Up close and personal
(or, how do your plants' leaves grow?)
In the Northern hemisphere, this time of year is great for marvelling at how your plants are growing. I’ve been really excited about all of the growth happening on my houseplants—and have been dragging my partner to various corners of the house to share my enthusiasm at exactly how a certain leaf is unfurling.
On these two philodendrons the leaves are basically appearing in the same matter: from the newest leaf onwards. Philodendrons are vining plants, and these tend to grow new leaves from the end of a stem, so next to a new leaf.
The same is true for Monstera adansonii, which is also a vining plant.
You might worry when you see these new leaves emerging. They’re all crumpled! Are they stuck? Does your plant need you to rescue it?
No need to worry though. This is a normal way for the leaf to emerge. If you were to start fiddling with the leaf trying to ‘free’ it you’ll most probably damage it. Instead, enjoy the quirkiness, and one day you’ll walk by your plant to see that the leaf has unfurled itself when you weren’t watching (plants are sneaky like that).
This plant is also a philodendron (Philodendron verrucosum), and as such also a vining plant that makes new leaves at the end of a vine. What I found especially amazing is that it’s making several of these impressive leaves at once. It’s definitely not fast at doing it—these leaves have been curled for a few weeks now—but I’m amazed at seeing how I can already see not only two leaves emerging, but also the growth of a third leaf in this sheath-like thing at the bottom of the vine.
Calatheas are basal-growing plants. New leaves emerge as tubes from the soil that then unfurl into new plants. Can you spot the new leaves on this Calathea lancifolia?1
I moved my polkadot begonia to a new spot a few months ago and repotted it, and it’s been thriving. It’s even starting to flower a little below the place where new leaves are emerging.
Earlier this summer I pruned a couple of my plants. One of my bonsai fichus plants was getting pretty bare near the centre of the plant, because when I first got it I was hesitant to prune it. I read about pruning Pachira aquatica and decided to give it a try because its long branches weren’t only getting quite bare, they were also flopping all over the place.
Pruning is a great way of stimulating new growth, in some cases even lower down the stem or vine.
This bonsai ficus is growing delicate fresh green leaves and is starting to look a lot fuller (although I do really need to dust it 🙄).
I love seeing how Pachira aquatica grows—new leaflets are like tiny little umbrellas —and was very excited when I saw that on the pruned stems, the new leaflets (which will hopefully turn into branches) emerge as axillary buds, from the space in between the stem and another leaflet. This is the reason why you always prune Pachira aquatica (and many other plants) a few centimetres, about an inch, above an existing leaf, leaflet or root node.
There are, of course, some other ways in which leaves grow. Alocasia plants create new leaves from the stem of the most recent leaf: you’ll see a little ridge appear that in time becomes thicker and then separates itself (similar to how Monstera and Philodendron grow).
In Strelitzia plants, the leaf emerges from the centre of the existing leaves. This leaf does sometimes need a little help: sometimes the leaf doesn’t unfurl properly, and moistening the leaf when it’s still rolled up a little bit can help.
An invitation
Take a moment to observe how the leaves on your plants grow. Can you spot any new growth? What is the colour or shape of the new leaves? Congratulate your plant and yourself for this achievement 😉
I’d love to know which plants in your house are currently making new leaves and what they look like. Do ask me and the rest of the community if you have questions about leaf growth, we’d be happy to help!
Currently
Spending some time in my parents’ house and trying really hard not to mess with my mother’s houseplants.
Instead putting all my plant-energy into the balcony plants.
Loving this plant book, which is probably the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen.
Technically, many calathea plants like the lancifolia are no longer classified as Calathea but as Goeppertia, making this one a Goeppertia lancifolia.