Above: Dracaena ‘Limelight’ shines in a patio planter with coleus, fuchsia and impatiens.
The hot plant for January isn’t a plant at all. It’s a color — chartreuse. Chartreuse goes with just about every other color and never fails to brighten up a dark room on a dreary winter day. Fortunately, there are a number of excellent new houseplants that shine brightly in chartreuse.
Vines and basket plants include Philodendron ‘Neon’ and Pothos ‘Neon’, both nearly identical, not only in name but habit and tough-as-nails hardiness. Philodendron ‘Moonlight’ is a non-vining philly good for pots.
For larger plants, the new dracaenas are hard to beat including ‘Limelight’ and ‘Lemon Surprise’. Even the old standby umbrella plant now comes in chartreuse — Schefflera ‘Amate Soleil’. These can all make the trip outside to a shady spot when the weather warms.
Common Name: Corn plant, philodendron, pothos and schefflera
Botanical Name: Dracaena, Philodendron, Epimedium, Brassaia
Varieties/Cultivars to Look For: Dracaena ‘Limelight’, D. ‘Lemon Surprise, Philodendron ‘Neon’, P. ‘Moonlight’, Epimedium ‘Neon’ and Brassaia ‘Amate Soleil’
Color: Foliage is various shades of chartreuse
Blooming Period: Flowers are insignificant
Type: Tropical houseplants
Size: 8 to 48 inches
Exposure: Just about anywhere in the house, shady spots outside in summer
How to Plant: In pots
Soil: Well-drained loose mix
Watering: Keep moist in summer, a little drier in winter
When to Prune: When needed
When to Fertilize: Spring and summer — do not overfeed
In Your Landscape: Patio containers or porches
(From Ohio Gardener Volume I Issue I. Photography By Chris Baker.)