In the movie SEABISCUIT: The glowing cherry-red Knock Out roses, that strikingly echo Lucien Laurin's (John Malkovich) golf outfit, the scene that introduces the character. Those roses didn't exist in '73.

In the movie SEABISCUIT: The glowing cherry-red Knock Out roses, that strikingly echo Lucien Laurin's (John Malkovich) golf outfit, the scene that introduces the character. Those roses didn't exist in '73.

Just recently re-watched one of the old Midsomer Murders episodes - "Orchis Fatalis", the plot being that murder and mayhem follow the path of one of the rarest orchids in the world which has been smuggled into the UK by two plant pirates.

At the beginning of the episode, you get to see a number of orchids at an orchid show, then there are scenes in a supposedly wild Borneo jungle - probably some houseplants there that I didn't notice! One of the detectives earns his nickname of "flatfoot" by smashing flat a rare wild orchid the orchid club members were trying to protect on the downs. And saddest of all, an entire collection is maliciously destroyed. Always wonderful plants and gardens to be seen in those Midsomer Murders. And of course, where gardens in general are concerned, there's the murder mystery series Rosemary and Thyme. It's greatest appeal for me is that they are always down on their hands and knees and covered with dirt - looking like real gardeners! :)

Funny we mention knock out roses. My family runs a nursery so we grow up to a hundred thousand a year. It's odd to think that not so long ago they didnt exist!

I love seeing plants in shows that look like they actually belong to someone and not a sparkling perfevct rental from a greenhouse

TV: there was an episode of Sherlock Holmes US that centered around most precious orchid

TV: desperate housewives. Brie had the most exquisite blue
Hydrangeas in her yard. Trouble is: they bloomed 365 days a year , lol.

On Three's Company, the roommates always had plants in the apartment since Janet was a florist. Early in the series (when Suzanne Somers/Chrissy was on it), Janet is watering a plant during the theme song and as she sets it on the window, she accidentally spills water from her watering can on Chrissy while she's sunbathing outside. Mrs. Roper always had plants, too. A lot of the 70's-90's sitcoms featured house plants at some point: ALF, The Facts Of Life, All In The Family, The Brady Bunch, Alice, etc., and there was even an episode of Laverne and Shirley where they get laid off from the brewery and they sell house plants door to door ("Take My Plants, Please").

Brad AKA Moonwolf

This is a fascinating thread. My son told me about a short film where an author with writer's block found that his spider plant was writing scripts for him, and eventually all the baby spider plants were similarly employed - he thinks it was a Stephen Spielberg TV series called Amazing Stories. Does anyone remember it?

I've just been told that the film is called 21- inch Sun, and that it's Series 3, Episode 15, of Steven Spielberg's 'Amazing Stories', and that it's 23 mins long and on You Tube.

That should have been Series 2, sorry. Anyway, I just watched it, and oh boy, I loved it !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjsHFbQEhqs&index=35&list=PLsCyMyer12vkDopPiQDbujUKL47n_YP9m

I don't watch TV or films as a rule lately, they're all too 'fast' for me :) but I will watch that again. I loved the main human character too. I'd love to hear other opinions.

what about the commercial for flavored water where the office guy explaining how adding different flavors changes everything. Each change in the character also changes the plant on the table in the office cubical.

Remember the rare orchid-like plant Mr Wilson grows in Dennis the Menace movie? It actually is not a real species.

I'm always addicted now at trying to ID plants In TV shows..... It's kinda a problem.
On Ellen with her new improved set are any of those real? I know that some are fake but I can't tell if they all are..... She also said they were real but.....My suspicion grows.

A bit off topic, but The Wicker Man...

It was filmed on a Scottish Island in November so it was freezing, but the director was trying to evoke the idea of this subtropical paradise, so he bought about half a dozen really fake-looking blossom covered artificial trees to put in the background.

Once you get an eye for them they are everywhere.

In Orange is the new black "Joe" one of the warden officials is a succulent nut lol ( I am too no judgement)

they're several scenes with him obsessing over his Jade and Kalanchoe

I really am thrilled to see this post. I pay attention to the presence or absence of plants everywhere, including TV programs. I saw a portion of an episode of Two and a Half Men at a friend's house recently, and the show did little to hold my attention, but there were many large and intriguing plants on the set. I kept saying aloud, "What kind of plant is that?" Jay Leno always had one in the background when he was doing his initial stand-up routine, but I could never identify it or even tell it is was real. It takes me very little time to recognize when I am in a home or room without plants. Are the rest of you much the same???

This is fascinating. Something I've never paid attention to before but will always pay attention to now.

Unfortunately I don't know the names of many of these plants, but I will now "see" them!

Speaking of Gilligan's Island, there is a lagoon on the Universal Studios lot that looks a lot like the lagoon in the TV show, but they filmed a lot of it in Hawaii, even though the plants they show grow in Southern California - if you water them enough. There is no reason to use fake plants here, as the real ones are prolific enough, and there are plenty of nurseries that cater to the studios. The studios have beautiful outdoor landscaping (my brother works at Sony Studios), and the buildings also have nice indoor plants, although not as nice as the ones outside.

I'll have to start paying more attention to house plants in TV shows, but up till now, they have not made an impression on me.

Marguerite,

I watched that spider plant episode on youtube, it was very cute, I felt sad for the guy when he thought the plant died lol ...my only issue is that he called it a philodendron....I liked the ending with all his spider plant friends.

my son played this game not too long ago on the ps3, where the guy was running through the desert area and I kept naming off the type of plants in it, like agaves and aloes....He kept getting mad at me lol.

But I always notice plants in movies and shows...and I noticed the guys jades in Orange is the new Black was very much in need of light, they didn't look good lol.

FlowerPotTipper, I wondered if anyone looked at that little film, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was my first time seeing it and I found it most engaging - perhaps others here had watched it when it originally aired. I didn't pick up on the philodendron bit, but the sound was not very good on my You Tube and I couldn't get it higher. I actually found it moving - my daughter pointed out that it was a revamp of the Little Tailor fairy tale; I suppose there's nothing new under the sun.

If anyone has Netflix, there's a documentary series called Wildest Islands that's really cool! It's not only about plants, but there's a lot of info about plants in both of the episodes I've seen so far.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wildest Islands

Did you see the one on sri lanka yet?

I don't have nf,but I found it on you-tube.

Just finished watching it...very nice!

Thanks for the heads-up! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Wildest Islands Sri Lanka

I watched a whole marathon of that from 10am-5pm once..... Something about those type of shows just make me unable to move..... So I try to stay away from Love nature but it always gets me every now and then.

Bumping this up to see if anyone knows more about the plant in a Sherlock Holmes movie: Movie plant question

Link to movie with plant.

I watched the first 10 mins (and will prob go back soon to watch the rest of it.) I was cracking up!! That guy is serious about his plants! (Funny part from about 8 mins in until about 10 mins.)

IDK if the Anthurium is a cultivar named 'Magenta' (did they have named cultivars in 1939? IDK) or if that just refers to the flower color.

Wiki has an article on "cultivar" that says the term was invented in 1923 but not published until 1953, so it seems unlikely that the reference to magenta is a cultivar name.

This link supports that it's not in reference to a cultivar name. And you're not the first person to ask the same question.

"TV: there was an episode of Sherlock Holmes US that centered around most precious orchid" ~bossyvossy

If you were referring to the show "Elementary," then I know the episode you mean. It was not a real orchid, though, and the flower was hideous -- looked like a badly mangled Phalanopsis flower. I was surprised the set designer or plant maker didn't do a better job or choose a better flower.

On the mini series "Penny Dreadful" which takes place in 19th century England, there was a scene in which two of the characters were visiting a conservatory (don't recall if it was supposed to be the Kew conservatory) wherein they had come to get a look at the "world's rarest orchid." It was a Paphiopedilum (type of slipper orchid). I cannot recall with any certainty, but I believe the one character said it was Paphiopedilum rothschildianum which is a real orchid. But the plant they showed had the most awful flowers. No self respecting orchid grower would have displayed such a plant. Unsure if the plant was just a poorly made fake or a real but woefully deformed. But Paph. rothschildianum is no longer a terribly rare orchid by any means. I find it unbelievable that the show's set designers could not have found a better example of that orchid. Good chance they could have simply asked one of the England orchid society's if there was a member willing to loan their blooming plant for the scene.

I remember a while ago I watched some show on either Netflix or Hulu, don't remember which or which show, but I do remember this rich lady had an orchid greenhouse that they showed her in a few times and all she had was moth orchids, and all I could think was why in the world would someone choose to just grow moth orchids when they own such a beautiful greenhouse.... and why not more of the exotic and/or rarer orchids....I would think most people who love orchids and have access to a big greenhouse do grow more then moth orchids in real life....but i had to remind myself that it's a show and I guess they didn't put much thought into details.

Watching the Godfather again recently. When Michael goes to Italy, they show a LOT of potted plants in those scenes. Big, beautiful terra cotta pots with a wild assortment of plants.

What an entertaining thread!

Well, Fashion is not TV or Movies, but it felt more appropriate to post the query in this fun thread than Name That Plant!

So, I was trying to image-match a plant, and the web being what it is linked to yet another display of photoshop-enhanced people. Must admit I don't "get" the concept of fashion editorials (but do grasp department store clothing ads).

Anyway, I am curious if there is any theme to the container plants used in the editorial - and if the plants appear to be growing well. If it helps ID the plants it was apparently photographed in Sweden and entitled "Mirage". (Like I said I don't understand editorials.)

Even a newbie like I am can recognize a Sansevieria of some sort, and maybe a Jade. So are the rest succulents too? What about that micro "palm-tree" looking plant?

Posing (of the person) may be meant to be mildly provocative, but I don't think anything too NSFW is visible. To be sure, I'll just post direct links to the six photos:

micro-palm? ; sans? ; speckly-leaves#1? ; different-speckled-leaves? ;

Jade-related? ; smaller-leaves?

Thanks.

The 'micro palm' Looks like a type of cycad or succulent to me.

Sansevieria yes

Diffenbachia

Not sure

Yes a jade

Looks like a schefflera

"different-speckled-leaves" is an angel wing begonia.

Hey, thanks.

OK, so not completely a succulent theme. And since I recognize most of the names (you've kindly provided) from around the GW forums, I'll presume they're fairly conventional house or office plants, and the photographer grabbed them from the window and said hold this one, and now that one, etc.

(Hope this wasn't too OT to the OP.)

Not at all! Plants used in ads get the attention of plant-o-philes too.

Agree with Mr. B. & Eaga, except that I think it was suggested to you elsewhere that the 1st one looks like some kind of Euphorbia (which only narrows that down to about 2,000 species.) I agree, but have no idea what species to suggest. You might want to ask about that pic on cacti/succulent forum here.

The Begonia, there are so many... To find one that looks just like that one in the pic, it shouldn't be hard to find 'Corallina de Lucerne' if you shop by mail/internet. Looks like a smallish, newish cutting. Could take a little looking to find in person, depending on the particular stores that are nearby. Generally, upright Begonias with stiff stems like that are easy-care plants. The Rexes can be a little more picky, tuberous are a little challenging.

The others, aside from the Euphorbia & specific Begonia, are common to see in house plant displays at mom'n'pop & BBS stores.

The Jade = Crassula ovata

The last one = Schefflera arboricola, specifically. "The smaller one," dwarf umbrella tree.

"WINGS" takes place on Nantucket and they portrayed the weather accurately (response to really old post).

a movie that gave me nightmares as a kid "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle." The scene where the mother needs her inhaler takes place in front of/in a greenhouse. I only saw it once....as a kid....and that's what stuck with me....

Thanks for the detail, purple (and for starting the thread).

Yep the Name That Plant! query on the "micro-palm" got three suggestions:

1. compare with Euphorbia bupleurifolia.
   2) My guess would of been Pineapple!
   3) my guess would have been spongebob's house...

I missed that one.

And here I thought I was alone obsessing over this!! Is it to late to comment? :D

I know this will sound weird but I totally watched Children of Men today because of a house in the woods that is all windows and filled with plants (and weed). In the story the modern world is in decay. The city (a concrete jungle is crumbling down) so every time you see a tree, a bush or grass, it really stands out in big way. I honestly bought the movie for $4.00 just to check the house again and the plants which left a cool impression on me when the movie came out in 2006. I could picture that cool space as a house tour in Apartment Therapy (if tidied up). Turns out the movie was a lot heavier than I remembered but I enjoyed it tremendously.

Now moving on to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) with Donald Sutherland. Such a stylized movie and lots of plants and cool decor. Just small glimpses but it left the same impact on me. I guess I'm also a fan of dystopian stories.

Interesting fact. Both movies have a scene where someone is tantalizingly doing a stir-fry! :)

See some nice palms in Law and Order SVU...

Resolve Rug Cleaner TV commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gs4e5RzAMM

I wish I could ID that plant because, if it's not plastic, I want one.

"The little shop of horrors comes to mind."

I hope that you mean the original from 1960. Jack Nicholson's depiction of a masochist who got his teeth pulled for fun was hilarious. Back then it was all very original stuff.

Azurinsky, a Philodendron, something like Prince of Orange, could offer a similar appearance (and not need too much light for the average house-plant spot inside.)

Just realized nobody has mentioned the "green stuff" that ate/grew on Stephen King in Creepshow movie... not sure that was a plant, but... it was scary at the time!

http://horrorfreaknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/creepshow-stephen-king.jpg

"Azurinsky, a Philodendron, something like Prince of Orange, could offer a similar appearance (and not need too much light for the average house-plant spot inside.)"

Thanks, but, its general shape that I like is representative of cannas, heliconias and aglaonemas. When I first saw it, I thought it was canna 'Tropicanna.' It could also be a very large red aglaonema.

Nobody mentioned "The Day of the Triffids".

Aruzinsky, do you mean this plant?

Nicely done, it's hard to catch!

Yes. The broadcast version has better resolution and I am 50% certain that I saw striped variegation on the leaves. If that really is a house plant, it is an uncommon one.

I like the garden scene at the end of "You've Got Mail." Just amazing. I also like "The Secret Garden" movies, since they make a big deal out of the flowers. And if you like to see 70s interiors, you should check out old "Columbo" episodes. To die for.

There was an animated movie that came out around the early 70s, which featured a home with a garden, and there was a lady of the house, and I think there was a letter that featured in the plot. Does anyone have any idea what it might have been? I think there were insect characters too. I wish I could remember better.

The movie Medicine Man just came into my mind:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104839/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

The movie "Mutiny on the Bounty" is about trying to import breadfruit trees from a tropical island.

Who can forget the plants and vines that played so prominently in the Tarzan movies (wink).

Al

Definitely!

"Places in the Heart" is an amazing movie that revolves around cotton. IMVHO, the best work of Fields, Glover, and Malkovich.

The movie "The Color Purple" has a scene with an entire field of Cosmos where there is a discussion that explains the title of the movie.

I get annoyed when characters get plant facts wrong. I saw something the other day where a character was poisoned with extract of Digitalis and someone said ’they don’t call it Deadly Nightshade for nothing’. Aaarrrggghhh!

Suddenly last summer with Elizabeth Taylor. Lots of aroids are featured throughout . I was done buying houseplants then watched this with my husband and it set me off . Also a National Lampoon movie from the 80s can't remember the name but there's scene with a guy going on a date with a girl whose obsessed with plants, I remember watching this as a kid thinking she had a cool apartment.