Plant Care

This is a complicated subject that is best boiled down to a simple statement - give your plant the conditions it has evolved for, and it will flourish. Many 'houseplants' are selected because they can more easily adapt to conditions that don't align with their native range, however many more are extremely rewarding if you are able to provide the conditions in which they have evolved, and help them flourish. I am not a 'plant collector' or 'hoarder', but a custodian of these extremely important and interesting expressions of life, and with this want to make sure they are given the respect they are due. Learning about the conditions in which your plants grow also has the added benefit of better understanding the lands that are likely under threat either from development, climate change, or poaching.

Epipremnum aureum (often 'golden pothos') evolved in the tropical wetlands of the Southeast Pacific but does fine in the not-tropical drylands of your kitchen counter - this is why they are so common. Many other less common species, however, are not so tolerant or adaptable - looking at you Anthurium splendidum - and may require changes and tweaks to the microclimate your plant settles in within your home for it to thrive. These plants can be challenging (and heartbreaking) to grow, but assisting them to greatness can be very rewarding. Grow tents that can trap humidity and help regulate temperature have become exceedingly popular for this reason, as constructing a greenhouse isn't in everyone's budget.

Some websites that have great information on the endemic habitats of many tropical plants include:

www.gbif.org

www.tropicos.org

www.exoticrainforest.com

I will eventually populate this page with a lot of the knowledge I have found on my growing journey, but for now this is the best advice I can give. Make a space that your plant has spent hundreds of thousands or millions of years evolving to grow in, and it will grow.