Bringing the outdoors in with the use of house plants is a great way to add color and dimension to your space. We sat down with Jesse Nelson at Family Tree Nursery and discussed the benefits of incorporating plant life into your home.“There are plenty of studies on the health benefits of plants, and the evidence suggests that being around plants and caring for plant life increases overall wellness,” explains Nelson. “Anytime you bring a plant into a home or work environment, it’s going to make you feel better. It is going to beautify the space in a way that art cannot, and they also have the added benefit of purifying the air.” There are a wide variety of indoor plants that work for any space and light situation that you may have. Regardless if you have a green thumb or a black thumb, there are plant varieties that fit your lifestyle. Here are a few of our favorite indoor plants to incorporate into your home.
Anthurium:
Anthurium has gorgeous, colorful flowers and is the easiest indoor flowering plant to care for. It comes in a variety of colors including red, white, orange and purple. Anthurium likes to be dry, so let it go bone dry before watering. Fertilize every so often, especially when blooming. These plants do not like direct sunlight and can be repotted every three to five years.
Snake Plant:
This plant goes by many names such as Snake Plant and Mother-in-Law’s Tongue and is one of the most popular indoor plants. The Snake Plant is for anyone from a green thumb to a black thumb because anyone can grow it. These hardy plants can adapt to any environment and can live in both high light and low light. Snake Plants are great for countertops and tabletops because they grow tall, not wide. They are great bedside plants because they help purify the air as they go through photosynthesis at night. They only need to be watered about once a month. These plants can also be outdoor plants and can acclimate during the summer months. Be sure to spray the plants three to five times before bringing them back indoors to get rid of any bugs that could have made the plant their home.
Dracaena Janet-Craig Compacta:
This is a slow-growing variety that is architectural and compact. This plant is a great statement piece and looks great in an entryway or by a chair. There are a lot of varieties and colors of the Dracaena. They are very resilient in low light and are great for an office space with little or no light. They like to stay on the dry side, so they like to be watered when they are about ½ to ¾ of the way dry. When watering, give it a good soak. Protip: A moisture meter can be purchased and used to determine how dry your plant is to help determine when it is time to water again.
Hope Peperomia:
This cascading plant is gaining popularity due to its succulent-like leaves and also because it is fairly easy to care for. The Hope Peperomia likes medium to bright direct sunlight. It does well as a tabletop plant or a hanging plant. Watering is only needed one time a month regardless of plant size.
ZZ Plant:
The ZZ plant, which its formal name is Zamioculas Zamiifolia, is a very easy plant to care for. They like anything from low light to bright light. These plants are hard to kill and can go a long time without being watered. Their bulbs hold a lot of moisture, so they only need to be watered once a month. This is a great plant to give as a gift due to its ease of care and versatility. They are slow-growing and are great for counters and tabletops. There are new varieties coming out such as Lucky which has round leaves and Raven which is black.
Calathea Ornata:
The Calathea Ornata has a ton of varieties and is a very artistic plant. This one is a little finicky and temperamental, so it can take a little bit of a green thumb to care for them. Faucet water can be hard on these plants, so they prefer distilled water. If brown tips appear, this means it is being over-watered or the water is hard. They like medium to bright indirect light. They can grow to 1 ½ feet to 2 feet maximum.
Philodendron Lickety Split:
This plant comes in many varieties, but the lickety split is known as the most pleasing. They can get to be between four to six feet and grow both tall and wide. These houseplants need lots of space to grow. They like to stay about half dry and can be a little forgiving if they go a little dryer than they like. This plant likes medium to bright light and can acclimate to an outdoor plant during warmer months.
Ficus Ruby:
The Ficus Ruby is in the Rubber Tree family and can come in a variety of colors. These plants like either direct light or bright indirect light. These can grow three to four trunks in a pot and can take on the appearance of a bush. They grow six to eight inches a year. This plant can go dry so watering about once a month is sufficient.
When choosing an indoor plant, call your local professionals or go to a local garden center to get the best information. They are happy to help you decide what plant works best in your space and with your plant-abilities. Visit Familytreenursery.com for more information on indoor and outdoor plants as well as any other gardening needs.