Orchids are highly susceptible to taxonomic shifts because they produce so many hybrids and are difficult to keep steady. Then scientists go snooping into the wild with something that should be a certain genus but is just a tiny bit different. The next thing you know, there is a new species or at least a new subspecies. All of the species in one family, however, are related.

We have some wonderful Families in Costa Rica. One of them is the Araceae family, a family which includes the peace lily, or to Linnaeus, the Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum, and yes, his names can get long and tiring.

Whenever you have wandered or hiked or even sat under a tree in Costa Rica, you have probably bumped into an Araceae family member. Peace lilies are everywhere and easily spotted by their flowers, but the philodendron, which clings to many of our trees and is grown in containers or on trellises, is an arum. Look closely at philodendron, and you may see it in flower, a flower vaguely like that of the peace lily.

The Monstera genus is another local climber in the Family. Some are notable for their juvenile leaves that are broad, heart-shaped and lie flat against the trunk of the host tree near the ground, then spread out as they find sun.

Surprisingly, one of our old favorite houseplants from northern climes, the dieffenbachia, is an Araceae and we have several wild dieffenbachia species in Costa Rica. The giant tabacón, Anthurium salvinii, which can have leaves two meters long, is a favorite in many shade gardens; in fact, many of the Araceae family prefer shade to full sun.

If you are growing caladium for their colorful leaves, you are growing plants in the Araceae family.

So, welcome to the Araceae Family and happy growing.