Only the newest

No matter how beautiful or sturdy older, tried and true tropicals may be, nothing captures a customer’s attention more than the next new thing; new colors, new sizes, new shapes. If it’s new, a plant is bound to create excitement and draw attention.

I’ve been writing a lot lately about the renewed interest in houseplants. For new gardeners, it’s less about the act of growing plants and more about how the plants look and accent their living space. As a follow up to my trend piece on decorating with indoor plants in January’s issue, I thought it would be helpful to take a look some of the brand new tropical plant selections hitting the market this year. These selections offer enticing colors and characteristics, sure to draw the eye. We’ll want to be sure to make customers aware of these new indoor plant options.

There are a few key drivers for what makes a popular houseplant right now: bright colors, texture and a plant’s “statement” value. Foliage color is hot, with chartreuse, red and hot pink leading the pack. Customers have found that while they love flowers, colorful foliage plants are easier to take care of and just as pretty. Customers are also looking for a lot of textural variety when it comes to foliage. They’re open to plants that don’t fit the “big leafy green” category. While houseplant hoarders of the past may have lined windowsills with collections of African violets and pathos, today’s discerning decorator would rather accent a room with one or two special, sculptural “statement plants.”

If you made it to TPIE this past January, you most likely ran across some of these showy new tropical introductions.
 

Color rules

Vibrant foliage and flower colors have been popular over the past few years and that trend isn’t slowing down. Bright pinks and reds have been favored, as we saw with the popularity of the recent introduction of Red Aglaonema from Costa Farms. This popular coloring has made its way into the new peperomia ‘Eden Rosso’ from Wander Tuinier. This dense-growing peperomia sports beautiful bronze-red coloring on the bottom sides of the leaves. I’m in love with both its shape and foliage contrast. Plants will be sold under the Eden Collection brand.

While guzmanias are rarely short on color, some of the new varieties really take it up a notch. Corn. Bak B.V. recently released two new stunners, guzmania ‘Ace’ and ‘Alegra.' Both offer up unique color variations that improve upon older varieties. ‘Ace’ is a fast-growing variety with purple flowers and yellow-tipped bracts. ‘Alegra’ offers up an all-orange, all-the-time inflorescence that is more intensely colored than the often favored ‘Ostara’. Both are well sized for 6-inch pots. If customers are looking for pops of color to add to their wall planters and vertical gardens, both guzmanias will do nicely.
 

Black and Blue

Black and blue flowers have also been favorites over the past few years, especially in the orchid category. The latest incarnation in blue orchids, Phalaenopsis ‘Black Velvet Mystique,' practically vibrates with color. It is one of those plants you just can’t help but stare at and wonder if it’s real. Unlike some of the previous blue color-infused orchids from Silver Vase, ‘Black Velvet Mystique’ will actually re-bloom in the deep burgundy color. This will be a big selling point for customers who may have gotten the blues about the temporary color offered by the other Mystique selections.
 

Small is still big

Tiny plants, whether given as gifts or planted in miniatures indoor gardens, are still hot. To complement its Tea Cup line of miniature phalaenopsis, Silver Vase has expanded its mini-orchid family with the Double Espresso collection. The 2-inch potted plants in the Double Espresso collection are tinier than the Tea Cups, yet sport a bounty of impressive blooms. Available colors include purple, yellow, white and pink.

In the “small can make a big statement” category, the new Dracaena marginata ‘Mickey’ is perfect as a sculptural specimen for a small space. Its short stature and leaves make it a perfect choice for a cramped office or sitting room with low to medium light. According to Sunshine Tropical Foliage, plants hold on to their lower leaves longer than standard D. marginata and are easy to care for. I love the plant’s modern minimalist look.

Definitely not your mother-in-law’s tongue, sansevieria Fernwood ‘Micado’ sports spiky, rounded leaves with a beautiful “tiger print” characteristic of the Fernwood series. Offered by Greenex United States, Inc., ‘Micado’ is the perfect sculptural accent to any contemporary space. Tough as nails, it’s also the perfect plant to pitch to young, inexperienced gardeners looking to green-up their homes and offices.
 

Big and leafy

If your customers are still looking to get their big and leafy houseplant fix, there are a few new introductions that deliver. My favorite is philodendron ‘Lickety-Split’ from Oglesby Plants International. Its foliage is dark-green and sturdy and the leaves “split” earlier than most P. selloum selections. Appropriate for sale in 6-inch to 8-inch sized pots, plants can be grown quite large in bigger containers or outdoors in southern landscapes.

KPHolland has also introduced a couple of new spathiphyllum, ‘Grando’ and ‘Romeo.' If you want to go big, ‘Grando’ produces a profusion of large leaves and flowers and is best for large containers; 10-inch to14-inch are best for production. ‘Romeo’ is a quick-to-finish variety better suited to 4-inch to 6-inch pots. Its wide shiny leaves will brighten up.
 

Cordyline Pink Diamonds

Both a stunning indoor plant and top garden performer in warm climates, cordyline has become a go-to plant for many designers. ‘Pink Diamonds’, offered by Excelsa Gardens Inc., sports hot pink stems and white-striped leaves. Its bold color combination and 9-foot stature (at maturity) make ‘Pink Diamonds’ an excellent choice as a large focal plant in indoor or outdoor containers.

For more info on TPIE, check out our podcast from the event: www.greenhousemag.com/tpie-podcast-linda-adams-jennifer-nelis.aspx