Can Anyone Tell Me What Type of Plant This Is?

Karen Hand
by Karen Hand
I was given this plant a few days ago, but was not told what type it was, aside from it being an indoor plant. When I received the plant, the leaves were almost black with bugs and the starting to turn a yellow color. I washed the leaves last night which seemed to help it a bit, but the leaves are still turning yellow. The plant was bone dry, so I watered it a bit and put it in a sunny location, but not direct sun light. There are also little bulbs that are there, but the gal that gave it to me said the bulbs didn't open for her either. I would really like to keep this plant, but don't know what type it is so I can read up to find out what is wrong with it. There was also this sticky substance that was oozing from the base of the plant and the buds. It is also root bound, but didn't want to replant it until I could nurse it back to health, or is that the problem here. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
  30 answers
  • Nancy Hand Nancy Hand on Jun 17, 2013
    The picture is small can you take another one. Looks like Pothos but they don't bloom. I think those are bloom buds?
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 17, 2013
    I have enlarged the picture, and taken another shot, but it doesn't appear to be larger. Hopefully, it will enlarge as it is published.
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 17, 2013
    Ah, I discovered if you click on the picture, it will enlarge it on another screen.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Jun 18, 2013
    It looks like something in the pothos family to me as well. I think repotting would be an important part of getting whatever it is back to health.
  • Catherine Smith Catherine Smith on Jun 18, 2013
    Agree with Douglas, repotting with fresh potting soil, some fertilizer (I use worm castings, myself) should help this poor baby recover nicely.
  • Peggy Alberts-Meade Peggy Alberts-Meade on Jun 18, 2013
    Looks like a Peace Lilly to me. I had one and they are beautiful.....I agree with Douglas, repot in fresh soil and larger pot and it should make a come back.
  • Nancy Nancy on Jun 18, 2013
    Looks kind of like a type of Anthurium to me! I would repot it, loosening the roots.
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 18, 2013
    Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I will repot it this evening as it is way too hot to do so right now.
  • Marilyn Highley Marilyn Highley on Jun 18, 2013
    Agree with Douglas and the others about repotting, especially if the plant is root bound. Have you be able to take care of the bug problem? The sap you mentioned might have been caused by the bugs. When repotting, I would be tempted to remove the plant from the old pot and completely submerge it in water (like in a large bucket) for a few minutes. If it still has bugs, they will be inclined to come out of hiding. This would also loose any old, spent soil so you can remove it gently, making room for the new soil. Good luck and please keep us posted.
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 18, 2013
    I washed the leaves really well last night, and I just now saw your posting about putting the plant in a bucket of water prior to repotting it. I'll try that. Thank you.
  • Gail Salminen Gail Salminen on Jun 18, 2013
    @Karen Hand I also believe you have a pothos plant. this link shows a varigated variety but care should be the same. ( http://plantandflowerinfo.com/pothos/pothos.html ) If you are repotting and did see a sticky substance as well as bugs I would recommend taking all soil away - may have to wash the roots - throw the dirt away and use fresh soil. Once that is done and the plant is watered, I would spray the plant with a solution of dish soap and water. Then cover with clear plastic and seal for a few days, this will kill any emerging bugs and will not hurt the plant. I used this successfully on a number of house plants in the past. Pothos is a wonderful and hardy house plant - it vines up a trellis or hangs ove the pot. Let us know how things go.
  • Christina Hough Christina Hough on Jun 18, 2013
    Peace Lily I have had a few
  • Trish Ross Trish Ross on Jun 18, 2013
    Peace Lilly was my first thought also....I have had a few also.
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 18, 2013
    Thank you everyone.
  • Deb Johnson Deb Johnson on Jun 19, 2013
    peace lily
  • Tracey T Tracey T on Jun 19, 2013
    I do believe it is in the pothos family as others have said..Good luck with it!
  • Nancy Nancy on Jun 19, 2013
    Peace Lily's have long more slender leaves and they are on the thiner side. These leaves look more shaped and rounded and they look a little thicker .. to me.
  • Mikell Paulson Mikell Paulson on Jun 19, 2013
    I agree with Nancy! It is not a Peace Lily more like a Pothos. The sticky leaves is caused by a bug of some sort! I also agree with Marilyn wash the plant in water and clean the leaves and get rid of all the old soil!
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 19, 2013
    I put the plant in a bucket of water this morning to loosen up the roots and hopefully get rid of the bugs and then repotted it in fresh soil. Thank you everyone who has offered suggestions.
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 20, 2013
    Dilemma solved here. I was finally able to get a hold of the gal that I got the plant from. It's an Anthurium, so Nancy, you win. What, I don't know. Gal said that the bottom leaves are constantly turning yellow and to simply snip them off to make room for new growth. Thank you all for the wonderful and much appreciated suggestions.
    • See 1 previous
    • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Nov 26, 2013
      @Laura: Thank you. I had the plant indoors, but it didn't seem to be flourishing very well, so I put it outside in my back yard, which is quite shady. It really likes it there and doing nicely. Thank you.
  • Rusty Rusty on Jun 20, 2013
    My guess would have been pothos family and they do not like to be root bound. Repotting was probably a good thing to do.
  • Karen Hand Karen Hand on Jun 22, 2013
    Thanks for your suggestion Rust. It seems to have settled down that it has more room to grow and seems to be perking up a wee bit.
  • Angie W Angie W on Jun 22, 2013
    It looks like the Peace Lily I have....They bloom beautiful white flowers with yellow inside...I would repot it, It may be root bound....Only go up another pot size though....Doesn't look too bad...
  • Kim Hoeft Kim Hoeft on Jun 22, 2013
    anthirium
  • Nancy Nancy on Jun 23, 2013
    Thank you for the update Karen! I was so sure it was an Anthurium, I'm glad to know the rest of the story! It would be fun to continue to hear how it's doing :) I use VF-11 plant food for all of our plants. Maybe you will find it in your area? I use it for all of our indoor plants and some of the outdoor plants and they thrive. I also use it for my Orchids and Violets, which bloom continuously. Anthuriums are beautiful plants, now that you know you have one it will be easily cared for and should start blooming for you! Good luck!
  • Mikell Paulson Mikell Paulson on Jun 24, 2013
    Peace lily has long slender leaves. This is not a peace lily! Leaves are to wide.
  • April E April E on Jun 26, 2013
    what you have is a homalomena. the sticky substance is from the insects that have been infesting it. wash it off with lukewarm soapy water to clean the leaves so it can transpire properly and pot it up 1 pot size, only 1. you put it in the right lighting also let it dry out almost completely between waterings and feed it a 20-20-20 plantfood about once every 4 months, but only after you have watered it throughly. the little bulbs never do do anything real noticeable. as it is in bad health atm I would give it a 1/2 streingth feeding on the next 2 waterings, then let it go to the 1 time every 4 months.
  • Frankie Laney Frankie Laney on Aug 05, 2013
    I tend to agree with April E that it is homalomena. I've attached a photo of it. Anthurium leaves are more triangular. IMHO
  • Laura Laura on Nov 26, 2013
    Most definately a Homalomena, not a Spathiphyllum. Specifically it is a Homaomena Emerald Gem. I really like these plants, you don't see them often
  • Diana Kosa Diana Kosa on Nov 27, 2015
    It looks like a pothos plant to me!