21 zebra plant care instructions [aphelandra squarrosa indoors Guide]

Aphelandra squarrosa, often referred to as the Zebra Plant, is a tropical shrub native to Brazil. It’s known for being a houseplant with large green and white leaves and brilliant blooms, and it’s usually cultivated indoors.

Whenever a Zebra plant is in bloom (typically in late summertime or early fall), it produces long golden flowers that can attain many inches in length as well as a quantity of two to four per shrub, which could last up to six weeks.

The Zebra plant, as with several tropical trees and shrubs, can sometimes be difficult to cultivate indoors, particularly in colder climates.

The Zebra Plant Care indoor and maintenance is very crucial. To grow, the Aphelandra squarrosa demands a lot of humidity, sunlight, as well as nourishment, and indoor circumstances aren’t always ideal for the houseplant. A Zebra plant, given the appropriate focus and concern, may live for many quarters, if not the entire year.

Let us discuss everything step by step on how to care for zebra plants indoors in this article. For both old and new farmers thinking about cultivating zebra plants, the instructions in this article will make your planting easier.

This unique plant would be a lovely alternative for indoor cultivation but unless you know how to properly care for it. Let’s go through how to properly tend and manage your zebra plant as well as everything you should be doing.

Zebra Plant (Aphelandra squarrosa) Plant Profile

Are Zebra Plants Easy To Grow As Houseplants?

Aphelandra squarrosa (zebra plant) is a sensitive houseplant. It is always cultivated for its gorgeous golden blooms and brilliantly patterned leaves.

If provided the proper upkeep and situational factors, the zebra plant thrives inside. It is, nevertheless, a sensitive plant that may quickly drop its leaves and grow leggy if not properly cared for.

Although the golden or yellow bloom leaves which grow for around six weeks are beautiful, the Aphelandra squarrosa (botanical term) leaves on their own renders the plant a wonderful indoor decorative plant.

The Indoor Benefits Of Aphelandra Zebra Plant

We’ve compiled and outlined a few of the advantages of owning zebra plants as well as recommend reasons you ought to obtain one as well.

1. Zebra Plant Upkeep is simple

• The zebra plant is without uncertainty one of the most tricky plants to grow. They demand very little water and very little sunshine. They might appear fragile, but they only want a small amount of assistance.
• The sunshine must be absolutely moderate, which means not too much or far less light, simply the right amount of warmth for the plant. Irrigation must be conducted on a schedule, and pesticides are not necessarily required.
• Therefore, for people who hate having plants at home since they are difficult and time-demanding, this indoor plant would be the ideal option.

2. Zebra Plants Are Ideal Present

• Zebra plants are an excellent present for anybody in your circle who enjoys interior design or merely enjoys decorating their home.
• Zebra flowers might be among the greatest living room decorations, as well as the quality air cleanser for showers, as well as the ideal good fortune for bedrooms.
• This plant appears to be the ideal match for each and every corner and cranny of a house or workplace, plus it will blend in seamlessly with its surroundings.

3. Zebra Plants Are Weather-appropriate

Zebra Plants can survive in every weather condition, excluding winter. Springs are the most beloved season for  Aphelandra Zebra Plant. Even when grown inside, springtime will provide one of the greatest growing conditions for Zebra plants.

4. Zebra plants appear to be attractive, fascinating, and luxurious

This has been said before, and it will be repeated once again. The Zebra plant would be one of your home’s most appealing features.

It’s a lovely ornamental plant that has an elegant appearance and is a visual delight. Its bunches of thick foliage make it a unique attraction and the patterns add to the shaped appearance. It may be displayed on just about any desk or shelf.

This may be a lovely addition to your bedroom, an elegant sign in the living area, and a wonderful refresher in the shower.

5. It improves mental wellness

The Zebra plant, as an indoor and low-maintenance plant, might be the finest to have for mental wellness feeding and comfort, and you will unknowingly be impacted by it.

Taking Care Of A Zebra Plant– 6 things to remember

Find below cruscial instructons for Aphelandra squarossa care indoors ;

1. Temperature And Humidity

• Zebra plants thrive in mild conditions which must be at most 60 degrees Fahrenheit and should never go under 55 degrees Fahrenheit, according to their tropic roots.
• Zebra plant care also requires a high level of humidity, thus its environment must be managed at 60 to 70% humidity. If these circumstances cannot be attained normally inside, a humidifier could be used to enhance humidity rates.
• Ultimately, preserve your plant at a consistent temperature by preventing large temperature swings in either way and moving it far from any openings that may cause it to get too cold or hot, like an air conditioner.

2. Soil

The recommended soil for Zebra care is moderate to acidic soil. Regarding a Zebra plant, a multi-purpose gardening mix would be enough, you may also add sand to guarantee that the medium drains effectively.

If you want a blooming zebra plant, nourish it each one to two weeks throughout its planting period, which is summer and spring.

3. Water

Aphelandra plant, as previously said, like continuously wet soil, might require some technique because over-watering could induce the leaves to droop.

Refresh your Zebra plant to saturate every few weeks, perhaps as soon as you see the soil running dry, let the water thoroughly enter the soil till it flows out of the discharge openings in your pot.

To simulate the factors of tropical rainfall, the temperature of the water must be somewhat warm.

4. Fertilizer

The application of fertilizer can considerably aid the development of the Zebra plant, particularly in terms of its capability to blossom.

The Zebra plant must be nourished each seven to fourteen days throughout its prime growing period, usually spring and early summer time, utilizing a fertilizer that is good for both leaves and blooms.

5. Pruning

Maintain a watch out for your flower petals. It’s critical to cut blooms as soon as they fade. Bottom foliage may begin to wilt and drop off if left in the position for too long. Just stems with bunches of leaves at the tip will be left untouched.

Whenever the flower dies, trim the stems as well as leaves down to a pair of leaflets at the plant’s root. During the spring, this will stimulate a larger growth rate.

6. Light

Since they are accustomed to developing underneath a cover of trees in the tropical rainforests, zebra plants flourish in indirect sunshine or partial shade. Direct sunshine can burn the foliage and must be prevented, while total shadow will prevent your plant from blooming.

Is Zebra Houseplant Harmful For Pets?

Toxic plants can be found in any home or yard. Try to ensure you’re not cultivating anything poisonous near your residence as well as your yard if you own dogs or young children that put items in their mouths or end up taking tastings of lush green leaves.

Luckily, zebra plant flowers are non-toxic to pets, based on the hazardous plant catalogue of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The fluid from zebra plants could induce skin itchiness in certain humans with allergic reactions or fragile skin despite the fact that it is not harmful to dogs and other animals.

Precautionary measures

Since zebra plants need a lot of attention and pruning of withered foliage, it’s advisable to handle them with gloves to prevent putting sap onto your skin.

Indoor Propagation Of Aphelandra Zebra Houseplant

Zebra plant propagation should be done in the spring via clipped stems from the parent plant. To enhance your likelihood of effective replication, clip two- to three inches long parts of the stem from the plant’s lateral stalks then dip the clipped edges in a rooting stimulant.

Propagate zebra plant in a suitable climate. If your area doesn’t really usually retain a warmth of approximately 70 degrees, put the stem tips in a container loaded with wet soil and lay it atop a thermal mat.

The stems would also require a lot of dampness to establish healthy roots, thus increasing the moisture content by developing in a sealed glass tank or covering your pot with cotton may be beneficial.

Root development takes about a month, maintaining an eye out for fresh foliage on the plant’s top since this is a promising sign of development beneath the ground level as well.

Guidelines For Potting And Repotting Zebra Plants

• Aphelandra potting starts with the soil, as it does with other houseplants. Tropical plants require soil that is both wet and drains well.
• The root systems will decay if there isn’t adequate drainage. When it comes to cultivating zebra houseplants, wet feet is perhaps the most common reason for failing. Nevertheless, if there isn’t enough water, the leaves may droop.
• One component soil, two components peat moss, and two components perlite make up an excellent potting medium These conditions can also be met with a high-quality African violet blend.
• When planting your fresh Aphelandra zebra plant in a pot, make sure to water well and let any extra water flow out the base. The plant must be maintained damp, not drenched, from there on out.
• Fertilize using a half-strength fluid fertilizer mix every now and then. If you apply excess water to your plant, it will get lanky.
• The next hurdle to overcome while potting zebras indoors is moisture level. Mist your plants numerous times each week.
• Zebra plants would require repotting as time goes by. This must be performed every two years during the spring. These plants despise being confined to a container.

Zebra Plants: Usual Issues and Remedies

Whenever one of these plants doesn’t end up making it to the next springtime, it’s not unusual. Applying every one of the previously listed upkeep requirements, i.e., water, temperature, and fertilizer, will enable a Zebra houseplant to blossom the following season.

Usual issues with zebra plants include;

Leaves falling: This might be due to a lack of moisture in the ground, too much chilly air, breezes, as well as too much sunshine. I will recommend that you rule out some of the probable factors that are unlikely to be the reason, for example, winter, which is unlikely to be sunshine and alter the circumstances to rectify the probable reasons.

Browning of the leaf ends: Reduced humidity is by far the most common cause of browning leaf ends. If it doesn’t work, try sprinkling, and if that doesn’t work, try increasing the humidity as indicated above.

Brown Tips And Drooping Of Zebra Plants

• Insufficient watering and overwatering are equally harmful to zebra plants. It’s possible that your zebra plant’s brown ends are due to a lack of moisture.
• These signs could be seen in other types of zebra plants like Aphelandra hartwegiana. If your aphelandra houseplant is becoming brownish or your houseplant develops brown ends, it is most likely due to dehydration.
• Hydrating your Zebra plant might be difficult considering excessive amounts of water or far too little amount of water will make the leaves drop fast.
• If you don’t give your plants adequate water, they’ll droop and lose their bottom leaves.

Controlling Pests And Diseases In Zebra Plants

Pests

• Infestation by whiteflies is a potential. The plant fluid would be sucked by these small flying insects, creating yellowish spots on the foliage.

• To fight them, uproot and kill plant development that is heavily infected. Adults should be caught using yellow sticky lures. It’s also ideal to utilize insecticidal soap.

• Fluffy white mealybugs might also be a problem. They attach to the foliage and cause harm in the same way as whiteflies do. You could eliminate them with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol. Sprinkle neem oil on your plant’s foliage to discourage them from returning.

Diseases

• Botrytis blight can develop around the margins of leaves, causing them to droop. Spores will also develop on the base of the leaf forming a gray-tan area.

• When it comes to leaf stains as well as botrytis blight, a copper-based fungicidal application is a right alternative. To destroy the fungus, treatment might have to be done several times. Try to prevent watering from above, and only spray when you’re certain the liquid will dry.

• Stem rot caused by Phytophthora causes dark, mushy sores near the ground level. Due to the harm, the facility will eventually disintegrate. When water splashes contaminated dirt up onto the root level, this occurs.

Since there is no treatment for Phytophthora stem rot, avoidance is the safest option.

Ways to Grow Aphelandra Zebra Plants and Get Them to Flourish

Your zebra houseplant would go through semi-dormancy in the early winter. The development will be limited, and thankfully for some individuals who reside in colder areas, the plant prefers somewhat cooler temps. Allow the soil to dry up little, yet water it less regularly.

During the winter season, you’ll notice fresh development and must water every two weeks utilizing a mild fertilizer mix. Transfer your plant to the best possible place and hydrate abundantly as side branches appear and fresh flower heads appear.

Summer is the blooming season for zebra plants, and the yellowish, orange, even red-tinged flower is produced by the stems. The real blooms fade away in a matter of days, but the vibrant stems can last for weeks.

FAQs on Zebra Plant Care Instructions

Conclusion

The zebra plant care, Aphelandra squarrosa, is a great choice. The fascinating leaves and the development of lovely flowers are your compensation for taking such good care of your plant.

Did you find Zebra Plant Care Instructions? helpful? Please follow GardeningLovy Pinterest and leave a comment below, share it, like it, rate it. Write to us Here. We, as a blogger, need all the help, motivation, and appreciation. This small help for Subscribing and sharing on social media will be appreciated! 

Also find below interesting gardening articles.

• 15 Pruning Fig Trees Tips: How To Trim A Fig Tree [Fig Bush]
• 15+ Polka Dot Plant Care Tips: How To Grow Hypoestes Indoors
• 15 Yellow Dot Plant Ground Cover Care Tips
• How To Care For A Fern Indoors, Outdoors [Step By Step] Guide

Olivia

My name is Olivia, and I live in the United States and love having plants in my garden. Lots of plants are there on my balcony, indoor and outdoor garden also. Here I am trying to share useful gardening tips, how to grow and care for various plants, etc.