A Guide to Interesting and Easy Houseplants

As we move through winter and we retreat indoors, being surrounded by plants doesn't have to stop for four months. If you are anything like me you will be out and about in the garden doing things anyway. But I do like my houseplants too, though I am not always successful with them, much less so than out door plants!

I thought I'd chat about some of the houseplants I have here at home, most of which I've had for many years, so they are the easy houseplants, success stories and survivors, lol. 

Mother in Laws Tongue

The name of this plant always makes me smile, though it has to be said I have been very lucky with both my mother-in-laws, my first one remains a very good friend. There are about 70 species of  Sanseveria and they are a commonly found house plant in shops. They are very easy to grow and I've found they will be happy in a sunny or partly shady spot in the house. Perhaps I've always been successful because it thrives on neglect. Happy in a multipurpose compost it doesn't need re-potting often, just be careful not to over water as it will suddenly fall over and you'll find the roots have rotted. This is a good plant for cleaning the air, producing oxygen during the day and removing carbon dioxide at night. 

Parlour Palm

My second parlour palm

Chamaedorea have been popular since Victorian times, thriving in the gloomy poorly lit rooms of that time. They continue to be popular because of their light airy growth habit and tolerance of neglect. They will do well in semi-shade and cope with the lack of humidity in modern houses. If the plant is happy it will flower, these are tiny yellow cream flowers on a many branched stem, they do scatter pollen about so it can be an idea to remove the flower stems. Pot in a multi purpose compost and keep the compost moist (but not waterlogged). Don't prune them as they grow with one terminal bud or single point of growth. It is a good plant for removing chemical vapours from the air.

Inch Plant

Tradescantia has a very varied collection of species and cultivars with many different colours of leaves, variegation combinations and leaf size. A houseplant that can be grown in a hanging basket to show off its long beautiful trailing vines, or kept contained and compact in a pot. It is very versatile, very easy and very hard to kill, perfect for this house. Pot in a multi purpose compost and sit in a light  place with moist soil rather than too dry. The first variety is T. kewensis, a smaller leaved one which occasionally produced tiny pink flowers does well in the bathroom, enjoying the humidity. T. fluminensis Variegata does well on top of the aquarium next to the window. The great thing about these plants is when they get too big and straggly they are easily cut back and will recover well, making bushier plants. 

Cast Iron Plant

Another Victorian favourite but not often seen these days, it is another plant that thrives on neglect (do you see a theme here?) Aspidistra will easily cope with neglect, draughts, poor light and withstand periods of drought too. My plant is in the hall where there is no natural light at all and does well. Two things Cast Iron plants don't like are too wet soil and being potted too often, it prefers to be pot bound. There is a variegated cultivar but it's not as tough.

Spider Plant

Chlorophyllum is one of the most commonly found houseplants and one of the first houseplants identified as an air pollutant remover. Easy to grow as long as it isn't left to dry out and will produce young plants along the arching flowering shoots, which start producing roots while still on the parent plant. Perfect for hanging baskets or trailing down from a bookshelf, it looks good and purifies the air in the house. Spider plants will take some shade but do better in some sun and light. Pot into a multipurpose compost and don't re-pot too often.

Prayer Plant

This interesting plant earns it's common name from it's habit of folding up it's leaves vertically as dusk approaches, helping the plant preserve moisture. If your plant does this you can be sure it is happy where it is. They do have flowers which tend to be green and quite inconspicuous. Markings can vary on the leaves but all Marantha have the same requirements. Don't put them in full sun, semi-shade is good and don't splash leaves with water in the sun as it will mark the leaves. Keep moist but not waterlogged and pot into a multi purpose compost. Plants are easily divided once mature.

Areca Palm

A commonly seem palm, graceful in growth and tolerant of indoors conditions. Chrysalidocarpus lutescens releases copious amounts of moisture into the air, in a domestic setting it can transpire up to 2 pints of moisture every 24 hours and and removes toxins from the air. What's not to like? It likes semi-shade and doesn't like to dry out so keep the root ball damp. I have mine sitting on the floor next to the patio doors where it gets plenty light but no direct sunlight. 

Wax Plant

My Hoya bella is trailing about six feet from the top of a book case and has done for many years, it loks fab and so healthy, but never ever has it produced one of those amazing flowers that it gets its name from. Hoya like bright light but not full sun and moist but not waterlogged soil, water less in winter. I've just looked up lack of flowers on Hoyas and one source says some varieties rarely flower and some can take up to quarter of a century to flower! I bet mine is one of those! Hmmmmm. I guess the answer is to buy one in flower, so you know it can.

Cacti and succulents

Cacti and succulents were my first plants, taking up the whole window sill in my bedroom and now taking up a third of my big greenhouse here at home. I love the huge range of colours, textures and flowers that they have, as you can see from a few of my collection above. Again they thrive on neglect, requiting very little water and rarely needing re-potted. Their only requirement is sun and being frost free in winter. Grow them on sunny windowsills, in a heated greenhouse (in winter) or put outside in summer for an exotic look (remember to take them in before frost though)

Indoor plant books

While writing this blog post, I had a look through my garden bookshelves to see what relevant books I had. It was quite obvious I hadn't bought a houseplant book for quite some time. The Eco Friendly Houseplant book dates from about 2001 and the Hessayon expert books I bought as a National Trust YTS trainee in 1987! Are there any good up to date houseplant books out there? 

You may have noticed apart from the cacti and succulents, there are no flowering plants mentioned. I'm not very good with them, give me a poinsettya at christmas and I'll have it dead before new Year!


#houseplants #indoorgardening #easyhouseplants #aircleaningplants #houseplantappreciationday

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