Pleiostachya pruinosa

Natural range and habitat of Pleiostachya pruinosa

Pleiostachya pruinosa occurs naturally from south-eastern Mexico through Central America to Colombia and Ecuador. It grows in wet tropical forest across this range.

It also grows in regrowing forest and other disturbed areas, on moist ground that drains freely and in places that flood for short periods.

Growing Pleiostachya pruinosa

• Light: Give it bright filtered light or light shade.
• Temperature: Keep temperatures around 20–28 °C. Avoid prolonged temperatures below 15 °C. Keep the plant in a consistently warm position.
• Humidity: Aim for 50–60% humidity. Keep humidity steady with gentle air movement around the leaves.
• Water: Keep the mix consistently moist while new stems and leaves are growing. Water thoroughly when the surface starts to feel slightly drier, and let surplus water drain from the pot.
• Potting mix: Use a fertile mix that holds moisture and still drains freely around the rhizomes.
• Feeding: Use a light dose of balanced foliage fertiliser while new stems and leaves are developing.
• Repotting: Repot when the rhizomes crowd the container or the mix becomes compacted.
• Propagation: Divide an established rhizome into rooted sections.

Common problems with Pleiostachya pruinosa

• Dry brown margins or tightly rolled leaves: the root ball may have dried too far or the surrounding air may be very dry. Water the mix thoroughly and evenly, keep it consistently moist, and raise humidity around the leaves.
• Bleached or papery patches on the tops of the leaves: strong direct sun can damage the broad leaves. Move the plant into filtered light. Existing marks will remain. In filtered light, new leaves should emerge evenly coloured.
• Soft rhizome tissue with an unpleasant smell: compacted potting mix that stays wet for too long can damage the rhizome. Cut away all rotten tissue to firm healthy material with a clean tool, discard the rot, and repot healthy divisions in fresh mix that drains freely.

Pleiostachya pruinosa is non-toxic to cats and dogs

• This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
• Its effects on people are unclear, so keep it away from young children who may chew it.
• Eating a large amount can still cause an upset stomach. Seek medical or veterinary advice if symptoms continue.

How did Pleiostachya pruinosa get its name?

Pleiostachya is formed from Greek roots meaning “many” and “spike”, referring to the inflorescence structure. Pruinosa means frosted or covered with a powdery bloom, matching the greyish coating on the flower clusters.

Karl Moritz Schumann established the genus Pleiostachya in 1902 in Das Pflanzenreich, IV, 48, page 164.

Eduard August von Regel first described it as Maranta pruinosa in 1878 in Gartenflora, volume 27, page 104. Karl Moritz Schumann later placed it in Pleiostachya as Pleiostachya pruinosa in 1902 in Das Pflanzenreich, IV, 48, page 165.