Houseplants are a great way to bring greenery inside and uplift the mood of a house. Many people, however, hesitate to own plants due to the time and attention they require or the lack of ample sunlight in their homes. Contrary to popular notions, though, there are plenty of hardy plants that can thrive effortlessly inside.
Houseplants need the bare minimum to survive indoors: water, light, and soil. If these three are taken care of, plants will grow as beautifully as they would in any outdoor environment. Many beautiful plants can refresh your home with their bountiful presence, even if you consider yourself a novice gardener.
The important thing to remember for growing any plant is to provide conditions close to the native environment of the plant and do everything in moderation. Indoor plants usually seem to thrive better with more infrequent watering. A good rule of thumb is to check the soil dryness. If it feels wet, the plant does not need to be watered.
All plants need sunlight to grow. While some plants do need ample sunlight, there are sturdy varieties you can keep alive effortlessly even with indirect lighting.
Aloe
Aloe vera is commonly known as medicinal aloe. It is a good plant to grow at home because of its medicinal properties—its everyday use as a moisturizer and the cooling and healing effects of its gel-like sap. It does not need much care except avoiding too much watering. You know the plant is growing well if offsets start appearing on the base of the parent plant, which can be removed and re-planted.
African Violets
As the name suggests, these reliable flowering houseplants are native to African countries of Tanzania and Kenya. They produce clusters of violet, purple, or white flowers over the leaves that brighten any living room or dining space immediately. The initial planting requirement includes using loose soil with high organic matter content. It grows well in indirect light, with light watering occasionally. Once a year, it is a good idea to replant in fresh soil.
Chinese Evergreen/ Aglaonema
These hardy houseplants are from Southeast Asia and are recognizable from their variegated silvery-white and green leaves. The plant prefers diffused sun or indirect light and thrives well in low light levels with warm temperatures with high humidity. Low watering from fall to winter is preferred.
Corn Plant/ Dracaena
The corn plant is quite popular for homes and offices because of its easy care and the best choice for a tall plant in low light conditions. There are a few varieties of the plant, but the most common one has green outer edges and yellow in the center of the long leaves. The plant itself grows approximately 4 feet. It needs indirect light and an opportunity for soil to dry between watering applications. Excess watering may cause the leaves to droop.
Cast Iron Plant/ Aspidistra
It is a good choice for those who do not have much time to tend to their plants at home. Although a slow grower, the plant can live for several years without much requirement for constant watering. Small purple flowers appear in mature plants near the soil surface, but it is the attractive foliage for which the plant is known rather than the flowers.
Fiddle-leaf Fig/ Ficus
The glossy green leaves with perfectly shaped veins give the fiddle-leaf fig its reputation as a popular house plant. This plant can grow up to 6 feet at home with high levels of indirect light. At home they grow quite easily in the soil with an opportunity for soil to dry between watering applications.
Parlor Palm/ Chamaedorea
The very best palm in low to moderate light situations with a maximum height of 2–4 feet. Moderate moisture is best.
Philodendron
This is a large genus of flowering plants. They are known as no-fail plants because of the ease with which they can be grown. You can choose a variety that are upright, or the more popular climber varieties that look pretty in any corner of the house. All grow best in low to moderate light levels with an opportunity for the soil to dry between watering applications.
Peperomia
These plants are semi-succulents native to Central and South America. There are thousands of varieties that grow well as indoor plants and have similar care requirements, including indirect sunlight and moderate watering. Peperomia has also been known to grow well under fluorescent lighting. The leaves are thick, shiny, and may be glossy green, red, or cream depending on the variety
Peace Lily/ Spathiphyllum
The beautiful easy-to-care plant is a popular choice when it comes to indoor plants because of the beautiful flower cluster surrounded by a white leaf and its noted ability to cleanse the air of benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. It requires moderate watering and light conditions to grow well.
Rose Succulents/ Echeveria
These plants are called rose succulents because of their tiny blooming appearance, so much so that if they did not have a green tinge, you could easily mistake them for a rose. They are native to the Canary Islands located off the coast of Spain. Unlike other plants, these succulents grow more in winters than in summers. They can tolerate wet soil better than other succulents but need a pot with good drainage.
Spider Plant/ Chlorophytum
The spider plant has small plantlets that dangle from the mother plant and can simply be cut and replanted. Spider plants are very easy to grow and thrive well in all conditions. The elongated leaves are a beautiful light green with white borders. These hardy plants can be easily grown indoors in well-drained pots.
Snake Plant/ Sansevieria
The snake plant is one of the most tolerant indoor plants, and thus very popular. You can recognize its elongated, thick leaves with yellow borders. It is also known as mother-in-law’s tongue and is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, with more than 70 known species. As an indoor plant, it can be grown in medium-sized pots by directly planting a leaf cut through vegetative propagation or a rhizome cut from the root. The best part is that you can forget to water it for weeks, and the plant still looks fresh.
