skip to main content

Tropicalesque Gardens

Need help identifying a tropical looking plant.

15 years ago

My husband and I bought this plant last night and plan to keep it in our living room along a south wall. It did not come with a description or name. I do well with indoor & outdoor plants, just need some guidance on the best type care and watering instructions for this plant.

Hopefully I'm on the correct forum this plant, if not, please tell me where to post this.

I've attached a link to the photo. Thanks so much.

Rachelle

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Photo

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

tina_2
15 years ago
Hi - It is a palm, but I don't know the particular type or name. It is very healthy and looks fine. Good luck - tina_2
hueytlatoani
15 years ago
Looks like a chinese fan palm to me, Livistonia chinensis. I have been wrong before, though.
Related Discussions
Help identify this flower from a tropical plant
Q
Comments (3)
"There is little odour to the flower." Whaaaaat .....? Mine can be smelled through the whole house when in bloom. Incredibly strong perfume. In fact that's how I know it's in bloom because it's in a porch where I can't actually see it unless I go in there. Hoya carnosa BTW.
...See More
Please help identify this tropical plant
Q
Comments (3)
Thank you for your help, I will start investigating the Costus right away. I have this in a place where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade. Our sun will fry just about everything in the afternoon. I haven't really been paying it much attention. I water just about every few days *But* it is placed about 5 feet from a lake so I think it's roots are probably getting more water than I think. Also,The dried out looking canes are really green and healthy underneath the brown paper covering. Is this a common trait of the Costus? I have a new bloom on top of one and also a new sprout that is now about 18 inches tall. Thanks again, Kelly
...See More
Need Help in Identifying an Unknown Tropical (or not) Plant
Q
Comments (1)
You are posting in the tropical fruit forum so you may not get much help here. From the picture you posted it is a: Pereskia grandifolia Common Name(s): Rose Cactus Synonym(s): Cactus grandifolius, Rhodocactus grandifolius, Pereskia tampicana, Rhodocactus tampicanus http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Pereskia&species=grandifolia http://cactiguide.com/graphics/p_grandifolia_a_600.jpg
...See More
need help identifying this tropical
Q
Comments (1)
Someone identified it for me. Datura. Thanks.
...See More
rachelle221
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you both very much! I just want to keep it looking great.

Rachelle
oppalm
15 years ago
it is a livistonia chinensis, chinese fan palm. it looks at bit stretched out but it looks good.
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
15 years ago
Yup, Livistona chinensis. They get stretched out in low light, and are much more compact in full sun.
rusty_blackhaw
15 years ago
Some more light might be helpful, but in my experience this palm doesn't require a lot of light when in semi-dormancy. I have a good-sized one in about a 12-inch pot that goes outdoors every year, and spends winter in the basement on the floor between two three-shelf fluorescent light stands. There's not a whole lot of illumination there, but it does OK (little growth, but no frond yellowing) with less watering than it gets when in active growth.
If you can't provide adequate sun for your Chinese fan palm, consider watering it only when the soil has begun to dry out and stop fertilizing for the winter.

Related Stories

GARDENING FOR BIRDS Backyard Birds: How to Identify Two Common Woodpeckers

By Habitat Network

Downy and hairy woodpeckers have similar coloration and behavior. But there are two big differences that separate them

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Help Monarchs and Other Butterflies by Planting Common Milkweed

By Pollination Press LLC

Summer-blooming Asclepias syriaca is an important larval host plant for the monarch butterfly and attracts a number of pollinating insects

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Native Plants Help You Find Your Garden Style

By Oakley Gardens

Imagine the garden of your dreams designed with plants indigenous to your region

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Eutrochium Maculatum

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Sculptural, slightly tropical looking and a boon to wildlife, Spotted Joe Pye Weed is a gotta-have plant in many parts of the U.S.

DECORATING GUIDES Laws of the Jungle: How to Get That Lush, Tropical Look

By Samantha Schoech

Explore style's wild side by borrowing the colors, patterns and images of a tropical jungle

GARDENING GUIDES Got a Hot, Humid Landscape? Add Tropical Flair With Air Plants

By Falon Mihalic

Turn tree trunks and walls into lush canvases with plants adapted to the canopies of the rainforest

LIFE You Said It: ‘Put It Back’ If It Won’t Help Your House, and More Wisdom

By Becky Harris

Highlights from the week include stopping clutter from getting past the door, fall planting ideas and a grandfather’s gift of love

GARDENING GUIDES What's Wrong With My Plant? Leaves Often Hold the Clues

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Learn how to identify common plant ailments by reading their leaves

GARDENING GUIDES Small Carpenter Bees Are Looking for a Home in Your Plant Stems

By Pollination Press LLC

Provide flowers and nesting sites in your garden for this beautiful, tiny, metallic blue wild bee — your plants will thank you

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Ditch Shade Garden Gloom the Tropical Way

By Steve Asbell

Has your shade garden strayed too far to the dark side? Help it see the light with tropical bulbs, ground covers and even houseplants

Sponsored

17 Reviews

The Leading Interior Design Studio in Franklin County

More Discussions

Can you help me identify this?

1