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Finding the right indoor plant is not just about finding the look you want. You also need to make sure you can keep up with the care requirements. Some plants require lots of light but some prefer shade, some require lots of water and some like their soil dry.
If you're trying to find the right indoor plant for your home, apartment or office, you've come to the right place. We've picked out some of the prettiest and trendiest plants of the moment and broken them down by care instructions and how hard they are to kill.
These plants are notoriously hard to kill. Even without water for an extended period, these plants stay strong and tall without drooping. They're also very tolerant of low light, so they are perfect for the indoors. This is a non-flowering plant, and it produces long green stems with small-medium sized green leaves. Not only will this make an attractive addition to your home, but it's also a great plant for promoting good air quality.
Care: Water once a week.
Hard to kill?: This plant has been deemed unkillable by some.
Peace lilies are a very popular choice for an indoor plant. They do very well in lower light situations, preferring indirect, filtered light like through a window. They produce big, dark green leaves and sometimes white lily flowers. Many people will choose to cut the flowers off their plants as this allows the plant to grow more leaves. Some people also just prefer the look. Peace lilies are a little less tolerant to under-watering than Zanzibar gems but can last a fair while without water. These plants are great at removing ammonia from the air.
Care: Water once or twice a week depending on the temperature. It likes well-lit or medium-lit spaces.
Hard to kill?: This plant is reasonably hardy, but it can be killed by over-watering or severe under-watering
Snake plants have thick leaves that grow upwards out of the soil vertically. They can produce yellow-green, light green and deep green leaves depending on the type of snake plant – there are a few. Snake plants are actually a type of succulent and are very tolerant to under-watering because their long leaves store water. In fact, it is much better to under-water these than over-water them because snake plants are prone to root rot. Once root rot starts, your whole plant will slowly die since it's irreversible. But if you plant these guys in well-draining soil, you can avoid root rot easily.
Care: Water sparingly and make sure soil drains well. It can handle bright and dim light.
Hard to kill?: This plant can be killed easily by over-watering, so when in doubt, don't water.
These are some of the prettiest indoor plants. They're voluminous, producing loads of big, glossy, dark green leaves that look striking against a big decorative pot. Fiddle-leaf figs are very trendy and are the plants you'll often see in the glossy pages of home design magazines. Given the size of the leaves, these plants will clean the air in your home more efficiently than other plants. But keep in mind that these plants are fussy. They hate too much light or not enough. They hate wind, draughts or air conditioners. They also hate being moved too much and can drop their leaves if unhappy.
Care: Water only when the top layers of the soil are dry. Keep it in a bright area away from direct sunlight.
Hard to kill?: This plant is very easy to kill, so you'll need to follow the care directions to a tee.
These leafy plants are deep-green or almost purple in colour. These plants work as both indoor and outdoor plants. As an indoor plant, they grow depending on the size of the pot. If you prefer to keep your plant smaller, just keep your pot smaller. Some varieties of this plant can look quite similar to the fiddle-leaf fig, but these are much hardier – so this is a good option if you like the fig plant look without the fuss! These plants are great for supporting clean and comfortable air quality in the home.
Care: Keep in a bright spot away from indirect sunlight. Water well once the top layers of the soil feel dry to the touch – maybe once a week in summer or twice a month in winter.
Hard to kill?: As long as you don't let this plant stand in a wet drip tray, it's pretty darn hardy.
This plant is also known as a Monstera deliciosa. It has big, broad leaves with patterned holes – a bit like Swiss cheese. This is another house plant that is quite trendy at the moment. It's rich green colour and leafy fullness make it an attractive option that can add a tropical vibe to any space. This plant likes sun, so it's not one that you should keep in a back room. It's a relatively low maintenance plant, but remember that it is a plant hailing from tropical regions, so it likes hot temperatures and moist soil.
Care: Keep in a bright spot like near a window and water weekly or when the top few centimetres of soil are dry.
Hard to kill?: This plant is reasonably hard to kill if you live in a hot region. This plant hates the cold!
If you want to add a little Palm Springs flair to your living space, then a bamboo palm is the way to go. This plants can be large with long stems, perfect for resting on the floor, or you can get smaller table-top varieties that make great desk plants. In fact, given how well these filter the surrounding air, they are fantastic desk-top plants to bring into a shared office environment. The leaves have a voluminous almost fluffy quality and appear green and lively even in tough environments – they have an exceptional tolerance for low light.
Care: Don't keep in direct sun. Water 1 - 3 times a week, whatever is needed to keep the soil moist.
Hard to kill?: These plants can tolerate almost anything except the roots standing in water. Make sure to empty the drip tray after watering.
The cast iron plant or aspidistra is a plant of the lily family with long, luscious, dark green leaves. Given the size of its leaves, this plant is known to be an effective air filter. It looks a bit like a peace lily but is vastly more hardy. This slow growing plant is a great option for those who aren't after anything that requires too much attention or pruning. This plant can tolerate little to no water, but will flourish when watered properly. Direct sun can burn the delicate leaves of these plants so it's best to keep it away from windows.
Care: Water once a week or when the soil has dried out. This plant prefers to be too dry rather than too wet. Keep away from direct sun and it can tolerate very low light.
Hard to kill?: This plant is very hard to kill. Although it doesn't like being too cold, under-watered or being in direct sun, it will survive all these conditions. Just don't let the roots sit in water.
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