Photos of our plants and practical tips for keeping them healthy. Browse, tap a plant name, or search to find what you need.
PLANT CARE
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Strong light • 6+ hours
Keep evenly moist, not soggy
Half-strength monthly while growing
Bright south-facing window, outdoors in warm weather, or under a grow light.
Pinch growth tips to encourage a bushier plant.
🌱 Propagation
Best method: Stem cuttings
Snip a healthy 4–6 inch stem just below a leaf node. Remove lower leaves, leaving 2–3 pairs near the tip. Put the bare nodes in water in bright, indirect light. Change the water every few days; pot in soil once roots reach about 1–2 inches.
Warm, bright window; protect from cold drafts and abrupt changes.
Bright light helps maintain colorful foliage.
🌱 Propagation
Best method: Stem cuttings
In spring or summer, take a 4–6 inch healthy tip cutting with several leaves. Remove lower leaves and root the stem in moist, airy potting mix. Keep warm, humid, and in bright indirect light; roots may take several weeks. Wear gloves: croton sap can irritate skin.
Cut a healthy stem tip (or a section of bare cane) with clean pruners. Place the lower end in water or a lightly moist, airy mix, keeping the original top/bottom orientation. Give bright indirect light and warmth. Pot rooted cuttings when roots are established; the remaining cane can sprout new shoots.
East window is ideal; keep out of harsh midday sun.
Brown edges and curling suggest stress; avoid wetting leaves routinely.
🌱 Propagation
Best method: Stem cuttings
Cut a healthy stem just below a node, keeping 1–2 leaves and at least one bare node. Put that node in water or moist perlite; keep leaves above the water and provide bright indirect light. Pot once several roots form. A leaf without stem/node is not the most reliable method for this begonia.
Near an east- or north-facing window; avoid strong afternoon sun.
Easygoing trailing vine.
🌱 Propagation
Best method: Node cuttings
Cut a vine into pieces that each include a leaf and at least one node (the bump where a leaf joins the stem). Place the node in water or moist potting mix, keeping leaves above water. Use bright indirect light; plant in soil when roots are about 1–2 inches long.
Versatile; brighter filtered light can help variegated leaves.
For the compact variegated plant, monitor crown and root health.
Another snake plant — tall green variety
Snake Plant — compact variegated form
Identification uncertain. Other possibilities include variegated Dracaena fragrans or another Dracaena cultivar.
Care note: Lower leaves have turned soft and mushy before browning. Inspect the roots and crown, use an appropriately sized pot, and choose a fast-draining soil mix.
🌱 Propagation
Best method: Division (best); leaf cuttings for green forms
At repotting, separate a rooted offshoot or rhizome section with its own leaves and roots; repot in a small pot with fast-draining mix. You can root a firm leaf segment in soil, keeping its original bottom end down, but leaf cuttings can lose the parent plant’s yellow/cream variegation. For the small variegated plant with prior mushy bases, use only firm, healthy material and prefer division.
Wait until a small spiderette grows on a long runner. Set its base on moist soil in a small pot while still attached to the parent, or detach it and place its base in water. Once it develops its own roots, cut the runner (if still attached) and grow in bright indirect light.
Trim bare vines and replant rooted cuttings for fuller growth.
🌱 Propagation
Best method: Stem cuttings
Take 3–5 inch tip cuttings with 2–3 nodes. Strip leaves from the lowest node and put the node in water or directly into lightly moist soil. Keep in bright indirect light. Once rooted, plant several cuttings back into the original pot for a fuller, less leggy plant.
Anywhere with indirect daylight; avoid intense direct sun.
Stores water in its rhizomes; err on the dry side.
🌱 Propagation
Best method: Division; stem or leaf cuttings
The fastest method is to separate a rooted rhizome section when repotting. Alternatively, stand a healthy stem cutting or leaf with its base in water or lightly moist, airy mix. Be patient: forming a new rhizome and roots can take several months. Avoid keeping the mix soggy.
