General Discussion

Last edit? I think I know what they all are now. [s][b]URGENT EDIT:[/b] The red is almost dead now, and I still do not know what it is or what it needs. It seems to have gotten worse in the day, so I placed it in the shadow, but it might also be the soil it came in. Please, identifying the red one is now urgent as I want to save it![/s] There was a special promotion offer at a construction market near me, I got a cheap paper bag containing three random plants. They are marked as follows: [b]1) (marked as "mini green mix leaf")[/b] might be a relative of the rubber tree? I do not understand rubber tree care, so far I've overgrown one so badly it became an actual tree and is outside now, and the next one died for seemingly no reason with the same care. My third one stopped growing completely, not a single new leaf for almost a year but it isn't dying. So if this weird variegated one is also a rubber tree, halp. Used the same soil and fertilizer and ratios on all so far. [img]https://i.imgur.com/WnbZo6U.jpg[/img] [b]2) (marked as "mix 3 red")[/b] uhh... I draw a blank here. Begonia, maybe? Or a relative of Peperomia? Guessing by colour, which isn't very reliable in the plant world, but I'm not that good at houseplants. EDIT: possibly [i]Iresine herbstii[/i] [img]https://i.imgur.com/MVi2EtZ.jpg[/img] [b]3) (also marked as "mini green mix leaf")[/b] pretty sure this is a [i]Calathea rufibarba [/i]mix, possibly with a pygmy gene or maybe just young. No idea how to care for this. Grandma had one for a short while, it died for unknown reasons. Maybe too sunny. Or maybe it needs special care? [img]https://i.imgur.com/3O1anUj.jpg[/img] So... any ideas? Do they need much water, little water, sandy soil, rich soil? I don't want to kill my smol new friends. Is the red one or last one maybe a shadow plant? Do any of them need air moisture / should I spray them? I do keep an air plant, so I'm fine with picky spray plants. I'm thinking of planting #3 in a large pot with an asparagus fern and a pothos, where it wouldn't have that much direct sunlight. Please tell me if this is a bad idea, or it will happen because that pot has a space free. It's actually a balcony box, but I keep it hanging on the stair railing. They have normal garden soil and get fertilized once in a while, not often tho. EDIT: Feel free to post your own mysteries, too! I can maybe possibly help, or maybe somebody else browsing the thread can. Feel free to share tips as well!

That last one could be a type of Calathea plant. The one below is a Calathea Lancifolia (I believe). [img]https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1706/1307/products/Calathea-lancifolia-Rattlesnake-Plant-75cm.jpg?v=1543258387.png[/img]

@usualuniqueness I think so too, but a boring dark goth-y version lol.
I wonder what killed grandma's, will have to read up on how to care for that one. Most plant sites seem to recommend daily spraying and fertilizing a little at a time, it honestly seems like such a pain but I'll try. At least my half-shadow shared pot should be ideal.

Kinda annoyed to receive the most yawn-worthy plant in that family XD

Hope somebody know the bright red shiny-leaf thing in the middle, it is so odd. A bit beat-up, probably from kids shaking the bags or something, but the main stalk is not damaged so it should make it. Hoping it is a young plant and will grow big, that'd be so cool!

... realizing now that I'm in the photos, because I used the laptop's forwards camera to take the pictures. Aaaawkward.

Sorry, I don't know about the red one, but I do know that your calathea will like high humidity! Some people use small humidifiers, but I spritz mine with a water bottle at least once a day and occasionally put it in the bathroom when I take a shower. They also want indirect sunshine. They're kind of drama queen plants, haha. Best of luck with your plants!

@Kyanthr do you know how much root space it will need? I'm giving it about 10 liters for now, hoping mine is a pygmy or at least a dwarf variety. Googled the species it looks most like, and it was described as a fast-growing big plant. I seriously hope that is not the case for mine.

@Cutiepaws, I believe that should be great for now! I don't think they're as fast-growing as described. I've had mine for a few months, and it's only put out one new leaf. The pot should only be a bit bigger than the plant itself, so 10 liters should be great for a year or two, judging by the picture.

.... anyone know that red one?

I kinda need to plant it soon, but dunno what soil it wants because I don't know the species or even the family.

I also don't think the soil it came in is ideal, the plant seems to be slightly ill.

Red got worse. Please, is there a doctor in the house?

The red one actually looks a lot like an iresine herbstii (aka Chicken Gizzard plant, apparently) ...maybe try looking that one up?

Okay, I think that the first one is def a rubber tree. The second is probably a Croton and the last one looks like a Crypthansus (a type of bromeliad, related to airplants).

As for rubber tree care, mine get watered every two weeks or so. But the best test is to stick your finger in the soil and let it dry out pretty good between watering. It's best if it's in a draining planter so you can water it all the way through and wash out salt buildup, as they're related to ficus'. I never fertilize, since in my experience they don't need much more than a good potting soil. You can root prune them to keep them in smaller pots so they won't get as massive if you want, too. It's kind of like making them into a bit of a bonsai that way. They get high, filtered light where I have them and it keeps them happy, and also keeps the variegation. If they're not in enough light they'll loose their variegation and just turn one flat color eventually.

I'm betting on the second one being a Croton. I haven't kept them so I found some links for care pages. Do the leaves kind of change in hue from the bottom up? I've noticed from ones I've seen that they do that. I really don't think it's a Pepermonia because deeply colored ones are a) expensive because people collect them and b) not that shiny. Crotons have very waxy/shiny leaves.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/croton/care-croton-plants.htm
https://www.almanac.com/plant/croton

Scratch this, I think the post above is right about what it is.

I'm pretty sure that the last one is a Crypthansus. What color is it, and are the leaves really thick and stiff? How many inches tall is it? Do the leaves come off the stalk and kind of appear like a spiral from above, or are there lots of long thin stems coming from the center of the plant.
The Crypthanthus types that I've been seeing in stores alot lately stay really short. If that's what it is, they don't need a ton of soil because they have very shallow root systems, and too much space can actually do more harm than good. They won't soak up all the water provided if it's in a big pot, and so that water will sit in the soil and eventually lead to root rot(which they're sensitive to). Also, they like fairly high humidity. A bright bathroom window is good for the humidity and lighting requirements. They like well draining potting soils with some moss mixed in, in my experience.
It could be a Calathea but if the leaves are super rigid, and if it has a pinkish hue or is really dark with straight horizontal stripes(they come in lots of colors, I just see alot of these colors in stores), it's probably a Crypthanthus. But, if it's a Calathea, they like a peat-mossy mixture and good drainage, quite a bit of water and humidity, and bright indirect light. They also tend to outgrow their pots FAST and will scare you when they're thristy by throwing a fit and looking half dead out of nowhere. They, unlike Crypthanthus, like fertilizer every two weeks to a month during the warm months.
Either way, I would keep #3 on it's own. I think an asparagus fern and a pothos wouldn't be compatible and would over time swallow the poor guy.

Hopefully some of this was helpful. I hope you're able to save your second plant.