Thoughts on repotting this masoniana?

10 years ago

Hello Sans growers -- thanks for making this forum such an interesting, educational and beautiful place.

I was happy t to find this very full pot of S masoniana for not a lot of money at a local nursery. (At least it looks like masoniana to me. Please correct me if I'm wrong -- it was unlabeled and I'm no expert.) It has distorted its pot and clearly needs repotting. As you can see, this plant has growths going in all directions and I'm wondering if that's how these guys grow naturally, or if this one acquired its tousled look because it had no space to grow in a more orderly fashion. What does masoning look like when grown well in pots?

I'm going to separate out a division of this for a friend, but, otherwise, would you advise leaving it more or less as is, or should I try to separate and "straighten up" the growths that are currently oriented every which way?

Thanks! I look forward to talking more with everyone here. I don't have all that many Sans, but I do love them.

Amanda

Featured Answer

barbmock

10 years ago

Hi Amanda,

Wow, what a neat plant. I don't have the solid green one, but I do have a variegated. Mine always seems a bit tousled, ha! You will be amazed at the huge roots. You can of course re-arrange it to be more orderly, but it will do it's own thing. It will grow into a huge plant, so give it some room in the new pot. Great find!

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Comments (8)

NextObsession?
10 years ago
Nice find! I was happy to find one with 5 leaves! Good for you!
Amanda (asarumgreenpanda, z6MA) thanked NextObsession?
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Amanda (asarumgreenpanda, z6MA)
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you, Barb and Next Obsession. I decided not to try to straighten anything on the plant -- not that I would have had a choice, given those roots (as you say, Barb). Wrestling off a small division was quite the workout. I saw several pups o their way, still underground, and I'm pretty sure it will fill that pot in a relatively short time.

I'm really happy with it. I've always loved masoning and this one is so sculptural already. I'm looking forward to watching it take over the house :-) Luckily, that table seats 8 and only two people eat at it regularly -- and both of us love plants.

(I've cleaned the bits of potting media, off both plant and surroundings now.)

Amanda
akrrm (Nancy in NJ 7a)
10 years ago
Very beautiful and it looks great it that pot. Nice find.
Amanda (asarumgreenpanda, z6MA) thanked akrrm (Nancy in NJ 7a)
Amanda (asarumgreenpanda, z6MA)
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you, akrrm.
NextObsession?
10 years ago
You have a very beautiful companion for meals now; I've been know to lunch or have tea with some of my favorite plants. What a difference a new pot makes eh?
Russ1023 (central Fla)
10 years ago
Amanda, good choice on keeping the plant in one clump. Your excellent, shallow pot looks like one the better Italian-made ones, some of the pots coming out of Mexico are rough and will deteriorate after only a couple of years.

You're right, this is S. masoniana, you can easily propagate it from a leaf cutting if you're interested in doing that one day. Before it got a 'real' name, it was called Mason's Congo. Laughably, some Ebay sellers have called it Whale's Tail.

Leaves can grow to nearly 3 feet tall. Years ago I saw an old one this size at the now-defunct Alberts and Merkel Nursery in Boynton Beach Fla, planted in a huge tub. Rhizomes can be an astounding 4 inches thick.

Best, Russ
Amanda (asarumgreenpanda, z6MA)
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Thank you.

Next Obsession, sorry to have missed your post here. Agreed: plants make fabulous dining companions. (I've been breakfasting with a Peperomia argyreia for some time now. Really sets a positive tone for the day.) And I love the instant improvements a new pot can bring.

Russ, I appreciate the confirmation, information and advice. I'm not sure where that pot comes from -- I've had it for 10-12 years and I didn't check when I put the masoniana in it. I do collect terra cotta pots, though. I used to live near a nursery that carried really, really nice Impruneta Italian pots. They had a once-yearly clearance event and I acquired a few of those pots that way.

I think it's cool that, not only can a new pot change the look of a plant, as Next Obsession was saying, but also a new plant inhabitant can totally change the look of a pot.

Amanda