Unknown plant names

[Anita]

I just bought some beautiful houseplants from a store but unfortunately there are no care instructions, not even the names of the plants! Any advice on how to find out the names of these plants quickly and easily?

[Doug Kanter]

Got a digital camera? Post some pictures online at a site like

post the link here so we can see them, and maybe we can help.

Your other option is to hit the library and take out some houseplant books.

[Anita]

[Cereus-validus-...........]

Go to your local library and look for them in a book with illustrations of indoor plants.

If you get your own library card, you might even be able to take the books home with you!!!!

[Cereus-validus-...........]

What makes you think you have anything rare or difficult to identify? The odd are you have very commonplace stuff.

Don't be such a lazy sod and get off your fat tookus and go to the library. Get your mother to drive you there if necessary.

[Doug Kanter]

I'm going to take a guess and say that if the plant wasn't labeled, you got it at a supermarket or one of the big home centers like Lowe's or Home Despot. If I'm correct, those places do not sell things so exotic that you won't be able to find them easily in a book. And, did the plants at least have stickers with UPC codes that scanned at the register? Did they have the names of the growers?

If you're going to continue with this nasty habit of collecting plants, head to

a great place for used books. See if you can find a copy of "Crocket's Indoor Garden". The book's ancient (early 1970s ?), but very informative. Not much has changed since then in terms of the indoor plants seen in stores, so the book will still be useful.

[raycruzer]

You can also check out the many free online databases of plant images. One convenient listing of these databases by state or region is at

This will also give you an orientation on the way plants are classified. The more you learn about plants, the more you will enjoy them.

[Dah]

Take a trip to another store or nursery that does have tags on plants. Take yours along in the car -- they'll enjoy the ride. You can nip in and out of the store to compare.

[Cereus-validus-...........]

Yeah sure, Dah.

Maybe you can drive her around in your car to do it!!!!

There probaby isn't any such a place anymore nowadays anyway. So you might be in for a very long drive!!! Be sure to take frequent rest stops along the way and bring plenty of money for gasoline!!!!!!

[Travis M.]

Or you could post the pix in "alt.binaries.pictures.gardens".