All About Inside
ALL ABOUT INSIDE
We have all been spending a lot of time within our homes of late, and potentially you have noticed spots in your living spaces and bedrooms where the simple addition of a houseplant could transform it into an indoor oasis. To help you decide on the ‘right’ plant to fill these voids, we have compiled a list of our favourite houseplants that are perfect for inside.
FICUS TREE (Ficus elastica)
The Fiscus Tree is a Rubber Tree or Rubber Plant and it can grow into a very large tree so keep potted.
An old-fashioned classic, the rubber tree has been residing in our houses for decades. Loved for its large glossy leaves, it can be left to grow large for a dramatic statement or prune back the long stems to ensure it branches into a multi- stemmed shrub. It doesn’t mind being pot bound and make sure it dries out between waterings. It displays quite a range of colours and variegation’s from burgundy, green, green/white, pink/green/white. We believe everyone should have one of these.
PEPEROMIA (Peperomia spp.)
Peperomia comes in a wide variety of sizes and habits from upright to trailing.
These are small, easy care plants which can deal with low to medium light. We love this plant because the diverse, colourful, and waxy foliage will add a splash of colour to your room without taking up a lot of space. Let it dry out between waterings, and you will know when this plant needs a drink as the leaves will feel a bit softer and appear droopy.
PONYTAIL PALM (Beaucarnea recurvata)
This plant grows up to three metres tall and 1200mm wide over many years.
If your plant parenting skills are zero, don’t worry, you can still deal with this beauty. Even though it’s called a palm, this plant is actually a succulent. It can survive long periods without watering because it has an inbuilt water storage system. It has graceful arching leaves and a striking thick trunk on top of a bulbous ‘water storage tank’ perfect for forgetful plant parents.
SANSEVERIA (Sanserveria spp.)
Known as the Snake Plant or Mother in Laws Tongue, this plant can grow to 1200mm, and dwarf varieties available.
This one is almost indestructible, as it needs very little water to maintain is good looks. It will also tolerate low light or very bright light. Leaf shapes and patterns vary and the strong vertical lines of the sword shaped leaves adds a little bit of drama among all the leafy plant varieties. Over watering is the biggest enemy of the Snake Plant.
ZZ PLANT (Zamioculcas zamifolia)
This plant grow up to one metre tall and wide over a very long time.
This glossy almost plastic looking plant doesn’t like much love, and you can basically buy one and then forget to look after it! The plump arching stems with symmetrical glossy dark green leaves rising up individually from the potting medium look almost prehistoric. It doesn’t require much light, can go weeks without water, it’s just happy to be in your house with you.
SPIDER PLANT (Chlorophytum spp.)
The Spider Plant is a hanging plant or potted and it grows 300mm tall, 600mm wide, with 800mm long tendrils.
These have been popular houseplants for decades and are a very undemanding addition to your indoor oasis. They will perform best in medium to bright light, keep slightly moist but can be resurrected if it dries out for a while. You would be very unlucky to lose this one! They can have plain green leaves or be variegated with cream or white stripes. When the plants become big enough they send out long tendrils producing baby plants on the ends which gives it a spidery look.
POTHOS (Epipremnum spp.)
This bright green plant is called Devils Ivy, Trailing or Totem and grows up to five metres.
This is a low maintenance plant and a great choice for people who struggle to keep plants alive. It does need light but not really fussy how much it gets – low to bright you will find a spot for this plant. If you forget to give it a drink it will quickly rebound when you remember. You can have it climbing up a pole, meander around a window or keep it all together in a beautiful hanging pot. It likes to be kept on the dry side, and remember to let it dry out completely between waterings. There are plain green as well as variegated varieties.
ASPIDISTRA (Aspidistra elatior)
This Cast Iron Plant grows 600mm high and 600mm wide.
Whatever you can dish out this beauty can take it, low light, neglect, low humidity and a wide range of temperatures. Being a slow grower, choose the size plant to fill your space otherwise you could be waiting a considerable time to get the effect you are looking for. Keep lightly moist during its active growing periods and hardly even water it in the cooler months. Some varieties have white or yellow variegation’s.
