Heirloom Houseplants: What to Propagate for Generations

By Molly Gaines, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2019

Begonia in the Cozens family since the late 1800s. Photo: Molly Gaines

On a recent visit to the Cozens Ranch Museum in Fraser, a red and green-leafed begonia in a windowsill, flooded with afternoon sunlight, caught my eye. I walked over for a closer look, and a sign next to the plant shared its special history. It was propagated from an angel wing begonia plant that had been in the Cozens’ family since the late 1800s! 

In the late 1990s, when my husband and I were moving into our first home, my husband’s grandma gave us a cutting from her pothos plant. We’ve had that plant now for 25 years, and we’ve propagated countless other plants from its cuttings for our home and as gifts for friends and family. While arguably more pedestrian than an angel wing begonia, it’s special to us since it came from someone we dearly love.

Generational Plant Ideas

Are you interested in nurturing a special heirloom plant, one that tells a story and can be passed down through your family for generations? If so, below are a few good options. For a detailed list of plants that are easy to propagate, along with propagation methods for various house plants, read this wonderful article from Iowa State Extension. Of course, videos are a terrific way to learn various propagation methods, and you’ll find an abundance of them through a quick YouTube search.

Pothos

Because it is so simple to grow and easy to propagate, pothos is an excellent heirloom plant choice, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension. It can survive in a variety of environments, making it a good option for young adults who are likely to move from place to place. It does like filtered light, rather than direct, and well-aerated soil. Through the years, I’ve propagated too many to count. And my own kids have beautiful plants from these cuttings that they can someday place in their homes. Our pothos will always make us think about my husband’s special grandmother, Neva.

Pothos cutting waiting to sprout. Photo: Molly Gaines

Spider Plant or Airplane Plant

Like pothos, spider plant is great for beginners and thrives in indirect sunlight with water as needed, according to the individual plant’s dryness. According to CSU Extension, spider plants have the added benefit of cleansing a home of toxic gases. They quickly outgrow their pots, requiring frequent dividing and repotting. These plants live an average of 20 years. 

Christmas Cactus

While you may not be ready to think about Christmas cactus in February, keep this plant in mind next December. It can be a festive heirloom that makes the holiday season feel even more special. Christmas cactus can live to be more than 100 years old! 

According to the University of Minnesota Extension, these plants do require considerable attention for optimal blooms and growth. They are “short-day plants,” which means they produce flower buds as daylight decreases in the winter months. Christmas cactus like cool nighttime temperatures. 

Pothos, the plant that keeps on giving. Photo: Molly Gaines

Jade Plants

Similar to Christmas cactus, jade plants can live for a long time, 50-100 years. These plants are simple to propagate, making them ideal for gifting or passing down to others. Easy to grow, jade prefers full to partial sun, a south-facing window, and at least four hours of direct sunlight daily. That said, I’ve had a fairly healthy jade plant for a decade that is rootbound, only receives indirect sunlight, and sits in a north-facing window. Jade should be planted in a succulent potting mix and watered only when soil is dry, according to Penn State Extension. 

Root-bound jade plant that would be healthier in more direct light. Photo: Molly Gaines

I’ve offered a few ideas here for plants to pass along, but there are many more. As someone who loves plants, I like the thought of some of my special plants finding a home with my grandkids yet-to-be. Just as we pass down special jewelry, dishes and other items, houseplants can serve as special reminders of memories and people we hold close to our hearts. They are a way for us to remember the generations of family who came before us. Do you already have a special plant in your home that you could propagate for future generations?

As always, we’re grateful to you for reading our blog. CSU is available with gardening advice at the CSU Extension Yard and Garden website.

Colorado Gardening Calendar for February 2024

By Margerie Hicks, CSU Extension – Denver Master Gardener since 2010

Blue fescue grass poking through snow at Denver Botanic Gardens. Photo: Margerie Hicks

February is one of the best months to enjoy the interesting patterns, textures, and shapes that dried grasses and perennials form in contrast to the snow. It is also a time to read or otherwise educate yourself about gardening trends and ideas. And finally, it is a time to complete the few but important tasks needed in February to prepare for the coming growing season.

Winter Interest

Autumn joy sedum keeps its color and form. Photo: Margerie Hicks

If you refrained in the fall from cutting down ornamental grasses, perennials with balls of seeds like echinacea, or plants that keep their color and form, you now have interesting winter patterns and shapes to enjoy. You have also helped provide shelter and food for wildlife, such as birds and insects.

If you don’t already have any sedum Angelina, make a note to plant some in the spring to enjoy next winter. It is a ground cover that is light green in the spring, yellow in the summer, and orange with green accents in the winter. It provides a wonderful splash of color in the winterscape.

Sedum Angelina adds multi-season beauty. Photos: David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Gardening Edification

• Expo: The annual Colorado Home and Garden Show runs from February 24^thto March 3^rd. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions at the large CSU Extension display. Be sure to stop by and say hi.
• Books: You may have some gardening-related books waiting to read on a cold winter night, but in case you want suggestions check out our earlier post,  Winter Reading for Gardeners.
• Websites: CSU Extension’s website offers research-based fact sheets and videos on a wide range of gardening topics. Additionally, the internet is filled with gardening information and pictures. The most reliable sources have an “.edu” extension on the address, indicating an affiliation with university horticulture/agriculture research.
• Gardening classes:  Local garden shops and the Denver Botanic Gardens offer classes on many topics that may pique your interest. You can also find a wide array of webinars offered by CSU Extension here.
• Take our reader survey:  We’d love your feedback and ideas for future posts. Find the survey here. Survey closes February 18^th.

February Tasks

Deep watering tool. Photo: Margerie Hicks

There are a few tasks that should be done and many that could be done this month. A good overview can be found in this Late Winter Garden and Lawn Care fact sheet. Key tips include:

• Water:  All trees, shrubs, and perennials will benefit from regular winter watering, especially those that are less than two years old. Water once a month on days when the temperature is 40 degrees or warmer with no snow cover. Click here for a fall and winter watering fact sheet that will make your efforts most effective.
• Mulch:  Woody plants benefit from mulch to preserve soil moisture. Rock or gravel mulch is useful in retaining heat. Apply as needed.
• Prune:  This is a good time to prune broken and unwanted branches from trees and shrubs, especially fruit trees.

Enjoy your gardening leisure in February. May will be here soon enough.

Speaking of May don’t forget to mark your calendars for our amazing plant sale!

Five Favorite Bulletproof Plants for Denver Gardening

Just about every gardener I know lost a favorite plant or two over the winter. Most of my hardy roses died to the ground, but eventually returned.  Sadly, the tall and lovely redleaf rose (Rosa rubifolia) is gone for good. Whether a rose, shrub or fruit tree, losing a prized plant is like losing an old garden pal.

The only way to get over the loss is to replant with something that will survive the challenges of living in our climate. Here are five bulletproof plants that seem to thrive in spite of the vagaries of weather:

Kintzley’s Ghost honeysuckle (Lonicera reticulata ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’)

If you’re looking for a dependable woody plant, Kintzley’s Ghost honeysuckle is it. I planted this Plant Select recommendation years ago and it continues to surprise me every year. The vine does well with only the precipitation it receives. When there’s wet weather through the winter and spring, it grows a bit taller with more foliage. During drier years it still shows up and looks good. In addition to its low-water, low-maintenance needs, I appreciate the eucalyptus-like foliage on vines that crawl up and over the picket fence.

Goldflame spirea (Spirea x bumalda ‘Goldflame’)

In 2001 I planted three of these tidy shrubs and they’re still going strong. Even after the shock of the sudden freeze last November, all three returned with only a few dead branches. A quick trim was all they needed. This spirea is a compact deciduous shrub that grows to about 3 feet tall and just as wide. Drought-tolerant once established, it can brighten any spot with crimson-red leaves in spring that turn to vibrant green by summer. Reddish-bronze fall color is an added bonus. Small pink flowers can bloom twice over the season if dead-headed.

Silver Fountain butterfly bush (Buddleia alternifolia)

This Plant Select winner is a beautiful shrub with graceful arching branches. In spring there are tons of light-purple flower clusters that attract butterflies like crazy. If you plant one, be sure to give it plenty of room because it can grow to more than 10 feet tall and wide. I’ve found the only downside is the long branches are surprisingly brittle during winter and some may break under heavy loads of snow — nature’s way of pruning so you don’t have to. This butterfly bush prefers well-drained soil and is adaptable to low-water conditions.

Moonshine yarrow (Achillea ‘Moonshine’)

Some gardeners think yarrow is the least sophisticated of the xeric plants, but I appreciate it because it loves my landscape. Its tall, shrub-like habit makes a nice backdrop in a xeriscape garden and the silvery-gray foliage and bright yellow flowers really shine in summer. I started with two plants but yarrow needs to be divided every few years, so I’ve transplanted more around the yard. I leave some flowers on the plant through winter, but I also clip some to use in dry table arrangements and crafts projects.

Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)

Brown-eyed Susan is smaller than its black-eyed cousin, and that’s fine with me. This biennial coneflower behaves more like a perennial because of its generous seed-sowing nature. My large collection started as two small starts and have spread throughout the garden on their own. The sunny yellow, daisy-like flowers have beautiful brown “eyes” and stand tall from mid-summer through fall. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the long-lasting blooms, but they make nice cutting flowers, too.

By Jodi Torpey
Denver Master Gardener

Garden Getaway – CSU’s Annual Flower Trial Garden

CSU Annual Flower Trial Garden

Want a break from  weeding and deadheading? Need to recharge your plant-loving soul? A trip to the Colorado State University Annual Flower Trial Garden on the grounds of CSU makes a fun mini-getaway and maybe just what you crave during these dog days of summer.

The CSU Annual Flower Trial Garden is one of many official All American Selections public gardens across the country where you can see new varieties (introduced in the last three years) of annuals and perennials which are being grown, studied and rated for exceptional performance. Colorado gardeners know this means the ability to withstand intense sun, cooler evenings, relatively low moisture (most years) and everyone’s arch-nemesis, hail!

A stroll through the gardens is a treat, especially now when plants are at their peak. In fact, the plants are rated by the official judging team of CSU horticulture students and faculty, green industry representatives and advanced Master Gardeners each year in early August. Over 1100 varieties of annuals, grouped by genus and arranged by  color, provide a symphony for the eyes. The perennial gardens are equally beautiful, with the added benefit of being trialed for two winters before being judged. A Pansy/Cool-season Crop Overwintering Trial garden has also been added to test the over-wintering abilities of the plants.

So, grab your camera, water bottle and sun screen and head to Fort Collins. Have a great time exploring  the gardens and don’t forget to record your favorites and compare them to the judges’ picks at the end of the season. You are likely to return home inspired, ready to tackle your own garden and possibly with a touch of flower envy.

For more information about the gardens, past winners and photos galore, check out www.flowertrials.colostate.edu.

By Linda McDonnell, Denver County Master Gardener