Found in the family of asparagus, the Red Dracaena is given a befitting variety name, ‘Firebrand’ - Dracaena literally means a female dragon. This plant is common all over Singapore and is appreciated for adding an outstanding vibrant dark hue to our predominantly green foliage. Some have attempted to grow this terrestrial plant in terrariums but this often ends disastrously as the plant is not well adapted to moist soil.
Lipstick Palm Cyrtostachys renda blume
The Lipstick Palm or Sealing Wax Palm has a prominent scarlet crownshaft and leaf sheath, which makes it stand out from other common palms. The hard outer wood of the stem can be used to make dart bodies. This popular ornamental palm adds a vibrant shade of vermilion to the predominantly green landscape on this part of the school. It is also not uncommon to spot bird nests built between the huge leaves of the palms. They must have been attracted to the red stems! Despite its common name, it is not a source of sealing wax. Instead, its name originated from the the similar colour of its red crownshaft and the wax used to seal letters.
Money Plant Epipremnum aureum
The Money Plant is an evergreen vine with trailing stems, along with glossy and rubbery leaves with varying shades of green and yellow. They decorate the descending stairs from Block A to Central Plaza in JC, and the corners near our class benches. It is also called Devil’s Ivy as it is almost impossible to kill and stays green even when kept in the dark. Such a sturdy plant may serve as a constant reminder to all of us that ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ Let’s aspire to be as resilient as this plant!
Blueberry Lily Dianella revoluta 'Blue Stream'
The Blueberry Lily offers an interesting colour variation of violet blue foliage, which is a perfect contrast to the typical green landscape. This vigorous variety quickly forms a dense clump, producing many side shoots that emerge from the ground around the plant base. The broad foliage and clump-forming habit of this plant ensures good colour variation as seen from its attractive violet and green tuft.
Dumb Cane Dieffenbachia amoena
The Dumb Cane is a robust, herbaceous shrub with fleshy stems and large leaves arching gracefully from the upright stems. It is very commonly grown for its glossy dark green foliage with creamy white to yellow lines, spots, or patches, especially as an indoor or houseplant. Its modest flowers bloom in greenish-yellow inflorescence and that protrudes out of its silky white spathe (a large sheathing bract enclosing the flower cluster). However, the sap of this plant is poisonous and must not be allowed to come into contact with the mouth or eyes. The calcium oxalate crystals in the sap cause irritation and swelling of the tissues in the mouth and throat, resulting in possible loss of speech for several days, hence, the common name Dumb Cane.