From ancient times, people decorated their homes with flowers. A house without indoor plants seems empty and uncomfortable. The choice of plants largely depends on the preferences of the owners of the apartment. For some, beautiful flowering is important, others choose decorative indoor flowers with large leaves. That's what we'll talk about in this short review.
Interior use
Most often, these plants are used as an independent composition, although many of them go well with other colors and fit perfectly into almost any interior. Below we will introduce you popular indoor flowers with large leaves. Photos, names, descriptions of their features will help you choose a plant for your home. In addition, we will tell you about some of the secrets of caring for them.
Monstera
Luxurious indoor flower with large green leaves, related to vines,is one of the most common in indoor floriculture. These plants grow naturally in South and Central America. Their huge size and original appearance gave the name to the whole genus (monstrum - “bizarre”).
Monsters have thick climbing stems, air hanging roots. Leaves are leathery and large. At first they are solid, then perforated, and an adult plant is completely cut. Monsters are unpretentious in care: it is important for them to ensure regular watering and feeding. They are fairly easy to grow, which is probably why they are one of the most sought-after large-leaved houseplants. But it should be borne in mind that even when kept indoors, these giants can grow up to several meters in height, so this plant is unlikely to suit owners of small apartments.
Aglaonema
What is the official name of the indoor flower with large leaves, the photo of which we have posted below, many do not know, although quite often it is available in the collections of indoor plant lovers. Aglaonema is a plant that came to us from southeast Asia, belonging to the aroid family. It naturally occurs in the tropics of the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea, and along river banks in the plains.
The plant has a straight and short stem, rather fleshy. In some species, it begins to branch at the base. It is visible only in adult plants due to the fall of the lower leaves. The color of large leaves depends on the variety and type of plant. dense,leathery leaf plates of an ovoid shape are attached to the trunk with petioles. The edge of the leaves is solid, and the plate itself is patterned. A depressed midrib is clearly visible on its front surface.
Aglaonema does not tolerate direct sunlight - they can cause leaf burns. The plant feels comfortable in partial shade. Bright diffused light is preferable for varieties with variegated leaf color. In winter, the plant must be additionally illuminated, since the daylight hours for this indoor flower with large leaves should be at least 15 hours.
Anthurium
This flower is considered a kind of amulet that protects the house and its inhabitants from the effects of negative energy. A shortened stem, which can be aboveground or underground, is covered with green leaves, reaching a length of 15 cm and a width of 7 cm. Flowers can be of very different colors - from white to burgundy. Caring for this indoor flower with large leaves, you must follow a number of rules:
- Protect it from drafts.
- The plant should be kept at a temperature not exceeding +20 °C.
- In winter it is necessary to remove from heating appliances.
- The plant should be placed on an east window with diffused but bright light.
- The flower needs regular watering.
- It is carried out after the top layer of soil has dried.
- This flower loves moisture, so it is advisable to spray it with water twice a day and ventilate the room well.
Inflorescenceanthurium is an ear that surrounds a dense bright coverlet of various colors - from white to dark purple. Two-tone varieties are also common, but yellow, orange and red are the most popular.
Nidularium
Among the many plants with glossy or matte green foliage, indoor flowers with large red leaves always attract the attention of flower growers. The spectacular appearance of these cultures emphasizes the originality of the interior of any room.
Nidularium - a flower of the bromeliad family - came to us from the tropics of America. It does not have a stem and is a lush bush with large and long red leaves with serrated edges that appear during flowering. After this process is completed, the magnificent rosette dies off, but several children appear on the sides at once. They begin to bloom actively and the plant grows rapidly.
This plant is quite easy to care for. The flower must be protected from direct sunlight, maintain a high level of humidity not only in the soil, but also in the air.
Ficus
Many are well aware of this name for indoor flowers with large leaves. However, not everyone knows that this is not a single plant, but a whole family, which includes vines, shrubs, and trees. For the most part, these are large plants that cannot be grown at home.
Domestic ficus, like its wild relatives, has large whole leaves withstraight edge. Quite often they are rounded. The inflorescences of plants are shaped like pears or balls. Flowers are usually small and light. They are pollinated by hymenoptera insects, but ficuses reproduce most often vegetatively. Representatives of this family form aerial roots, which become the basis for new plants.
In indoor floriculture, only seven types of ficus are grown. The most common ficus is Benjamin, which tolerates pruning without problems, which greatly simplifies the formation of the crown. This variety needs moisture - in addition to regular watering, it needs frequent spraying. Large leaves should be wiped with a damp cloth. The plant does not tolerate drafts. Ficus is believed to bring happiness and prosperity to the home.
Sansevieria
It is unlikely that there is a culture in the world that so harmoniously combines laconic beauty and simple care. The homeland of this indoor flower with large leaves is the rocky savannas of Africa, Madagascar, as well as some parts of India, Indonesia, and South Florida. In addition to the official, the plant received two common folk names: “mother-in-law’s tongue” and “pike tail”. The first have squat varieties. The name is probably given for the abundance of short and wide leaves growing in all directions from the root.
"Pike tail" refers to all other varieties. After all, the colors of the sansevera are very reminiscent of the tail plumage of a predatory fish: on a dark or even black-green background, stripes of light-coloredgreen or grey-green.
The plant tolerates shading well, but you should not keep it in semi-darkness all the time. For a flower, the temperature is comfortable in the range from +18 to +25 ° C (higher is allowed in summer). In winter, do not allow leaves to touch cold glasses - this can cause frostbite. The intensity of watering depends on a number of factors - the time of year, the needs of the flower and the temperature in the room. You should focus on the condition of the top layer of the soil mixture in the pot - it should dry out before the next watering. Flooding is not allowed and cannot be justified even by the heat in the house.
Spathiphyllum
Indoor flower with large leaves and white flowers is a domestic spathiphyllum, a luxurious plant without a stem. Its glossy leaves come out of the ground, forming a thick and lush cap that grows very quickly. They are oval or lanceolate in shape.
This flower, popularly referred to as "women's happiness", endures the lack of moisture, ambient lighting. A lack of sunlight leads to the production of a green pigment - chlorophyll. However, this plant attracts flower growers not only with beautiful foliage, but also with flowers. They form once or twice a year. Inflorescences resemble cobs with a white "veil". The edges of the beautiful cape are slightly curved and look like something holding a palm. A long inflorescence with small flowers looks very impressive against its background. By the end of flowering, the cape becomes green. When the leaves of the plant dry up, the spathiphyllum needs a coolpouring, after which the flower quickly recovers and continues to grow. It should be watered two or three times a week, and it blooms with beautiful snow-white flowers, very similar to callas.
Dieffenbachia
This is an indoor flower with large leaves, named after the chief florist of the Austrian Botanical Garden, Josef Dieffenbach. Today, designers are actively using plants in interior design, since a two-meter beauty with a luxurious coloring of large leaves effectively fits into any interior.
The straight trunk of dieffenbachia is crowned with a cap of large green leaves with spots of lettuce, yellow, light strokes, streaks and bright veins. The root system of the plant is well developed, so it grows rapidly: in 5 years it grows by almost two meters, and a new leaf is formed every week.
The cream-colored ear, which is an inflorescence, is extremely rare to see at home. This is an unpretentious plant that does not need complex care. It is enough to water it regularly, feed it during the growing season.
Maranta
Herbaceous plant, included, along with calatheas and ctenants, in the family of the same name. A short plant (about 40 cm) is famous for its decorative large foliage, painted in light or dark green with a pronounced pattern. The spots and stains on the leaf plates are clearly defined.
The back of the foliage is different in color. This is especially noticeable in the evening. Maranta with the onset of darkness raises the leaves vertically, as if folding into a bud. In a horizontal position, the leaves return with dawn. At home, arrowroot rarely blooms. If this happens, small purple or white single buds can be seen among the foliage. Dozens of flowers bloom at the same time and fade after two weeks.
