5/28/2023 0 Comments Tropical color drips![]() It’s like sweat dripping off your nose on a hot and humid day. That’s because plants that are native to areas of high humidity have leaves with pointed ends we like to call ‘drip tips’. I have always noticed many tropical plants (which we refer to here in the north as “houseplants”) have pointed leaves or heart shaped leaves. Water pressure helps them stand up to the heat and not wilt. Transpiration of water through the leaves cools a plant and the vacuum created as vapor escapes pulls water up through the plant tissues, distributing nutrients. Make sure there is enough water in the soil to run a plant’s “air conditioning” system. As the temperature rises, water evaporates faster requiring more water to quench their thirst. They cool themselves by allowing water to evaporate from their leaves. You of course can help because the main defense plants have against high temperatures is water. Generally these plants like succulents have thick waxy leaves and other adaptations for water retention, not the paper thin leaves of a fern. Some plants are acclimated to dry arid air with little humidity. They let you know when they’re not happy. Ficus, Palms, Anthurium or Philodendron to name a few are tropical region plants that benefit from high humidity because it reduces transpiration or water loss, browning of the edges of foliage and can discourage spider mites who love it dry. Indoors with our houseplants summer air conditioning and winter heating is not conducive to a humid environment. ![]() They like hanging out on the front porch but are generally not used in interior landscaping for that reason. The ferns are notorious for wanting high levels of humidity and if they don’t get it they have a bad hair day excessively dropping leaves and making a mess. Plants with thicker, waxier leaves are better able to withstand dry air! The sword fern Nephrolepis exaltata are known as “Boston” because a pioneering Florida nurseryman years ago shared them with a friend in Cambridge Massachusetts where they were propagated by a local distributor. With plants the thinner the leaves are, the greater the likelihood of it needing higher humidity. So weather talk is ubiquitous because, well, weather affects everyone, your mood, your comfort level and even your conversations because it’s a neutral topic. Measured on a scale of relative humidity, it ranges from 0% which is dry, to 100% that is completely saturated. As temperature rises the capacity of the air to hold water vapor increases. Humidity is the relative amount of water vapor contained in the air. This is especially true when it gets hot and humid. People talk about weather because it’s safe if you need filler for a lagging conversation.
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