Green Lily – Care & Propagation

The green lily is basically a very thankful houseplant. It is undemanding and does not need a lot of attention. Nevertheless, it unfolds its full splendor and thanks good care with a particularly beautiful appearance and many new offshoots. In her African homeland she is used to not getting a lot of water. If she were to pour too much in our apartments, it would be more damaging, so she can take care of herself for a short vacation. Because it is so undemanding, it is also found in many offices or sales rooms. There it shapes the room image with its fresh appearance and also tolerates a long weekend without water.

location

As a green plant, it does not want to stand directly in the hot sun, but it especially loves a nice, slightly sunny spot. Due to the direct sunlight, their fresh green leaves stay as they should be. But they don’t like the sun directly behind the window pane, they can burn up quickly here. Your leaves will then be very light and almost colorless. The green lily also likes a bright place without strong sunlight, it grows and thrives here very well and will soon develop new shoots in the form of children.
For ideal growth, however, the room temperature should not be less than 10 °, otherwise the green lily will stop growing. This plant does not have any special demands on the humidity either, its frugality is really remarkable. If the potting soil in your pot is completely dry, a dip in the water can quickly reactivate it.

The most important information about the location at a glance:

• No direct sunlight
• Moderately warm room temperature
• water sparingly

In summer the green lily can also find a place on the balcony or in the shady garden. It is very adaptable and can cope with many temperature and light conditions.
Warning: cats like to nibble on this plant or play with the hanging children

The green lily in many variations

A green lily is known in more than 100 different variations. Out of this diversity, however, only a few species that can be found in German living rooms and offices have really caught on. These three are definitely part of it:

• Chlorophytum comosum is the best known and most widespread
• Chlorophytum capense has a white central stripe
• Chlorophytum amaniense has bronze colored leaves

What they all have in common is the dense growth of leaves, which continues to develop rapidly and, with good care, the plant can grow into a stately houseplant over the years. Depending on the variety, the individual leaves can be of different lengths. From its center, the flower stems grow on long stems, which initially have very delicate leaves and white small flowers. A short time later these blossoms give rise to the so-called Kindel, which can then continue to grow into small new plants.

Care of the green lily

Due to its lush growth and the constant replication of offshoots, the green lily is very popular as a hanging plant. She likes this way of life very much, in this airy position she can move freely both herself and her children and let the leaves hang down nicely. When hung like this, the tips of the leaves won’t hit a window sill or cupboard space and won’t turn brown at the ends. The drooping small offshoots create a lush picture and a fresh green blaze of colors, which comes into its own particularly well with the striped variations. These children can reach a length of up to 70 cm.

Cultivation at a glance:

• Very nice traffic light plant
• Offshoots form quickly
• Easy to divide and multiply

The best time to repot plants is in spring, but in principle the green lily can be repotted at any time. The thick, fleshy roots that displace the potting soil are a clear indication of the right time. Sometimes it has grown so much that it even bursts the thin plastic pot.
If the plant is pulled out slightly with the flower pot upside down, a close look at the roots can determine the right time to repot or multiply. It should be placed in a mixture of potting soil and compost and raised. The green lily cuttings can also be transplanted at any time if it appears necessary.

The new flower pot should be clean and the right size. If a clay pot is used, it will store the irrigation water longer than a plastic pot. This keeps the potting soil moist longer, which is particularly important if the green lily is standing or hanging near the heater. A little more water is also used by exposure to the sun than in a shady place. The soil filled into the pot should comfortably surround the plant, a watering edge the thickness of a thumb is necessary so that the water does not overflow.

While many indoor plants are very sensitive to repotting, you don’t have to worry about damage with the green lily. It is robust and does not take offense quickly, except for too much water standing in the pot over the long term. Spring and summer are also the months when the plant can be watered a little more often. From March to August she can be pampered with small portions of fertilizer, she thanks it with even more diligent growth, the abundant development of children and a great, juicy leaf color.

What nutrients does the green lily need?

Indoor plants need special attention in terms of their nutrients and the supply of water. The green lily shows itself once again from its easy-care side. If it grows in good potting soil, it should be pampered with a liquid fertilizer every now and then. This naturally stimulates the growth of the plant, it forms new leaves and can also produce enough offshoots.

pour

The green lily is not exactly spoiled with water from its home. That is why she does not like waterlogging in the flower pot; she dislikes so-called wet feet. Nevertheless, it can be regularly supplied with small amounts of water, preferably just enough so that the potting soil is always slightly damp. However, the surface can also get dry once. Because of this property, it is ideally suited as a plant for the office or for a sales room. There are times when people are not present or even have no time to look after the plants. The green lily takes the least offense, as soon as water is supplied again, the thick roots quickly absorb it and pass it up to the green leaves.

Diseases and pests

A green lily can also be infected with a disease. Often it is their neighbors on the windowsill who infect them, sometimes it is also the potting soil or even the flower pot. These pests could be, for example:

• Aphids
• Mealybugs and mealybugs or those
• Whitefly

So that the green lily does not perish, it must be fought with the appropriate means. The aphid infestation can be recognized by the fact that the plant is covered with a sticky layer. They particularly like to attack the young leaves and the shoot tips. This is where they suck out the plant sap, which is sweet and tempting. Due to the partial excretion of the sap, the green lily is coated with so-called honeydew. The infestation with mealybugs and mealybugs can be recognized by the fact that small webs are mainly to be found in the small leaf buds and under the leaves of the green lily.

The main measures to control aphids or mealybugs and mealybugs:

• Isolation of the plant from the other plants
• Spraying with a weak soapy solution, or
• With nettle stock
• Possibly with chemistry in the form of a stick that is stuck into the potting soil

Before spraying with soapy water or nettle solution, the plant should be showered with a weak jet of water in order to remove most of the pests beforehand. Unfortunately, this measure is not sufficient to remove all of them, so subsequent treatment with a lye or chemical sticks is still necessary.

Biological pest control: lacewing, ladybird or parasitic wasps

Brown leaf tips are not due to an infestation with pests, but are a sign of insufficient humidity. The green lily can also tolerate an occasional spray of water. Simply put lime-free water in a water sprayer and lightly mist. If the leaves turn too pale, this indicates a lack of light, which can occur in a location that is too dark or in winter. In this case, simply move the plant closer to the window.

Multiplication

The propagation of the green lily is very easy, because the plant and its children are ideal for this. When the flower pot is big enough, the weight of the little plant children sinks down and comes into contact with the potting soil, the little roots grasp the soil and nest. If the green lily is kept as a traffic light plant, the individual children are simply cut off. Depending on their size, they can first be placed in a little water so that they quickly form roots. If it has already started, it can also be planted in a pot with soil. This is placed in a warm place and the small plants thrive splendidly and quickly grow into a new mother plant.
By dividing a main plant, two or more new plants can also be formed, which then also develop shoots again. The green lily can be reproduced as often as you like, which is why it is often passed on to friends. Losing weight does not harm her, on the contrary. This stimulates them to grow better and to train new offspring.

The different varieties
Of the more than 100 varieties of the green lily, only a few are known in our latitudes. The plain green plants are very popular, they are available in light green and strong green. There are also plants that have a light stripe in the middle or a green stripe in the middle. You can also find yellow median strips, each of which has a different green color for variation. The kind of these different plants planted together in a pot make a wonderful colorful picture.

Conclusion
The green lily is very popular because of its uncomplicated treatment and also because of its inexpensive propagation. Of course, the decorative appearance of the plant also plays a major role. No wonder that they can not only be found in many apartments and public buildings, but above all in all those people who want to have plants around them despite a small budget. Offshoots cost nothing and are gladly passed on. With good care, the plant can be many years old and still become more and more beautiful.