Araceae family of indoor plant species. Plants of the aroid family - photos, names and descriptions

One of the largest families of monocots - Aroid, Latin name - Araceae.

Tropical rain forests- the preferred place of growth of Aronnikovs (another name for the family).

However, groves and swamps can also introduce you to some of the representatives of the plants of the Araceae family. The total number of aroids reaches more than 3000 species.

The family can be divided into three main groups:

• tuberous (have a dormant period);
• bush (rich root system, hibernation in unfavorable conditions);
• vines (aerial roots appear in parallel with the main root system, support is needed).

What do the groups listed above have in common? The answer is obvious upon initial examination - external structure. A self-respecting aroid has an alternate arrangement of leaves on long petioles, the base of each of which initially tightly clasps the stem. The second distinguishing feature is inflorescence in the form of a cob with faded flowers.

The bulk of plants have green color. The beauty of some species is that the contrasts of light and dark green, and sometimes other shades of flowers, make a bunch of leaves look like a bouquet. It is this impressive deception that forces a lot of indoor plant lovers to have representatives of this family in their botanical corners.

Characteristics of the main groups of aroid plants

Origin tuberous aroids, capable of accumulating nutrients for a long period of drought - tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, climatic zones with periodic changes of dry and rainy periods.

When a period of drought occurs, the leaves of the plants fall off, and a dormant period begins for 2-3 months.

Above the surface of the earth at this time there is practically no reminder of a lush plant. To these representatives of perennial herbaceous plants The aroid family includes: arizema, caladium, arizarum, arum, calla lilies.

Each of them attracts gardeners in their own way. Arums have medicinal properties. Caladiums delight with chic colors leaves. Callas are used for decoration. Reproduce these aroids have seeds and tubers.

Nutritious, silty soils - the kingdom of Dieffenbachia, Aglaonema, Alocasia, Spathiphyllum, they are bush. Some species of this group, like vines, have aerial roots. A stem touching the ground always produces roots from a bud, giving birth to a new plant. Reproduce cuttings.

Impressive in its own way viability, the ability to grow in the shortest possible time with proper care, are vines. These include the following popular types, like monstera, philodendron, anthurium, syngonium. Their homeland is the tropical rainforest of South America and Indochina. Adventitious roots allow them to climb to a height of more than 20 meters along the trunk of a supporting tree. In turn, they help retain moisture and protect the support. Reproduce cuttings.

I bet you didn't know

• What The climbing philodendron has the longest stem among flowering plants on the entire planet, a whopping 339 meters!
• What This family of plants comes from biblical stories. According to the Old Testament, Aron was a shepherd; he always walked with a stick with an oblong knob. The arum inflorescence has a shape that reminded religious botanists of the Middle Ages of the upper part of the shepherd Aron's staff, hence the name.
• What Baby food is produced from the tubers of edible araceae in South America.
• What in Peru, monsteras were used to make ropes from their aerial roots, and in Mexico they wove baskets.
• What during the flowering of amorphophallus, its inflorescence has a temperature 10-12 degrees higher than the atmosphere surrounding it.
• What In addition to the main groups (tuberous, lianas, bush) aroids, there are also less well-known ones. Among them are marsh herbaceous plants of the aroid family, for example, Anubias, which are hydrophytes, or anaerohydrophytes, Pistia teloresidae.

Flower growers rarely start aroid at home.

These plants require large land area and humidity. Some require shade, others require a lot of sunlight, which is not always convenient, given the housing problem.

However, if a person is in love with the vitality of these plants, which they clearly demonstrate by their splendor, then no difficulties will stop him. Nowadays there is an international society of aroid lovers International Aroid Society, founded in 1978.

Aglaonema (lat. Aglaonema) belongs to the family Aroid. This decorative deciduous, spectacular plant, native to Southeast Asia, is a herbaceous bush. Aglaonema leaves can be pure green or with spots of red or gray. In general, the plant is unpretentious, but it has its own difficulties. Also, when placing the plant indoors, keep in mind that aglaonema is like other representatives of the araceae.

Lighting.

Under natural conditions, aglaonema grows in the lower layer (understory) of humid equatorial forests, so it is not particularly demanding. It can be placed near the window sill of a window facing north, west or east. It is possible to grow away from a south-facing window. But still, it is a shade-tolerant, not a shade-loving plant, and this must be taken into account when placing it in a room. Any varieties with pink or red spots, stripes, etc. are best not grown in the shade, as they require short periods of direct sun during the day. In winter, it is useful to place all types of aglaonema on the windowsill of a window facing south.

Watering.

Oddly enough, aglaonema does not like plants, unlike other plants native to Southeast Asia. Moreover, from frequent watering, the roots can begin to rot. The plant does not have a dormant period, so it is watered evenly throughout the year, but since in winter the soil in the pot usually dries more slowly than in summer, the periods between waterings increase at this time of year. Water for irrigation should be soft.

Humidity.

Temperature.

Aglaonema is a very heat-loving houseplant. It is kept at 20-26 degrees Celsius all year round. Remember that low illumination in winter at high temperatures leads to stretching and loss of decorative appearance. The plant does not tolerate cold drafts.

Feeding.

It is useful to feed Aglaonema every two weeks with a complex fertilizer for decorative deciduous plants from the beginning of spring to the beginning of autumn.

Transfer.

Aglaonema grows very slowly, so I practically never replant it. In addition, it develops better in close quarters. But at the same time, the plant tolerates transplantation well. She does not require a long period of adaptation after this procedure. Aglaonema is not picky about soil composition.

Reproduction.

Aglaonema is quite easily propagated by stem cuttings. They are planted several at a time in a peat-sand mixture and covered with glass or transparent plastic film. I cut aglaonema approximately every three to four years as the plant stretches and becomes ugly.

Pests.

Aglaonema can be damaged by spider mites, thrips and mealybugs. The most dangerous is thrips, because this disease is difficult to detect in time due to the variegated leaves. As a countermeasure, I advise you to treat damaged plants with a solution of actara in the doses recommended by the manufacturer.

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Features of the development of aroid plants at home

Lovers of a home green corner are happy to use aroid plants to create it. These indoor flowers have a very amazing shape of leaves, the colorful range of which is striking in its unusualness and variety of shades. And what can compare with the Zantedeschia flower? A delicate white cone with an oblong yellow center, as if sculpted from the first snow. He fascinates and makes you admire yourself for hours. Therefore, you can confidently purchase flowers from this family and fill any spaces in your interior with them. Admiration and positive emotions are guaranteed.

One of the largest families growing in this climate zone are the araceae.

Aroid plant family

Tropical and subtropical forests never cease to give their contemplators more and more specimens of exotic plants. One of the largest families growing in this climate zone are the araceae. Their quantitative composition numbers more than 3,000 representatives. The famous Austrian botanist Heinrich Schott studied and described many species of these plants. The life forms of this family amaze with their ability to adapt to any conditions. Some of them grow in swampy areas, others - right in the water. They are called hydrophytes. Prominent representatives of this landscape are Cryptocoryne, Lagenandra, and Anubias. Particularly exotic are aerohydrophytes with their striking representative, Pistia teloresidae. These are monocotyledonous plants. The leaves are arranged alternately. The base of the root fits tightly to the stem. The aroid flower is quite large and shaped like a leaf rolled into a cone. The color range is varied - from snow-white to black shades.

For aroid plants, the soil must be constantly loosened for good oxygen access.

And the name of the whole family comes from arum. It is called Palestinian or sacred. The root of this plant resembles tubers, the leaves look like arrows with a wide upper part. Their color is rich green, closer to its dark shades. Flower spadix oblong in shape. There is a beautiful shiny blanket around it. Interest in the aroid family is very great. The structural and growth features of representatives are described in scientific journals, one of which is named after the family.

In 1978, a society with international status was founded, which includes dozens of scientific botanists and simply lovers of aroid plants.

Numerous conferences of this society help to study even more precisely the features of the development of this family and learn about its new representatives.

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Features of caring for aroids at home

When purchasing one or another indoor plant from a given family, every housewife wants to prolong its existence as long as possible. After all, how nice it is to look at a flower with luscious leaves of rich color, lovely buds, which grows and develops precisely from our care for it. To do this, it is necessary to create conditions in the room that will be as close as possible to the real habitat in the wild. A group of aroids that grow in belts with fluctuating precipitation usually shed their leaves and “fall asleep” during periods without rain. Therefore, even at home, if you notice the disappearance of leaves, you should not water them as usual. It is best to move the plants to a place where there will be a minimum of light and heat. Such representatives of this family include:

• Arizema;
• Arum;
• Arizarum;
• Caladium.

A family of aroid plants, shaped like vines, grow in tropical forests with very high humidity. They climb so high up tree trunks that sometimes this distance corresponds to 20 meters. Adventitious roots help them strengthen. They grow into the trunk, covering it with their lateral roots, which perform the same function as in the ground. Lateral roots accumulate water and nutrients.

Such liana-like aroids also have an aerial root system. It descends to the forest floor, which in the tropical forest can be more than 50 cm, and is saturated with everything it needs. Therefore, caring for anthurium, monstera, philodendron, syngonium should involve special frames along which these plants will branch, and abundant watering. The aerial roots of these plants can be covered with moss, which should be constantly moist.

The peculiarity of spathiphyllums, alocasias, dieffenbachias, and aglaonemas is that silty soil is necessary for their normal growth and development. Ordinary soil will not be able to saturate these plants with all the necessary trace elements and minerals. Therefore, gardeners recommend mixing the soil with turf, dry leaves, humus, sand and birch charcoal before planting. The soil must be constantly loosened for good oxygen access. In temperate climates, when hot summers are followed by cold winters with rainy weather, frosts, and lack of sufficient lighting, indoor plants can be moved to the western, eastern or northern sides in the summer, and to the south in the winter. Such changes are entirely justified. After all, in summer and spring shade and protection from the scorching sun are created, and in autumn and winter the lack of light and heat is compensated.

Plants of the aroid family are considered the most environmentally flexible.

They, more than all other indoor flowers, were able to adapt to life in our apartments. So let's not forget about this and be happy to help them delight us with the riot of their colors and variety of shapes!

This section of our website contains detailed articles about plants of the araceae family: rules for planting and care, reproduction, replanting, disease and pest control. The Araceae family consists of 117 genera, including more than 3,000 species.
Most common in the subtropics and tropics of both hemispheres, about 10% live in temperate regions and are even found in subarctic regions.

Represented by herbaceous plants, vines, trees. Some lead an epiphytic way of life, others live in swamps. Sizes range from tiny to gigantic.

Araceae have virtually no stems, and their functions are performed by modified rhizomes. The aerial roots of vines not only help plants cling to supports, but also absorb atmospheric moisture.

Another feature is the leaves. They amaze with their variety of shapes and colors: they can be solid, intricately dissected, corrugated, variegated, with unusual patterns.

A flower is always a spadix surrounded by a veil. The color of the bedspread is in most cases white or greenish, but there are pink, red, and spotted ones. Giant amorphophallus is included in the Guinness Book of Records - the size of its cob reaches 2-3 m. There are trap blankets that hold insects until pollination occurs. Some plants are capable of raising the temperature of the cob to 30–45 °C. Thus, substances that attract flies to pollination begin to actively evaporate. Surprisingly, one of these plants, Sauromatum venosum, is grown indoors.

Aroid plants in interior design

Representatives of the Araceae family are numerous in garden and indoor floriculture.
Let's list some of them: callas, aglaonema, anthurium, caladimum, monstera, spathiphyllum, pistia.

Grow plants in pots and tubs - place accents in the house; with the help of vines you can decorate columns or create a “living” suspended ceiling.

Please note that representatives of the Araceae family are poisonous. Carry out care procedures with gloves, limit the access of children and animals to plants.

How to care for aroid plants

• The soil needs to be light, loose, and “breathable.”
• Lighting – bright, diffused, with protection from direct sunlight.
• At home, it is most convenient to propagate vegetatively.
• Water sparingly.
• It is not necessary to replant often.

Features of care for each individual plant can be found in the articles in this section.

Family Araceae

2019/12/02

Lisichiton in translation means “losing the cloak”, so the name plays so beautifully on the dying off of the blanket that wraps the cob - the flower of the plant. Other names are temporary wingweed, water lily. Lysichitons are from the family Araceae, and are few in number in their genus, distinguished…

2019/12/01

Simplocarpus is a perennial plant from the araceae family. It deserves the attention of those gardeners who have a lot of shade and waterlogged soil on their site. The perennial in nature prefers to grow in coniferous and mixed deciduous forests, and loves swampy meadows. That's why…

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Botanical description Zantedeschia is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Araceae family. Opened in the 19th century. and named after Giovanni Zantedeschi, a botanist from Italy. It is often sold and popularly known as calla lily, calla lily,…

2018/10/17

The Amorphophallus plant is an extravagant representative of the flora, distinguished by an interesting appearance. This is a deciduous plant of the Araceae family, native to Indochina. It has a special life cycle: the period of active growth is short, it remains dormant for a long time (about 6...

2018/02/19

Anthurium is a perennial plant of the Araceae family. Most often they lead an epiphytic way of life (they live on the bark of trees). Among them there are flowering shrubs, decorative foliage plants, and vines. The name is made up of two ancient Greek words that translate as “flower”...

2018/02/17

Botanical description Monstera is a large evergreen plant of the Araceae family. Its natural habitat is Central and South America, and is found in Asia. Translated, the name of the plant means “whimsical.” This is a vine with a thick climbing stem, which is covered with aerial roots...

2018/02/06

Caladium is a perennial tuberous plant belonging to the Araceae family. Native to the forests of South and Central America. The official name translates as “plant with edible roots” - the indigenous people actually consumed them as food. Among the people...

2018/01/12

Homalomena or Homalomena is a herbaceous plant from the Araceae Family. There are about 150 species. Its natural habitat is the tropics of America and Asia. The plant has a powerful root system: homalomena branches well, grows quickly, forms lush basal…

2017/12/26

Syngonium belongs to the Araceae family. The genus contains about 33 species. The natural habitat is the center of South America. A fast-growing elegant vine grown as an ornamental foliage plant. The herbaceous flexible trunk has numerous aerial roots. If there is a vertical support,...

2017/12/12

Description of scindapsus Epipremnum, or scindapsus, is the most common cultivated vine. In the natural environment, it reaches a length of at least 40 m; smaller species are found (up to 15 m). At room conditions the size is much more modest...

Tuberous aroids:

• Sauromatum
• Zamioculcas zamiifolia
• Arisaema
• Caladium
• Zantedeschia
• Amorphophallus
• Colocasia

• Phyllodendron
• Syngonium
• Monstera
• Scindapsus

Plants with straight stems:

• Acorus
• Spathiphyllum
• Anthurium
• Diffenbachia
• Xanthosoma
• Alocasia

Aroid houseplants include the Palestinian or sacred arum, which, in fact, gave the name to the entire genus. This is a tuberous plant with broadly arrow-shaped leaves of dark green color. The large black spadix of the flower is surrounded by a shiny black-purple blanket, which is 45 centimeters long. In order for the plant to bloom, it is necessary to plant the tubers in fifteen-centimeter pots. They do this in the month of September. The soil should be oily, and one should not forget that it is worth adding vermiculite or perlite, as well as drainage to prevent rotting. After planting, the pot must be placed in some cool place, but it must be light. Watering should be moderate. As soon as the leaves appear, watering is increased. Air humidity should be high, then at the end of March - beginning of April the inflorescences will begin to bloom. After flowering, watering should be gradually reduced, and when the leaves become dry, stop watering altogether. We leave the flower in this form until next September.

In order for aroids (see photo below) to exist successfully, it is necessary to properly care for them.

1. In summer, plants are best kept on window sills with windows facing east, west and north, but it is better for them to winter on the south side. Thus, in summer and spring, flowers need to be shaded from the scorching rays of the sun, and in winter, on the contrary, there should be a lot of light, so the sun will be very useful.
2. The aerial roots and stem of aroise need to be wrapped in moss. They also cover the soil in pots with moss, because there are usually a lot of roots on the surface. The moss must be constantly moist.
3. Almost all plants of this family love moisture, which means that watering should be plentiful, especially in spring and summer. In autumn, watering is reduced, but the soil should remain moist. Tuberous aroids stop watering completely after they shed their leaves.
4. The earth mixture should contain humus, turf, leaf soil, sand and birch charcoal. The main requirement for the soil is its looseness.