Tips for choosing houseplants that will thrive and look great in your home
Indoor plants are great for bringing a touch of nature indoors.
Not only do they look beautiful, houseplants help to remove indoor toxins from furniture, carpet, paint, fragrances and other chemicals.
Indoor plants have different needs and requirements so it’s important to choose houseplants that are suited to your home.
Here are some important things to keep in mind when choosing indoor plants.
Lighting
Many people make the mistake of choosing indoor plants without considering how much light the room receives.
Before you bring home a new indoor plant, take notice of how much sunlight comes into your home.
If you have an area in your home that receives plenty of sunlight (at least 4 to 6 hours per day), then you could have a beautiful Rubber Plant, Jade Plant or Dracena.
Plants with brightly colored foliage like Croton
also need plenty of natural light.
It’s best to place your plants close to the window so that they receive filtered light instead of direct sunlight which can burn the leaves of the plant.
If you don’t get much natural light inside your home, plants like Peace Lily, Cast Iron Plant and Snake Plant will do well in rooms with low light.
Temperature
What temperature is it inside your home?
Does the temperature fluctuate a lot between daytime and night time?
Temperatures below 50°F (10°C) or rapid temperature fluctuations are unfavorable for some plants.
Most indoor plants prefer temperatures between 60 to 75°F (15 to 24°).
There are a few houseplants that are tolerant to a wide variety of temperatures including Pothos, also known as Devil’s ivy and Spider plant, so they’re a good choice if you live in an area with large fluctuations in temperature.
It’s best to keep houseplants away from cold drafts, heaters, air conditioners and hot air vents.
Humidity
Many popular indoor plants are actually tropical plants that come from naturally humid areas like rainforests.
If you live in an area with low humidity, you can still have humidity loving plants like Bromeliads and Air Plants in your home, they’ll just need regular misting.
You can also put them in the bathroom where it’s a bit more humid than the rest of the house.
Available Space
In a small home or apartment, you won’t have the space for a big Rubber Plant or Fiddle Leaf Fig, but there are many other small indoor plants to choose from.
African violets are compact indoor plants that produce colorful flowers and they’re easy to maintain.
