What plant is this and how do I keep it alive and thriving?

Fbgirl1961
by Fbgirl1961

What kind of light and water needs does this plant have? I haven't killed it yet but it certainly isn't doing well.

  9 answers
  • Kathy Bitzan Kathy Bitzan on Dec 02, 2018

    Give it some water and trim back old leaves might help. If you can save it water should perk it up. Give it a few days.

    The pic isn't the best but I'm guessing philadandrum.

    • Barb1212 Barb1212 on Dec 02, 2018

      yes it is, and it don't need direct sun light.

      Looks like it could stand fresh potting soil.

      Next you will be saying how do I slow it down

  • I agree. It looks like a philodendron. You should take it out of the pot and see if it's root-bound. If it is, get another pot, fresh potting soil, and repot it. It will be much happier!

  • Rozmund Rozmund on Dec 02, 2018

    It could be root bound, or root rot..remove all of the soil, if no mushy roots, repot, with quality tropical plant soil, and leave the best green leaves still on it..from what I can see of the trunk, this plant has suffered from under and over watering...let us know..

  • Linda Sikut Linda Sikut on Dec 02, 2018

    Hi FBgirl1961,

    I'm thinking that it's a philodendron as well. It looks like it's only getting light from one direction. I'd suggest putting it close to light and then giving it a 1/4 turn every week. The part with no leaves, may need a little longer in the light. Also make sure it's watered but drains well. It also looks like it's been cut back from a bigger plant so it might be root bound. The only way to tell is to take it out of the pot to see. If it's root bound, gently spread out the roots and plant it in a bigger pot with fresh potting soil. I hope these ideas help. Wishing you the best.

  • Rosel Kynast Rosel Kynast on Dec 02, 2018

    I do agree with all of the above.

    Re-potting with fresh good soil ,if the are roots are scraggly and long cut a little off of them, not too much. The plant needs light but not direct sun, I have mine in a west window shaded by a tree and the other one in the north window, getting some light from an east window. The plant will survive , I get all my plants from my daughter

    when they are halve dead, I bring them back to live and she brings an other one. You have to love doing it, otherwise it is a shore and a burden.

    I would love bringing your plant back to live.

    ps. When you can see that the plant , after replanting , is looking good, give it a little plant

    fertilizer , after that fertilize every 2 month.

    Good luck.

  • Lizbeth Lizbeth on Dec 02, 2018

    I agree with the other answers but have a few other concerns. 1. I can't tell for sure from the picture but the inner pot looks like it COULD be sitting in an outer cache pot. If so, that could cause the inner pot to sit in water which you don't want. 2. I would pull it out of the pot and check the roots, especially to see if any are rotted and need to be cut off. But unless it is EXTREMELY potbound, I wouldn't repot in a larger pot. I'd just use some fresh soil. The reason is a larger soil area will encourage the plant to devote its energy to root growth. Unless the roots are rotting from being too wet, you want leaf growth right now, not root growth. And if you do have rotted roots, you may actually need to pot down a size until there is some recovery. Good luck!

  • Fbgirl1961 Fbgirl1961 on Dec 02, 2018

    Thank you all very much.

  • Dee Dee on Dec 03, 2018

    It's my guess that, it looks quite similar to an anthurium plant the way it's growing and pointed leaves, maybe not. Have you seen it flower at a all? It looks like a so-called "boy flower" however, you can look it up on Google. Good luck!

  • MirviNemis MirviNemis on Jul 02, 2021

    A great plant. I'm picking different flowers now. I love flowers!