Inside Jerome’s lush indoor jungle: a hundred houseplants in one apartment
Jerome Balagbagan has created ideal conditions in his home for showy-leaved tropical houseplants that love humidity and bright light. Besides monsteras, he has an ever more impressive array of philodendrons, prayer plants, and anthuriums. Read on for Jerome’s houseplant tips!
Originally from the Philippines, Jerome Balagbagan recalls a large monstera from his childhood that climbed against the neighbor’s house, forming a massive, deep-green thicket.
“I thought it was terribly ugly. It wasn’t until I began growing houseplants myself that I realized how magnificent it truly was. Now I hope to have one like that someday.”
So far, Jerome’s own monsteras in his apartment in Vantaa, Finland haven’t reached such grand proportions. The one that comes closest to its inspiration on the other side of the world is an ordinary green-leaf form, which grows lushly on a repurposed coat-rack stand. Jerome has placed a light beneath the plant to guide its relaxed growth toward the floor.
His collection of over a hundred plants also includes variegated monsteras—highly coveted rarities among trend-savvy houseplant enthusiasts. They’re smaller than the standard variety, yet even more eye-catching. In addition to monsteras, Jerome has increasingly striking philodendrons, prayer plants, and flamingo flowers.
“I think leaves are far more beautiful than any flower. I admire their wonderful shapes and colors, and the lovely sheen or velvety glow on their surfaces. Every new leaf is a reason to celebrate.”
Jerome discovered houseplants five years ago, in the aftermath of a profound loss one autumn. He had just moved from the Philippines to Finland and started working as a nurse when his grandfather suddenly passed away back home. Jerome was grief-stricken, and the dark, gloomy weather did nothing to lift his spirits.
“I had bought a cactus for my new home and noticed how incredibly good it made me feel. I realized that, like my grandfather, I was a plant person. I began acquiring more plants and fell in love with their lush ambiance. At times, I visited plant shops two or three times a week.”
Unfortunately, many of his plant purchases were short-lived at first. Jerome realized he knew little about plant care. The Finnish winter—a season with far too little humidity and light for most species—presented another challenge. He started learning more by watching YouTube videos and began adjusting conditions with extra lighting, heaters, humidifiers, and his own soil mixes.
“As my hobby grew, I started looking after the plants at my workplace, too—ones that families bring to cheer up older adults. I dream that one day I can combine both types of caregiving in my life.”
“I realized that, like my grandfather, I was a plant person.”
As his expertise grew, Jerome felt confident enough to bring increasingly unusual plants into his home. Anthuriums, he says, are the most demanding. They cannot handle even the slightest drying out—if they do, their fabulous leaves wilt and die. On the other hand, overwatering quickly leads to rot. Even flowering can indicate distress. For example, anthurium clarinervium started to bloom after falling from a shelf and injuring its leaves.
Uncommon houseplants are difficult to find in Finland and tend to be very expensive, so Jerome usually orders them from abroad. Once they arrive, he sprays them with neem oil to eliminate potential pests, then quarantines them for a week to ensure they won’t spread problems to his treasured collection.
Jerome’s houseplant tips:
- Start easy. Philodendrons are showy and far easier to care for than, say, fussy anthuriums. As a result, they reward even beginners.
- Spread out your care tasks. When you have many plants, go shelf by shelf. Besides watering, check the leaves so you can catch diseases and pests early. At the same time, wipe off any dust on the leaves.
- Provide more light. Low light puts a strain on houseplants, so extra illumination is necessary in winter. Variegated varieties in particular need more light than all-green types, since they have less chlorophyll for photosynthesis. In dimmer conditions, their variegation fades.
- Take cuttings. Many houseplants can be propagated quite easily from cuttings. Root them in water or place them directly in a porous potting mix. If you don’t need every new plant, they’re often in demand on houseplant social media pages.
- Seek out rarities. Online specialty shops abroad often have the best selection of unusual houseplants. Keep in mind that plants ordered from outside the EU must have a phytosanitary certificate.
8 x tropical houseplant
1. Prayer plant, Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana
Marantas, like philodendrons, are fairly easy houseplants to care for. The dark-striped variety has very ornamental leaves.
2. Macodes sanderiana ’Jewel Orchid’
These small specimens, known as jewel orchids, are grown for their dazzling leaves.
3. Swiss cheese plant ’Albo’, monstera deliciosa var. borsigiana
Variegated monstera forms are trending now. The “little monstera” grows more modestly than the more common variety.
4. Philodendron ’Ring of Fire’, philodendron
A very rare but much-desired variety, each leaf is unique—colors range from yellow to orange and even pink.
5. Rhaphidophora tetrasperma
It looks and behaves like monstera, but stays much smaller in size.
6. Mexican breadfruit plant, monstera adansonii
A relative of monstera deliciosa, this plant’s leaves have showy holes.
7. Clear-veined clamingo flower, anthurium clarinervium
Grown for its large, gorgeous leaves, it thrives with plenty of bright, diffused light. Direct sunlight can scorch its foliage.
8. Prayer plant, Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana ’Variegata’
This variegated type is rare, and even small plants cost several dozen euros. It’s also sold under the name ‘Beauty Kim’.
Corrected on October 25, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. to update the spellings of flamingokukka and Maranta leuconeura.
On November 5, 2021, at 12:15 p.m., the names of aarnipeikonlehti and the kerchoveana variety of paavonnukkumatti were corrected.
