Plant ID: Amaranthus tricolor

Question:
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THIS FLOWER OR WEED IS, ITS BEAUTIFUL.

Answer:
Chances are the plant you have photographed is neither a flower or a weed. What you have there in that photograph is actually a tropical plant that someone decided to grow as a large annual in their garden for the summer. I will admit that at first I was stumped, but luckily I have a good friend and mentor who happens to be a curator at the New York Botanical Garden so he was able to enlighten both of us.

Amaranthus tricolor, commonly called summer poinsettia, is a plant indigenous to Africa and Asia loved for its ornamental value and colorful foliage. Another common name is Chinese spinach, and rightfully so as it is grown as a leaf vegetable in some locations. Because it is hardy in USDA Zones 9-11 we would consider it a tropical plant up here in New York and only be able to grow it as an annual outdoors. There is one cultivar named ‘Joseph’s Coat’ which has a striking combination of yellow and red atop its otherwise green leaves. Thanks again to Marc we are guessing you spotted a specific cultivar named ‘Illumination’ which has those bright red leaves above the olive/red variegated leaves at its base and reaches about 42” tall. From what I understand they used to be planted more often as annuals in the garden but you do not see them in cultivation much any more.

Thanks for writing. I always love learning about new plants!

When Multi-Colored Foliage Turns Green

Question:
I have a notoriously black thumb, much to the chagrin of my Master Gardener mother, and I can't even keep aloe alive. So I asked very specifically what to do with my coleus when I purchased it. It is lush and thriving, but has lost its color!! It was a variagated yellow and brick red when I bought it, and now it's almost entirely green. The man at the farmer's market said to keep it out of direct sunlight and to water every two days. Now I'm second guessing if that means every other day...or if it needs more sun, or what. I did not repot it, as I've had terrible luck with that in my plant-past, too. Any suggestions?

Answer:
There is certainly no need to be too tough on yourself. Chances are you just need to know a little bit more about the plants you are trying to grow compared to your light situation at home. With a little more knowledge you'll be able to grow the right plant in the right place and you will see those thumbs of your change color in no time!

So let's get to the coleus. This plant is considered an annual for us so that means it will not survive the winter outside, but can be kept going in a container inside. If we were talking about the plant being outside in a garden then the grower's advice would be accurate. Coleus (botanically known as Solenostemon scutellarioides) is a sun to shade tolerant annual and can possibly burn and/or bleach out if exposed to an excess of 5-6 hours of direct sun. However, if you have it inside in a container, you want to try and give it as much direct sun as possible. That is the reason for the loss of non-green color. The plant had that great variety of color because it was getting enough sun before. In its present situation it is getting significantly less sun so it is adapting to survive in the environment. The green in plants leaves is chlorophyll, cells devoted photosynthesis, the process of turning sunlight and water into carbohydrates so the plant can grow. Given less light, the plant has been forced to produce leaves that are all green to max-out the plant's ability to photosynthesize and hang in there. To give a personal example, I have a plant called a croton here in the office. Naturally the plant is wildly multi-colored as it is a tropical plant used to warmer and sunnier climates. However, I have it here at my desk growing under fluorescent lights. The full spectrum of light the bulbs emit is enough to keep the plant going but is not the same as a direct sun situation. Therefore, I instead have a plant that is now, like yours, entirely green.

This is how croton might look when you get it at the florist.
This is how my croton looks here in my office. Note: plant is still growing and doing fine and my thumb, still pretty green!

If I were you I would try and move it to a sunnier spot. The plant will adapt to getting more sun and hopefully the interesting color patterns will return. You might, if possible, move it to a sunnier spot in stages. Move it to a brighter spot and care for it for a couple weeks. Then move it to the sunniest spot and continue to care for it there. Moving the plant in stages will help to prevent the green leaves from getting too sunburned or scorched since now they are used to less light. As another example, I move my succulents outside for the summer. At first they might get a little fried,and I might lose some of the older leaves, but they usually bounce back pretty quickly. If you lose some leaves in the process but the plant is still producing new leaves then don't fret it too much.

Otherwise, keep the soil moist this time of year and then water a little less in winter. If the coleus has put out a lot of new growth then you should definitely repot it so that it continues to get the nutrients it needs and has room for its root to grow as well. Usually you want to repot plants when you get them as growers might have them rather pot-bound in order to sell you a full looking item. You only need to repot it to a container a couple inches larger in diameter. Clay will dry out more quickly; plastic will help the soil to retain moisture for longer. A standard brand-name potting soil will be fine. If that makes you nervous give me a ring and either I can talk you through it or we can set a time to bring the plant in to HSNY and we can repot it together.

Plant ID: Lantana camara

(Lantana camara in front of the Javits Center, NYC. Photography by Alex Feleppa, 2007)

Question:
There's a lovely flower in the pots outside the Javits Center and I'd love to know what it is. Hard to describe something so visual, I know, but here goes:
It's a cluster of small flowers, making up one large half-round head. The smaller flowers are shaped like Alyssum – four distinct petals with a center. The large head is the interesting part, though. It consists of a center grouping of yellow, with an outer ring of magenta. The colors are like Lantana, but more intense, and these component flower petals aren't sharply defined enough. And it makes berries! Fully-round, dark purple, and sort of in grapelike clusters.
If it weren't for the berries, I'd think it was a variety of Lantana or Alyssum, but they don't make berries, do they? I'm stumped. Looking forward to hearing from you.


Answer:
I finally took a walk over to the Javitz today on my lunch break. I found the mystery plant, and its mystery fruit, and you’re first instinct was absolutely right – it’s a Lantana!

Lantana camara is commonly called lantana or yellow sage. Native to the West Indies and Central America this plant requires warmer winters so we can only enjoy it as an annual here in New York. However, what a fabulous annual it is. Not only does lantana tolerate more sandy and/or nutrient-poor soils, some experienced horticulturists swear that the plant actually performs better in these conditions. Either way I love to use lantana, whether spilling out of containers or adding extra "pop" to annual or perennial garden beds. The long, sturdy stems with pom-poms of hot-colored flower clusters are sensational. I also like the fruity, almost musky fragrance of the crushed foliage, but some may disagree with me on that. An extra added bonus is that once established in your garden it can prove to be a bit more drought tolerant than other annuals we typically plant.

The pictures above are ones I took of the fruit-set you were describing to me. I am so glad you brought that to my attention. I admit, you had me stumped too! Lantana has long been one of my favorite annuals since I began my career in horticulture, but I had never seen it set fruit. I would guess these plants were planted early on in spring since the leaves are as large as they are. Obviously during the summer the flowers were pollinated, by butterflies, and it has been a long and hot enough since then that the plants were able to produce their fruit. In each of the fruit is a viable seed, but I am not sure how easy it is to propagate them. I certainly am tempted to grab a few of the fruit clusters though and see if I can get the seeds to grow.

Reference:
Annuals with Style by Michael A. Ruggiero, Taunton Press, 2002.