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Aroids good choice for winter houseplants
 By Matt Kostelnick,
mkosteln@illinois.edu
University of Illinois Extension, Educator
Winter’s reduced daylight can be a challenge, even for plants in the
home, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.
"In Illinois, winter is a time to shut down the garden outdoors
because of the extreme conditions of winter," said Matt Kostelnick.
"Bitter temperatures, drier air, and shorter days make gardening with
houseplants indoors
difficult as well. Day length is much shorter, the
sunlight is less intense, and humidity and temperatures are lower. These
conditions can make growing houseplants indoors quite difficult,
particularly because many houseplants are native to tropical
conditions."
People often notice their houseplants getting brown tips, very slow
growth, yellow/brown leaves, and even plant death because of our winter
conditions. Much of this is caused by lower light levels, drier air, and
sometimes other conditions like heat and cold drafts often experienced
during winter indoors.
Unless you have a solarium, greenhouse, or large south window in your
home, it is necessary to select houseplants that will grow well in these
harsh winter conditions. It makes no sense to try to grow plants native
to warm, bright-sunny, humid conditions in the tropics if the conditions
in the home are cold, dry, and relatively dark.
"Luckily, there are plants that are native to lower light conditions
that will grow quite well in the home," he said. "One large collection
of plants that do well in these conditions is called Aroids."
Aroid is a common name used to refer to plants in the Araceae family
(sometimes called the Arum
or Philodendron
family). Almost everyone has seen an Aroid at some
point in their life. In fact, many people have grown one as a houseplant
but have not known they were a member of this group. The Peace Lily (Spathipyllum)
and Philodendron
(two very common houseplants) are both Aroids. Other common Aroid
houseplants include: Dieffenbachia
(Dumb Cane), Aglaonema
(Chinese Evergreen), Pothos,
Zentedeschia (Calla
Lilies), and Anthurium
(Flamingo Flower).
"For the home gardener, Aroids have three distinctive and desirable
characteristics," said Kostelnick. "For one, most Aroids grow near the
bottom of forests where almost no direct sunlight filters down to the
forest floor because of the tree canopies above shading it out. As a
result, they are well-suited to shady or low-light conditions and
therefore make for good houseplants where light is typically low,
especially in winter.
"Some Aroids also make great plants
outdoors in low-light conditions. Plants
such as Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Caladium (Elephant Ear) are examples of
Aroids that enjoy full shade."
The second and very unique characteristic of Aroids is their very
distinctive flower called a "spadix." Anyone who has seen a Peace Lilly,
Calla Lily, or Flamingo Flower in bloom has seen this very interesting
and exceptional flower. The flower consists of an upright spike (spadix)
which contains the actual flowers. The large, broad, colorful sheath
(called a "spathe") is actually not the flower, but rather a bract
(modified leaf). However, the bract does protect the flowers and aids
with pollination.
In fact, one of the world’s largest flowers, the Titan arum (another
Aroid) has a spadix flower. Although very large (up to 10 feet in
circumference) and magnificent in sight, the flower actually smells like
a dead carcass when it blooms.
"A third unique characteristic of Aroids is the foliage they
produce," he said. "Many Aroids produce large, deep-green, glossy
leaves. Some Aroids have colorful variegation, like many of the
Calladiums, Pothos, and Chinese Evergreens.
"Others have unique shapes, like Heart-leaf Philodendron and the Tree
Philodendron with long, finger-like appendages. A few Aroids actually
have distinct holes in the leaves."
One caveat with Aroids is that many produce poisonous substances
known as raphides
(calcium oxalate crystals), as is the well-known case with Dieffenbachia
(Dumb Cane). Unless small children are in the home, this should not stop
one from growing them as the danger is usually not very significant.
The Aroids are an amazing group of plants and collections can be
found all over the world. Locally, the Garfield Park Conservatory in
Chicago has a special collection of Aroids, as does the Missouri
Botanical Garden in St. Louis, which is the largest collection of living
Aroids in the world. Fortunately, many suitable houseplants are Aroids
and many can be grown in your own home. In fact, when you see
houseplants for sale at a garden center, chances are very good that some
will be Aroids.
"If you have low-light conditions in your home, try to find plants
that tolerate these low-light conditions," he said. "Many Aroids fit
this description, so take advantage of their beauty and diversity.
Research various Aroids and choose one that works best for you."
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