House Plants Info and Guide

Indoor House Plants are really a great choice for anybody wanting to add a touch more life to their gardening experience...or just wishing to buy flowers for a loved one. They make wonderful gifts!!!

Any extra information we can get before, or during, our time with growing an indoor plant, will greatly benefit us. So with that said, let's learn!

Plants grown primarily for their leaf characteristics and utilized for interior decoration or landscape purposes are called foliage plants . As our society becomes more urban, living plants as a part of the interior landscape increases.

The use of common house plants can bring individuals closer to an outdoor type of environment, and the large variety of plants gives us all the opportunity to select species that will serve as attractive additions to interior decor.

A Foliage Plant/House Plant is excellent for indoor culture since they are able to survive environmental conditions unfavorable to many other plants.

Most avid gardeners continue to grow plants year-round (that's me...can't help it!!!). We start seeds in the living room, grow ferns in the bathroom, bring in begonias from the outdoor garden year after year, and have pots of herbs in the kitchen.

Today there are so many interesting plants that can be grown indoors that there's simply no reason for a gardener not to be surrounded by plants all year-round. Everyone can grow foliage plants indoors with little effort if the right plant is used in the right location.

Large-leaved species such as rubber plants (Ficus elastica), Monstera deliciosa, dumb-cane (Dieffenbachia amoena), and Philodendron are especially suited to commercial building interiors. They provide the size required to make them focal points in interior landscaping.

These large leaved-plants, as well as flowering house plants, tropical house plants , and smaller specimens such as ferns , vines, and ivies can serve a similar purpose in the home or apartment. Again, if you want to buy flower species for the home, these make great choices. Read below for some tips on buying.

Tips On Buying HousePlants

Caladium

Boston Fern

Angel Wing Begonia

Peace Lily

Umbrella Tree

Weeping Fig

Bird's Nest Fern

Wandering Jew

Indoor plants are raised in glass greenhouses in which the air is warm and humid. When brought into the average home, they need to withstand more adverse conditions than the average outdoor plant.

Challenging conditions such as minimum light, inadequate ventilation, warmer temperatures, drafts, and dry air contribute to stressful conditions for plants.

Considering the following points will help in the selection of all types of house plants. Those plants in turn will complement your interior decor and live for many years to come.

house plant checklist 1. Strong and vigorous. Give the plant a quick shake. A plant that's unsteady in its pot may not be well-rooted. Shaking the plant also tells you whether the plant has white flies that will scattered in every direction if the plant is infested.

house plant checklist 2. Evergreen – Since it will be seen everyday of the year, plants need to be evergreen.

house plant checklist 3. Attractive – Some of the foliage plants will flower from time to time, but the primary reason for purchasing is the plant’s foliage and how the plants grow. The leaves may be selected for their color or form, or both and the growth habit should be attractive and require minimum maintenance.

house plant checklist 4. Slow-growing – Select plants that are slow-growing without a lot of pruning or training. They will perform better over a longer period of time.

5. Crowded roots – Check the bottom of the plant for roots coming out of the drainage hole. Roots emerging from holes in the pot don't necessarily mean that the plant is under-potted, but it's frequently a first symptom. Root bound plants will require transplanting when you get the plant home.

house plant checklist 6. Unhealthy roots – If you can, have the clerk take the plant out of the pot to check for crowded roots. Roots come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They should always feel firm and not squishy. Squishy roots are a sign of root rot .

house plant checklist 7. Stem or root rot – Sniff the potting mix. Signs of rot smell like the sickly sweet smell of a rotting potato. Don’t buy this plant, as it likely has a bad case of stem rot or root rot.

house plant checklist 8. Leaf spots, yellowed leaves, or abundant leaf loss – Leaf spots can be a sign of disease or caused by the jostling of the plants in a garden center. A yellow leaf or two at the base of the plant is nothing to worry about . If you see many yellow or fallen leaves, however, the plant's probably stressed and therefore not a good choice. Damaged leaves never recover. Ask yourself whether you are willing to wait for the plant to produce new leaves or would you rather purchase a healthier looking specimen.

house plant checklist 9. Leggy plants or brown leaf tips – These conditions are signs of a plant that has not received adequate care over a period of time. Spindly plants indicate a lack of adequate light.

house plant checklist 10. Signs of insects or disease – Look under the leaves and at the leaf axils (the place where the leaf attaches to the stem) where most often pests hang out. Do not purchase this plant, as not only will you have a problem with it, but you may also infest the other plants in your home.

Click on any of the links below for some wonderful and easy to maintain house plants. Every page will include care for house plants and growing information.

Looking for a " green " house plant. Several of the choices below will effectively clean your home's air from toxins.