Since ancient times, people have decorated their homes with flowers. A house without houseplants seems empty and uncomfortable. The choice of plants largely depends on the preferences of the owners of the apartment. For some, beautiful flowering is important, others choose decorative indoor flowers with large leaves. This is what we are going to talk about in this short review.
Interior Application
Most often, such plants are used as an independent composition, although many of them combine well with other colors and fit perfectly into almost any interior. Below we will present you popular indoor flowers with large leaves. Photos, names, descriptions of their features will help you choose a plant for your home. In addition, we will tell you about some of the secrets of caring for them.
Monstera
Luxurious indoor flower with large green leaves, related to vines, is one of the most common in indoor floriculture. These plants grow in vivo in South and Central America. Their enormous size and original appearance gave the name to the whole family (monstrum - "bizarre").
Monsters have thick climbing stems, airy drooping roots. The leaves are leathery, large. At first they are whole, then perforated, and adult plants are completely split. Monsters are unpretentious in leaving: it is important for them to provide regular watering, top dressing. They are quite easy to grow, which is probably why they are one of the most popular among indoor flowers with large leaves. But it should be borne in mind that even with room maintenance, these giants can grow up to several meters in height, so such a plant is hardly suitable for owners of small apartments.
Aglaonema
As the indoor flower with large leaves is officially called, the photo of which we have posted below, many do not know, although quite often it is available in collections of indoor plant lovers. Aglaonema is a plant that has come to us from southeast Asia, belonging to the aroid family. It naturally occurs in the tropics of the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea, as well as along the banks of rivers on the plains.
The plant has a straight and short stem, rather fleshy. In some species, it begins to branch at the base. It is visible only in adult plants due to falling of the lower leaves. The color of large leaves depends on the variety and type of plant. Dense, leathery egg-shaped leaf plates are attached to the stem with petioles. The edge of the leaves is solid, and the plate itself is patterned. A depressed middle vein is clearly visible on its front surface.
Aglaonema does not tolerate direct sunlight - they can cause burns to the leaves. The plant feels comfortable in partial shade. Bright diffused light is preferred for varieties with colorful leaves. In winter, the plant must be additionally highlighted, since the daylight for this indoor flower with large leaves should be at least 15 hours.
Anthurium
This flower is considered a kind of amulet that protects the house and its inhabitants from the effects of negative energy. The shortened stem, which can be elevated or underground, is covered with green leaves reaching a length of 15 cm and a width of 7 cm. The flowers can be of very different colors - from white to burgundy. Caring for this indoor flower with large leaves, you must adhere to a number of rules:
- Protect it from drafts.
- Keep the plant at a temperature not exceeding +20 ° C.
- In winter, it is necessary to remove from heating appliances.
- The plant should be located on the east window with diffused but bright light.
- The flower needs regular watering.
- It is carried out after drying of the topsoil.
- This flower loves moisture, so it is advisable to spray it with water twice a day and ventilate the room well.
The anthurium inflorescence is a cob that surrounds a dense bright veil of various colors - from white to dark purple. Often there are two-tone species, but the most popular are yellow, orange and red.
Nidularium
Among many plants with glossy or matte green foliage, indoor flowers with large red leaves always attract the attention of gardeners. The spectacular appearance of these cultures emphasizes the originality of the interior of any room.
Nidularium - a flower of the bromeliad family - came to us from the tropics of America. It has no stem and is a lush bush of large and long red leaves with serrated edges that appear during flowering. After this process is completed, the magnificent outlet dies, but several children appear on the sides at once. They begin to bloom actively and the plant grows rapidly.
This plant is quite unpretentious in care. The flower must be protected from direct sunlight, to maintain a high level of moisture not only in the soil, but also in the air.
Ficus
Many people know this name for indoor flowers with large leaves. However, not everyone knows that this is not a separate plant, but a whole family, which includes vines, and shrubs, and trees. Most of them are large plants that cannot be grown at home.
Homemade ficus, like its wild relatives, has large, whole leaves with a smooth edge. Quite often they are rounded. Inflorescences of plants resemble pears or balls in shape. Flowers are usually small and bright. Hymenoptera insects pollinate them, but ficuses multiply most often vegetatively. Representatives of this family form aerial roots, which become the basis for new plants.
In indoor floriculture, only seven species of ficus are grown. The most common ficus is Benjamin, which tolerates pruning without problems, which greatly simplifies crown formation. This variety needs moisture - in addition to regular watering, it needs frequent spraying. Large leaves must be wiped with a damp cloth. The plant does not tolerate drafts. Ficus is believed to bring happiness and prosperity to the home.
Sansevieria
It is unlikely that there will be a culture in the world that so harmoniously combines laconic beauty and simple care. The birthplace of this indoor flower with large leaves is the stony territories of the savannahs of Africa, Madagascar, as well as some areas of India, Indonesia, South Florida. In addition to the official, the plant received two common popular names: “mother-in-law's tongue” and “pike tail”. The first have squat varieties. Probably, the name is given for the abundance of short and wide leaves growing in all directions from the root.
"Pike tail" refers to all other varieties. Indeed, the color of the sansevier is very similar to the tail of a predatory fish: stripes of light green or gray-green color are evenly arranged on a dark or even black-green background.
The plant tolerates shading, but do not constantly keep it in the dark. For a flower, a temperature in the range of +18 to +25 ° C is comfortable (in summer, a higher one is also allowed). In winter, do not let the leaves touch cold glass - this can cause them to freeze. The intensity of watering depends on a number of factors - the season, the needs of the flower and the temperature in the room. It should be guided by the state of the top layer of the soil mixture in the pot - it should dry before the next watering. Flooding is not allowed and cannot be justified even by the heat in the house.
Spathiphyllum
Indoor flower with large leaves and white flowers is a spathiphyllum home, luxurious plant without a stem. Its glossy leaves come out of the earth, forming a thick and lush hat that grows very quickly. They have an oval or lanceolate shape.
This flower, popularly referred to as "female happiness", stably tolerates a lack of moisture, diffused lighting. Deficiency of sunlight leads to the development of a green pigment - chlorophyll. However, this plant attracts gardeners not only with beautiful foliage, but also with flowers. They are formed once or twice a year. Inflorescences resemble ears with a white "veil." The edges of a beautiful cloak are slightly bent and look like something holding a palm. A very inflorescence with small flowers looks very impressive against its background. By the end of flowering, the cloak turns green. When the leaves of the plant dry, spathiphyllum needs a cool dousing, after which the flower quickly recovers and continues to grow. It should be watered two to three times a week, and it blooms with beautiful snow-white flowers, very similar to callas.
Dieffenbachia
This is an indoor flower with large leaves, named after the main florist of the Austrian Botanical Garden Joseph Diefenbach. Today, designers are actively using plants when decorating interiors, since a two-meter beauty with luxurious coloring of large leaves effectively fits into any interior.
A straight trunk of Dieffenbachia is crowned with a hat of large leaves of green color with spots of lettuce, yellow, light strokes, stains and bright veins. The root system of the plant is well developed, so it grows rapidly: in 5 years it grows by almost two meters, and a new leaf is formed every week.
A cream-colored cob, which is an inflorescence, is extremely rare to see at home. This is an unpretentious plant that does not need complex care. It is enough to water it regularly, to feed it during the growing season.
Maranta
A herbaceous plant, which, along with calatheae and ctenants, is part of the family of the same name. A short plant (about 40 cm) is famous for decorative large foliage, painted in light or dark green color with a pronounced pattern. Stains and stains on leaf blades are clearly delineated.
The back of the foliage is different in color. This is especially noticeable in the evening. Maranta with the onset of darkness raises leaves vertically, as if folding into a bud. Leaves return to horizontal with dawn. At home, the arrowroot rarely blooms. If this happens, among the foliage you can see small purple or white single buds. At the same time, dozens of flowers bloom, which fade in two weeks.