indoor house plants that won't die on you
Don't let anyone fool you — growing indoor plants is easy, and
just as fun as having an outdoor garden.
Indoor plants not
only help clean the environment around them, but they act as a quick decorating tool.
We found 15 indoor house plants that anyone can keep alive and thriving. If
you've got kids or pets, do note before you buy: some may be toxic.
Pothos
Why you want it: First of all, this
indoor plant has an air-purifying quality that can absorb and
strip toxins like formaldehyde from materials in the home like carpet. How neat
is that? It has trailing stems and works well in a hanging basket or as a
climbing plant with some training onto a trellis or whatever object you like
that will support it.
How to care for it: This indoor house
plant can produce stems that trail 8 feet or longer, so just cut them back when
they get too long and your plant will continue to look full and healthy. It can
thrive in an array of lighting conditions, but low light may diminish the
leaves' variegation. Allow soil to dry somewhat between watering. Pothos does
well in an array of normal room temperatures.
Aloe
Why you want it: This succulent with
long pointed leaves has medicinal properties you probably well know from
product labels. It can grow three feet high for big impact indoors. Smaller
varieties like the popular aloe vera, work great in small, sunny indoor spaces.
How to care for it: Aloe likes room
temperatures around 70 degrees and a lot of sunlight. As you might expect for a
succulent, this indoor house plant prefers dry soil, so avoid frequent watering
for the best result.
Spider
Plant
Why you want it: These
unusual-looking indoor plants add visual interest to a room, and they haven't
fallen out of fashion after years of popularity in the home. Spider plants come
in a number of varieties, and work well as hanging plants.
How to care for it: Spider plants do
well with evenly moist soil and bright or medium lighting conditions. Room
temperatures of 60 to 75 degrees keep them thriving.
English
Ivy
Why you want it: There's a real
timeless elegance to ivy, and it trails down furniture for a pretty effect.
Plus, it's super easy to start a new plant for yourself or a friend by cutting
a section of the stem. Instant hostess gift! (OK, not completely instant. It
takes about two weeks or so.)
How to care for it: English Ivy likes
moist soil and cooler room temperature conditions, ranging from the mid-50s to
about 70.
Jade
Plant
Why you want it: For those who love
the look of a succulent — not to mention, the ease of care — a jade plant
offers thick, lush leaves and visually interesting branches. It grows slowly
and has the potential to live from your kids' birth until their high school
graduations — at least! It also looks great in a pretty pot when paired with
other succulent varieties.
How to care for it: Jade plant does not
require a lot of water, so keep soil somewhat dry. It prefers bright light and
ordinary room temperatures.
Rubber
Tree
Why you want it: This easy-to-grow
indoor house plant will grow into an 8-foot-tall tree for a major pop of greenery
in a room. If you prefer a smaller plant, just make your rubber tree into a
shrub shape by pruning any long stems. The dark green leaves have an attractive
shine to them.
How to care for it: Allow the surface of
the rubber tree's soil to dry out in between watering. It thrives in lighting
conditions from medium to bright, and a range of room temperatures between
about 60 and 80.
Diffenbachia
Why you want it: The leaves of this
pretty indoor plant can grow up to a foot long, and provide a tropical-looking
accent to home decor. The whole plant can grow six feet high for a cheery room
focal point.
How to care for it: Diffenbachia thrives
in normal room temperature not colder than the mid-60s. Keep the soil evenly
moist, and provide medium or low lighting conditions for the best result.
Peace
Lily
Why you want it: Surely you've seen
this indoor house plant in many homes, since it has such pretty, curving white
blooms and dark leaves — and it's super easy to grow.
How to care for it: This house plant
favors low humidity and also low light, making it great for rooms with few
windows. It prefers moist soil throughout the pot and tolerates standard
temperatures ranging to about 85 degrees.
Snake
Plant
Why you want it: It doesn't get much
easier than this indoor house plant—also sometimes known as mother-in-law's
tongue! It has variegated leaves that grow upright, and some varieties' leaves
have yellow or white edges. It has small white flowers that bloom only rarely.
How to care for it: This indoor plant
grows well in a whole range of lighting conditions. The air should be somewhat
dry, as should the soil. Any normal room temperature should suit it just fine.
Ficus
Why you want it: This indoor tree has
shiny leaves to add cheer to any indoor space. Its stems can be braided for a
tidy topiary effect we love.
How to care for it: This tree likes full
sun, or at least bright filtered light. Most varieties (there are about 800!)
prefer several days of dry soil in between thorough watering. Room temperatures
between 65 to 75 degrees work best.
Heart-Leaf
Philodendron
Why you want it: This is a trailing
indoor house plant that loves to make its way down from mantles or bookshelves.
Its perky, dark green leaves come to a heart shape where they meet the stems.
How to care for it: This may be the
quintessentially easy indoor plant. It thrives in a range of
lighting conditions, from low to sunny, preferring indirect light. It does well
anywhere close to standard room temperature. Let the surface of the soil dry
between watering; it should not be constantly wet.
Peperomia
Why you want it: A whole array of
small indoor house plants with textured, shiny, often colorful leaves fit into
this category. Some popular and attractive — and easy-to-manage — indoor
varieties include watermelon, red-edge and ripple peperomias.
How to care for it: Peperomias favor
indoor temps from about 60 to 75 degrees and medium or low lighting conditions.
The surface of the soil should dry out between watering.
Shamrock
Plant
Why you want it: This jaunty indoor
house plant has bright green leaves that look like shamrocks, plus sweet white
flowers on tall stems.
How to care for it: This house plant
loves bright but indirect or filtered light. Allow the soil to dry out a bit
between watering thoroughly about once per week.
Fiddle-Leaf
Fig
Why you want it: This lovely indoor tree (actually a species
of ficus) has large, dark-green leaves that seem to form the vague outline of a
fiddle or violin — that's how it gets its name.
How to care for it: This indoor plant
likes room temperatures between about 65 and 75 degrees, and exposure to bright
to medium light. The surface of the soil should dry out slightly between watering.
If it starts to look a bit pale, try moving it to somewhere less bright.
Areca
Palm
Why you want it: This pretty indoor
house palm is a great inspiration if you're dreaming of tropical climates— or
just trying to conjure the look in your home decor. It can grow to about 7 feet
for a dramatic touch in a room, but a smaller pot will keep it contained if
you'd like it to stay smaller
How to care for it: The areca palm does
well in indirect light. Keep the soil somewhat dry, only watering on alternate
weeks or so.
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