Please help!

My mum has been given a rather large pot plant for her birthday.

Unfortunately it came without the usual instructions and, as none of the family has particularly green fingers, we do not know how to care for it.

To the untrained eye, (mine) the leaves are a similar shape and size to those of a rubber plant.

The upper side of the leaf is green with white creamy markings, while the underside of the leaf appears to be completely red, - well more maroonish really.

The leaves also appear to rise up vertically, protectlng and surrounding the plant at night, before opening up again in the morning.

Does anyone have an idea what the plant may be, and how we look after it?

Thanks ln anticipation,

 

Hello plasticine-porter! and welcome to GC.

If the leaves don't feel rubbery, then it's not a rubber plant!

I would suggest it is one of the Marantas or Calatheas, praying hands plants which close up at night and some are green and white marked on top and red underneath. They prefer shady/damp conditions .... obviously not a plant I can have here... :hehe:

A picture is always useful for identification.

 

Hi victoria;

Thanks for your advice - Just thought I'd let you know that, upon further inspection, the leaves do feel a little rubbery to the touch.

Rather than curl up, as my initial (clumsy) discription may have suggested, the leaves actually rise up vertically every night, enclosing and protecting the plant, before opening up again in the morning.

Hope this helps you a little more in terms of identification

Don't have a digital camera - bit of a techno-phobe I'm afraid - so can't send you a picture as yet..... sorry!

Regards,

 

Hi, again .... still thinking it's one of the two I mentioned but probably the Calathea ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calathea

http://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=calathea&fr=my-myy-s&ei=utf-8&x=wrt&y=Search

... and here's some info/pics of the Maranta ...

http://www.gflora.com/index.php?cmd=genus_body&genus_id=166

http://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Maranta&fr=my-myy-s&ei=utf-8&x=wrt

I have two rubber trees, one the normal green and one variegated that I grow outside and neither of them curl their leaves at night. I still say this is a sign of the 'prayer plants', ie, Maranta and Calathea shown above.

Hopefully someone else can come along and give their thoughts on it.

 

Hello again Victoria

I can't thank you enough.

Thanks to the information (& photographs) you supplied, I did little surfing and think I have come up trumps (if you'll forgive the expresion)

I am almost certain that we have, what is commonly called, "THE NEVER-NEVER PLANT" (see attachment....hopefully!)

Any advice on how to care for it (its likes & dislikes etc) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,

 

Hi Everyone;

After a bit of investigative surfing, I'm almost certain that a plant my mum was recently given is the Ctenanthe Oppenheimiana Tricolor (Bamburanta)

Any tips on its likes & dislikes, (favourable conditions for healthy growth, feeding & watering, etc,) would be greatfully appreciated.

Thanks,

P.P.