The Zamioculcas zamiifolia, commonly known as the ZZ plant, is a striking indoor plant with glossy, emerald green, succulent leaves and gracefully arching thick, fleshy stems. I first grew Zamioculcas zamiifolia myself in a house I had in London in the early 2000s. The ZZ plant was being sold in our our local supermarket. I …
Chlorophytum comosum, better known as the Spider Plant, is an incredibly popular house plant choice. Even if you are completely new to plant parenting and to the whole world of indoor plants, you’ll probably be familiar with the Spider Plant. You’ll almost certainly have seen it somewhere – and you might well have been fascinated …
Spathiphyllum wallisii, commonly known as the Peace Lily, is the first plant I ever had. It maybe the same for you. It is certainly amongst the most popular house plants across the world. And there are good reasons for that popularity – Spathiphyllum wallisii is: Because it so common, it is easy to overlook the …
Beaucarnea recurvata, commonly known as the Ponytail Palm, is a distinctive and currently pretty trendy house plant. As you can see from the pictures, it has an interesting swollen lower trunk for storing water and long, cascading leaves resembling a ponytail, which give it its common name. It looks great as a stand-alone feature or …
The Money Tree plant (Pachira aquatica), with its distinctive braided trunk, is a superb house plant. It is one of the great foliage plants, with bright green, vibrant, palmate (hand-shaped) leaves which comprise several leaflets. It looks quite similar to the Schefflera, but the Schefflera has smoother leaves, with more leaflets and less pronounced leaf …
The Boobie Cactus has a unique curvy form that gives rise to its common name. When you think about the plant’s latin name – Myrtillocactus geometrizans ‘Fukurokuryuzinboku’, it’s no wonder that its more descriptive name has gained currency. What gives the Boobie Cactus its name are the distinctive tuberculate ribs that appear like breasts or, …
Ficus Lyrata, the Fiddle Leaf Fig, is an undoubted star house plant. If ever there was a statement house plant it is Ficus lyrata. You only have to look at the size and shape of the leaves and stature of the plant to get a serious plant crush – or I do anyway. The drawback …
Those of us who fill our homes with plants probably know instinctively about the benefits of indoor plants. We know that house plants are good for us. And we know, somehow, that we get some indefinable positive vibe from looking at our plants, nurturing them and displaying them with care. But, extraordinarily, what we plant …
With its glossy, circular fronds, the Livistona rotundifolia, the round leaf or footstool palm, adds a striking, tropical look to any indoor space. As a plantsman, who has encountered this magnificent palm in Northern Australia and South East Asia, I can really recommend this as one of the best indoor palms even in cooler climates …
Pothos is a fairly popular and easy-to-grow house plant that has attractive, glossy leaves that can be green, variegated, or even golden. It can tolerate low light, drought, and some neglect, making it a good plant for beginners and busy people. But that does not mean you shouldn’t take car of your Pothos – and …
The Christmas Palm has lush, green fronds and delicate fruits that turn bright red and resemble little Christmas ornaments. These colourful fruits are what give this palm its name. When grown indoors, this slow-growing palm reaches heights between 4 to 8 feet tall with an elegant single straight trunk covered in old leaf bases. The …
With its graceful, arching fronds in vibrant yellow and green shades, the Golden Cane Palm makes a striking indoors plant. Its tropical appearance means that it stands out on its own as a specimen plant, or as the focal point grouped together with other plants. If you place it near a bright window where its …
The Robellini palm, with its gracefully arching green foliage and delicate trunk, makes an excellent and visually striking house plant. Its compact size and easy care requirements also make it an ideal choice for homes and offices. When properly cared for, a Robellini palm can thrive for years and grow to become an impressive centre-piece …
The Parlour Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) makes a lovely addition to any home. This palm was extremely popular in Victorian times when it was first introduced as a decoration for the home in Europe and the USA. The parlour was where guests were taken and where the most precious things in the house were displayed. These …
It is not easy to overwinter house plants and keep them healthy and happy through the darkest and coldest months of the year. So, when winter is on its way you need to apply some extra house plant care and attention to help your plants survive conditions indoors. Of course, conditions indoors are a lot …
Overview Philodendron ilsemanii, commonly called the Ilsemanii Philodendron, is a beautiful foliage plant. It is a tropical evergreen vine native to Ecuadorean rainforests at elevations around 4,500 feet. It can reach lengths between six to ten feet as a houseplant. Ilsemanii Philodendron has long trailing stems covered with large, deeply lobed leaves. The leaves can …
Houseplants brighten our homes and give us a sense of bringing the outdoors inside. However, if you recently brought a houseplant, such as a sansevieria, into your home and noticed lots of small black flies flying around it, you may have brought a bit more of the outdoors inside than you really want. In that …
Monstera adansonii is a tropical perennial climbing plant. It can grow huge in the wild, but when grown as in indoor plant, with the restricted root space in a pot, it will stay at a manageable size. Monstera adonsonii, like the better know Monstera – Monstera deliciosa – is widely known as the Swiss cheese …
If you want to know how deep you plant dahlia tubers, the simple answer, in my experience, is that most dahlia tubers will grow if planted around 4 to 6 inches deep. But you do need to take account of soil conditions and temperatures. And when it comes to soil conditions and temperatures, these are …
Sansevieria zeylanica, also known as bowstring hemp or the zeylanica snake plant, is an evergreen perennial plant grown for its striking appearance and low-maintenance nature. Sansevieria zeylanica is one of more than 60 different species of Sansevieria. Originating from the South East Asian region, particularly India and Sri Lanka, this member of the “mother-in-law’s tongue” …