Alocasia |
Alocasia x amazonica (Alocasia 'Polly') |
Tropic and subtropic Southeast Asia and East Australia |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
No |
Don't keep them in air flows (near doors, air conditioners etc) as the Alocasia will drop off it's leaves in these conditions. |
Alocasia's have bulbs beneath the ground that often are edible! |
Aloë |
Aloë Vera |
South to tropical Africa |
Low light |
5°C |
Little, let it dry out between waterings |
Normal |
No |
|
Aloe vera is used in the production or skin creams, soap yoghurt and even drinks but only the hydrating effect is really proven to be good for you! |
Calathea |
Calathea 'Freddy', Calathea oppenheimiana 'Tricolor', Calathea lancifolia, Calathea majestica 'Whitestar', Calathea orbifolia, Calthea ornata, Calathea picturata var. argentea, calathea rufibarba 'Blue Grass', Calathea zebrina, Calathea 'Kennedy', Calathea 'Medaillon', Calathea burle-marxii |
Tropical Americas |
Bright indirect light |
18°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
Yes |
When the downside leaves are reddish that means it's a low-light Calathea. |
The bright patterns on Calathea's are camouflage to protect the plant against plant-eating insects! |
Coffea |
Coffea arabica |
South to tropical Africa and Tropical Asia |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
No |
|
Almost all coffee in the world is made with fruit from the Coffea arabica plant. |
Dieffenbachia |
Dieffenbachia 'Camilla' |
Tropical Mexico, Argentina, Brasil |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
No |
|
It's nick name is 'Death mans Cane' but actually it burns only slightly in the mouth. Cultivated species are nearly alwasy less poisonous then wild species. |
Epipremnum |
Epipremnum aureum, Epipremnum aureum 'Marble Queen', Epipremnum aureum 'Neon' |
Tropical China, Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Australia |
Low light |
10°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
Normal |
No |
|
An Epipremnum can even grow very easily with real sunlight. A 1000 lux lamp is enough for this plant! |
Ficus |
Ficus elastica 'Belize', Ficus elastica 'Cloe', Ficus elastica 'Tineke', Ficus lyrata |
Tropical to temperate zones |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Moderate, can have some water but let it dry between waterings. |
Normal |
No |
|
Fig fruit grows on a Ficus species called Ficus carica. The Ficus elastice can be used to make rubber. |
Fittonia |
Fittonia albivenis |
Tropical rainforests in Peru |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
Yes |
|
Fittonia's patterns mimics the shadows of the sun falling through leaves are are camouflage against plant-eating insects. |
Haworthia |
/ |
South to tropical Africa |
Bright indirect light |
5°C |
Little, let it dry out between waterings |
Normal |
Yes |
|
|
Maranta |
Maranta amabilis, Maranta leuconeura 'Fascinator Tricolor' |
Tropical Central and South America |
Bright indirect light |
18°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
Yes |
When the leaves of your Maranta curl, it's time to add water! |
|
Monstera |
Monstera deliciosa, Monstera adansonii, Monstera karstenianum |
Tropical Americas |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
No |
|
The holes in a Monstera are there so that strong tropical winds can easily pass without ripping the leaves apart. |
Peperomia |
Pemeromia pecuniifolia, Peperomia orba 'Pixie Lime', Peperomia tetraphylla 'Hope', Peperomia polybotrya 'Raindrop', Peperomia myrtifolia var. rotundifolia |
Mostly tropical Central America |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Moderate, can have some water but let it dry between waterings. |
Normal |
Yes |
|
Peperomias are very easy to take cuttings from so be sure to test it out! |
Philodendron |
Philodendron 'Birkin', Philodendron xanadu |
Mostly tropical Americas |
Low to bright indirect light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
No |
|
|
Pilea |
Pilea peperomioides, Pilea mollis 'Moon Valley', Pilea cadierei |
Tropics, subtropics and temperate regions |
Low to bright indirect light |
10°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
Yes |
|
Sometimes called 'Money Plant'. Not because it's round leaves resemble coins but because they were very profitable for growers when first discovered! |
Rhaphidophora |
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma |
Southern Thailand and Malaysia |
Bright indirect light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
No |
|
Most people think this is a Mosntera while it's certainly not. It grows a lot quicker though so a very nice plant to have! |
Sansevieria |
Sansevieria 'Black Coral', Sansevieria 'Black Diamond', Sansevieria trifasciate var laurentii', Sansevieria cylindrica, Sansevieria 'Zeylanica' |
Africa, Madagascar and Southern Asia in deserts but also tropical areas |
Low to direct sunlight |
10°C |
Little, let it dry between waterings |
Indifferent |
No |
|
Discovered by Belgian botanists in Kongo who correctly assumed that this could be a very popular house plant. |
Spathiphyllum |
Spathiphyllum cochloearispathum, Spathiphyllum wallissi 'Strauss', Spathiphyllum wallissii 'Sweet Lauretta' |
Tropical central America |
Low to bright indirect light |
10°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
High |
No |
|
|
Strelitzia |
Strelitzia nicolai, Strelitzia reginae |
South Africa |
Direct light |
15°C |
Lots, always moist 3-4 cm below the soil surface but not wet. |
Normal |
No |
Put them in a planter that is slightly too small to increase your chance for flowers. |
|
Tillandsia |
Tillandsia melanocrater, Tillandsia ionantha |
Cool climates to very hot |
Bright indirect light |
10°C |
Spray 1 to 4 times a week or put in water one hour/week. |
high |
Yes |
|
Tillandsia don't need earth and take water out of the air through miniscule scales on their 'skin'. Their mini roots are used for holding onto objects. |
Zamioculcas |
Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Fournieri' |
Eastern Africa |
Low to bright indirect light |
15°C |
Little, let it dry out between waterings |
Normal |
No |
Zamioculcas grows from a bulb so even when it has lost all it's leaves, it can just start over again! |
The Zamioculcas zamiifolia contains so much water that it can survive indoors for at least 4 months without watering. |