This Story Started Out in New York City
I remember the first plant I ever bought like it was yesterday. This was in September 2013. Since then I have been fascinated by the ups and downs of indoor gardening and the incredible ways plants can adapt to each space. Growing up in New York City, there were not as many places to connect with nature. However, bringing it inside changed my perspective and life and set me on a path to becoming
PLANTMOM.
After my first purchase I became completely obsessed and wanted to know and learn everything I could. I studied, read, and attended classes at the city botanical gardens, which would eventually lead me into a career of working with plants in combination with my background in design. Indoor plants became practice and each plant I cared for, planted, and handled I learned something new.
Looking Beyond the Plant
As an interior plant designer and stylist, I often look beyond the plant as a stationary creature and dig deeper into what makes it special. Is it the curves of the leaves? The striking veins? The velvet texture or iridescent color? What can I highlight about each plant? How can they co-exist with others and what sense of nature do I want them to exude?
Looking at A Princess Named Clusia
When I look at the
Clusia Rosea Princess by
VDE Plant, I notice the color of its leaves and strength of its leaves and stem. The plant is also known as the “Autograph Tree” because it is said that you can carve your name into its thick leaves. What makes nature so beautiful is the objectivity of perspective. A tree is beautiful, but if you look at the trunk of a mighty Sequoia you are only seeing one view and often miss out on the delicacy of its leaves.
It Takes a Change of Perspective
I decided to do the same for the
Clusia Rosea Princess. I changed my perspective. We are used to looking at our plants from the horizon line or eye level. I challenged myself with one question: What can I see when I look at the plant from above? As I stared, I found a gorgeous rippling effect of its leaves as it began to appear. This changed as it grew wider. The fast growing nature of this plant can often change its somewhat symmetrical shape, and each new leaf creates a unique ripple effect in addition to its predecessors. How can a plant be so strong and so delicate and subtle and constantly remind us of the calm of water even while skipping stones? That is the beauty of the
Clusia Rosea Princess.
Breathe Easy
Breathe easy with this Princess named Clusia as it can not only clean the air but in the wild it also gives off subtle fragrance with its flowers. This plant is easy to care for and can adapt to bright and lower light settings. Keep in mind this is an indoor plant, native to South America and the Caribbean, so humidity is key to successful growth. It is best to water from the bottom and keep wet pebbles around to keep the plant moist but not overly wet. Easy to prune and propagate so share with friends!
