The Geo Plant (Geogenanthus Ciliatus): Plant Care and Growing Guide – House Plants Expert

Geogenanthus Ciliatus is a rare flowering plant that originates from the Commelinaceae family. Native to Peru and Ecuador, this exotic plant is extremely dark in color and sometimes features dark purple patterning on its foliage. It’s a remarkable-looking plant that looks like something out of a fantasy film. However, it’s super attractive and will definitely catch your guests’ attention.

Originally, this plant grows in the rainforest, predominantly on the ground, so water and humidity are needed to keep this plant. This plant is pretty flexible – it can be grown either in a flowerbed or in a pot, where it’ll serve as a dark, colorful addition guaranteed to spruce up your garden.

Geogenanthus Ciliatus Care

The key to caring for your Geo plant is to try and imitate its natural rainforest habitat. Plenty of water and humidity, varying levels of sunlight, and specific soil requirements are all essential for keeping your geo plant happy.

If you have a busy schedule and have a history of neglecting your plants, this one may not be for you. The geo plant requires a little more attention and love, but its striking appearance will make it worth your while. Here are some of the most important things to consider when caring for your geo plant.

Light

This plant is used to sitting on the rainforest floor. It means it is often sheltered by trees but remains in a bright area. If you want to store this plant inside, choose a fairly dark place in your home. Partial light is important, but make sure to keep it away from direct sunlight as this can harm the gorgeous foliage and will damage the color of the leaves.

Those who want to store their geo plants inside should know that artificial light can be used if your house really struggles with light. Inflorescent bulbs are flexible and give you the opportunity to create the perfect light environment for your geo plant. If you want to store this plant outside, you will need to find an area of moderate shade where it will not access direct sunlight.

Water

Watering a houseplant is one of the most important considerations in the care of the geo plant. The soil should be checked once every couple of days to check that the soil is moist.

You cannot let this plant dry out completely. It prefers to stay wet, or at least moist. If you’re keeping the geo plant inside, it will take more maintenance. You’ll need to monitor how much water you’re giving the geo plant and keep an eye on the soil. If you’re keeping it outside, you need to consider rainfall.

Feeding

This plant grows during the spring and summer and will need some extra help during that period. Organic liquid fertilizers are recommended for this species, but they should be diluted. Maintaining a balanced ratio of 10-10-10 is a safe way of feeding your plant with the correct nutrients.

Be sure to dilute your fertilizer before equally distributing it across the soil surface. Fertilizer that is too concentrated can cause burns or can be toxic to the plant.

Temperature

Try and store your geo plant at a low to moderate temperature. This is obviously less flexible if you store it outside, but the average temperature guide of this plant should be between 10 and 23°C. If you experience significantly colder or hotter temperatures where you live, you should consider keeping this plant inside so you can control its environment more easily.

Humidity

High humidity is another reason why storing this plant inside is a good idea. Humidity in plants varies outside no matter where you live, and this inconsistency can be damaging to the plant’s health.

Misting your geo plant is a great way to raise its humidity levels regardless of whether it’s kept outside or inside but misting at least once a day is a great idea to keep the geo plant happy.

If you’re storing your plant inside and don’t have enough time to be misting your plant throughout the day, you can invest in a humidifier which should help raise humidity levels in your space. This plant will thrive on 60-90% humidity levels during the day, and 70-90% at night.

Re-potting

In general, the geo plant should be re-potted every year, however, the large and complex root system makes this plant a little harder to re-pot. Your plant may not have grown enough after one year to warrant re-potting, in which case you should leave it in its current container and monitor its growth.

Be gentle when you take it out of its current container and be careful when handling the delicate and intricate root system. When re-potting the houseplant, use fresh African violet mixture and be careful not to plant too deep, as this can suffocate the roots and cause root rot.

Potential Problems of Geogenanthus Ciliatus

This plant is sensitive to chemicals, so be careful when applying fertilizer. Too much fertilizer or using a highly concentrated fertilizer can cause the geo plant to stop absorbing water and nutrients correctly. Too much fertilizer can also contribute to the accumulation of salts in the soil. It can chemically harm roots and cause the plant to die.

If you notice the decline of your plant’s health it will most likely be down to unsuitable conditions. However, it could also be the result of a fungal or viral infection.

Root Rot

Root rot is common in geo plants because of the emphasis placed on watering this plant. Many owners are too concerned with watering that they often drown their plants, causing waterlogged soil, mold, and root rot.

Pests

The geo plant is also susceptible to odd visitors. Spider mites, thrips, and mealybugs are among the common pests that can eat away at your plant or cause viruses. Rubbing alcohols can be used to remove these pests and frequent misting can help prevent them from arriving.

Final Thoughts

The Geogenanthus Ciliatus plant is a must-have for plant lovers. Although it can be fussy, particularly with water and humidity, its dark and quirky appearance makes it an exotic favorite.

Elyssa Goins

Elyssa Goins is an experienced house plant hobbyist who maintains over a hundred plants. She is a gardener, beekeeper, and a proud mother of four.  She is a member of the American Horticultural Society, has a published study in the National Social Science Association, and loves to talk about her love of plants.  For the past twenty years, she’s been all about growing and caring for various fruits, veggies, herbs, livestock, kids, and houseplants. Managing a big garden to feed four growing kids and raising dairy goats has taught her so much about being an excellent plant parent and now is her time to share with you.