The east facing plants are doing very well. The seedlings really love the early morning sun and chilling out in the afternoon with some shade. Some new plants have been added like Ivy and Peperomia Raindrop.
This blog post will focus on the Rockstars of the library. These plants are in the sunshine all day, baking and thriving. Let’s take a tour of these beauties.
South Facing Plants
Resurrection plants—2/2021
No Name Plant, came to the library almost completely dead, no wallet, no ID, lifeless. With some medical miracles this plant now lives, but has amnesia. If you know this Plant’s name, please contact the Librarian on duty so we can finally put a name to this plant. Reward will be given to know the name of this plant. This plant is getting thicker and larger every day.
Egg Carton Propagations
4/13/21-Mother Burro’s Tail wants to grow her family. Her babies are safely in their little dirt beds, warm from the sun, and will hopefully grow big strong pups. This month they have started to show tiny little pups.
4/20/2021-Echeveria Purple Pearl One little leaf, found, alone on the floor. Now alone on a paper towel in a windowsill. In May it has grown a baby. It’s so small and cute. I will need to do research how to care for a new succulent baby.
4/29/2021-Panda Plant Prop Project. This was the first plant that came here, my first love. This plant’s legacy will live on. I snipped 2 leaves off the original plant and put on the window sill. It has already sprouted pretty pink roots in less than a month!
Jelly Bean Sedum Plant
So tiny, so cute. As of 5/6/21 this plant has grown roots in very odd places. Even the pieces that broke off are rooting. I gave it a new little pot and tried to cover the exposed roots as much as possible. It seems to be doing better. I think the plant became unstable because I was not watering it enough. Sounds like a lot of people after a year of corona and quarantines.
Kalanchoe Panda Plant—1/14/2021
Three Panda Plants used to live here. Thing 1, Thing 2, and their little brother Mikey. Thing 2 absolutely loves its life here and is getting bigger every day. This plant started my love of plants. This succulent is soft and fuzzy. I love petting him, and telling him how pretty he is. If you are considering getting a plant, get this one.
Thing 1 never grew as big as Thing 2, always feeling overshadowed by Thing 2, has moved to the Odessa Library. As of 4/23/21 Thing 1 who lives at the Odessa library is doing great. Karin Thomas, Library director put him in a south window and he is growing big.
Mikey was growing big like Thing 2, but wanted a life at the beach. Mikey has hitchhiked to Norfolk, Virginia. We wish him well.
4/29/21- Added a Chocolate Panda Plant to the window. This plant is more brown than green. Hopefully it will grow as big as Thing 2 someday.
Echeveria Parva – 1/2021
This succulent is boring. It has no personality. Don’t invite to any dinner parties. Not even sure it’s a real plant. Will give to good home. Inquire for applications.
String of Pearls – 2/2021
Is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine native to the drier parts of southwest Africa. In its natural environment its stems trail on the ground, rooting where they touch and forming dense mats. This plant is going thru some rough times. Thought it needed a bigger pot, but may have shocked it with all the extra space…Hoping it will pull through and start to vine and hang pretty again. As of 5/6/2021, the plant has gotten over its’ initial shock and is starting to trail over the top of the pot. One of its strings is starting to hang down past the water tray.
Echeveria Purple Pearl—4/20/2021
Oops I did it again, bought another Echeveria…hoping this one has some good conversation skills for our next brunch. This one is much prettier than the boring dud I first got. It has purples and pinks and some green. After a couple weeks here and new baby started on the stalk under a leaf and a leaf fell off, so I put in the window sill to make a baby, and it worked! Purple Pearl had two babies since being here. I think she likes it here.
Tradescantia Zebrina— 3/2021
This plant is the Star of the Show. Showing off its amazing leaves to all the world. Camera ready, wearing beautiful purples and greens. Getting more radiant every day! This plant is amazing. It has won the position of Favorite plant at the library. I love this plant. On 5/12/2021 — I made a trellis to hold all of these beautiful branches. This plant may over take the library! Trasescantia is so beautiful and big we have agreed on a name: Robert, Robert Plant, cause he is a ROCKSTAR. Come in and sing some Led Zepplin to him. This plant is so cool. We need more. I put 2 small clippings in water on Monday…by Thursday roots started to show! That is the fastest propagation I’ve ever seen. Can’t wait to have another baby rockstar! 5/18/21-Put RJ (Robert Plant Jr) into a nursery pot. It had nice roots and this plant is just amazing, can’t wait for it to get bigger!
Umbrella plant- (Propagation Project Progression)—4/19/2021
This originally came here 3/5/2021 as a clipping from a plant at the Steele Memorial Library. After sitting in water, in a west facing window, for over a month, small roots grew. I took half of the small rooted plant and covered it in dirt. This new baby is now sitting in the south window…..we will see if that was the right thing to do..If I was wrong I still have half of the original clipping sitting in water to propagate more roots. 5/7/2021 So far the plant is liking the south window. It isn’t dying, but also isn’t growing. It’s boring. My hope is roots are growing strong in the soil and will eventually sprout some leaves. 5/18/2021—I thought this plant was boring. I went to check it today and roots are growing out the bottom! A pretty thick root! So I put it in a new bigger pot to protect the root that was exposed. Still hoping for it to make some new leaves.
Jade plant–2/2021
They say a Jade plant can last 10 years and give good luck to its owner. I gave it a bigger pot, and moved it a south window Instead of west….Too much change? If you are my plant, you need to be strong and adapt. 5/7/2021 South window seems to be fine. It is starting to fill out more and get taller. I was worried it would get sunburned or dry out, but it hasn’t. Jade plant hasn’t died since going into the new pot. Not sure if it really likes the south window. I feel it was growing better in the west window. Possibly will move it back. After looking at some progression pictures, it is growing. The stalks are thickening. It will be ok here.
Cactus–4/2/2021
Donated to Library from a patron. Named Mickey for its’ resemblance to a famous mouse with big ears. This plant will be left to its’ own devices, too terrified to get near the microscopic stinging spines..
That completes the tour of the south facing windows at the Horseheads Library. There are still more plants to meet at the library! The west facing window and indirect light lovers. These plants are mysterious in that they don’t like much light to grow, which is the complete opposite of south facing succulents. Please come to the library see the progress or sing to the rockstar plants.
Amanda Zell
Senior Library Clerk / Keeper of plants
Horseheads Library