The Gardens on Spring Creek

What’s Blooming: The Swiss Cheese Plant  by Jack Donovan, Horticulture Intern, Gardens on Spring Creek Our Butterfly House Monstera deliciosa , also called a Swiss cheese plant, is blooming for the first time in four years!  This perennial evergreen vine is native to Mexico and Central America, growing in Zones 10–12. Commonly grown as houseplants, these plants often fail to reach their full potential. Luckily our Butterfly House provides an ideal spot for this specimen. Monsteras rarely bloom in homes, because they require conditions and space that approximate their native, rain-forest habitat. Thus, our Monstera is a must see! With a white spadix (a spike that has tiny flowers on it) growing to approximately 10 inches, the bloom will eventually produce an edible fruit that tastes like pineapple and banana. The plant’s perforated “Swiss cheese” leaves, called fenestrations, are believed to be an attempt by the plant to capture more sunlight or, possibly, to see their large le...

  Sundew ( Drosera ) Growing Carnivorous Plants by Bryan Fischer, Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek   Last winter, I made the ill-fated mistake of dropping a large Mangave on my carnivorous plant collection. The event was crushing in more ways than one. In homage to the collection that was, I wanted to share regarding my experience growing these quirky plants. Not just the ubiquitous Venus fly trap, carnivorous plants encompass a diverse and fascinating group of plants originating from areas with very poor soil or water concentrations of essential nutrients. While they still photosynthesize to produce their energy (carbs, like other plants, because even plants can’t leave carbs alone), they use insects to supplement the limited nutrient spread provided by the relatively nutrient-poor soils or water in which they grow. I had long ago given up on cultivating carnivorous plants after killing my fair share of Venus fly traps and pitcher plants, among the most common...