Birds & Blooms

I received this from a neighbor who was using it as a ground cover. Can you identify it?

- Rhonda Mitchell OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA Dawn Shaw HAMPSTEAD, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Streptocar­pella, which is hardy in Zones 9 to 10 and blooms all year when

Melinda:

Your free flowering plant is a

grown in a bright location as a houseplant. It is a relative of the African violet and needs the same growing conditions.

Place your plant in a warm, draft-free area and water it well when the top inch of the potting mix starts to dry. It likes moist soil, but overwateri­ng leads to root rot. Use tepid water to avoid damage caused by cold water on the leaves, or water from the bottom by setting the pot in a shallow saucer of warm water for an hour. Fertilize it from spring to fall with a dilute solution of flowering houseplant fertilizer.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States