Question
Hi,
I was given a houseplant about two weeks ago and I'm afraid that I'm killing it.  Unfortunately I have no idea the plant name.  It has many pink flowers that are white in the middle with a yellow dot in the very middle.  The flowers have five lobed petals and they are fused together at the base.  The leaves remind me of a Gerber Daisy's.  They are dark green, textured (raised and bumpy), and have a main vein running down the middle of them with veins running diagonally from it to the edge of the leaf.  All the diagonal veins are parallel to each other.  All the leaves grow from one main stem, so there is no alternate or opposite stem placement of the leaves.
My problem was that after a couple of days the leaves began to lose their luster and turned a light yellow starting in the oldest leaves on the edges and then slowly the whole leaf turns yellow.  The new leaves haven't started to turn yellow yet.  Also the flowers died and the buds have not bloomed.  I don't think they're going to, I'm afraid they have died.  So I'm not sure what to do for my plant, please help!

Answer
Hi Penny,

From your brief description, I am guessing that you may have a Primrose of some type. If you can email a photo to my address below, I may be able to provide a more positive ID.

In any case, you probably have a plant that is not really intended for use indoors. Annuals are often sold at this time of year because they are pretty, but they have little chance of surviving in the reduced light, constantly warm temps, and low humidity of our homes.

From your description of the condition of your plant, it is probably not going to make it and it definitely will not flower again.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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