Interior plant list

The list below of possible interior plants is ones that I feel are fairly easy to grow. As with any planting, indoors or out, you need to keep an eye on them the first few weeks to monitor their water usage. I usually check for bugs and disease at least once a month.

Bird's Nest Fern

Ferns:

Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenum nidus): This one is interesting and a good structural pieces. Large leaves, often with wavy margins. They grow from the interior of the plant out. Best in a bright indirect light. Keep moist but not soggy. This is one you might want to put on a bed of gravel and adding water occasionally to add humidity to the air around it.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata bostoniensis): Bring on the 1960’s!! This was a very popular houseplant in the late 60’, early 70’s because it was easy to care for. This does best as a hanging plant or on a pedestal of some sort to allow the fronds to hang. Bright indirect light, keep moist and remove dead fronds keep it nice and bushy.

Table Fern or Brake Fern (Pteris cretica): I like this one especially in variegated form. It is a fern that is light looking but not delicate. As its name implies, it looks nice on a table as a center piece or just as an accent. Same treatment for this one as the Bird’s Nest.

Dracaenas

The following are those ones you see in offices, malls, people’s entryways, etc. They are an upright, fairly narrow plant. They can withstand lower light, but they won’t necessarily thrive as well in that light. They can get scraggly if not given enough light. That being said, they are fairly easy care.  They can handle lower temps which is why they do well in situations that have a/c or when the heat is shut off over weekends. Keep the soil lightly moist, but don’t let dry out. Definitely one you need to watch at the outset. They should be re-potted about every 2 years unless they are thriving and busting out of their pot earlier.

Dracaena deremensis: Upright to about 4-5 feet. “Janet Craig” variety has all green leaves and the variety “warneckii” has a white band along the margin.  There are varieties with yellow stripes as well.

Dracaena 'tricolor'

Dracaena marginata: This one has a much thinner trunk and can grow to 10 foot high. You might also see it as a multi-trunk as well.  I like the ‘tri-color’ variety best; it has as the name says 3 colors on it. Usually red, green and yellow. You will need to remove the dead lower fronds on this or it will just look scraggly. I usually recommend replacing them after a few years as eventually you’ll have a long trunk with a tuft at the top.

Dracaena fragrans messangeana: This one has thicker leaves than the other two, a bit bushier as well. It carries a yellow band down the middle of the leaf and is considered one of the favorites of the dracaena family.

There are several more varieties of dracaena that are beautiful. I just listed the ones seen most often and are considered easier care. The ones that have bands of color usually require more light that their all green counterparts. This holds true for most all indoor plants that have colored leaves.

“Table Toppers”

Pothos:

These can either be a table top plant or a hanging plant. They have a heart shaped leaf, sometimes variegated in either green and white or yellow and white. These are easy care. If they get too ‘leggy’ just cut back, fertilize and let go.

African Violet

Saintpaulia (African Violet) These are much easier to grow than what people will tell you.  They really don’t like to be very wet even though you’ll find pots specifically designed for them to create a very moist potting soil. I’ve found that keeping them a bit drier than that, closer to barely moist, is a better growing medium.  These little groundcover type plants come in a variety of flower color and some have ruffled leaf margins and flower petals. They do need a more acidic fertilizer, something like a Miracid or a liquid African Violet Food.

Hedera (Ivy): There are a variety of ivies that can be used either as hanging plants or grown into a topiary form. The most common ones are Cissus (Grape ivy) and Hedera helix (English ivy). Once started, they are a very easy to grow plant. Keep them slightly moist, fertilize every few weeks with a weak liquid solution and some bright indirect light and you are good to go!

'Living Stone'

Succulents: These do require brighter light than some of the plants noted here. However they are much easier in that they require very little water when grown indoors. I like the “living stone” (Lithops) type of succulents for indoors. They look like pebbles, (hence the name!) and come in greens, gray greens, light tan and tan and green, brown and tan. The variegations are often little “windows” or translucent tissue that allows them to utilize the sunshine or light available. Placing them in interesting pots and using a small gravel or decorative pebble as a soil topper can allow you to bring decorative elements into the potting itself.

'Prayer Plant'

Maranta: These are also known as “Prayer plant” as the leaves fold up somewhat and rise up at night. The leaves can have reds, darker greens or even browns in them and are quite attractive. They do need to be kept where the temperature is fairly stable and light is bright, but not too bright or direct. Make sure to use room temperature water and keep the plant slightly moist. You can occasionally mist this plant or use a bit of water in the saucer if the plant is sitting on a bit of gravel.

As I said, this is just a short list, or introduction to, houseplants. There are many different varieties out there as well as levels of care needed. Go to your local library and pick up a houseplant book to give you some visual help.