You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
You know that you can use house plants to 'green' up your home. Many of you are probably familiar with flowering house plants as well; african violet, orchid, hoya and so many more. But there is another way to introduce color into your home with potted plants.
I have always grown plants in my home. The more the better. My darling husband, while he appreciates a nice plant, much prefers one that flowers to one that is 'plain green.' I do grow some African violets and orchids. Some other flowering plants that I grow are seasonal; Christmas cactus, cyclamen, gloxinia and forced bulbs such as lilies and daffodils. So I find it difficult to have ALL flowering plants in the house. A terrific compromise is a plant that is grown for its colorful foliage with flowers that are either non-existent or small and insignificant. Please note that if you hover over any of the photos in the article you will see the plant name. If you click on the photo, a new window will open with the PlantFiles entry for that particular plant with more information.
The afore-mentioned husband has a favorite and it has a central place in our home where everyone can enjoy it. This one is not only colorful, it is animated! The Prayer Plant, or Maranta leuconeura var. erythrophylla, is beautiful and fascinating. The cultivar I have has lovely tricolor leaves with a solid red reverse. True to its name, it raises its leaves in the evening as if praying. Sometimes as you pass by, it moves a leaf in greeting (yes, plant lovers tend to assign personalities to their plants). The plant was purchased at the supermarket for a couple of dollars. It has grown fairly quickly and was definitely more than worth the investment. The tiny violet-tinted flowers are pretty, but too small to make much of a statement.
Daytime ~ leaves down
Night time ~ leaves up
Reverse side of leaf
Now to one of my favorites, the plant in the opening thumbnail, Croton 'Petra' (Codiaeum variegatum). There are lots of great 'autumn' colors in the leaves; red, russet, orange, yellow AND green. The leaves are large and this makes a nice floor plant. Again, the flowers are nothing to write home about. There are other Crotons with different color combinations that you may find more intriguing.
'Gen. Padgett'
'Mamey'
'Aureo-maculatum'
Do you like purple? I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you do there are several terrific purple plants that are easy growers. Gynura aurantiaca, Purple Passion (the name I've always know it by) or Purple Velvet is a green plant with a purple overcast that can be so strong that the whole plant appears to be purple. If this plant does begin to bloom, the buds should be cut off. First, they are orange and clash absolutely with the purple foliage. Second, they smell, to me, like bad cheese. Cutting back the plant promotes bushiness, so it's a good idea, anyway.
Another great trailing purple that anyone can grow is Wandering Jew or Inch plant (Tradescantia zebrina). This plant is a tender perennial and can be grown outside in zone 9 and above*, but we are discussing it as a house plant. It roots quickly and easily from stem cuttings. An advantage of this plant is that it doesn't need full sun so it can be grown in more indirect light, although not in a dark corner. At left is my Wandering Jew. As you can see, I am one of those people who are reluctant to cut back a plant even though I know it will make it bushier and much nicer in the long run. At right is a photo from PlantFiles, courtesy of DebinSC, who obviously knows how to grow this plant to its best advantage. Thank you Deb.
I mentioned earlier that I grow orchids. There is a group called Jewel Orchids that are grown mainly for their colorful foliage, although they do flower. I have a small specimen of Haemaria discolor 'Dawsoniana'. This is the most common one you will find, often called the "Black" Jewel Orchid, but there is a great variety of these aptly named plants available. These orchids are terrestrial, meaning that they grow in soil, on the ground. Growing indoors, they must be watered very sparingly in the winter months.
Rubber trees, the oft mentioned Ficus elastica, can be a wonderful focal plant if you have the room. My resident 'Rubrum', although not knock-your-socks-off colorful, has red stems, shiny green leaves and size. I've had it for about 5 years and it is 4 feet tall. It may be the variety, it may be lack of care, but many rubber trees get much taller. 'Sylvie', recently acquired, is a variegated plant with some pinkish-brown that is very pretty. There is 'Variegata' with terrific red overlaying a green/white variegation.
You say you want color choices in a house plant? Two words ... Rex begonia! The Rex begonia (Begonia rex) has not only an amazing range of color but fascinating leaf shapes as well. I have a small Rex that I haven't been able to identify as to cultivar. It was very pastel when purchased but has since deepened in color. 'Escargot' (Begonia rex-cultorum) has a quirky snail-trail leaf in green and silver. Also called painted leaf begonias, 'Capricorn' has a silvery-green leaf with burgundy center and edge. I've included these and some additional cultivars in the collage below so you can see some of the spectrum of color available in this plant.
This plant grabbed me as I walked by at the nursery one day. I knew nothing about it except that it was a very pretty color. So I looked it up when I got home. It said 'Earth Star' on the tag. Cryptanthus bivittatus was said (I'm sorry, I've lost the reference) to be the most difficult of the Cryptanthus to grow. I bought it as multiple plants; all have died off except the main one on top which I have had for some time now. It's a succulent, which surprised me, because it doesn't have the thick, juicy-looking leaf that most succulents have. The tricolor plants come in many cultivars with different stripe patterns and shades of the basic green/white/pink stripes. There are many other Cryptanthus that may be of interest also.
Just recently, I was at the same nursery and they had their house plants on sale. This Pileainvolucrata 'Norfolk', aka Friendship Plant, was irrestible. It is closely related to the more familiar Aluminum Plant, Pilea cadierei, but is more colorful.
Same sale (you didn't think I would get just one, did you?) ... Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) is a very cute little plant that comes in several colors, as you can see from the picture. It needs to be pinched back often to keep from becoming leggy. Plant this one in the pot with another plant that has similar requirements as a nice little companion.
Many other common plants have variegated forms in green/white or green/gold that can be quite striking. Just a few that I have in my house are two different Sansevierias, Snakeskin Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata hahnii) and Mother-in-law's Tongue or Snake Plant (Sansevieria zeylanica). The former has a shorter rounder leaf. The latter I have had for many years and is very tall, has narrow leaves and does well with very low light and infrequent watering... a plant neglector's dream. Pothos is probably one of the most common and easy to grow house plants. 'Marble Queen' (Epipremnum pinnatum) is the variety I have, but there are many in plain green or gold/green. The next ones are upright forms of Peperomia, Peperomia magnoliaefolia variegata and Peperomia clusiifolia. There are many, many different Peperomias, some low growing with crinkled leaves in varied colors, others more upright like mine, some very colorful. They are yours to explore.
This is just a beginning. Go and experiment. Buy one plant to use as a focal point for a room. Or buy every plant that strikes your fancy the way I do. Look for sales or just pick one up at the supermarket. Work your way through this list and when your're done I'll see what else I can come up with. I will require pictures of your efforts, though, and there may be a test.
Photo Credits: with sincere thanks to the following DG members who have contributed their excellent photographs to PlantFiles just so I could borrow them for this article [insert giggle here]...
giancarlo (Croton 'Aureo-maculatum', Croton 'Gen. Padgett'), MotherNature4 (Croton 'Mamey'), palmbob (Ficus 'Variegata'), chanin (Earth Star 'Lisa Vinzant'), Happenstance (Rex begonia 'Raspberry Crush'), BUFFY690 (Rex begonia 'Harmony's Red Robin'), Kell (Rex begonia 'Escargot', Rex begonia 'Tornado'), Toxicodendron (Rex begonia 'Chicago Fire'), Joy (Rex begonia 'Boston Cherries 'n' Chocolate), DebinSC (Wandering Jew)
Jewel Orchid Terrarium photo courtesy of Zephyrus Orchids, a Canadian orchid retailer that also ships to the US (please note: I have never done business with this company and have no recommendation)
* Many of these plants are perennial in the higher zones. They may be grown as groundcovers or soar into large tree-like beauties. For those of us in the colder climes, the only way to enjoy them is indoors, or possibly to take them out in the warmer months.
About Jan Recchio
I'm a 'dabble' gardener. Been gardening since I was a child. I will plant anything that will grow for me and some things that won't, indoors or out. Outdoors I have theme gardens: roses, butterfly/hummingbird, heathers/dwarf conifers, a rock garden (in progress) and a new English-style cottage garden with an herb garden at it's 'heart'. Indoors I try to concentrate on orchids, African violets, anything that will flower or has lots of color and unusual houseplants. I try to stay organic and keep chemicals to a bare minimum. My non-gardening interests include quilting, counted cross-stitch and watercolor painting. I am a proud grandma, recently celebrated my 40th anniversary and before my retirement I was a clinical systems analyst (computer geek) for 24 years.
Posted by kathy65468 (from Eunice, MO) on December 26, 2008 at 7:01 PM:
I think colorful foliage is so cool in the house and did not realize there was so much to choose from. Thanks so much for a great article!
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on December 30, 2008 at 7:28 AM:
kathy, you are very welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the article and hope you pick up a plant or two.
~ jan
...
Posted by kathy65468 (from Eunice, MO) on December 30, 2008 at 7:31 AM:
As soon as weather permits shipping again I will definitely be ordering a plant or two or four lol. I never know when to stop.
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on January 2, 2009 at 11:35 PM:
That's one of the pleasures of plants. there are just so many to choose from. it's starting to look like a nursery here LOL
...
Subject: Problem with Houseplants
Posted by Bama_Gal (from Cibolo, TX) on August 24, 2008 at 3:17 PM:
I have been overseas for the past 10 yrs and have never had any problem with inside or outside plants. Now since arriving to San Antonio TX, I have been having all kinds of issues with indoor and outside plants... can some one please help me. I'm on my third batch of replacing house plants. They do find in the begining, but after a while the leaves fall off and die. I have tried not watering, watering ever so often and just once a month.
I need some HELP and fast before I purchase some fake ones.
Bama Gal
...
Posted by ms_ditzy (from Bloomfield, IN) on August 28, 2008 at 6:50 PM:
One thing that helped me is a good moisture meter. I am an overwaterer. I recently found a meter on Amazon.com that measures moisture and light. Maybe you are over loving your plants with too much water or light, or maybe your home is too dry? I also look up every plant that I get, for info on it's needs and do my best. I always buy the least expensive plants when I can find them, like Wal Mart had really nice housplants this year that were only 3.00 in 6" pots! That way I figured I didn't spend too much and could enjoy them while I had them. Every plant I got did really well for me. I also use SuperThrive plant vitamins, and it seemed to make a difference. You must be a military wife, being overseas for 10 years, and now in Texas. I was too, and gave up plants because of moves, and just got started again. I'm hooked on houseplants now and have been learning so much here on Dave's! Good Luck to you, and God Bless you for your military role! (that is if I'm right about your being a military member or wife) Mitzi :)
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 29, 2008 at 8:43 AM:
Oh, Mitzi. Thanks so much for trying to answer Bama Gal's question. I was kind of stumped. I've never tried Superthrive, in fact, just bought a bottle this week, but everyone here swears by it. I started using Algoflash liquid fertilizer on my houseplants this summer and noticed a big difference. I wanted a liquid so I could just put a little in the watering can without any fuss. And it's organic. I actually used it on all my container plants outside, too. good results. there are other similar products.
Both overwatering and underwatering can cause a plant to lose leaves and die. I do the same as Mitzi...make notes on the plants when I buy them (look them up in PlantFiles)about light and water requirements and do the best I can to meet those needs. Some plants will need to be misted regularly or set on a dish of pebbles with water to keep them hydrated if it is too dry in your home. Here's the link to PlantFiles in case you're new
As far as outside plants, if you're going to be in TX a while and you want to do some gardening, try hanging out in the Texas gardening forum. I'm sure there are lots of friendly folks (who's NOT friendly in TX? LOL) who would love to help you out. Here's a link to the forum
ps you may also want to look for bugs on your plants. look under the leaves for anything that moves or webs. white cottony looking things. shake them over a piece of paper and see if anything looking like pepper falls out. I had an infestation of what I thought were 'fruit flies', the tiny little flies that bug you but don't bite. They lay eggs on the soil of the plants. The maggots eat the plant roots. Found that out the hard way.
Good luck! ~ jan
my 'Moses-in-the-cradle' finally bloomed when I started using the Algoflash. here's a pic
...
Posted by ms_ditzy (from Bloomfield, IN) on August 29, 2008 at 10:03 PM:
Thanks Grampapa, for you gave me some good advice too! I've read many of your threads on here and have already learned from you. I've been reading a lot about propagation and wintersowing. I've learned so much in the short time I've been a member and know that I'm gonna grow as a gardener, both inside and outside (totally new to outdoor gardening). I can't wait to try the milk jugs and what ever else I can find around the house to wintersow. I just have to be sure not to go overboard.
I got those bugs too I think, in a huge planter of giant elephant ears. At the time, I thought they were white flies too. I read an article that said they might be called fungus gnats. Anyway, I killed mine with homemade soap spray. Grated Fels-Naptha bar soap, and warm water in a spray bottle. Also had some weird black dirt looking spots develop on the leaves. I took a soft wash cloth and washed the whole plant. It worked at least.
I'm also going to get some Algoflash.
Thanks, Mitzi
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 30, 2008 at 5:20 PM:
Yes, Mitzi. fungus gnats (what an awful name, although they deserve it). you're smart to make your own soap spray. works just as well as the insecticidal soap sprays they sell and is certainly much cheaper.
If you have any questions about wintersowing just shoot me a d-mail and I'll try to help. And you can help me with the 'have to be sure not to go overboard' part. I planted WAY too much again last winter (96 containers) and I still have plants sitting out in their containers that need planting. a lot of them bloomed and they are still alive, so 'fall planting' is in order :0)
~ jan
...
Subject: Thanks!
Posted by booplants (from Phoenix, AZ) on August 20, 2008 at 11:27 PM:
Great Article...thanks! I also love houseplants...been caring for them for over 30 years.
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 21, 2008 at 8:16 AM:
boo, I'm glad you enjoyed it. what's not to love? ~ jan
...
Subject: houseplants
Posted by patrice10 (from Aquebogue, NY) on August 20, 2008 at 1:39 PM:
I bought a plant three years ago that was some kind of maple, I was told. It has loads of red poppy-like flowers all over it since I put it outside for the first year (usually keep it indoors). I have no idea if I can plant it in the ground and leave it out over winter or bring it back in (zone 7) If I knew it's ID I could look it up.
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 20, 2008 at 5:58 PM:
Hi, Patrice. What you have is probably Abutilon (Flowering Maple). You will have to keep bringing it in over the winter. They are only hardy in the south, zones 8-9 or warmer. There may be some select cultivars that are hardy to zone 7, but not knowing exactly which one you have, I would keep it indoors.
Here's the link to PlantFiles to see if this is indeed what you have. I picked a red one for comparison's sake, but it comes in lots of beautiful colors.
Posted by timmychoo (from Tucson, AZ) on August 20, 2008 at 2:11 AM:
I am so jealous. Here in Tucson, Arizona, it is very difficult to grow anything. I have a tiny little yard, covered in small river rock, so everything I try to grow is in pots and I have such bad luck. It is so terribly hot and dry here that everything just dies, even with steady watering. The only thing I have that survives are patio palms. I would love to have flowering plants indoors, but I have cats and most of them are poisonous to cats. So indoors, I have to settle for philodendrum and dried flowers! Any suggestions you might have for me would be appreciated!
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 20, 2008 at 7:54 AM:
Oh, dear. I don't have cats anymore. I'm sure there are cat safe plants for you, but I don't know for sure so I don't want to give advice. Post this question on the House Plants Forum (link is below...just scroll to the bottom of the page and enter it where it says 'Starting a New Topic'). There are many, many cat lovers here on DG. Seems to go hand-in-hand with being a plant lover for some reason. Good luck! jan
Posted by phicks (from Lakeland, FL) on August 17, 2008 at 8:47 PM:
great pictures
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 17, 2008 at 10:02 PM:
Thanks, phicks. I enjoy photography but it's hit & miss for me. House plants are good subjects because they hold still LOL
~ jan
...
Posted by staceysmom (from (GayLynn) Appleton, WI) on August 17, 2008 at 10:36 PM:
Great article. I love growing houseplants. It allows me to garden during the cold winter months. I see a few here I'm going to have to try. I agree, great pics too.
GayLynn
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 18, 2008 at 1:48 PM:
Thank you, GayLynn. I neglected to add thanks on behalf of the other PlantFiles photographers in the previous response for the photos. There are so many excellent photographers here at DG. It's really such fun looking thru PlantFiles.
me, too, on the winter gardening
~ jan
...
Posted by phicks (from Lakeland, FL) on August 18, 2008 at 3:00 PM:
Whats Winter?
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 19, 2008 at 8:01 AM:
Oooo, phicks, that's just mean LOL. Here you go. Come up and see me sometime. ~ jan
...
Posted by staceysmom (from (GayLynn) Appleton, WI) on August 19, 2008 at 5:50 PM:
Yeah, what Jan said!
...
Posted by phicks (from Lakeland, FL) on August 19, 2008 at 6:16 PM:
LOL you wish
...
Subject: Well Done!
Posted by Tropicman (from Wichita, KS) on August 17, 2008 at 7:38 PM:
I truly admire people who has the skill to grow just about any plant as a Houseplant.
I grow a lot of tropicals and know the difficulties in getting the right conditions in keeping them a live and happy.
You have some great selections in your article,and a few I can grow,and some I haven't tried as yet.
Thanks for taking the time to share with us your houseplants.
...
Posted by MaryE (from Baker City, OR) on August 17, 2008 at 8:02 PM:
A very nicely written and informative article. I might just have to buy a few more colorful whatchamacallums.
...
Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on August 17, 2008 at 9:59 PM:
Thank you both for the nice comments. I used to say that there was always room for one more house plant. But it's getting kind of tight around here. I hung another wall planter on Saturday LOL.
