I just bought some plants to put together a mixed bowl and have two plants I can't identify. (None of them were marked.) The one on the right resembles a lot of plants in my houseplant book, so I'm not sure what it is. I'm totally clueless about the one on the left. Two or three leaves form from the same spot at the end of a stem. The leaf edges are jagged, like a christmas cactus -- however, the leaves are paper thin. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Chris
The one on the left looks like Schefflera elegantissima (syn. Dizygotheca elegantissima), False Aralia. The one on the right may be Dracaena fragrans 'Compacta' (syn. D. deremensis 'Compacta').
I just joined this forum for the purpose of getting help identifying a houseplant and the very first post I looked at was someone asking about the same plant! How's that for coincidence?
Junglekeeper suggested that the one of the left was Schefflera elegantissima but I don't think it is. Schefflera elegantissima has more leaves per stem and the leaves are more durable. This plant has only 3 leaves per stem and the leaves are delicate.
Thanks Junglekeeper. I did a search for Dracaena fragrans 'Compacta' and found that you are right. My houseplant book didn't cover "compacta" and that's why I wasn't sure (because my book shows leaves 2 feet long!)
I don't think the other one is a Schefflera elegantissima. Here is a better picture to show the leaves and their structure. The picture of a Schefflera elegantissima that I found online does have the jagged edges, but it has way too many leaves per stem. This plant only has 2 or 3 per stem. (3 seems to be the norm. The ones with 2 may have lost a leaf.)
There are several cultivars of Schefflera elegantissima but unfortunately very limited information on them. The two likely candidates for your plant are 'Bianca' and 'Castor'. According to this page, yours is 'Bianca'. This is supported by the picture with the caption "Bianca and Castor" about half way down on this page (assuming the caption reads left to right). On the opposing camp there is this page which switches the description of the two. To further cloud the issue, the RHS database lists S. e. 'Castor' along with S. e. 'Castor Variegata'. In short, there does not appear to be a definitive answer. Hopefully an expert will jump in to help out.
Don't you hate it when they don't label the plants!
Yeah, it would be so much easier if they would just (at least) print the name on the label. In a perfect world, they'd give the name and care instructions. But at least a name allows a person to do their own research!
I see what you mean about the opposing camps. It appears that they have the same care instructions though. So I think I'll be ok even though I can't be sure which it is...
