Wild Hare Blog — houseplant of the week

This week’s Houseplant Of The Week isn’t a houseplant at all, but one of Kate’s absolute favorite garden plants! They’re just beginning to bloom in Seattle, and we feel they deserve an honorable mention in our HPOTW series.  Hostas are hardy, shade-loving perennials that are easy to care for and native to northeast Asia. You’ve likely passed them while strolling through your neighborhood, or even on a walk in an urban area. They thrive in our Pacific Northwest weather, because they love shady environments and tolerate a good amount of rain. Most people only know them for their stunning foliage,...

Tillandsia, or air plants, make for cute and easy additions to your home. They’re a member of the Bromeliaceae family, which makes them distant relatives to pineapples! Because they don’t require pots or soil, they’re easy and versatile to style, don’t leave much of a mess, and are very easy to care for. Tillandsia gets its nickname, air plant, for its unique ability to take nourishment from the air around it, rather than soil. They are epiphytic, like staghorn ferns and orchids, but they don’t necessarily need to live on the surface of another plant to thrive. Because of special...

Orchids are part of the Orchidaceae family - one of the two largest families of flowering plants! They are used for many things, chief among them being perfume fragrance, an addition to the world of competitive gardening, and a particular species which provides the seed pods we know as Vanilla. Orchidaceae are tropical plants with compact root balls. This is because, like the Staghorn Fern, they are epiphytic, meaning they grow out of the “armpits” of tree branches in tropical forests. So if you’ve ever seen a large, flowering orchid at the grocery store, flourishing in  a teensy tiny pot,...

The Staghorn Fern, otherwise known as the Elkhorn Fern or Platycerium, is one of nineteen species in the polypod family. It is a tropical fern, native to South America, Southeast Asia, and Australia (to name a few). It is called Staghorn or Elkhorn due to the unique shape of its fronds. Staghorn ferns, like orchids and anthurium, are epiphytic, meaning they often are found growing out of the “armpits” of tree branches. Unlike parasitic plants, epiphytic plants do not take any resources or nourishment from the tree, but simply use it as a place to anchor themselves while they grow...

Calathea plants are members of the Marantaceae, or arrowroot, family. They are sometimes called Prayer Plants or Peacock plants because of the beautiful markings on their leaves, and the way they unfurl new ones. They are tropical houseplants, native to South America, where their large leaves are used for holding small items, wrapping fish, and weaving into baskets and containers! In their native land, they are one hardy plant. As a houseplant, however, they’re going to need a little extra care to thrive. Because they are used to living on the floor of the forest, receiving only dappled light through...