threaded with a rich violet midrib and dusted in flecks of gold, like ore before it's polished. This Aglaonema forms a dense, upright clump of glossy, pointed leaves, and the brighter, indirect light you give it, the better that violet-and-gold variegation holds its color — though 'Ruby Rock' tolerates a dimmer corner too. Let the soil stay just barely damp, never soggy, and this easy-care gem will only grow more radiant in your collection.

Endless Cascades® Teacup Anemone™ is a wax vine ( Hoya fitchii ) that sends out dainty trailing vines of medium green leaves, each one traced with pale, contrasting veining. On the rare occasion it flowers, you get clusters of waxy pink blooms that really do look like miniature anemones sitting in a saucer. Leave the spent spurs where they are, because 'Teacup Anemone' reblooms from the very same ones. Give it medium, indirect light and let the top inch or two of soil dry out between waterings. Steeped in patience, and worth every minute.

Meet the Strap Leaf Anthurium ( Anthurium pallidiflorum ) — pale-flowered by name, but everything except the flower is drama. Deep green, velvety leaves are traced by a single pale midrib that tapers to a sharp, dramatic point, with individual leaves reported to stretch up to about three feet long as the plant matures. Yours arrives compact and upright, with the long, ribbon-like cascade still ahead of it. Give it bright, indirect light, soil kept lightly damp, and humidity on the higher side — everything this dramatic plant asks for is refreshingly simple.

Some treasures you have to go looking for. Endless Cascades® Nabawensis ( Hoya nabawensis ) is a species hoya from the forests of Sabah, Borneo, trailing in fine, branching stems hung with small tear-drop leaves — thick, leathery, deep green, and scattered with irregular silver flecks like spray off a wave. Give it bright, indirect light and a chunky mix, and let it dry partway between waterings. In time it may reward your patience with umbels of tiny, downy star-flowers, cream around a yellow crown.

Three colors, one leaf: Endless Cascades® 'Lacunosa Tricolor' ( Hoya lacunosa ) threads cream and soft pink straight through the center of each small, gently waved leaf, leaving a clean green margin around the edge. The vines cascade to around three feet, and the variegation holds best in bright, filtered light — too dim and the pink is the first thing to go. Let the mix dry partway between waterings. A little hoya with a lot of palette.

Behold the beauty that is Prismacolor™ 'Brandtianum' ( Philodendron brandtianum ), a vining, heart-leaf philodendron whose dark olive-green leaves boast splashy, resplendent silver variegation. A true climber, 'Brandtianum' arrives on its own Climb-itt™ pole, ready to send out aerial roots and ascend; give it bright, indirect light to keep that silver marbling glowing, and let it climb — or train it to spill and trail over the edge of its pot instead.

Siesta™ Mint Chocolate™ ( Maranta leuconeura ) earns its name with cool green brushstrokes over each elliptical leaf, joined by rich, cocoa-brown blotches for a dessert-inspired palette that’s strictly a treat for the eyes. Give ‘Mint Chocolate’ medium to bright, indirect light, consistently damp soil, and good humidity, and — like every Maranta in the Siesta™ collection — it will fold up its patterned leaves each night in a ritual known as nyctinasty, drifting off to its own sweet dreams.

Introducing Velvet Tapestry™ 'Malayan Gem' ( Episcia cupreata ), a genuine gem woven into our Velvet Tapestry™ collection. Fuzzy, velvet-soft leaves glow deep green with coppery veining and hints of pink and purple, edged in warm red-purple margins for extra richness. Left to its own devices, 'Malayan Gem' sends out trailing runners in every direction, so give it room (or a hanging spot) to wander. It thrives in bright, indirect light but tolerates a dimmer spot too, prefers high humidity, and likes to stay evenly hydrated — a terrarium or misty bathroom shelf suits it well.

Something wild is prowling through the understory — meet Velvet Tapestry™ 'Pink Panther' ( Episcia cupreata ), a flame violet with a coat as bold as its namesake. Velvety, bronze-to-deep-green leaves are marked with a lighter green pattern down the center of each, like brushstrokes across fur, and under the right conditions it can produce bright pink, trumpet-shaped flowers. As it matures, 'Pink Panther' sends out trailing stolons and will happily cascade from a hanging pot or shelf. Keep it warm, in bright indirect light and evenly damp soil, and water at the soil line — those velvety leaves resent water on their foliage.

Woven straight into our Velvet Tapestry™ collection, 'Pretty Turtle' lives up to both halves of its name: a softly fuzzy, velvet-leaved charmer ( Primulina dryas ) whose oval leaves are patterned in silver over green, with markings that echo a small turtle's shell. For years it was even sold across Europe under a borrowed name — Streptocarpus — but it's a true Primulina through and through, and every bit as endearing. Give it bright, indirect light and higher humidity, and let the soil dry slightly at the surface between waterings, and it may treat you to dainty, trumpet-shaped blooms in soft lilac to lavender — though this one's pretty enough in leaf alone.

Descend into the deep with Submerged Relics® 'Black Kanzi' ( Dracaena sp. ), whose deep, midnight-green arching leaves look like they emerged straight from the ocean floor. Each leaf is edged in a thin ribbon of gold, like a treasure salvaged from a sunken galleon, glinting a little brighter every time the light catches it. 'Black Kanzi' grows at a slow, steady pace into an upright, cane-forming houseplant that makes a stunning statement piece for your collection. Give it bright, indirect light, let the top of the soil dry before watering again, and never let it sit in a puddle.

Every regal collection needs a showstopper, and 'Princess "Black Rose"' plays the part in leaves instead of petals. This calathea ( Calathea ) earns its name with near-black foliage streaked in a vivid, hot-pink midrib and veining — as if brushed on with a single, deliberate stroke of paint. Like other prayer plants, its foliage folds up at night and unfurls again by day. Give this regal calathea bright, indirect light well out of harsh direct sun (which can fade its dark color), high humidity, and water once the top inch of soil dries, and 'Princess "Black Rose"' will reign over your plant collection.

‘Feeling Flirty’ is a low maintenance, easy-to-grow Tradescantia or “inch plant”, brightening any space with its carefree, colorful charm, as it grows and “inches” along. Its trailing leaves are small, not more than an inch or two in length, and a lovely shade of pinkish-purple. Leaves have cool green stripes, almost as if they were hand-painted. If the light catches ‘Feeling Flirty’ just right, and if you look close enough, you will notice that the stems have delicate hairs that curl like lashes, and the leaves sparkle, almost as if they were dusted with pixie magic. ‘Feeling Flirty’ will be the perfect playful plant for spilling out of a container or hanging basket.