Ti plant
Also called Hawaiian ti, Good luck plant, Cordyline terminalis.
| Light | bright indirect light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 6 days in the growing season, every 14 in winter |
| Pets | Cats toxic, dogs toxic |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, Ti-Plant entry.
Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. Toxic to cats and dogs. The principle is saponins, causing vomiting sometimes with blood, depression, loss of appetite, drooling and dilated pupils in cats. Keep it where an animal that eats houseplants cannot reach it, and speak to a vet if one does. In South Africa telephone the Poison Information Helpline on 0861 555 777; in the US, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435.
Grown across the Pacific for centuries and carried between islands as a good luck plant, this is a slim cane with a topknot of strap leaves striped in pink, red, cream or purple depending on the variety. The colour is entirely a function of light: in a bright room it is spectacular and in a dim one it turns green and stays green. It is also one of the small group of houseplants that genuinely object to tap water, browning at the tips from fluoride and salts, so rainwater is worth collecting for it. When an old plant goes bare and gawky at the base, cut the cane down to fifteen centimetres in spring. It resprouts, and the cut piece roots.
Ailments observed
| Brown tips on otherwise healthy leaves | Fluoride or salts in tap water, to which this plant is unusually sensitive. Water with rainwater or filtered water and flush the pot through every few months. Trim the brown tips at an angle if they bother you. |
|---|---|
| White or yellow markings fading to plain green | Not enough light, so the pink and red fade to green. Move it into brighter indirect light. New leaves come back coloured; the faded ones stay faded. |
Filed underPlants for humid air, Statement plants
Neighbouring entries
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