Your Complete Guide to House Plants: Names, Pictures, Care Tips, and More
So you want to learn more about bringing the outdoors in with some beautiful house plants, eh? Well friend, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I’ll cover all the basics on different types of plants you can keep inside your home, along with photos so you know what each one looks like. I’ll also give you tips on caring for them so your new leafy friends will thrive. Let’s get started!
Popular Houseplant Categories
There are lots of plant varieties suitable for indoor growing. Here are some of the main categories to explore:
- Succulents – These fleshy plants like aloe, echeveria, and haworthia are super easy to care for. Even if you forget to water them sometimes, they’re pretty tough.
- Flowering Plants – Add splashes of color with bloomers like orchids, peace lilies, and African violets. Just be prepared to water them more often when flowers are out.
- Foliage Plants – For lush green leaves, try snake plants, pothos, philodendrons, or the ever-popular peace lily. Their foliage is the star of the show.
- Tropical Plants – For a jungle vibe, add monsteras, ficus, ferns, or dracaenas. Give them bright light and don’t let soil dry out completely.
- Air Purifying Plants – Snake plants, english ivy, and bamboo palms cleverly clean the air as they photosynthesize. Win-win!
Plant Care Basics
Now that you know the types of plants to pick from, here are the basics on caring for your new leafy pals:
- Light – Different plants require different light conditions. Check tags or do research to place them in sunny or shady spots accordingly. Too much sun can scorch leaves.
- Water – Feel the soil before watering. When the top inch is dry, give the plant a thorough soak until water runs out the drainage holes. Underwatering is usually safer than overwatering.
- Temperature – Most houseplants thrive at 65-80°F. Keep away from drafty windows or vents. Consider a plant light if home is dim.
- Fertilizer – Use a diluted liquid plant food every few weeks during spring and summer. Too much can damage roots.
- Repotting – Check root growth and repot up one size when roots fill the pot. Use a well-draining potting mix.
Basically, give your new plants bright but indirect light, allow soil to dry between waterings, and feed occasionally. Piece of cake, right? Kind of, sort of, I mean if you remember all that, but don’t stress if you mess something up – plants are way more resilient than we think!
Popular Houseplant Profiles
Now for the fun part – pictures and details on some awesome plants to consider!
English Ivy (Hedera helix)
This classic trailing vine looks amazing draped on bookshelves or hanging from baskets. Its tiny dark green leaves form little round clusters. English ivy thrives in low to medium light and tolerates some neglect. It’s famous for being a pro at air purification too! Just trim occasionally to control size and shape. An easy fave.
Nepenthes (Nepenthes species)
Carnivorous plants don’t get much cooler than tropical pitcher plants! Their crazy modified leaves form tubular “pitchers” that trap and digest insects. Pretty sweet if you ask me. They enjoy warm temps, humidity, and diluted fertilizer or rainwater. Make sure your curiosity doesn’t kill your cat though – keep it up high where pets can’t feast on fuzzy friends. A showstopper for jungle vibes!
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Producing little plantlets called “spiderettes” on long, arching stiff leaves makes spider plants seriously fun to watch grow. Full to partial sun suits them, as do average home conditions. Their foliage comes in solid green or variegated forms with creamy white stripes and edges. Propagating the plantlets is basically like getting free plants – how cool is that?! Great for beginners too.
Common Houseplant Problems
No plant collection is complete without at least one casualty, right? Let’s look at some issues houseplants face and how to remedy them:
Mealybugs
These fluffy white pests suck plant juices and spread quickly. Wipe leaves with alcohol or treat with neem oil. Isolate infected plants to avoid spread. Ugh, what a pain in the keister!
Overwatering
When soil stays soggy too long, roots rot. The pot may also lack drainage. Improve drainage by drilling holes if needed, use well-draining potting mix, and wait until top inch is dry before watering. Underwatering is safer than drowning your plant friend!
Insufficient Light
Plants stretch or become leggy without enough sun. Move to a brighter spot and trim gangly stems if needed. A grow light could salvage a plant in a dark area. But darkness isn’t good for photosynthesis either, so keep that in mind.
With regular care, most houseplants stay very happy. But don’t beat yourself up if some struggle – every gardener slips up now and then! You live, you learn and can always try again with a new plant.
House Plants Care Guide
| Plant | Light Needs | Water Needs | Humidity Needs | Care Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider plant | Indirect light | Water when top inch of soil is dry | Average home humidity is fine | Propagate by dividing babies or replanting plantlets |
| Snake plant | Low light | Water when soil is dry | Thrives with low humidity | Tolerates neglect, grows slowly, propagate via division |
| Pothos | Low to bright indirect light | Water when top inch of soil is dry | Thrives with average home humidity | Propagate by cutting, tolerate low light, toxic to pets |
FAQ
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What is the easiest house plant to take care of?
Most people would say the ZZ plant is the easiest houseplant. It doesn’t need lots of sun or water and you can basically neglect it without killing it. At the same time, pothos and spider plants are also pretty tough plants that can survive even if you sort of forget to water them sometimes.
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How often should house plants be watered?
It depends on the specific plant, but as a general rule, most houseplants should be watered every 7 to 10 days when the top inch or two of soil is dry. Some plants like succulents only need water every couple of weeks. Nevertheless, you don’t want to overwater which can cause root rot. The best approach is to check the soil regularly with your finger and water when it’s looking dry.
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What is the most popular house plant?
The most common houseplant owned globally is probably the good old peace lily. It’s very tolerant of low light environments and produces beautiful white blooms. The English ivy and poinsettia are also hugely popular at Christmas time. However, in recent years, the monstera deliciosa, or Swiss cheese plant, has become incredibly trendy thanks to its stunning leaves with big holes! It’s featured everywhere on social media.
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How can you identify unknown house plants?
If you get a mystery plant and aren’t sure what it is, there are a few things you can do to identify it. First, take a good look at the leaves – are they waxy, fuzzy, variegated? Next, check the growth pattern – is it a vine, bushy, trailing? You can also try searching online for photos of common houseplants and comparing them to your unknown plant. Finally, maybe post a photo to a plant identification community on social media and see if the experts there can name it. Bet they can ID almost any plant!
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What are some poisonous house plants to watch out for?
Some plants you’ll want to keep away from kids and pets include peace lilies, many Hoya varieties like wax plants, and especially any parts of a dieffenbachia or dumb cane plant – they contain calcium oxalate raphides which can cause mouth pain or swelling if eaten. English ivy and mistletoe berries should also be avoided. I guess the takeaway is to do some research before buying a new plant if you have little ones or pets underfoot. Better safe than sorry!
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Why are plants good to have in the home?
Other than improving indoor air quality and providing aesthetic appeal, studies show that keeping plants around may help reduce stress and boost mood. Their presence has been found to lower levels of cortisol and increase serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels in the brain. Who knew plants could basically have such amazing effects on people’s mental well-being? I guess it’s true when they say you should stop and smell the roses once in a while.
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What’s the best way to display house plants?
There’s no single right answer, but in general, make sure plants get enough sun and are in locations with the proper light levels they need. You can show them off individually on shelves or side tables, or group several potted plants together on plant stands for an eye-catching vignette. Stagger heights for visual interest. Consider hanging plants from ceiling hooks too. Overall display them where you’ll see their beauty regularly! Pose a little, like a photographer, until you find just the right feng shui.
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What is the easiest house plant to take care of?
Most people would say the ZZ plant is the easiest houseplant. It doesn’t need lots of sun or water and you can basically neglect it without killing it. At the same time, pothos and spider plants are also pretty tough plants that can survive even if you sort of forget to water them sometimes.
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How often should house plants be watered?
It depends on the specific plant, but as a general rule, most houseplants should be watered every 7 to 10 days when the top inch or two of soil is dry. Some plants like succulents only need water every couple of weeks. Nevertheless, you don’t want to overwater which can cause root rot. The best approach is to check the soil regularly with your finger and water when it’s looking dry.
-
What is the most popular house plant?
The most common houseplant owned globally is probably the good old peace lily. It’s very tolerant of low light environments and produces beautiful white blooms. The English ivy and poinsettia are also hugely popular at Christmas time. However, in recent years, the monstera deliciosa, or Swiss cheese plant, has become incredibly trendy thanks to its stunning leaves with big holes! It’s featured everywhere on social media.
-
How can you identify unknown house plants?
If you get a mystery plant and aren’t sure what it is, there are a few things you can do to identify it. First, take a good look at the leaves – are they waxy, fuzzy, variegated? Next, check the growth pattern – is it a vine, bushy, trailing? You can also try searching online for photos of common houseplants and comparing them to your unknown plant. Finally, maybe post a photo to a plant identification community on social media and see if the experts there can name it. Bet they can ID almost any plant!
-
What are some poisonous house plants to watch out for?
Some plants you’ll want to keep away from kids and pets include peace lilies, many Hoya varieties like wax plants, and especially any parts of a dieffenbachia or dumb cane plant – they contain calcium oxalate raphides which can cause mouth pain or swelling if eaten. English ivy and mistletoe berries should also be avoided. I guess the takeaway is to do some research before buying a new plant if you have little ones or pets underfoot. Better safe than sorry!
-
Why are plants good to have in the home?
Other than improving indoor air quality and providing aesthetic appeal, studies show that keeping plants around may help reduce stress and boost mood. Their presence has been found to lower levels of cortisol and increase serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels in the brain. Who knew plants could basically have such amazing effects on people’s mental well-being? I guess it’s true when they say you should stop and smell the roses once in a while.
-
What’s the best way to display house plants?
There’s no single right answer, but in general, make sure plants get enough sun and are in locations with the proper light levels they need. You can show them off individually on shelves or side tables, or group several potted plants together on plant stands for an eye-catching vignette. Stagger heights for visual interest. Consider hanging plants from ceiling hooks too. Overall display them where you’ll see their beauty regularly! Pose a little, like a photographer, until you find just the right feng shui.