Choosing a House Plant

If you are like me, you’ve got a lot of houseplants from tropical to cacti, all liking a different environment.   It’s best to not choose a new plant like I sometimes choose a bottle of wine.  The one you find the prettiest might not be suited to the spot you have in mind.  I live in the city with limited light, and that is a first thing to take into consideration.  I have one south facing window and sometimes in the winter, when the sun is low, that light gets blocked by a huge building.  My other options are a large picture window facing east and one facing west.  I grow mostly low light tropicals and ferns, with a few succulents here and there.

Some favorites to consider that are low maintenance and low light:

• Spider Plant helps purify the air in your home, (for a full list of detoxifying plants check out Green Lifestyle Magazine)
• Ferns of all types
• Zee Zee plant (mrBrownThumb has a full article devoted to this plant)
• Pothos
• Snake Plant
• Philodendron
• Swedish Ivy

Some favorites for a bright window:

• Succulents
• Cacti
• Aloe (great for skin care)
• African Violet
• Oxalis
• Christmas Cactus
• Begonia
• Herbs like rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, or lavender
• Bromeliad

(Better Homes and Gardens has wonderful slideshows concerning houseplants)