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Monolena Primuliflora – 6 Caring & Propagating Tips!

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Monolena Primuliflora is one of the most iconic plants that you can choose for your garden. They are also known as ant-plant, as they provide a white bead-like substance under their leaves for the ants to feed on. These ants protect the plants from any possible pests trying to attach to your lovely plant.

These plants combine best with the other widely known houseplants. Snake plants are one of the best options that you can have to put beside your primuliflora to enhance its beauty.

These plants can fill your garden with unique, attractive foliage that can capture anyone’s heart with its mesmerizing sight.

Monolena Primuliflora
Monolena Primuliflora via Etsy

Characteristics of Monolena Primuliflora

They are native to Ecuador and Peru, where they grow attached to the tree branches. These plants provide shelter for ants in their natural habitat, so don’t worry if you see a lot of ants surrounding your plant in your garden.

Foliage

They have lance-shaped leaves with emerald green color. The color of the leaves darkens as soon as they step into a mature age. The dark moss green color provides a perfect contrast with the red and magenta color on the underside of the foliage.

Stem

These plants produce a caudex to support the beautiful foliage above them. The caudex is a type of stem that most plants produce.

These stems are thicker than any regular plant stem; moreover, they have unique characteristics that help the plant survive in harsh conditions. The stem roots stick out of the ground, similar to flower bulb stem roots.

Height and width

These plants can grow about 12 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. Their space requirements are quite average for a houseplant, so make sure that you provide them with an adequate amount of space to grow in your garden.

These plants also produce caudex, so keep your plant at a place where its spread would not disturb other plants placed beside them.

Flower

These plants produce flowers with pink and white petals. The flowers are one of the key highlights of the plant’s beautiful foliage.

They are 1 to 2 inches long and reveal themselves only for a few hours, but the sight that they produce with their bloom is second to none. These plants have burgundy-coloured arching spikes on which the flowers appear.

Hardiness zone

The hardiness zone of this plant is 10 to 11. Make sure that you provide the plant with similar weather conditions to these zones for healthy and speedy growth.

Rarity

These plants are fairly rare as they are not easy to find in any plant shop. You will have to search for a little while in different plant shops to find the one that meets your demands. If you have got your hands on this plant already, you are one of the luckier ones.

Monolena Primuliflora 2
Monolena Primuliflora – via Reddit

Caring Tips for Monolena Primuliflora

Sunlight

Keep the plant under bright, indirect sunlight for its ideal growth. You can use artificial light to fulfil the requirements of your plant if it is difficult for you to place them outside.

Make sure that you place the light above the foliage to reach every part of the plant. We recommend you use fluorescent lights as they provide enough heat and light for your plant to thrive at a good speed.

Please do not place your plant in an open sun as it can burn the sensitive leaves of the plant.

Water

These plants should be kept hydrated all the time. Unlike other caudex plants, they cannot live under drought conditions. The browning and falling of the leaves indicate that your plant is asking for water, so please water it before all the leaves die and fall off.

Dry soil can also be deadly to the leaves of this plant, so we advise you to keep a check on the soil, ensuring that it is not dry for the slightest bit of time.

Fertilizer

Feed the plant every couple of weeks with fertilizer diluted to ¼ strength. They can help the plant grow faster in its growing months.

Fertilizers with a high level of nitrogen are ideal for the boosted growth of these plants, but make sure that you do not overfeed the plant, which can cause damage to the roots. Reduce the feeding to once a month in the winter season as the plant becomes inactive and does not require fertilizing.

Soil

We recommend you use a well-drained potting mix and keep the soil moist all the time. You can use misting to increase the moisture, however, keep in mind that too much watering can cause root rot in the soil.

Temperature

These plants require warm temperatures for their ideal growth. A 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit temperature allows the plant to grow best. Please do not keep them in extreme temperatures as they cannot survive long in such conditions.

Humidity

They prefer a high humidity environment, but they do quite well under normal household humidity levels of 50 to 60 percent. Increase the humidity level to 70 percent by misting to help the plant flourish at its maximum growth speed.

Propagating tips for Monolena Primuliflora

Monolena Primuliflora can be propagated by the stem cutting method. There are a few tips to ensure that you execute the method properly.

  • Choose a healthy stem and cut about 8 to 10 cm.
  • Place the cutting in the water and keep them until the new roots develop.
  • Prepare a pot with a well-drained potting mix and make a hole in it so that the root can comfortably sit inside.
  • Place the roots inside the hole and cover them with soil.
  • Keep the soil moist all the time.
  • Water the plant regularly during the growth stage to keep it hydrated.

Conclusion

Monolena Primuliflora is one of the best plants to have in your garden if you want to give it a tropical feel. These plants are quite easy to care for, so make sure that you follow all the tips provided in this guide to help your plant thrive with mesmerizing colors.