Homalomena rubescens - Emerald Green

An Emerald Gem Plant or Homalomena, native to tropical Asia and South America, is an upright plant with dark green, waxy, spade-shaped leaves.

Care

Light: Homalomena likes medium indirect light but can survive in lower light if you’re happy for her to grow quite slowly. No direct sun or the leaves will burn.

Water: Allow the top two inches of soil to dry before watering, do not let sit in excess water as they are quite prone to root rot.

Yellow leaves are typical for this gal as she grows new leaves and discards some of the older ones. But if you are noticing several yellow leaves at once on the reg then it is a sign, something is wrong.

Usually, it will be a sign of too much water, too often so try easing up a little and let it dry out more between watering. Also look for bugs as that can cause stress on the plant and create yellowing leaves.

She’s also a little sensitive to draughts and doesn’t love the cold weather, so try to keep her in a warm spot in the cooler months.

Your plant will let you know when it is thirsty. Watch for dull looking leaves, drooping stems, leaf curl, and a super lightweight pot.

Temperature/Humidity:  A minimum of 50% humidity is suggested to prevent foliage issues and allow your plant to thrive, but your homalomena may tolerate slightly lower humidity.  You can group plants together to increase humidity or set your plant on a tray of pebbles with water.  Try to avoid misting your plant especially when new leaf development is occurring, this will prevent leaf rot and other plant disease.  Tropical house plants ideally thrive between 18-22C.

Soil/Potting:  We prefer to use a coarse, free draining soil and typically mix two parts each of perlite and orchid bark to one part potting soil. Feed bi monthly with a fish based fertilizer like Kelpy or Plant Vitamins BOOST.

Care Tips: Try to imagine where your plant came from in the wild and try to replicate that environment in your home.  Your Homalomena will thrive in a humid environment, and a chunky well draining soil mix.  Experiment with different locations in your house to find the best location for your plant. 

All photos are an indication of the plant species and size reference only.  All plants will have slight variations in coloring and condition. Decorative pot not included. Plants will be shipped in sphagnum moss or perlite.