A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Would Love A House Plant ID!

Hi folks!

My husband inherited a plant which he only knows as the "library plant." Apparently the library at his college had 5 or 6 of them, and those were grown from cuttings from a plant another woman had recieved at a funeral (?) or some other occasion, and apparently there had been a lot more to go around.

It seems to be VERY happy with slightly moist soil and a ton of indirect light- since moving into our new apartment it's really taken off.

Where he had it before seemed to not be enough light, and sections of it got very long and viney and fragile trying to find some light.

Here are a couple of pictures. Thanks in advance!

I think you have an impatiens. Go ahead and prune it as much as you want - the plant will quickly regrow bushier than ever.

Hey, I think you're right! thanks!

I was dubious because the flowers never opened before- they always stayed mostly closed and fell off before opening. Today however, one opened up far enough to see that it does in fact have a center like an impatient...

So you think we can prune it, hmm? My husband is the one I have to convince- he's not much of a gardener, and he says the last time he took off part of the plant an entire section died off. He's calling me a plant killer, and I don't know if I can convince him I've kept many a plant alive by trimming it. I'm not sure he'll let me near it with clippers, but I'll do the best I can.

Definitely impatiens - but I've never seen them so healthy indoors before!
You guys are definitely doing something right!

Which direction are they getting indirect light from?

Yes, looks like an impatiens to me as well. I have often brought them inside in the fall and kept them growing all winter in the living room. If they started to get leggy I would cut them back and they would grow lots of new sprouts. You can also repot peices you cut off. Water the slips well, they will look like they have fainted for a few days then perk up.

Impatiens cuttings also root easily in water.

I've found that the more light they get, the better they flower. I've had a couple of problems with spider mites, but I ended up just cutting the plant down and it came back nicely---good luck!