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Create striking indoor garden areas in your home with architectural indoor foliage plants. These indoor plants are hardy and love to be around people and living areas.
1. Ficus ‘Turban’
This hot little number is finding popularity as an attractive and hardy house plant.
Position: Great in large containers in a medium to high light situation.
Care: Keep moist and well fed in summer; a little drier in winter. Apply Searles Robust Plus every 6 months.
2. Weeping Figs (Ficus benjamina ‘Exotica’ and Ficus ‘Midnight Beauty’)
‘Exotica’ has been available for some time and is hardier than the original weeping fig. ‘Midnight Beauty’ is a newer variety with dark, almost black foliage and a dense growth habit.
Position: Great in pots. Likes bright, filtered light.
Care: Tolerates a dry atmosphere but benefits from regular watering in warm conditions. Keep an eye out for mealybug, scale insects and thrips.
3. Dracaena ‘Costa Rica & ‘Paradisio’ (top pick!)
Easy-care indoor plant with excellent ‘feng shui’ and colour. Low maintenance and a noted O2 generator. What more could you want from a houseplant?
Position: Great in pots. Tolerates low light.
Care: Water once a week for best results, however, will flourish on considerable neglect.
4. Zanzibar Gem
An extremely easy-care plant that loves low light conditions.
Care: Water occasionally but allow the plant to dry out well between watering.
OTHER GREAT INDOOR FOLIAGE PLANTS
5. Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’
6. Spathiphyllum ‘Madonna Lily’
7. Calathea
8. Aphelandra ‘Zebra Plant’
9. Schefflera arboricola ‘Madam de Smet’
10. Strelitzia Nicolai ‘Giant bird’s tongue flower’
11. Anthurium
12. Maidenhair fern
13. Monstera
14. Rhapis excelsa ‘Lady palm’
HOT TIP: Use less water
Reduce your water needs with Searles Penetraide which makes soils and potting mixes more water absorbent. Just sprinkle it onto the soil & water it in. Ideal for pots and garden beds, its benefits last up to 8 months after each application.
At the moment my visitors like to see my sweet potato growing inside – sweet potatoes send out lovely long leafy tendrils which can be trained wherever you want them to go and snipped back as required – cheap too! I find they are best if you let them shoot before putting them in water – get the right sized pot so you can just sit the potato in the neck with its bottom in the water.
Appreciate my regular ATG emails – many thanks!
Lesley Shaw
Great idea Lesley! I’ve got sweet potato growing in a garden bed at the moment, but didn’t consider having it as an indoor plant….have to give this one a try!