But what kind? Which types will actually survive and thrive in your space?
We don’t have time for fussy plants and neither do you. So today we’re giving you the plant rundown to help you reap what you sow.
The benefits of plants are quite numerous ranging from filtering and freshening the air to relieving stress…not to mention the aesthetic aspect of having living green art in your space.
Hooray for houseplants. Here’s 13 you don’t want to miss out on!
Kalanchoe (shown in the lead shot)
Why we love it…
Even the scalloped, dark green leaves never cease to stun on the kalanchoe plant. Most agree that they are just as attractive as the flowers themselves! But when it blooms…whoa. The tiny clusters of flowers form one big, bad bloom at the top of the thick stems. Gorgeous!
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Why you’ll love it…
Care is minimal! Translation. Easy plant to grow for all you brown-thumbed indoor growers. Fertilize once a month with houseplant food. Water kalanchoe deeply then back off. Let it dry out completely before adding more moisture. Plus, kalanchoe can be grown from cuttings. So buy one plant and get a ton more free of charge!
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Bromeliads
Why we love it…
We love bromeliads for their exotic look. Nuff said. Those bold and bright colors? Rave on. Although they bloom only once in their lifetime, the blooms last for months.
Just never use a metal container to water your bromeliad. They hate metal and are sensitive to it. Oh, and they would prefer a plastic pot because they retain their moisture better in plastic. And never use soil when potting your bromeliad. It is too dense and will not allow for the quick drainage that bromeliads require. Instead, use potting mixes specially formulated for bromeliads or mix your own using porous materials. |
Why you’ll love it…
You’ll love bromeliads because they aren’t needy like your 3-year-old, attract few pests, and rarely ask for fertilizer. Since they were built to withstand drought, you’re better off underwatering them than overwatering them which causes the roots to rot.
Don’t water the bromeliad again until at least the top two inches of potting media are dry. Make sure your potting media drains good, it’s what they prefer! |
Spider plant
Why we love it…
The spider plant is the typical middle child. Adaptable. Easy. Goes with the flow.
So the spider plant isn’t too fussy over water. Keep the soil moist and that’s about it. Fertilize twice a month. Likes average room temp and humidity. What did I tell you! Easy peasy. Looks awesome in a hanging basket as the stems stretch to be 12-18 inches long. The tiny white flowers they produce in summer are super cute! One silly tip? Since spider plants prefer a semi-potbound environment, repot them only when their large, fleshy roots are highly visible and watering becomes difficult. |
Why you’ll love it…
The spider plant will reduce indoor pollutants on your work desk. And if your boss is on the frugal side and keeps the office temp in the 55-65 degree range, the spider plant won’t complain.
Spider plants can be easily propagated as well through division of the mother plant or by planting the small spiderettes. So you know what to do when the boss leaves for that snack attack. Propagate. Besides, just like bell bottoms are making their way back on runways, the spider plants of the 1970’s are back with gusto too! |
Ficus
Why we love it…
Ficus plants look like trees with their trunk and spreading canopy. But we love how they retain this tree-like shape regardless of how big they get.
A lot of times, you may hear them referred to as a weeping fig. And we actually don’t mind when the local nursery braids the trunk! It looks kind of cool. |
Why you’ll love it…
You’ll love your ficus because it’s so serene. And it will love you back if you mist regularly and fertilize. Once a month in the spring and summer months, and every other month in fall and winter.
They really like high humidity so maybe your bathroom or kitchen would be a good location? Not too much water either, soggy roots will not make them happy. If the top of the soil feels dry…water. If not, leave Mr. Ficus alone. |
Mandevillas
Why we love it…
The mandevilla vine is hardy to USDA zone 9, which means you need to bring the mandevilla inside as a houseplant during the fall and winter in cooler climates.
Out in the wild this vine can twine itself around just about anything for support and grow up to 30 feet in length. But I wouldn’t worry about that. If you’re anything like me, you’ll kill your mandevilla long before that’s an issue! JK! |
Why you’ll love it…
Mandevillas take you on vacation without spending a dime. Minus the price of the plant. Here comes the tropics.
But expect blooms mostly in the summer and overwinter during the cold months. They’ll bloom well for a few months indoors with good light (including artificial) but then may have to take a break in the basement for their winter rest. Cut watering in half during this dormant period and remove dead leaves. |
Bamboo palm
Why we love it…
My bamboo palm doesn’t require much time or energy. It’s just happy to be growing in my home.
But it adds a bit of exotic flavor to a space otherwise a little droll. When it becomes too big for its store-bought container, I plan on repotting it. Until then, I just remove any brown leaves and am careful to be on the lookout for mites, especially on the underside of the leaves. |
Why you’ll love it…
You’ll adore having the exquisite bamboo palm adorning your space. Living art. Sure, they can grow 4-12 feet with a span of 3-5 feet, but they’ll bring color and warmth to any room in the house.
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Jade plant
Why we love it…
We appreciate the fleshy external appearance of the jade plant. We also like placing it in our southern window with about 4 hours a day of direct light. With the stove running, the plant enjoys daytime temps between 65-75 degrees. (Nighttime temps of about 55 degrees.)
We only need to keep the water slightly moist when actively growing in summer and we reduce watering in winter when it’s dormant (big sacrifice on our part.) Fertilize jade plants with a water-soluble fertilizer designed for houseplants once every three to four months. Wait at least three months before applying fertilizer on newly started plants. |
Why you’ll love it…
Fleshy, oval leaves on thick stalks, you’ll appreciate this lovely living succulent in your space. Besides, this low-maintenance plant is actually fragrant!
Big plus? They’re tough so they make an ideal choice for the novice plant person. Over the long haul, you’ll just want to make sure they don’t become too top heavy and topple over. Bleh. |
Snake plant
Why we love it…
I neglect my snake plant for weeks at a time. Seriously, the abuse this plant takes. I just got reprimanded by my mom for keeping it too close to the wood burning stove. Sure, I had Tom move it and it was a little droopy, but now in a window with real light it is starting to revive.
The snake plant is okay with drought, has few pests and it finds low light levels quite tolerable. And yep, during winter, let the plant dry out between waterings. Just make your focus on good drainage. Do not let it stand in water! |
Why you’ll love it…
You’ll have to love a plant with the alternative name…”mother in law’s tongue”
Plus, get more plant for you buck. Growing snake plant from cuttings is easy peasy. Biggest battle is good drainage because snake plants do not like sitting in water. They rot. Leaf cuttings is the typical way to go but the easiest way is just to divide the plant. The roots produce fleshy rhizomes, which can be removed with a sharp knife or just broken off. |
Azaleas
Why we love it…
The blooms. That’s why we love the azalea plant. Pink, white, peach, lavender, it comes in every shade to make you happy!
Just make sure you choose the right plant, you are seeking a greenhouse azalea, not hardy azalea, which are grown only outdoors. Killer clue? The ones sold in grocery stores with the pastel foil wrapped around it? Yep. Those are the right kind. The big, bushy ones at the local nursery? Wrong kind. Protect your new azalea plant from drafts and heat vents. They’ll like the extra humidity from either a room humidifier or placing them on a tray of wet pebbles. But no misting as they are prone to fungus. |
Why you’ll love it…
And you’ll love azaleas for the same reasons we do…those bright and bold blooms!
They make great houseplants, especially for those of us in chillier climes as they do best at cooler temps. They thrive in cool, filtered sun at around 60-65 F. Bright light, yes. Direct sun, no. And just like a fresh cut bouquet, the cooler temps also allow the blooms to last longer. Don’t let your plants dry out! Watering from the top is just dandy, but they’ll also thank you for an occasional dunk, pot and all, in a larger container, bucket or tub of water. |
Peace lily
Why we love it…
We love how peace lilies would rather be underwatered than overwatered. Drought tolerant, just touch the surface of the soil to see if moisture should be added.
Even better…they don’t need to be fertilized often. Fertilize once or twice a year. Or not at all if you forget. That’s our kind of plant! |
Why you’ll love it…
You’ll love how those wide leaves on the peace lily seem to attract dust like a magnet. So you’ll dust it just like any other piece of furniture in your home or office. Ha.
Just like a new puppy, you’ll want to wipe or wash down your peace lily once a year. You can give it a sprinkle in the shower or set in in the sink and let the water run over it. Or just use a damp cloth to spiff up your plant. |
Cast iron plant
Why we love it…
This plant is sitting on a ledge in my house and doesn’t even look real. And it’s such a slow grower that even the “real” thing seems pretty fake.
Which reminds me. It’s just fine in low indoor light and requires little water (are you sensing a trend here?) This robust plant will live many years even with my neglect and strives to reach about 2 feet. And go ahead and give the plant some fertilizer once a year. But don’t panic if you forget. Not a big deal. |
Why you’ll love it…
No time? Brown thumb? We’ve found your plant match. It’s the cast iron plant for sure. Aptly named, this plant can withstand just about anything out there.
I mean, this plant will tolerate dust as well as heat, cold, wet soil, drought, neglect and dimly lit places. Oh yeah, and it can handle temps as low at 28 degrees. It has few pests and looks fabulous in flower arrangements! |
Chinese evergreen
Why we love it…
We can’t get over just how many varieties of the Chinese evergreen plant exists. Yippee for plants.
They like medium to low light and will appreciate sunlight only if it’s indirect. Below 60 degrees is a big no-no. Like so many of our favorites, zero overwatering. So make less effort on this one! Overwatering will cause rot. You should fertilize older Chinese evergreens once or twice yearly using a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer. |
Why you’ll love it…
This tropical foliage plant is one of the most durable houseplants you can grow, tolerating poor light, dry air and drought. Besides, it’s gorgeous and vibrant.
People will come over to your dwelling abode and think you are a master gardener. No lie. (Unless your Chinese evergreen has brown leaves from drafts which they do not like.) And while you’re dusting your furniture, give your Chinese evergreen a quick rub down too. Or, you could give it a tinkle in the shower and allow it to air dry. In return, your plant will say “thank you” |
Dumb cane
Why we love it…
The spotted and variegated appearance of the dumb cane plant is stunning to behold. We feel pretty good about owning a few of these plants!
We keep ours consistently moist and never let it sit in water in its little plastic saucer. It’s content chillin’ on our plant ledge. From time to time, it gets a few brown leaves which we snip off. |
Why you’ll love it…
The dieffenbachia plant will ask 4 things of you:
1.) Do not overwater 2.) Well-drained soil 3.) Filtered light only 4.) Fertilize twice a month (okay, that really is the hardest part.) Do these and you will have a happy, sharp looking plant in your home or office. |
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