Tightly curled leaves are unique to the Shangri-La Money Plant 

Expert advice on identifying and caring for the unique Shangri-La Money Plant and other common garden queries. Read more at straitstimes.com.

What is this plant? The leaves are always closed.

Mary Ann Chan

The Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum) cultivar you have is likely a mutation called Shangri-La. It is part of a series of Money Plant cultivars bred by the Terunoworld business in Japan. Due to its curled, crinkled leaves, this cultivar is also known as the Sleeping Pothos and Spinach Pothos. 

When I cut open this papaya, I found no seed inside except for an embryo-like growth. The plant it is from was growing in a pot for months with minimal attention. As it grew, I replanted it in the ground. Is the papaya safe to eat?

Chong Toh Kuan

This phenomenon is vivipary, where a plant’s seeds or embryos germinate prematurely. It can be caused by environmental stress such as fruit development during hot and wet weather. However, the fruit is safe to eat.