The Araceae It comprises about 100 genera and more than 3000 species, including many very common plants in indoor cultivation. They are monocots, but they have highly developed leaves, with complex venation, something very atypical in this group. Its flowering, although it appears to be a flower, is actually an inflorescence called spadix, formed by many tiny flowers and accompanied by a spathe, the colored bract that appears to be the petal. Generally, this spadix has a few female flowers at the base protected by the spathe and the rest are male flowers.
Most come from tropical areas of America, but can also be found in warm areas and the old world. They are always herbaceous plants, usually rhizomatous, but many of the tropical ones are climbers and may even have a thick stem that rises a couple of meters. Those of colder climates are usually small plants without aerial stems (acaules) that spend the unfavorable season (due to cold or drought) underground. Several floating plants are also found in this family. Next we are going to see characteristics and care of the most cultivated plants of the family Araceae.
A highly sought after plant for its oversized sheets. It has numerous cultivars with giant leaves, such as 'Borneo giant'. It is a plant with a very short rhizome from which shoots and an aerial stem grow that can measure up to about 2m high in the oldest specimens. The leaves, with blades up to almost 2m long, are only found at the end of the stem and tend to be vertical, with more or less smooth edges and somewhat marked veins. They have whitish spathe and spadix, but they are too small in comparison to the rest of the plant to be of ornamental interest. The rest of the genre Alocasia they tend to be smaller plants, with or without short stems. Native to the Philippines or Taiwan, difficult to say since they have been in cultivation for many years.
As for their care, outdoors they prefer always wet soils, somewhat high temperatures, and luminosity depending on the ambient humidity. With an environmental humidity that is always kept above 80%, they can be in full sun, but if they are going to be below, it is better to protect them from the sun during the central hours of the day or they will suffer burns. But because they do not withstand frost well, the most normal thing is to keep them indoors at least during the winter, where they will need a rather draining substrate and not overdo the watering.
Billed as "the largest flower in the world," it's not really a flower but an inflorescence, so it doesn't deserve that title (furcraeas or agaves spin it a thousand times). Even so, It features a spadix that can grow to almost 3m tall, with a huge colored spathe, making it spectacular. Undoubtedly the largest inflorescence of the entire family Araceae, with a greenish-white spathe on the outside and reddish tones on the inside, and a yellowish spadix with indistinguishable flowers. When it blooms it gives off a nauseating corpse smell to attract flies, its main pollinators. When it is not in flower (which lasts about a week) or in torpor, it has a single leaf composed of monumental dimensions, which appears to be a tree. Underground it has a short rhizome called a corm that it consumes almost entirely at flowering. This is why it can only flower every 3 to 4 years under ideal conditions (it usually takes longer). Endemic to Sumatra.
Is very delicate plants with very specific requirements, but if you can give it the conditions it needs, its care is simple. I recommend looking for them on a specialized website, since it would take too much to describe them. I will only talk about the things to keep in mind: unlike the rest of Amorphophallus, this plant does not need a period of rest, but therefore, needs tropical conditions. If you do not live in a tropical climate, you will have to keep it in a large greenhouse due to the dimensions it reaches. Simply him corm of an adult plant can weigh more than 100kg, add to that the weight of the sheet and substrate and you put in almost a ton, so moving it is not an easy job.
If you are very interested in this species, you can do the test. It is not difficult to find young plants for around € 20-50, and if they survive you, you will already consider what to do with them when they grow up. Even so, I recommend any other species of the genus. Many have a similar look but much more manageable sizes.
anthurium andreanum (anthurium)
A plant very common as a houseplant and for flower arrangements. His interest is the completely open spathes of a bright red color and with a plastic texture, from which a yellow spadix emerges. The leaves are simple, with smooth margins and dark green, very shiny. They do not have a rhizome but they do have an aerial stem, although it is difficult to see them of a good size since they usually die shortly after buying them. Within this gender there are numerous species sought after by collectors whose interest is its long hanging leaves several meters long. Native to Colombia and Ecuador.
Outdoor care is complicated since the direct sun burns them and they do not tolerate the coldHence, in temperate climates it is only grown as a houseplant. They need a substrate that retains in water but drains well and has a lot of aeration, so a universal substrate mixed in equal parts with one of orchids can come in handy. The rest of the species are usually grown in moss Sphagnum, so it may also be a good option, but it tends to be very expensive. It is important to let the substrate dry completely between waterings, otherwise the roots will rot. If it is kept in a cool area in winter, it should not be watered unless it rots, since it rots very easily, but the ideal is to keep it in a warm place, such as a heated room, but not close to it. . It needs to be in a very bright place, but without direct sun. If you have one and you can't make it bloom, it may be because one of these reasons.
An interesting plant that gives color to our gardens in winter. It has a short rhizome (corm) that divides over time, forming more plants. It does not have aerial stem, and generally has only two or three leaves, which appear when the cold comes in autumn and dry after flowering in early spring (earlier if the sun hits them), until the following fall. The leaves are triangular, dark green but with very marked white or light green veins. The inflorescence is formed by a very closed whitish spathe, with a small yellowish spadix. After flowering, the spathe falls, leaving a nice spike of red fruits, which normally remain even when the leaves have dried. Native to the Mediterranean region.
They must be grown outdoors, where they tolerate temperatures below -20ºC. They need a fairly shady position to develop properly, although they can withstand some sun (but in the sun as soon as the temperatures exceed 15-20ºC, the leaves will dry out). They are not delicate with the substrate, as long as it is always wet. They even tolerate somewhat waterlogged soils.
Similar in appearance to alocasias, but generally smaller in size and without aerial stem. What appears to be an aerial stem is actually a pseudostem formed by the leaf sheaths. The leaves have smooth edges, although somewhat wavy, and are more rounded than those of Alocasia. The normal species has light green leaves, but there are numerous cultivars of various colors. They have a short rhizome (corm) from which numerous stolons emerge that form new plants at a certain distance, so they can be somewhat invasive. It has a very elongated yellow spathe that forms a green sheath at its base that protects the female flowers. The spadix is cream colored. Have a large distribution area in Asia, which justifies the great difference in resistance to cold between its different cultivars.
Although it could be grown indoors, the interest of these plants is growing outdoors. Cultivars more resistant to cold, such as 'Pink china' withstand temperatures close to -15ºC. During their growing season they need a lot of water and they tolerate waterlogging, but in frosty areas, once the aerial part dries up, if the soil does not drain well it is easy for the corms to rot. For the rest, they are not delicate with the type of soil or exposure to the sun, although they appreciate fertile soils and some shade.
The typical floating plant that "comes out on its own" when you buy other aquatic plants. It used to be included in its own family, but has recently been added to Araceae. It is reduced to a micro-stem with a couple of leaves and a simple root, but it does not stop putting out suckers that after a couple of days become independent, so extremely invasive. Unlike the rest of the family, it does not have spadix inflorescences, simply simple flowers almost impossible to see with the naked eye. It can be found all over the world, but is only considered indigenous to parts of the Northern Hemisphere and Africa. Its biggest problem is that it covers the surface of the lakes, speeding up a process called eutrophication which ends up rotting the lake and destroying all the life in it.
In Spain its cultivation is illegal because it is considered invasive, and surely also in much of the world. Their only need is to have water. It can grow even on substrate if it is always wet, but where it really invades is floating in the water, especially if it has many nutrients. In ponds it is a great food for fish and turtles, which keep it in check. Its resistance to cold is not very clear, but up to about -5ºC they can hold out, even surviving being trapped in a block of ice. It prefers to be in full sun, but supports the shade.
A large philodendron, with a medium thick trunk that can support the weight of its enormous leaves, although it ends up giving way. The leaves are large, rib-shaped with wavy edges, shiny dark green. Has no rhizome and it does not normally branch. Its stem lacks growth in thickness, so to support its weight as it grows in height, it produces aerial roots that serve as anchors to the ground or to hook to the trunk of a tree and climb. The spathe is quite small green in color and surrounds the entire spadix, which is white. Native to South America.
Can't bear the cold wellAny frost will burn the leaves, but it is not a plant that does well indoors. It can be kept outside in the warm months and sheltered in the cold, but the ideal is not to have it if you cannot put it on the ground. He needs the substrate to always stay more or less moist, and he likes it to be rich and slightly basic. It tolerates full sun (provided there is high humidity) and semi-shade, but for the leaves to have their characteristic color and brightness, semi-shade is better.
Another floating plant, but this one does have more developed leaves (up to about 20cm long and 10cm wide), a small stem and complex roots. Its general appearance is that of an open lettuce, but with radial veining. Its inflorescences are typical of the Araceae family, but tiny, with spathe and spadix measuring only a couple of millimeters, green in color. The sheets are water-repellent (They do not get wet, thanks to the hairs that cover them), and this allows them to float, using the bottom ones as a boat. They also accumulate some air to float, but less than other floating plants. Its main form of reproduction is the stolons it produces and they stay together for a while. It is not as invasive as other floating plants, but it still reproduces very quickly. It is found in almost all tropical and subtropical backwaters.
Illegal in Spain and surely in many other countries, because it is considered invasive. It needs to have the roots in the water and float, but it is not delicate with the type of water. It is only invasive in nutrient-dense waters. Can't bear the cold well, any frost burns the leaves. It needs to develop in full sun or semi-shade.
Sauromatum venosum (voodoo lily)
A really interesting plant but little cultivated. We could consider it the intermediate step between a hoop and a Amorphophallus. The leaves, which normally only have one or two at a time, have a difficult shape to describe. They are compound leaves formed by a "crown" of green leaflets attached to a vertical petiole with brown spots. Inflorescence, appearing before the leaves even if the corm is not planted and it gives off a putrid smell, it is formed by a very long spathe of maroon color on the outside and green with red spots on the inside, which sheath the female flowers. The spadix is whitish in the female part and maroon in the male part, and it is very long. If it becomes poninized, it forms a globose fruit similar to a blackberry that remains at ground level. It inhabits tropical areas of Africa and Asia.
It must be grown outdoors so that it grows well. It needs a substrate with good drainage and to be able to be acidic, but it must always be kept moist while it has flowers or leaves. In autumn, when the aerial part dries, it must be kept dry, otherwise it is very easy for the corm to rot. If it is large enough to bloom, it does so in early spring. The flower only lasts open for a day and after drying a leaf emerges. It can put out up to three leaves a year, and once it dries and goes into torpor, it can withstand temperatures below -15ºC. It prefers to be in semi-shade, although it survives in full shade.
Zantedeschia ethiopica (cove, water lily, alcatraz)
One of the most widely grown outdoor plants of this family. It has leaves with the typical shape of the family Araceae but somewhat more elongated. Its inflorescences have a white spathe and a yellow spadix, and release a sweet smell. It presents numerous cultivars with thinner leaves and spathe of all colors. The largest cultivar, 'Hercules', can grow to over 2m tall and has large leaves and inflorescences. It has a somewhat longer rhizome than the rest of the plants of the family, but it lacks an aerial stem. What appears to be a stem is actually a pseudostem formed by the leaf sheaths. It only has a true stem when it blooms. Native to South Africa, although it has become naturalized in many parts of the world.
Very easy to care for, it tolerates all types of soils, from completely flooded to very dry, and can be in both full sun and full shade, although it prefers semi-shade. Tolerates temperatures close to -10ºC, although it depends on the cultivar.
Cultivated mostly as houseplant, is very different from the rest of the family. Its leaves are compound pinnate, that is, they what appears to be an aerial stem is actually the rachis of the leaf, from which the leaflets come out. This rachis is very thickened to accumulate water. Its true stem is underground (although it can emerge in old specimens) and it is a relatively thick long rhizome with a very curious appearance. The inflorescences have a green spathe that initially protects the spadix and then curves back, with a white spadix composed of clearly visible flowers, quite large by family standards. The main interest of this plant is the dark green color and the brightness of its leaves. There is a cultivar with black leaves. A curiosity about this plant is that it can be reproduced simply by planting the leaflets, although it takes a long time to sprout. Native to tropical Africa.
It is a very tough plant that can withstand whatever is thrown at it, although it prefers a substrate with good drainage and good luminosity. Indoors it can grow almost anywhere where it receives some light, but the ideal is to place it next to a window, which is where it grows best. If it is grown outdoors it prefers to be in semi-shade, but it depends on what we want. In full shade it will have leaves over 1m long and dark green (although not as shiny as indoors), while in full sun it will have leaves just over 10cm long, light green in color and with extremely swollen rachis. It is important to mention that does not tolerate frost.
Other well-known species of this family are the adam rib (Monstera delicious), The poto (aureum) And the spatiphile (Spathyphyllum wallisii), commonly grown as houseplants. Did you know that all these plants belong to the same family? Whenever you see a spadix protected by a spathe, you will know that this plant belongs to the family Araceae.
