HouseplantsDiscover the right indoor plants for your home.
Tattoo ™ Princess autograph tree . Photo by : Proven Winners .
Autograph tree ( Clusia rosea ) may just be one of coolest houseplants that you ’ve never heard of . Hailing from the tropics , this ultra - voguish tree is starting to show up in glasshouse and garden centers everywhere , and is well worth seeking out if you ’re await for a lush , leafy houseplant that is remarkably gentle to care for .
As the name suggest , autograph tree ’s most unparalleled feature article is its power to be personalized . you’re able to really carve your name or initials into one of its loggerheaded , leathery leaves and the writing will remain , even as the leaf grow in size .
It also has a nice , full shape , with leaves and branches that stretch out symmetrically from a uncompromising central stalk . Another addition : Autograph tree is one of the few houseplants capable of absorb atomic number 6 dioxide at night and convert it into oxygen , making it a super - efficient indoor air purifier .
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page : Basics|Growing Tips|Care|Propagating|Growing Outdoors
BASICS
Botanical name:
Clusia rosea(Not to be confused withClusia guttifera , or diminished leafage clusia , a similar specie normally grow outdoors as a shrub or hedging . )
Common names:
Autograph tree , balsam apple , pitch orchard apple tree , Scotch attorney , theme song Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , Florida clusia
Origin:
aboriginal to southern Florida as well as the West Indies , Mexico , and Central America
Growth rate:
tight
Size:
When raise in tummy indoors , it rarely produce marvellous than 3 or 4 feet , but can pass on heights top 30 feet when mature outdoors in its native home ground .
Foliage:
Usually deep olive unripened and paddle - work , grow up to 8 inches in length . There ’s also a cultivar with striking yellow and unripe variegated foliage ( Clusia‘Variegata ’ ) , but it can be difficult to receive .
Flowers:
Plants rarely bloom indoors , but may acquire clear pink and clean flower when grow outside , followed by little apple - like fruits .
Is autograph plant toxic?
The fruit of the autograph tree is considered to be the most toxic part , but the leafage can also make GI upset if take . Keep out of reach of children and pets . ( Seethis counsel from the ASPCA . )
Interesting fact:
Clusia roseais a hemiepiphyte , which mean it often start life as an aerophyte growing on other trees , obtaining all its wet and nutrient from the air and rain . It eventually develop give ear aerial roots that reach the ground and take root in the soil .
GROWING CLUSIA
picture by : Benoit GVA / Shutterstock
Light:
Clusia roseaprefers medium to brilliant indirect light , such as from an east- or W - front windowpane or set back from a south - facing windowpane . Avoid giving it too much direct sunshine , which can scorch the foliage .
Temperature and humidity:
Autograph tree loves nursery - similar conditions , with elbow room temperatures between 60 ° to 85 ° F and high-pitched humidity levels . Keep away from insensate draught , and do n’t expose plants to temperature below 50 ° F. Also avoid placing near heating or cooling vent . In dry areas of the menage , keep your plant hydrated by using a humidifier , misting the leaves regularly , or setting the potbelly on a shallow tray meet with pebbles and water .
Soil:
practice a wanton , fast - draining soil that allows for good rootage aeration , such as a high - quality potting mix augmented with coconut coir ororchid barkto improve drainage .
Pot requirements:
arise in a potty that is 2 to 4 inches wider and bass than the root ball , with adequate drainage holes . afford the rootage enough room to spread will leave in quicker , more robust development . If your works becomes rootbound , the growing will be slower .
HOW TO CARE FOR AUTOGRAPH PLANT
Watering:
Keep the soil lightly moist , watering whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the pinch . Add water until it begins to flow out of the pot ’s drainage golf hole , being careful not to allow the roots to seat in soggy stain , which can lead to rootage bunkum . Clusia roseaisn’t sensitive to the minerals in water , so it ’s fine to use ordinary way - temperature pat water system .
Fertilizing:
Feed once a month with awater - soluble plant life fooddiluted to half strength when the plant is actively growing . recoup fertilizer during the winter .
Pruning:
Because of its fast ontogenesis rate , Clusia roseamay need to be prune once or twice a twelvemonth to keep the desired shape and prevent it from becoming tall-growing . Using white bridge player pruners , cut back the theme to just above a duad of leaves ; this will promote branching and fuller , shaggy-haired development . you could save the base film editing to propagate newfangled plants .
Repotting:
You may need to repot your John Hancock Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree every year or two to prevent it from outgrow its container . If you notice roots spring up out of the drain mess at the bottom of the container , it ’s prison term to repot . Move your plant life to a new container about 2 inches big than the be one , and be certain to refresh the grunge .
Leaf damage:
If your John Hancock tree diagram has yellow or discolored leave , it ’s ordinarily due to stress because of over or underwatering , scurvy humidity , temperature fluctuations , or too much direct sun . Prune off the damage foliage and only give your plant enough piddle to keep the soil slightly moist but not soggy .
Common pests:
Autograph tree diagram rarely encounters serious plague or disease problem , but it may occasionally be overrun by spider pinch , mealybugs , aphids , and scale . See how to identify and treat these and othercommon houseplant pests .
PROPAGATING CLUSIA
Clusia roseais easy to propagate from stalk cuttings rooted in water or dirt . The good time of yr to propagate is during spring and summertime , when the plant life is actively produce .
Propagating in water:
Take a stem veer about 4 to 6 inches long that has several healthy leaves on it . Place the cutting in water , making sure the foliation is above the waterline , and change the water every few days to forestall bacteria from organise .
Propagating in soil:
Fresh stem cutting will also take radical if imbed like a shot in a high - caliber potting mix , as long as you keep the filth evenly moist . Poke a jam into the soil for each cutting and insert the bottom of the bow , leaving the foliage above the soil . Keep the slip in a warm place and water regularly so the soil does n’t dry out .
Growing hydroponically:
It ’s also potential to growClusia roseahydroponically in a glass vase filled with pee and forgo the dirt totally . This is one of the easiest methods of growing an John Hancock tree , and one of the most attractive because it appropriate you to show off its intricate root system . It also offers the advantage of preventing under or overwatering because you just tote up more water to the vase as needed to make certain the roots are always covered .
Once a stem cutting consume ancestor in water it can often live on for months as long as you add together a few drop of liquid fertilizer to the water occasionally to give your plant the nutrients it need for healthy growth .
Photo : Kyle Wicomb / Flickr .
GROWING CLUSIA OUTDOORS
In coastal expanse of the deep South ( Zones 10 - 11),Clusia roseais often rise in the garden as a salt - liberal evergreen plant nicety Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or privacy hedge . There is also an attractive midget miscellanea ( C. rosea‘Nana ’ ) , excellent for use as a compact bush or shrub .
If you live in a cold mood , you’re able to arise autograph tree as a potted plant life on a cheery porch or patio during the summer months and move it indoors over winter .
Note that John Hancock tree has a tendency to tame sharply by reseeding . The Florida Native Plant Societyrecommends avoid its use in setting where its spread ca n’t be controlled . In Hawaii , autograph tree is considered to be extremely trespassing and its planting is discouraged .
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