Tolmiea

Tolmiea - Piggyback Plant

Tolmiea is a genus of plants from North America with only one species, Tolmiea menziesii. Within this species, some cultivars have been grown with differing foliage colours. We mainly know Tolmiea as a house plant, but in our climate, mostly it is hardy enough to grow in the garden. Characteristic of Tolmiea is that young plants grow in the spot where the leaf meets the leaf stem. These children can then be planted out on their own. Apart from that, Tolmiea also produces runners and can form a nice mat. Tolmiea prefers a spot in the (half)shade in humus rich soil which may be slightly acidic. Tolmiea is very much suited as a woodland plant, and looks nice when planted together with ferns.