Under greenhouse conditions, a pot experiment was conducted during 2003/04 and 2004/05 seasons to investigate the effects of growing media at 1:1:1 (v/v/v): clay (C)+sand (S), C+S+vermiculite (V), C+S+peatmoss (PM), C+S+perlite (PL), C+PM+V and C+PM+PL, on the growth and chemical composition of 2 F. alii (or F. maclellandi) cultivars. The mixtures of C+PM+PL, C+S+V and C+S+PM produced the tallest plants, whereas C+PM+PL recorded the thickest stems of Green. C+S+PL showed the thickest stems of Variegata. Green formed higher number of leaves than Variegata and C+PM+PL and C+PM+V recorded the highest number of leaves of Green and Variegata, respectively. Growing Green in C+S+PL and Variegata in C+PM+V increased the leaf area. The leaf fresh weight of Green was significantly heavier than that of Variegata and using C+PM+PL and C+PM+V increased the fresh weights of Green and Variegata. C+PM+V increased the leaf dry weight of Green and C+PM+PL increased the leaf dry weight of Variegata. Green had heavier and longer branches than Variegata. C+PM+V had a favourable effect on increasing the number and length of branches of Green, whereas Variegata formed more and longer branches when grown on C+S+PM and C+PM+V. The root fresh weight of Green increased in C+S+PL and C+S. The root fresh weights of Variegata increased in C+S+PM. C+S+V showed the highest content of chlorophyll a in leaves of Green and Variegata. Growing Green in C+PM+PL and Variegata in C+S+V increased the content of carbohydrates in leaves whereas the highest content of carbohydrates in roots of Green and Variegata was obtained on media containing V. C+S+PL showed the highest N content in leaves and stems of Green and Variegata. Growing Green in C+S+PM and Variegata in C+S+V increased K content in leaves.