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Best Bold House Plants: Aroids

Monstera in white pot
Monstera is a bold tropical aroid that will shine indoors in low light.

The aroid family (Araceae) contains some of the most beautiful and outlandish plant species in the plant kingdom.  Many make the best bold house plants for all-season color.  When things turn chill and gloomy outside, a bold-leaved, evergreen aroid is a very nice thing to have inside. They clean the air and bring tropical beauty to homes.

Growing Aroids

Titan arum
The titan arum is the boldest aroid, but it is best suited to public greenhouses. (Magnus Manske)

Aroids may be large or small. Few houses (or greenhouses) can accommodate something on the scale of the outrageously gargantuan (and foul-scented) titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum), which has flowers that can reach 8 feet high! But, many other Araceae are good fits for warm, humid, indoor locations out of direct sunlight.  Give them freely draining, humus-rich potting soil (such as Fafard Professional Potting Mix), regular watering, a monthly feeding, and periodic misting, and their evergreen foliage will give you a taste of the tropics even in the dead of winter.  A few of them do double ornamental duty by producing colorful, showy jack-in-the-pulpit-like blossoms for much of the year.

It’s these flowers that define aroids. Each aroid blossom actually comprises numerous tiny flowers that cluster on a club-like “spadix”, nestled within a curved, leaf-like “spathe”. The spathe is often white but may also be green, yellow, or various shades of red or pink.

Bold Leaves

Alocasias
Alocasias are stunning foliage plants perfect for home growing.

The swollen, starchy tubers of elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) have long played a central role in tropical-region cuisines.  Here in the frozen north, we grow colocasias for their broad, long-stalked, heart-shaped leaves, which come in a staggering variety of colors including chartreuse, silver, maroon, purple, and all shades of green.  Some species and cultivars carry splashy contrasting colors on their stalks or leaf blades, further boosting their visual amperage.

Elephant ears also vary greatly in stature, ranging from petite (1 foot tall, in the case of Colocasia affinis) to truly elephantine (as in the 7-foot-tall ‘Jack’s Giant’).  Average size is around 3 or 4 feet, with 18- to 24-inch-long leaf blades.  Tubers of the more common elephant ear varieties turn up in bulb catalogs and garden center bins in spring for summer gardening. (Learn how to grow outdoor elephant ears here.)  Rarer colocasias are offered year-round by a number of specialty nurseries and greenhouses.
Fafard Professional Potting Mix packTwo other genera – Alocasia and Xanthosma – share much in common with Colocasia, including its common name.  Alocasian elephant ears typically have long, pointed, arrowhead lobes, and are often etched with a mosaic of bold white veins.  Species include the jewel-like Alocasia cuprea with its glossy, textured leaves and A. x amazonica, which has dark arrowhead-like leaves with pale venation. Popular varieties include the chartreuse ‘Golden Delicious’, black-purple ‘Mark Campbell’, miniature ‘Tiny Dancers’, and statuesque 6-foot-tall ‘Portodora’.

Xanthosma species and cultivars do much the same thing as alocasias and are sometimes confused with them (for example,  Alocasia ‘Golden Delicious’ is also known as Xanthosma ‘Lime Zinger’).  Some xanthosmas, though – such as the imposing, purple-stemmed X. violacea –are a thing unto themselves.  Almost all need warm winter conditions (minimum 65 degrees F) to thrive.

Beautiful Leaves and Flowers

Peace lilies
Peace lilies have subdued white flowers and glossy green leaves.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum spp.) perform beautifully indoors in low-light conditions.  Plant snobs may sniff at these commoners, but it’s hard to find fault with their ease of care, verdant lance-shaped leaves, and white spring-to-fall blossoms.  Furthermore, peace lilies come in quite a few relatively uncommon forms, including boldly variegated ‘Domino’, dwarf ‘Viscount’, and the giant 5-foot-tall ‘Sensation’.  Most spathiphyllums grow to about 2 feet, with a greater spread if their rhizomes are allowed to roam.  Less water-demanding than elephant ears, they sulk in overly damp soil.

Flamingo flowers
The brilliant blooms of flamingo flower will brighten any winter home.

Flamingo flower (Anthurium spp.) comprises a diverse genus of clumpers and climbers that possess many charms beyond the fiery red blooms of the common flamingo flower (Anthurium scherzerianum).  A. crystallinum and A. claverinum, for example, are prized for their handsome, white-veined leaves, rather than for their unexceptional floral display.  Even those grown for their showy blossoms sometimes depart from the stereotypical flamboyance of common flamingo flower.  For example, the spathes of  A. andreanum ‘Album’ are large and white with a long, pale yellow spadix, while those of ‘Black Love’ are dark maroon.  Almost all anthuriums appreciate an extra-coarse potting mix, amended with composted bark. Fafard Natural & Organic Potting Soil has added bark, making it a great mix choice for these plants.

Calla Lilies

Calla lily
Calla lilies are great indoor bloomers.

Calla lily (Zantedeschia spp.) are the best bloomers in the aroid tribe. Among the many alluring species and hybrids of this South African genus, only one – Zantedeschia aethiopica – takes easily to household culture.  Its large, evergreen, arrow-shaped leaves grow from thick rhizomes that prosper in a moist, fertile, well-drained growing medium.

In contrast to most other aroidal houseplants, Z. aethiopica prefers partial to full sun and cool winter conditions (a large east-facing windowsill is perfect).  Where happy, it produces iconic, cupped, ivory-white spathes on 2- to 4-foot stalks in spring or early summer.  Cultivars include ‘Green Goddess’, with green-stained spathes; dwarf ‘Childsiana’; and the aptly named ‘White Giant’.  Zantedeschia aethiopica cultivars are available from bulb sellers as bareroot rhizomes in spring, and from specialty growers as containerized plants year-round.

More Aroid House Plants

Philodendron
Philodendron of all kinds grow in the toughest indoor conditions.

Quite a few other evergreen aroids make familiar, handsome house plants, including long-time favorites such as Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema spp.), Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), and the many species and varieties of Philodendron.

Many a home has been beautified by the tough and trailing heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron scandens), which looks best grown from a hanging basket or trained along a north-facing window. These hard-to-kill house plants are easily found in almost any greenhouse specializing in house plants.

Make your winter home a tropical jungle with one or more of these outstanding aroid house plants for year-round indoor color. In late spring, bring them outdoors to light up a sheltered patio and to encourage summer growth.

Bountiful Garden Plants for Birds

Bountiful Garden Plants for Birds Featured Image
Gold finches relish the seeds of cosmos, sunflowers, and other daisy-family blooms.

From wrens to cedar waxwings, birds inspire us with their flight and fascinate us with their songs. We can return those favors by creating bird-friendly environments in our own backyards, even if those “backyards” are terraces or balconies. All it takes is bountiful garden plants for birds and a small amount of garden care.

Basic gardening for birds comes down to a few necessities: food, water, shelter and an absence of poisons.  Invest in birds and they will repay you handsomely.

Fine Dining for Birds

Scarlet flowers of Monarda didyma and hummingbird
The scarlet flowers of Monarda didyma are a sure lure for hummingbirds.

Bird feeders filled with sunflower and thistle seed are excellent but pricey food source for winged visitors.  Birds also appreciate the more cost-effective approach of planting species that bear nutritious fruits, nectar, and seeds.  A planting scheme that includes at least a few flowering and fruiting species native to your area ensures that the birds will have their choice of familiar foods.

Fafard Professional Potting Mix pack

Flowers for Birds–The current vogue for coneflowers (Echinacea spp. and Rudbeckia spp.) is great for seed lovers like American goldfinches and house finches that feast on the seed heads at the end of the growing season. Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) and purple cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) do the same thing.  (Click here to learn all about growing annual sunflowers!) Tubular red blooms, such as those of scarlet monarda (Monarda didyma) is a sure lure for passing hummingbirds. If you grow in containers, choose compact flowers for birds in Fafard Professional Potting Mix.

Vines for Birds–Almost every gardener has vertical space that might be perfect for plants like non-invasive, native coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), which bears nectar-rich pink flowers that attract hummingbirds.  Later in the growing season, the honeysuckle’s red berries are likely to catch the fancy of songbirds.  If you have space, easy-to-grow Virginia creeper (Parthenosissus quinquefolia) can cover almost any structure or support while providing brilliant autumn leaves for humans and blue-black berries for avian friends.

Crabapples with bird
Crabapples make great winter meals for fruit-eating birds.

Trees and Shrubs for Birds–Many shrubs and trees produce end-of-season berries, hips, and other fruits some of which persist into the winter, to sustain non-migrating birds like cardinals and waxwings.  Forego deadheading your roses and they will provide you and the local birds with hips that are both attractive and nutritious.  Dogwood trees (Cornus florida) beautify the spring garden with flowers and bear red berries in the fall as do flowering crabapples (Malus spp.).  Deservedly popular and available in many shapes and sizes, Viburnums provide fruits for the likes of robins, cardinals, finches, and a host of other common birds.  Shrubs like deciduous winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata), light up the winter garden and help keep birds alive in cold weather as do the copious bright red fruits of ‘Winter King’ hawthorn (Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’).

Be a little untidy and let some leaf litter accumulate in at least a part of the yard or garden.  This “litter” is good for the soil and harbors food for ground feeders like juncos and sparrows.

Plant Shelter Belts for Birds

Goldfinch collecting thistledown
A goldfinch collects thistledown for nest making.

Planting a mix of densely-branched shrubs and trees of varying heights helps birds of all sizes and habits find shelter and nesting sites.  Evergreens like holly (Ilex spp.) and arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) provide protection from the elements as well as food.  Deciduous trees, including North American service berries (Amelanchier spp.) and crabapples (Malus spp.), feature dense branching, crooks, and hollows that make inviting nest sites.
And some of those nesting birds, like goldfinches, need the silky down from seeds like milkweed (Asclepias spp.) and thistle (Cirsium spp.) to line their nests.  Gardeners have no need to plant thistles, but milkweeds are great garden flowers that attract butterflies and other insect pollinators.

Hydration Stations for Birds

Avian populations appreciate simple birdbaths, ground-level water dishes, or just about any water-filled vessel.  Be sure to refill these backyard oases before they get dry and clean them regularly.  Plants that hold drops of water on their leaf surfaces or in leaf or flower folds, like large-leaved hostas and calla lilies (Zantedeschia spp.), also offer drinks to birds.

Create Bird Safe Havens

Limit or completely curtail the use of pesticides and herbicides in your yard and garden to prevent chemical residue from disrupting the food chain and/or injuring birds.  When expanding existing beds or planting new perennials, trees or shrubs, incorporate natural garden products like Fafard® Premium Topsoil, to enhance soil and plant health without posing a threat to wildlife.  And, while it is impossible to stop all predators, you can improve the odds of avian survival by keeping domestic cats indoors.  If feral cats are a problem, deter them with appropriate barriers.

Chickadee feeding on winter berries
A chickadee feeds on winter berries.

Hazelnuts for Edible Landscaping

Bowl of freshly harvested hazelnuts
A bowl of freshly harvested hazelnuts.

Clusters of autumn hazelnuts look like brown caps surrounded by green, lacy husks. The sweet nuts are a pleasure to pick for drying, roasting, and winter eating, and the attractive trees and shrubs look beautiful in the landscape.

Hazelnut Basics

Golden hazelnut catkins
Golden hazelnut catkins appear in early spring.

Hazelnuts (Corylus spp.) are trees and shrubs that originate from temperate regions across the globe. There are approximately 16 species, but only a few are commonly cultivated. Some varieties are largely ornamental while others are bred exclusively for nut production.

Female hazelnut flowers
Female hazelnut flowers are small and reddish.

Hazelnuts bloom in early spring and their nuts mature by fall. They must be planted in groups of two or more for cross pollination. All are monoecious, meaning a single plant produces separate male and female flowers that are pollinated by wind. The drooping golden male catkins release copious pollen that is caught by the wind to pollinate clusters of small, reddish female flowers. More plantings ensure better cross pollination and fruit production. (Click here for a list of good hazelnuts for pollinizing.)

Hazelnut Pests and Diseases

Eastern Filbert Blight—This is the main disease that American hazelnut growers must battle. This deadly systemic fungal disease attacks European hazelnuts and will kill an otherwise healthy tree or shrub in just one or two years.

Eastern Filbert Blight cankers on a corkscrew hazel
Eastern Filbert Blight cankers on a corkscrew hazel.

It is very easy to identify. Twigs become evenly lined with raised cankers, which look as if a woodpecker pecked along the branches. Diseased branches quickly die, and eventually whole plants will succumb. The best way to beat this blight is to plant resistant hazelnut varieties and species.
Thankfully, Oregon State University has a hazelnut breeding program geared towards developing Eastern Filbert Blight resistant hazelnuts. American growers interested in growing hazelnuts for fruit should rely on their blight-resistant list when choosing good varieties to grow.
Kernel Mold—These include several molds that cause rot in the developing nuts of European hazelnuts. The best course of action is to harvest nuts quickly, keep them dry, and choose resistant varieties.
Filbert Bud Mite—This pest attacks hazelnut flowers in spring—destroying developing nuts. Spraying with an OMRI Listed miticide during flowering time will stop their damage. Some hazelnut varieties are also resistant to this pest.
More hazelnut pests and diseases exist. Click here for an Oregon State University Hazelnut IPM Guide.

Types of Hazelnuts

Common hazelnut trees
Common hazelnut trees remain small and manageable.

Most cultivated hazelnuts for edible landscaping originate from Europe and North America. Common hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) are European shrubs or small trees (10-24 feet) that boast lots of exceptional cultivated varieties for home gardeners. Some are ornamental, but most are bred for nut culture. The best-known is the shrubby corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana  var. contorta), which has striking curly branches that look lovely in landscapes and cut flower arrangements. Sadly, this exceptional landscape shrub is blight sensitive. Resistant varieties for nuts include the high-yielding ‘Wepster’ and the vigorous ‘Dorris’, which also bears high yields of very flavorful nuts. Common hazelnut hybrids for nuts, such as ‘Eta’ and ‘Delta’, are also recommended.

Purple-leaf filberts
Purple-leaf filberts have attractive deep purple foliage.

The European filbert (Corylus maxima) bears very large nuts. The shrubs or trees (12-33 feet) look great in home landscapes, and there are lots of varieties for ornamental and edible landscaping. The shrubby, purple-leaved ‘Purpurea’ (15 feet) is one of the prettiest. Homeowners interested in more substantial hazelnut trees should grow Turkish hazelnuts (Corylus colurna). The beautiful, large pyramidal trees (40-80 feet) are perfect for home landscapes and produce smaller, sweet nuts in early fall. These blight-sensitive species should be grown in more temperate regions of the American Southwest where Eastern Filbert Blight is not a problem.

Beaked hazelnut
The beaked hazelnut has long, beaked husks.

The two common North American hazelnut species are both immune to Eastern Filbert Blight. The beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) is a large mounding shrub to small tree (8-10 feet) naturally existing in forest margins and thickets across the northern US and Canada. It develops brilliant yellow and deep red fall leaf color and tasty fall nuts that are obscured by a beaked papery husk. Over time, beaked hazelnuts may sucker to form thickets, so pruning and thinning is required to keep plants looking tidy. California is home to the western beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta var. californica), which has broader leaves and increased drought tolerance.

American hazelnuts
American hazelnuts have small, sweet nuts.

The American hazelnut (Corylus americana) is an eastern shrub (8-12 feet), which forms mounded thickets that become covered with clusters of small, sweet nuts. These wilder shrubs naturally inhabit upland forests and meadows but require more extensive pruning and maintenance, but they develop equally beautiful gold and red fall color.
Burnt Ridge Nursery and Stark Brothers are good sources for purchasing hazelnuts.

Growing Hazelnuts

Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend packFull sun is required for best nut production. Well-drained soils with average fertility and a neutral to slightly alkaline pH are preferred. Plant new trees in spring. Make the hole twice as large as the root ball, and amend the fill dirt with Fafard® Premium Natural & Organic Compost before planting. Keep newly planted trees well irrigated for the first month of growth. Water again in the first season during dry spells. It may take two to five years before hazelnuts begin to produce nuts, depending on size at planting time and type.
Apply a mulch tree ring around the base of trees to protect them from mower damage, but refrain from mounding mulch around the trunk. Fertilize established trees in spring with food formulated for fruit and nut trees. (Learn more about fertilizing hazelnuts here.)
Once your plants are productive, you will have lots of fall hazelnuts for baking and eating. You might even want to leave a few for foraging  wildlife.