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Aphelandra PDF Print E-mail
Written by John Lesley   
Although difficult to maintain indoors over the years, the aphelandra is a reasonably easy plant to care for from the time of purchase until the yellow bracts begin to blacken and die off, which will be anything from five to six months.
by JohnLesley


Although difficult to maintain indoors over the years, the aphelandra is a reasonably easy plant to care for from the time of purchase until the yellow bracts begin to blacken and die off, which will be anything from five to six months.

New plants can be raised by taking cuttings of the ends of young shoots raised in the usual way at a temperature of about 18C. (65F.). However, better balanced, more symmetrical plants are obtained from seed, a long, slow business, but plants so produced are usually worth the extra effort involved. Pot on into J.I.P.2 compost and grow on in good light, but avoid the possibility of leaf scorch to young leaves by protecting the plants from strong sunlight.

From this second pot the plant will have to he potted on into at least one more pot size during that season provided the cuttings were struck early enough in the year. Then, who knows, with a little luck you may have your very own aphelandra plants in flower by the end of the year.

Essential advice from the time of purchase: it is vitally important to ensure that the compost is kept moist all the time, as dryness at the roots results in limp and bedraggled leaves which have a marked tendency to detach themselves from the main stem very soon afterwards. The aphelandra is also a pretty avid feeder and will require fertilising from the word go indoors.

On account of the densely matted roots a thin, weak fertiliser will do very little for this particular plant. Feed them more frequently, or increase the maker's recommended dosage, and the results will be much improved. Provision of a little humidity around the plant will improve its performance, as will a situation that is light and protected from the direct rays of the sun.

In the past there have been several aphelandras offered by the commercial grower as potentially good house plants, but A. squarrosa louisae and the improved variety A. S. Brockfeld have had few really serious competitors. In the popularity stakes the latter of these two appears to be winning the day, mainly on account of its much brighter and more attractive foliage. There is little to choose between the quality of flowers produced.

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Indoor gardener can find out more about caring for your houseplant by doing research on the internet.

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