Which Houseplants?

Cybes100

Hello,

I'm thinking of getting some houseplants in 2012 - I have NONE at the moment!

I need types that are easy to grow (not too big though), and are easy to maintain (no bonsai here!!), and that look colourful a lot of the time.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks.

blossomhill_2

Hello, that's a nice project to plan for the new year

I'd put oyster plant tradescantia spathacea at the top of the list, it is very forgiving and thrives in many varied conditions, and soil types. If it gets tatty just trim off a few shoots, root in water in about a week and poke them back into the soil. Or chop it down to near the base and it will spring up new shoots - I love them and keep several in 3" pots as they are always looking cheerful and colourful all year round, quick drink once a week but survive if I forget for a couple of weeks

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayjayc/2276502940/

Enjoy!

peter_the_piper

Aspidistra, flower not much but it will thrive in virtually any position except full sun. glossy leaves like a clean every now and again.

ikati5

Peace Lily is a nice plant incredibly forgiving, if you forget to water it, it sort of folds inwards but revives really quickly!

lostinrates

not always thought of as houseplants, but I like pelagoniums. They are cheerful and smell good on a sunny warm window sil through winter and can be chucked outside, or not, in summer. They are super easy and forgiving and fun to take cuttings from.

susan6780

Be careful if you have cats,some plants are poisonous to cats and just brushing them will hurt poor kitty

Rummer

This thread really appeals to me as I would love to have more plants in the house Currently we have:

• Purple shamrock - stunning and easy to keep - gift
• Aloe Vera - terrifying spiky thing that grows huge :eek: - Ikea
• Spider plants - huge and so easy to look after/grow more from - Ikea
• Dragon Trees - attractive and quite durable too - Ikea
• Ivy - lovely but a bit of a diva - inherited from family
• Cactuses - sooooo easy - Ikea
• Orchids - stunning and suprisingly easy - gifts
• Cyclamen - pretty and girly - sale bin at supermarket

Gosh now I have written them down I can see we have quite a few :rotfl: still I would like to add my collection so I will follow this thread with great interest.

Rummer

lostinrates wrote: »

not always thought of as houseplants, but I like pelagoniums. They are cheerful and smell good on a sunny warm window sil through winter and can be chucked outside, or not, in summer. They are super easy and forgiving and fun to take cuttings from.

They look lovely Lir where do you get them from?

blossomhill_2

OP's request was for colourful ones but for anyone who likes a nice bit of green I would recommend peperomia - there are loads of them with different leaf colours - my favourite is the coin leaf one and it makes a great "office plant" which means it can handle some healthy neglect or some idiot emptying their cold coffee into it

:rotfl:

Pics here LINK

Rummer, its interetsing you mention Ikea as although I haunt garden centres and nurseries, most of my favourite and unusual ones have come from Ikea, they do a great job of sourcing unusaul houseplants

And if you like succulents try burro's tail LINK as any broken off leaflets root easily and increase your stock - great for rooting up for the school fete!
Enjoy!

lostinrates

Rummer wrote: »

They look lovely Lir where do you get them from?

well.....they take AMZINGLY easily from cuttings....so often other peoples pots (with permission of course!)

I love scented leaf ones especiialy, but find them a wee bit more needy than the others (though they are very low need plants but my scenteds are struggling with the no heating in the house, think I might have lost one) otherwise, one or two of ones I like and then cuttings to reproduce.

there are scented sellers on line certainly, but the ''normal'' ones sometimes carry some flower scent (think turkish delight sort of scent) and are cheap as chips as bedding plants....and grow well outside in bed over summer if easier than potting up iummeadiately.

Jnelhams

Christmas / Easter Cacti - easy to keep.
Hibiscus - Flower all year on a warm bright windowsill
African Violets - surprisingly don't like too much water, and prefer a bright but not sunny window.
Moth (Phalaenopsis Orchids - Just love a cool bright window no sun, and flower for ages, when the flower finishes do not cut the stem back, and it will sprout and flower again.
Mother -in -laws Tongue (Sansevieria) - Survive anything