Who doesn’t like to decorate their home with indoor plants? Plants give your home a fresh and natural appeal. However, bringing the plants indoor is not a decision you can take lightly. If you decide to use indoor plants to decorate your home, you also have to take responsibility to maintain these plants. Then, you have to look after them and keep them healthy and nurtured. Here are the best indoor plants that are beautiful and yet very easy to maintain.
{ 1 } Fiddle Leaf Fig As Indoor Plant
Fiddle Leaf Fig can be bought from special stores at a reasonable price. You have to place the plant by a large window that allows bright sunshine to stream in. Whenever you find the plant is leaning towards the window, turn your plant every few months. Ensure you have no cold drafts blowing in through an outlet at home.
{ 2 } Snake Plant As Indoor Plant
Snake plants (Sansevieria or mother-in-law’s tongue) are the best indoor plants that are hardy, easy to grow and maintain. These plants purify the air at your home. You should purchase Snake Plants with dark green leaves. While re-potting, use porous pots such as terra cotta using well-drained potting soil. Before watering, ensure the soil is completely dry. You need not water in winter. You should be careful not to water the leaves. Place your Snake Plant in the shade or indirect light. You can add all-purpose fertilizer when it grows in summer. Snake plants produce rhizomes for propagating into new plants.
{ 3 } Chinese Evergreen Best Indoor Plants
These are tropical foliages growing in poor light, dry air and drought. Chinese evergreen plants grow in well-drained soil mixed with perlite and sand. The plant should be placed where there is low or indirect sunlight. Chinese evergreen likes warm temperatures (70-72º F/21-22º C) and humid conditions. These plants require moderate watering so water only when soil is dry. Use water-soluble fertilizer once or twice a year. Trim the Chinese evergreen plants and use cuttings for propagating new ones. During spring to summer, older plants produce flowers similar to Peace Liles. You can clean the leaves wiping them with a soft, damp cloth. Otherwise, you can place the plant under a shower and allow it to air dry.
{ 4 } Aloe Vera Grown Indoors
Over the past decades, people have been growing aloe vera plants also known as Aloe Barbadensis. Aloe vera is a medicinal plant good for curing burns, wounds and more. It has succulent leaves like cacti and grows well in potting soil with good drainage. These plants need bright sunlight. Place them near south/west facing windows for best results. Before re-watering, you have to ensure that the soil feels dry to touch. Aloe vera plants die when too much water accumulates. These plants do not need regular fertilizers. However, fertilizing in spring is ideal for its growth. The best fertilizer to use is rich in phosphorus and water-based fertilizer at half strength. Keeping aloe vera at home provides treatment for minor burns and rashes.
{ 5 } Low Maintenance Iron Plant
Iron plants, also known as cast iron plants or ballroom plants, belong to the lily family. Cast Iron plants are from Osumi Islands of Japan. New species have been found throughout East Asia. The leaves are upright and strappy growing from an underground rhizome. Iron plants have small purple flowers that appear near the surface of the soil. These plants are hardy, practically indestructible and grow well even when neglected. They thrive in darkness, shaded areas and low lighted areas of the home as they cannot stand the direct sunshine. The Iron plant divides the rhizome and at least two leaves to propagate. Keep the soil moist in spring and summer but, reduce watering in winter. The Iron plant thrives in temperatures 60-80º F. Use liquid fertilizer twice during the growing season.
{ 6 } Peace Lilies Grow Easily
Easy To Grow House Plant Of the Month By Flower Council UK
Peace lilies make excellent houseplants that are easy to maintain. They come from hot, moist, shady tropical rainforests. Hence, you should place the peace lily close to a window but, not directly under it. The north/west facing windows are the best. The plant should not be exposed to cold air or hot sun causing browning or leaves. Water the plant adequately only when the potting soil is absolutely dry to touch. Insufficient watering causes the plant to wilt and die. Mist the leaves several times a week using a sprayer. Peace Lilies thrive in high humidity levels of the tropics. This plant is sensitive to chlorine. You can dechlorinate tap water by leaving it out at room temperature 24 hours. Trim unhealthy leaves from the plant as and when required. It does not need more than watering and indirect sunlight.
{ 7 } Beautiful Calathea Can Grow Indoors
Calathea plants (Peacock Plants) are from tropical South and Central America, Africa, West Indies. These plants are grown because of their attractive, bright colored, upright, oval leaves. These plants grow 24” tall and 24-26” wide. This plant is challenging to care for. The plant likes indirect light and has to be placed in front of the east/west/north window. Too much sunlight burns the leaves causing the colors to fade. These plants are sensitive to water that is hard, soft, fluoridated. These thrive best in distilled water. While watering the soil should be moist. You may add fertilizers in spring, summer, and fall. Calatheas thrive in medium temperatures and do not tolerate cold drafts while high heat can cause the leaves to curl. They like high humidity and in very dry conditions the leaves get brown edging.
{ 8 } Big Leafy Philodendron Plants
Big leafy Philodendron plants, glossy to touch, come from the rainforests of tropical Central and South America. You can grow them indoors as climbers or self-heading or non-climbers. The climbers are grown in hanging baskets or guided in a trellis. The non-climbers provide good upright foliage plants in pots on the floor or table. Philodendron plants are one of the best indoor plants that are well-known for purifying the air at home. These plants have to be exposed to partial sunshine. The soil used should contain equal parts of loam, sand, and peat.
{ 9 } Chinese Water Bamboo Plant
Too much watering your Chinese Water Bamboo plant is harmful so water once a week. Ensure there is enough water just to cover its roots. Place the plant away from the direct sunlight but, in an open and bright area. This plant grows best in temperatures (65-90°F). Remove dead or yellow leaves caused by the plant not getting enough water. When one or two stalks get too tall, you can cut them and replant them. This helps in taking complete care of the Chinese water bamboo plant referred to as Lucky Bamboo plant.
{ 10 } Hanging Potted Pothos Plant
Pothos plants are native of the tropical forests. These plants have heart-shaped leaves and trail as vines. These plants are well-known as air purifiers and are one of the best indoor plants. These are popularly grown indoors as hanging baskets. Some of the common Pothos include Devil’s Ivy, Golden Pothos, Hunter’s robe, Ivy arum, Money plant, and Taro vine. Devil’s Ivy is the hardiest and cannot be killed even when placed in the dark. These plants are easy to propagate using a 6” piece of the stem having several leaves. You can leave the cutting in a bottle of water for the roots to develop.
Infographic Provided by American Residential Services
