Bringing the outdoors inside with potted greenery is more than a decorating trend. Live
plants add color and beauty to any room, are known to purify the air, and are said to improve your mood. But the very thought of being responsible for their livelihood scares more than a few novices away.
Fortunately, while some plants will do better in a room with some natural light, there are easy-care indoor plants that require little more than occasional watering and are almost impossible to kill.
- Spider plant – One of the most easily recognized houseplants, spider plants are undemanding beauties with arching, green and white leaves that give them a jaunty, spidery look. Once the plant gets big enough, it produces baby plants on the ends of long stems that are easy to root in pots of their own. They do best in medium to bright light and when kept evenly moist.
- Bird of Paradise – For a tropical look, think of this exotic plant, with its distinctive blue and bright orange flowers that resemble a bird in flight. The plant likes light, warmth and a bit of humidity, so in addition to watering, it will love you best if you mist its leaves now and then.
- Philodendron – The heart-leaf philodendron is a downright happy plant with glossy foliage and draping vines. It adapts well to low-light spots and doesn’t mind if you forget to water it now and then. Its trailing stems look especially nice draping down from a shelf or hanging basket. A downside is that the leaves are poisonous if eaten by pets or children.
- Dieffenbachia – This plant’s lush green and white variegated leaves add color and grace to any room. Kept evenly moist, it may grow to as much as six-feet tall. It is poisonous if chewed by pets or children.
- Chinese evergreen – These attractive, durable plants may grow to as much as three-feet tall, with leaves in various shades of silver, gray, green and sometimes even pink or red. They thrive when kept minimally moist, but are also poisonous if eaten by pets or children.
