Weird + Wonderful Plants

A weird little succulent that looks like…well…baby toes!

Scientific Name: Fenestraria rhopalophylla

Common Name: Baby Toes

Growth: 2-3 inches tall

Watering: Let dry between watering 

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate 

Light: Bright, indirect light

A fun plant with leaves that look like it’s been splashed with paint. Comes in a variety of colours!  The Polka Dot plant originates from the island of Madagascar.  It is also found in South Africa and Southeast Asia. The beautiful polka dots on its leaves symbolize creativity and it is believed to bring positive energy and enhance the ambiance of any room.

Scientific Name: Hypoestes Phyllostachya

Common Name: Polka Dot Plant

Light: Bright indirect light

Growth: Can grow up to 12 inches tall

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, likes to be misted

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate 

The Venus Fly trap is a unique carnivorous plant.  It looks like a creature from an alien movie but don't let this plant scare you, it only munches on insects!  With its leaves ending in little claw like hands, this plant closes the instant an insect lands on it.

The Venus Fly Trap originates from coastal bogs of North and South Carolina.  They have adapted to low nutrient environments by using the insects they eat to give them the nutrients they need. As long as you keep up with the watering, let them take care of catching the flies!  

Scientific Name: Dionaea muscipula

Common Name: Venus Fly Trap

Light Requirements: Bright indirect light, direct sun

Water: They are from Bogs so they like to have wet soil.  Make sure the air flow is good.  Be sure to take them out of their packaging as soon as you get it home.

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate

A member of the nettle family, this plant is known for its moss-like dense foliage. It drapes nicely in a hanging pot! Baby tears originated in the Mediterranean Region. It's a creeping, mat-forming, evergreen perennial that thrives in damp, shaded area.  It is known to have calming effects on some plant lovers due to the texture and softness of the foliage.

Scientific Name: Soleirolia Soleirolii

Common Name:  Angel Tears/Baby Tears.

Light: Bright indirect light

Growth: it can spread 3-6 feet

Watering: Keep well watered, don’t let dry

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate -  they like high humidity

It's the Shrimp Plant!  This quirky plant has beautifully interesting flowers that resemble shrimps!  Native to Mexico, it is a tropical evergreen shrub that has made an interesting house plant.  With its constant flowering, you can enjoy the flowers all year round.

Scientific Name: Justicia Brandegeeana

Common Name: Shrimp Plant or False Hop

Light: Part shade or indirect light

Watering: Keep soil consistently wet but not soggy.

Growth:  Can grow to 4 feet tall

Pet Safe: Yes, but consuming large amounts can cause your pet to get sick.

Care: Easy

Glossy, heart-shaped leaves look like raindrops! A great low maintenance plant to brighten your room. Its flowers are called inflorescences + resemble mouse tails! Native to the tropical areas of South America - in Brazil, its given as a gift of good fortune, meaning "Everything will be alright"

Scientific Name: Peperomia polybotrya

Common Name: Raindrop, Coin Plant, Coin-Leaf Peperomia

Light: Bright, indirect light 

Growth: Can reach 12" in a compact, clumping form

Watering: Let top 2"-3" dry out between waterings 

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Easy

An elegant variety of ficus, with pink/cream coloured leaves. Originating from Southeast Asia.

Scientific Name: Ficus Shivereana

Common Name: Ficus Moonshine

Light: Bright indirect light 

Growth: Can grow quite tall indoors

Watering: When Top of soil is dry, ensure good drainage

Pet Safe: No

Care: Intermediate 

Delicate but hardy. Bring the forest inside with this adorable Button Fern

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: They need a very deep watering followed by letting them dry out.

Pet Safe: yes

Care: Easy

Delicate but hardy. Bring the forest inside with this adorable Blue Star fern.

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: They need a very deep watering followed by letting them dry out.

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Easy

In the Prayer family, its beautifully patterned leaves are sure to impress!

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, likes to be misted

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Difficult 

This funny succulent has leaves that look like pickles!

This quirky little guys is native to South Africa. In the Spring and Summer this plant can produce cute little daisy-like flowers.  But if yours doesn't flower, the appeal and beauty of the pickle plant is all due to its cute, funny-looking leaves. Guaranteed to start a conversation with other plant lovers.

Scientific Name: Delosperma echinatum or Kleinia stapeliiformis

Common Name: Pickle Succulent, Stapelia Stemmed Senecio, Stapelioid Kleinia, Trailing Jade, Spider Plant, Inch Worm, Candle Stick, Candle Plant

Growth: A maximum height of 18 inches (45 cm). 

Light: Bright indirect 

Watering: Only when soil has completely dried

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Easy

Rare pink variegated leaves make this philodendron variety a prize to be proud of!  Originating from Columbia, this plant, in the early 2000's, was a rare and expensive plant often traded in small circles.

Scientific Name: Philodendron erubescens 'pink princess' 

Common Name: Philodendron pink princess, blushing philodendron 

Light: Direct-bright, indirect light

Growth: 3-4 ft tall, 1-2 ft wide

Watering: Let the top several inches dry between waterings; ensure proper drainage with airy, well-draining soil

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

A carnivorous plant with deep maroon pitchers.  Native to Southeast Asia, this plant is so unique in the fact that they use they're pitcher leaves to catch their food.  These pitchers lure, trap, and digest insects to supplement their nutrient intake in nutrient-poor soil.  Since they are from a tropical climate, they do thrive with lots of moisture and humidity.

Scientific Name: Nepenthes

Common Name: Asian Pitcher Plant

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, likes being misted.

Growth: Slow growing, can take 5-10 years to mature.

Pet Safe: Yes

Care: Intermediate 

This show-stopping plant has giant, velvet leaves reminiscent of sea turtle shells - the silver veining streaks across the top + sparkles in the sunlight. The heart-shaped foliage is lush + eye-catching, making it a sought-after collector's plant. Would thrive in a bright bathroom!

Scientific Name: Anthurium crystallinum 'Turtle'

Common Name: Turtle Leaf Anthurium

Light: Medium-bright indirect 

Growth: 1-1.5 ft tall - the leaves can grow 6-10" long

Watering: Likes a humid environment - keep evenly hydrated + mist regularly

Pet Safe: No

Care: Intermediate

A fun variety of Begonia with exciting spotted leaves! This type of begonia is one of the easiest begonias to grow. It originates from the rain forests of Brazil.  With their spotted leaves in the shape of an angel wing, this is a stand out plant that will get your guests talking.  When in a place where it thrives, this plant produces beautiful flowers.

Scientific Name: Begonia Coccinea

Common Name:  Angel Wing Begonia

Light: Bright indirect light 

Growth: 4-6 feet tall

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated, bottom water ONLY

Pet Safe: No

Care: Moderate 

This succulent is very reminiscent of a certain green fellow wouldn’t you say?

It originated in cultivation, not from a specific natural habitat, though its parent plant, Crassula ovata. The most distinguishing feature is the unique, leaves with a slight inward curve, resembling suction cups or fingers!

Scientific Name: Crassula ovata

Common Name: Gollum, Shrek Ears

Growth: Up to 3 ft (30 cm to 91 cm) tall, and up to 2 ft (30 cm to 60 cm) wide

Light: Bright indirect light to full sun

Watering: Let dry out between waterings

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

The most exciting part of owning a Prince of Orange Philodendron is watching the leaves change colour as they grow! New leaves emerge bright orange color, transitioning through shades of copper and yellow before settling into a neon green. It's a self-heading (non-vining) plant growing on a thick stalk that eventually requires a pole (moss/coconut coir) or trellis for support.

Scientific Name: Philodendron erubescens 'Prince of Orange'

Common Name: Prince of Orange, Orange Prince

Light: Bright, indirect, but can tolerate medium light

Growth: 1 ft - 2 ft tall, 2 ft - 3 ft wide

Watering: Let top 1" - 2" dry between waterings; ensure proper drainage

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

This variety has lovely lemon lime colour.  The Lemon Lime plant looks like it just came out of a Dr. Seuss book but this plant originates from tropical Africa, specifically regions of Sudan and Angola.  This plant is known for also removing toxins from the air.

Scientific Name:  Dracaena Fragrans

Common Name:  Dracaena Lemon Lime/Lemon Lime Corn Palm

Growth: Can reach 5-7 feet tall indoors

Light: Bright indirect light

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy

A curious palm sprouting straight from the coconut!  This palm, while kept indoors, will not grow into a tall tree. Their growth depends on the size of their pot. Coconut palms that are grown indoors are also not likely not reach a size that allows it to bear fruit.  As your palm grows, be sure to up the pot size to give the root system lots of room.  

Scientific Name: Cocos Nucifera

Common Name: Coconut Palm

Light: Full sun for as many hours as possible.  In the winter months, consider using a grow light to compensate for the shorter days.

Watering: Keep the soil consistently hydrated but not soggy.  Fertilize regularly if possible.

Pet safe: Yes

Care: Easy

Looking like a palm tree gives this plant a tropical look! This variety has lovely pink edges to its leaves.  This plant originates from tropical Madagascar and It can live for decades under the right conditions.  

Scientific Name: Dracaena Marginata "Colorama"

Common Name: Dracaena Colorama/Dragon Tree

Light: Bright indirect light

Growth: 4-6 feet tall indoors

Watering: Keep evenly hydrated

Pet Safe: No

Care: Easy