The Clusia rosea Princess is a member of the Clusiaceae family and is native to the rainforests of the Caribbean, the United States and South America. In these countries the Clusia is often planted as a shrub. A Clusia grows everywhere, in its natural environment it tolerates salty air, sandy areas and a lot of light, but it will also grow in swamps.

Growth habit

The Clusia rosea Princess is a strong plant with leathery, oval green leaves, which shine beautifully. The leaves grow in pairs on the stems and can grow up to 15 to 20 cm in size. If a Clusia rosea Princess gets a lot of sun, the leaves develop a special red leaf edge. The branches of a Clusia rosea Princess are green at first, but over time they will become lignified and change to a brown color. Side branches are sometimes made in the axils of the leaves. A Clusia can grow up to 15 meters high.

When the Clusia lives in moist conditions, it produces aerial roots. This means it can also live as an epiphyte. An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant, but not at the expense of this plant. She will use her roots from the tree to look for soil and ultimately dominate the other tree. Over the years, special root structures can develop.

Naming

The Clusia rosea Princess was created through selection and is distinguished by a smaller leaf structure and branching.

It is known as 'apple fig', but also has another nickname: Autograph Tree. You can make drawings on the sheet that remain visible for a very long time.

In Tropical countries the leaves are much described; names of loved ones are engraved on the leaf or drawings are made on the leaf.

Bloom

Clusias can bloom with striking white and pink flowers. The scientific species name, Clusia rosea, refers to the color of the flower: white with pink accents. The flowers develop in older specimens and in tropical temperatures. After flowering, green berries form, these are round in shape and can grow up to 8 cm in size. These fruits only ripen in the tropics, the flowers rarely appear on indoor plants, just like the green berries that can form after flowering.

Air purifying effect

Nowadays, houses, offices and schools are very well insulated. Beneficial for the energy bill, but unhealthy when it comes to clean air. A lot of waste remains. Substances that you do not see but that attack your body unnoticed. Many technical installations have been developed to create a better and healthier living environment.

What everyone ignores is that nature has an excellent alternative! Plants purify the air. Scientific research shows that the Clusia rosea Princess is a real green bodygard! It appears to be an enormous air purifier and actively combats harmful substances such as formaldehyde and benzene. With air-purifying plants in your living environment you feel comfortable, performance is improved and health complaints are reduced.

Hydroponics

Based on our passion for plants, we started experimenting to make the roots more visible. We allowed the Clusia rosea Princess to root in water. The great thing is that you see the plant develop and grow because it is in the water. The beautiful roots in a glass vase with water, it is literally back to the roots!

Our company now offers a range of hydroponics in different types and sizes of glass and it is an ever-expanding branch within our company. Caring for plants in water is very simple: never submerge the plant itself, only the roots. A small layer where only the roots are in the water is sufficient. Every other month, rinse the roots and add fresh water to the glass.