Six plants seen at the movies to have at home

Harry Potter's Mandrake, Avatar's World Tree and Rapunzel's Golden Flower may not exist, but other species seen in the movies are real! Cinephile and plant-addict, would you like to combine your two passions? Monstera reveals its selection of plants seen in the movies and explains how to grow them.

In Luc Besson's Léon, Natalie Portman stars alongside Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and an Aglaonema commutatum. The variegated plant is first cultivated by Léon, the tender-hearted hitman, then becomes Mathilda's protégé. If you haven't seen the film, stop here. Otherwise, you should know that Mathilda inherits the aglaonema plant after the death of her friend, and plants it in the garden of her chic new private school.

Which is a disastrous idea. The film is set in New York City, a region with a continental climate. Summers are scorching and winters freezing. Aglaonema commutatum is native to the Philippines, and can't stand it when the mercury drops below 7°C. The plant can therefore be grown in pots and indoors. Once you've solved the temperature problem, maintenance is easy. This species forgives forgetfulness and over-watering. Nevertheless, be sure to water it when the substrate is dry by about three centimetres.

In Karate Kid: The Moment of Truth, Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel LaRusso, in addition to karate, the art of pruning Juniperus procumbens bonsai-style. The miniature trees are featured again in subsequent installments, particularly in Karate Kid 3, where the apprentice and his mentor open a store to sell their specimens.

Let's hope Daniel and Mr. Miyagi sell something other than Juniperus procumbens in their store! Indeed, this variety is not the most suitable for long-term bonsai cultivation. It has poor resistance to excess water, disease and pinching. If you want to start growing miniature junipers, choose a rigid juniper (Juniperus rigida) or a Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis). If you're just starting out, choose a Ficus retusa, Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) or Mountain maple (Acer palmatum).

The rose (Rosa) in Beauty and the Beast is much more than an accessory. The red flower, under a bell in Disney's version, symbolizes the curse that strikes the Beast, the passage of time and the happy ending.

The fact that the rose withers inside the castle may not be due to magic alone. After all, roses are outdoor plants. They need plenty of sunshine and temperature variations. What's more, indoors, air circulation around the plant is not always sufficient and can cause fungal diseases such as powdery mildew and rust. Outdoors too, your rose is exposed to certain dangers. It can also be attacked by aphids and red spiders. To simplify your life, choose a cultivar that's resistant to disease and parasites! They come in all colors!

Wondering what Tokyo's public toilets have to do with the japanese Maple (Acer japonicum)? The answer can be found in Wim Wenders' Perfect Days. The feature follows the daily life of Hirayama, who maintains the Japanese capital's designer toilets. A conscientious and solitary employee, he loves '70s rock and trees. He photographs them during his lunch break. At weekends, he prunes, repots and waters the young Japanese maples with their colorful, cut-out leaves that he collects at home.

Taking Japanese maple cuttings is a perilous undertaking, especially for a beginner. But cultivating a shrub at home is within the reach of almost all gardeners. Acer japonicum can be planted outdoors, in the ground or in a pot in part-shade. Like hydrangeas and camellias, it is an acid-loving plant. Add heather soil to your garden soil or potting mix to provide an environment suited to its needs.

What if, in Spike Jonze's Adaptation, the real star wasn't Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep or even Tilda Swinton, but an elusive flower: the ghost orchid(Dendrophylax lindenii)? Strange and mysterious, this rare orchid becomes everyone's obsession, especially in the book that screenwriter Charlie Kaufman - played by Nicolas Cage in the midst of an existential crisis - is desperately trying to adapt. Between reality and fiction, botanical quest and chaotic introspection, this leafless flower crystallizes the hero's desires, frustrations... And disappointments.

The ghost orchid will give you plenty of trouble in real life too. It costs just a few dozen euros, but very few producers keep it in stock. Once you've got your hands on the precious plant, the hardest part remains. In the absence of foliage, this variety survives solely on its aerial roots. What's more, Dendrophylax lindenii requires a high level of humidity and cannot tolerate limestone. Grow your specimen in a terrarium and water it with rainwater only.

We recently told you about the male Ginkgo biloba whose roots can damage roads. In Julie Bertuccelli's The Tree, Charlotte Gainsbourg plays a young widow struggling with a Moreton Bay fig tree (Ficus macrophylla) whose roots threaten the foundations of her house. She is advised to cut down the tree, but cannot bring herself to do so: her daughter is convinced that this fig tree with its aerial roots and elliptical leaves is home to her father's soul..

Ficus macrophylla is generally grown outdoors, as it easily reaches 35 meters in height. It is found mainly in botanical gardens and parks in southern Europe, where its shade is much appreciated. Elsewhere, it's best grown in pots, indoors or in a greenhouse. The plant requires very regular watering, once the substrate has dried on the surface.