by Evin Morrison, Extension Master Gardener
Photos © Evin Morrison
How many times have you been told to, “Check the plant tag” or “There’s so much great information on the plant tag?” Well, the hard truth is that not all plant tags are created equal. To be quite honest, they run the full spectrum of helpful and full of information, to downright useless. But really, how much vital information can you really fit on a 1” by 3” piece of plastic? Luckily there are some tips and tricks to interpreting what the plant tags are trying to tell you, because any extra info when it comes to keeping our indoor jungles lush is greatly appreciated.
Picture this: You are outside in the garden center shopping for annuals or perennials produced by a large grower (smaller or local growing operations often have a stake or label with only the name of the plant on it, so for the time being let’s exclude those from this scenario). Each plant has a plastic stake tucked into it with the common and scientific name of the plant, the growing zone, the number of hours of sun the plant needs, and maybe even a picture of the flower in case you are buying something that’s not quite in bloom. These are all key pieces of information that you’ve grown accustomed to looking for. Then you head inside to the houseplants and start to look at the tags for some basic information—only to find that none of it is the same. Instead of “full sun” or “6+ hours” of sun you’re met with “bright light” and “medium light,” there’s only one name, and some very vague information about “watering when dry.” How is any of that actually helpful? Time to dive in a little deeper.
What’s in a name?
Most plant tags will at least give you a version of the name of the plant you are buying. Of course, there are a few companies that have labeled all their houseplants as “Beautiful Home Décor” on some tags instead of any name, so nothing is guaranteed. However, more often than not you will have a jumping off point with a basic name or part of a scientific name. From there you likely will need to dig deeper to make sure the plant in your hand will survive in your home.
Why does the name matter that much?
In short because the plants we consider houseplants come from all over the world, which means one plant can have multiple common names or a common name can be attributed to multiple very different plants. Most of these names are regional and can widely vary based on where you are living. Consider, for instance, the money plant. Could you mean the money tree or the Chinese money plant? What about the silver dollar vine? It can get pretty confusing. But knowing that a Pilea peperomioides (money plant) is different than the Pachira aquatica (money tree), and that both need very different care than the succulent Xerosicyos danguyi (silver dollar vine) can greatly alter whether you are able to care for them in your home. Being able to attribute a scientific name to the common name makes doing research for extended care tips possible because again, they can only fit so much on those tiny tags, so learning more when you get home is always a good idea.
via Wikimedia Commons
On the flip side, Peperomia is the genus name of a very large number of plants. Many of their common names still include “peperomia” in their titles: watermelon peperomia, lemon lime peperomia, fuzzy peperomia, red edge peperomia, etc. Because there is such a wide variety and stores often carry multiple species of this popular houseplant, you’ll often find that tag only says “Peperomia,” so how are you supposed to know which one it is? Watering needs can vary widely in this genus with some being much more succulent than others, so other than feeling the leaves and guessing, how do you know which is which? Plants we often find when shopping include the plain green peperomia (Peperomia obtusifolia) and the raindrop peperomia, Peperomia polybotrya—also called owl eye peperomia; (see how confusing this gets?) are both green and despite a difference in leaf shape could easily be misidentified and mistreated by a new houseplant shopper.
Doing some extra research online once you take the plant home or using a plant identification app on your phone will almost always get you the answers you need. Sending a picture to the MGNV help desk for identification help is also an option. Once you have the scientific name, make your own label using a popsicle stick, reusable metal stakes or even a piece of broken ceramic. This kind of labeling helps us cut down on single use plastic and makes sure that our plants are properly labeled just in case we need to look them up again later on.
What is bright indirect light?
Many seasoned gardeners are accustomed to seeing Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, and Full Shade on plant tags. Many can see that and instantly know whether a plant will survive in the garden. Full sun is 6 or more hours of direct sun, while full shade is usually less than four hours of sun. It’s a system that is widely accepted and understood. The houseplant industry has its own lingo for describing light requirements and it can really confuse even the greenest of thumbs. Maybe it’s because we don’t really have full sun inside, making the requirements a bit hazy. Let’s shed a little light on the situation.
Bright light can be interpreted as that coming through the brightest unobstructed window in a home. It’s a window that faces south or west and where you can feel the warmth of the sun for most of the day. Cactus and succulents will be quite happy, while broad-leaved plants might burn. Plants that like bright light can happily go live on a sunny patio outdoors all summer and thrive.
One of the most common things you’ll see on a plant tag is Bright Indirect Light. It’s the catch-all phrase for houseplant companies. These are plants that can handle a little shade and prefer a break from the most intense afternoon sun. Since so many of the plants that we bring into our homes are tropical plants, it makes sense. These are the plants that grow under the dappled protection of larger trees. Think eastern and western-facing windows, even a southern window, but pulled back from being pressed right up against the glass. Bright indirect lighting would describe a room that you can read a book in without switching on a light.
Low light is the tricky one because very few plants will grow and thrive in low light, but there are a few that will survive. Many houseplant owners are desperate to find a way to brighten up their gloomy rooms, so sellers offer a few plants to meet the demand. Ferns are a good example of a plant that can handle being in a lower light situation, but if put in a room with a bit more sun will grow better. They get added to the low light category because in intense sun they will burn and get crispy. Other options that often have low light tags are snake plants (Dracaena, formerly Sansevieria), cast iron plants (Aspidistra elatior), and peace lilies (Spathiphyllum).
Regardless of what the tags say, plants need sunlight to photosynthesize. When in doubt it’s always best to give your plants the brightest diffuse light possible.
Water when dry… duh
Watering houseplants is very nuanced, which is why the plant tags probably offer very little helpful advice. The amount of water a plant needs greatly depends on what it is (scientific name), where it’s placed and how fast water will evaporate (light and temperature factors), but also container type, soil type and even the humidity. That’s a lot to fit on a teeny tiny tag!
But as you can see, the other information builds up to helping unlock the watering secrets of all your plants. It’s common sense, but ferns need more water than cacti and rainforest plants need more water than desert ones. There are more nuanced things to keep in mind as well, such as plants potted in plastic containers won’t need to be watered as often as those in terracotta, because terracotta is porous and the soil will dry out faster. Or that an orchid mounted on the wall in moss will need to be monitored way more often because there’s no container to slow the water evaporation rate.
The most important rule of thumb is to water thoroughly and less often rather than a little bit on a more frequent schedule. Allow water to flow all the way through the pot; letting the water drain out is a good sign that water has made it all the way to the roots and isn’t just absorbed near the surface where it will evaporate quicker. Testing your soil for moisture by sticking your finger into the pot about 2” deep is a good way to see if the soil is uniformly moist throughout the pot. Overwatering can be just as detrimental as underwatering.
An alternate technique is bottom watering, in which you place your plant in a bowl of room temperature water and let the water absorb up towards the roots. This ensures that the plant is getting enough water around its root system, but not too much around the crown of the plant which can lead to rot. Also, bottom watering is a helpful way to cut down on fungus gnats because they require moist surface soil to lay their eggs in. By bottom watering the top few inches stay on the drier side and don’t allow the environment necessary for the gnats to reproduce.
So how useful is the plant tag really?
It all comes down to how well you can interpret the information offered to you. No matter what you bring home, it’s a great idea to do follow-up research and really understand the care needs of each individual plant. Unless your new plant came with a care pamphlet, there’s no way to fully include all the care needs. Fertilizing, humidity levels, and soil types are all super important aspects to growing plants indoors. Keeping a journal or a digital note of the plants in your home can help alleviate the stress of not knowing which plant needs what. Plus, it’s a much more thorough way to check in on your plants’ stats as they grow.