We all love to have some green around our homes, but choosing which type of houseplant is best for you can be a little tricky. So, we are here with useful tips to help you choose the best plants according to your needs and a list of fifteen of our favourite houseplants for your home.
How do you select a houseplant?
Is it love at first sight? You see a plant and you know it is the one.
Or should you do a careful pro and con checklist before deciding on which type of houseplant to buy?
A mix of both we would say - We should, of course, love the appearance of the plant, but pay equal attention to what kind of commitment it asks of you.
Deciding on which type of houseplant is best for you starts with understanding the conditions and limitations of your own home. It could be the light, temperature, humidity, and space in your home or the presence of curious children and pets who are likely to come in contact with the plants.
Add to these, plants need varying levels of care and commitment and also have seasonal needs that have to be kept in mind.
How To Choose Your Houseplant ?
Choosing a houseplant is not just about aesthetics, you have to understand not only the requirements of the plant but have clarity about your priorities. So, while deciding on which type of houseplant you want in your home, you should consider the following factors -
1. Level Of Care
Maintaining houseplants can be time and effort-intensive. Apart from watering and moving them around to ensure proper sunlight, you will have to do pruning, grooming, repotting, and pest control.
Unless you can commit to a high level of care, you can opt for low maintenance plants like Snake plant, money plant, spider plant, Jade plant, cast iron plant, Swiss cheese plant, common ivy, areca palm, aloe Vera, and succulents.
2. Conditions In Your Home
The humidity, temperature, and light in your home can play an important role in your houseplant health. So, you will have great success with your plants if you match your plants to the environment in your home.
Clever placement of plants in different areas of your home is the key to having a wide variety of plants. For instance, you should place humidity-loving plants like golden pothos, parlor palms, and prayer-plants in the bathroom. Or sun-loving plants like rain lilies, canary bush, and crepe myrtle should be placed in open balconies and terraces.
3. Medium Of Your Choice
Traditionally, pots were grown in soil and kept in pots. But, nowadays you have the option to go soilless and opt for hydroponics i.e. plants grown in water. Not only do these take less space and use water efficiently, but the plants will grow faster and give more yield.
You can even invest in a smart garden and enjoy fuss-free soilless gardening. Hydroponics is a great option if you want to grow more edible plants like herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, strawberries, peppers, and celery.
4. Children And Pets
If you have young children and pets, you should take particular care while choosing your houseplants. Pets, specifically cats are prone to accidentally nibble on plants. Even herbs like oregano and bay leaf can be toxic to cats and dogs.
Children are also curious about their surroundings and might end up touching or accidentally munching on the leaves. Spider plant, Boston fern, Baby rubber plant, Baby's tears, Wax plant, and Areca palm are some safe options to consider.
5. Decor Priorities
If you want a pop of color around your home, opt for vibrant flowering plants like anthurium, hydrangea, African violet, Orchids, peace lily, hibiscus, begonia, Christmas cactus, and Ixora.
Oversized plants like fiddle leaf fig, areca palm, and rubber plants can add drama to your room.
Hanging plants like English Ivy, a string of hearts, donkey's tail, grape ivy, and the string of nickels can be strategically placed to complement your decor.
Houseplants That Thrive Indoors
Here are 15 of our favorite houseplants that thrive indoors and are very easy to maintain-
1. Pothos
This is a trailing vine with heart-shaped green leaves that sometimes have white and yellow patterns. It is one of the easiest houseplants to grow as it thrives in indirect or fluorescent lighting indoors and requires minimal watering. Pothos is a quick-growing plant, it can grow as much as over a foot in a month. However, it can be toxic to pets.
2. Cast Iron Plant
This lush, evergreen foliage plant of the lily family enjoys the reputation of being unkillable. It is known to survive even under low light and humidity, temperature fluctuations, and irregular watering. It is less vulnerable to pest attacks and diseases. Although it grows slowly, the cast iron plant will grace your home for a long long time.
3. Snake Plant
The upright, sword-shaped evergreen leaves of the snake plant often give the impression of being artificial foliage. The plant is not only visually striking but also sturdy and low maintenance. The plant is a known air purifier, effective against allergies, and believed to have feng shui properties. However, the snake plant can be mildly toxic when nibbled on.
4. Dracaena
This bushy tree-type plant with glossy leaves can grow up to three feet indoors. It is pretty much maintenance-free and grows well in semi-shaded areas indoors. Dracaena is sensitive to fluoride, so you might have to use filtered water and also ensure that the foliage does not stay damp which can lead to a fungus attack.
5. Jade Plant
This is succulent with small pink or white flowers, oval-shaped vibrant fleshy leaves, and thick stems. The Jade plant is quite popular as a houseplant because it is believed to bring luck. It can grow up to 6 feet, but very slowly, around 2 inches per year. But, if you have pets, it's better to avoid this plant as all of its parts are toxic to cats and dogs.
6. Rubber Tree
This houseplant serves major drama with its waxy dark green leaves and impressive size. Rubber plants love bright but indirect sunlight, so placing them near a window with sheer curtains is ideal. Buy a young plant that can adapt better to indoor conditions as it grows than a mature one. You can use a small pot to restrict their growth.
7. Parlor Palm
Also known as bamboo palm, parlor palm is a popular houseplant because of its lush feathery foliage and air purifying properties. It thrives in indirect sunlight and grows even better under fluorescent lights. As long as you avoid frequent repotting and overwatering, the plant is fuss-free.
8. Heart Leaf Philodendron
Also known as the sweetheart plant because of its heart-shaped leaves. The leaves are bronze-colored at first and turn dark green as they mature. Apart from regular pruning, the plant requires minimal watering and care. It is the ideal climbing plant as the plant can be trained to grow along pillars or hang from a ceiling hook.
9. Clivia Lily
If you love bright and colored houseplants, this evergreen plant with orange-colored trumpet-shaped flowers is a great choice. As long as you ensure indirect sun, regular watering, and potting, clivia will thrive with minimal care. A point of caution though, the plant is extremely poisonous, so should be kept away from pets and children.
10. Chinese Evergreen
This low light indoor plant is considered ideal for beginners as it can tolerate low light conditions very well and can be managed with minimal watering and maintenance. This is an attractive plant with large glossy green leaves with streaks of silver, pink, or red. It is a slow-growing plant, so you can enjoy it in various spaces around your home for a long time.
11. Swiss Cheese Plant
The plant gets its name due to the large heart-shaped leaves that develop holes similar to Swiss cheese as the plant ages. Swiss cheese plant might need to be pruned regularly as it is a climber. The plant thrives under indirect sunlight but its leaves can get easily burnt if they get too much direct sun. Not only it is easy to maintain but also immune to most diseases or pests.
12. Spider Plant
This is a much-loved houseplant because it combines beauty with ease of maintenance. Spider plant has slender, gently arched leaves in pretty green with white stripes or silver streaks. The streaks will be prominent when the plant is regularly exposed to indirect sunlight. This is a fast-growing plant and its cascading foliage makes it an ideal hanging plant.
13. Succulents
These are modest plants that need absolute minimal care and are robust against pets and diseases. Succulents will thrive under six to seven hours of daily exposure to direct sunlight and soil with fast drainage, and water on demand. They will add to your decor if displayed in clusters or collections in wall planters, teacups, or mason jars.
14. Zanzibar Gem
The plant is visually striking with its wand-like graceful stems, and lush oval-shaped leaves with waxy plastic-like coating. It can survive low light and minimal care. Parts of the Zz plant are poisonous to both humans and pets when ingested, but merely touching it can cause only mild irritation like itching. So it needs to be kept out of the reach of children and pets.
15. Red Prayer Plant
The plant gets its name because its leaves fold like praying hands during the night. The prayer plant has velvety deep green leaves with red veins and yellow splotches. It will thrive in indirect low light and humidity. However, excessive watering can make the plant susceptible to fungal infections, so you need to keep the plant well-drained.
Researching a little about the type of houseplant you want and its suitability to your priorities can not only save you a lot of trouble in the future but also save your plants from unnecessary death.
So, first, understand the maintenance needs and the conditions of your home, then determine the level of commitment you are willing to give. On this basis, choose your plants, watch them thrive, and enjoy having the greens all year round in your home.
What factors do you consider while choosing your plant?
Which are your favorite houseplants?
Share your experience with us in the comments and let us help everyone have a healthy, happy indoor garden.