Gardening

4 durable indoor plants for your home

4 durable indoor plants for your home

Photography: Kindra Clineff

Gardening

4 durable indoor plants for your home

Taking care of indoor plants can be hard but we've got you covered with these four durable indoor options for your home.

Medinilla

medinilla plant


Also called: Malaysian grapes
Size: Ranging from 24 to 36 inches (60 to 91 cm) high or larger
Foliage: Broad deep green leaves with pleats
Other attributes: Wonderful grapelike clusters of pink flowers throughout autumn and winter, followed by purple nonedible berries
Exposure: South is best; east or west also works
Water requirements: Very thirsty
Rate of growth: Slow
Soil type: Rich, humusy potting soil with compost included
Fertilizing: Early spring to late autumn
Issues: Drinking habit can be a deal-breaker if you're not home
Companions: This is a stand-alone specimen, but begonias, nerve plants, orchids and prayer plants might grow in tandem
 

Nerve Plant (Fittonia)

fittonia nerve plant

Also called: Mosaic plant, rattlesnake plant, silver net plant
Size: Creeps along the soil surface
Foliage: Bronze with white or red veins
Other attributes: Makes a good ground cover below other plants; terrarium-worthy
Exposure: East, west or south; might endure north
Water requirements: Keep soil moderately moist
Rate of growth: Medium
Soil type: Rich, humusy, peaty potting soil with compost included
Fertilizing: Early spring to late autumn
Propagation: Easily rooted by cuttings; runners will have roots and can be detached
Issues: Will wilt, but revives readily; if you forget to water often, it might get aphids
Companions: Great for underplanting beneath a low-light-loving treelike plant such as ficus, Norfolk Island pines, ponytail palms, prayer plants, scheffleras and tradescantia; good with begonias in a separate container
 

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

peace lily plant


Size: Ranging from 15 to 20 inches (38 to 50 cm) high
Foliage: Dark green initiating from the base
Other attributes: Profuse white jack-in-the-pulpit-like flowers
Exposure: East or west
Water requirements: Can wilt if you forget to water
Rate of growth: Medium
Soil type: Humusy potting soil with compost included
Fertilizing: Early spring to late autumn
Issues: Can be prone to leaf diseases if stressed by continual wilting
Companions: Aglaonemas, begonias, crotons, dracaenas, ferns, ficus, ivies, mosses, polka dot plants, nerve plants and peperomias
 

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

zz plant

Size: Ranging from 15 to 36 inches (38 to 91 cm) high
Foliage: Fat, juicy stems lined with shiny, rounded leaves; very tidy
Other attributes: No flowers, but bulletproof
Exposure: East or west
Water requirements: Keep soil lightly moist but not soggy
Rate of growth: Slow
Soil type: Good potting soil with compost included
Fertilizing: Early spring to late autumn
Issues: Slow to form a good-looking plant
Companions: Ferns, ficus, mosses, prayer plants, rhipsalis, sansevierias and tradescantia

Check out how you can decorate your home with plants.

 

Comments

Share X
Gardening

4 durable indoor plants for your home

Login