Defining Common Plant Terms

If you’ve taken up house plants as a hobby or as a means of decor for your space, and you don’t have any botanical background, you may have heard these terms and wondered what they mean. You may even be looking for the word to describe what you’re seeing on your house plants. As a small retail plant store, we’re committed to helping you better understand your house plants and to answering any questions you have. In this blog post we’ll share 4 common plant terms and define them for you. You’ll feel like a pro in no time.

Propagation:

Propagation is the process of creating new plants from existing or ‘parent plants’. You can do this by placing a cutting with a root nodule into water and letting it develop roots before planting it in it’s own pot. If you have a vining plant that’s getting too long, or a Monstera that’s growing out of control, you could take a few cuttings and propagate. It’s a great way to grow your plant collection without having to buy new plants. Some plants, like cacti and succulents can be potted directly into soil to develop roots without being placed in water first. There’s a lot we could talk about with this topic, but we’ll start with the definition for now.

Variegation:

Variegation is the process of making something more diverse in coloration. In regards to houseplants, their leaves can have stripes, spots, or coloring that is unique, referred to as variegation. Some plants have variegation that is so unique and sought after making them cost more than other plants; like a Monstera Albo, or a variegated Alocasia Frydek, or the variegated String of Hearts. If you’ve ever seen a plant with a high price tag and wondered how it could cost so much, it probably has more rare variegation.

Fenestration:

In terms of plants, fenestrations are the holes and spaces you see on a plants leaves. These small perforations or transparent areas are like little windows for the plant, allowing air to flow through and helping it capture more light. The word comes from Latin ‘fenestratus’ which means, “provided with openings.” Some plants, like the Monstera, will develop leaf fenestrations as they mature in size and age. These fenestrations are produced before the leaf even uncurls, with some being more intricate than others. For leaf fenestrations to appear, proper lighting is essential.

Aerial Root:

Aerial roots are roots that grow above the soil. Sometimes as a means of support for plants to attach and anchor themselves in place, or as a way to collect more moisture. Aerial roots don’t grow on all plants, but you’ll see them on plants that like to climb or vine like Monstera and Pothos plants. You can redirect these aerial roots down into the pot as they grow or add a moss pole for them to attach and grow into. Some people will also prefer to remove them for appearance, all of these options will work.

We know it can feel like there’s a lot to learn about your houseplants so stay tuned for more to come on the Cactus + Co. Blog.