Does your house look like a jungle full of lush, green plants on every surface? Or do you steer clear of flora due to a black thumb and zero confidence in sustaining the life of a plant? If it's the latter, there's help out there for you.
Besides being pretty to look at, house plants offer a variety of benefits around the house. They can improve the air quality of your home or office and can improve your mood. At the very least they can give you something to do. Still not convinced that you can successfully nurture a living thing in your home?
Not all house plants need to be watered every day. Some can even go days without any water. Not all house plants need to be in direct sunlight, receive fertilizer or be trimmed back. And no, you don't have to talk to your plants in order for them to thrive. You should pick a plant that works with your lifestyle; one that you can devote as much or as little time as you need to keep your plant beautiful.
Easier said than done, right? Wrong. HowStuffWorks has already done a lot of the research for you. All you need to do is visit the House Plants page to get the lowdown on which plant is right for you (and which plants may not be so right for you). If you're interested in turning your thumb from the darkest of black to the greenest of green, then we can help. After all, our thumbs match the greenest of rolling hills in Ireland; or at least that nice, fluffy fern in the kitchen!
House plants bring the fresh beauty of the outdoors inside your home. Learn about different kinds of house plants and how to care for them.
The haageocereus chrysacranthus, a columnar cactus found in Peru, has numerous ribs and fine needlelike spines. In order to produce a cactus that is fatter in appearance, provide it with plenty of food, water, and bright light. Learn how to care for this cactus. See more »
Rubber plant usually has just one single trunk but can be pinched back to encourage more to grow. It has thick, leathery leaves often with a red mid-vein. Read more about this demanding house plant.
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Ruby ball cactus is a bright red "ball" that grows atop a cactus base which it depends upon in order to absorb solar energy. It's short-lived but easy to care for. Read more about it.
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Saddle leaf philodendron needs lots of space to grow, as it spreads its big, glossy leaves to five feet across. Learn why to provide enough light for saddle leaf philodendron.
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Sago palm is not really a palm but a relative of coniferous plants. Its fernlike leaves will slowly grow up to six feet long. Read about uses and caring for this very easy house plant.
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Salal, also known as lemon leaf, is a foliage plant native to North America. It is available year around. It grows oval-shaped leaves that are used in arrangements and outlines. Those leaves usually last from one to four weeks. Read more about Salal.
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The schefflera is an easy house plant. Growers often plant multiple trees in one pot to fill it out. Learn how to grow schefflera at HowStuffWorks.
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Sedum, plants found primarily in the northern hemisphere, and are ideal rock garden plants. They are known to grow in inhospitable places for many years. Bright light and heavy soil with good drainage with help the sedum thrive. Learn how to care for this plant.
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Senecio are a large group of plants that belong to the daisy family. Learn about the different varieties of senecio and how to care for them.
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Sensitive plant, also known as touch-me-not and humbleplant, is a demanding house plant with leaves that fold up when touched. It is fast-growing and regularly bears fluffy, ball-shaped pink flowers. Read about its care.
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Snake plant grows over one and one-half foot high. Its leaves come in green- and yellow-striped varieties. Given preferential light, it will bloom nicely scented flowers. Learn why snake plant is easy to grow.
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The spider cactus is a type of cactus named for the pattern of its sharp spines. The plant can take on a brownish color in very bright light. A cousin of the spider cactus is parasitic, and requires other plants for survival. Learn more about the spider cactus.
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Spider plant, also known as airplane and ribbon plant, grows rosettes of grasslike leaves with long flower stems. Read about the best ways to care for this easy house plant.
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Staghorn fern has furry leaves, making this house plant look silver-colored. Bored with hanging plants? Try growing it off the edge of a piece of wood. Learn more about its two types of fronds.
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The Stanhopea orchid grows best and beautifully in baskets. Learn about this orchid's traits and ideal growing conditions in this article.
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Stapelia, a type of succulent plant, features grey-green stems that resemble cactus. It is a member of the milkweed family, and can usually be identified by the star-shaped flowers that smell like rotting meat. Learn more about this plant and how to care for it.
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Strawberry begonia sprouts tiny plants from its stolons. Furry leaves are yellow-green interspersed with silver on the top and cordovan beneath. Strawberry begonia occasionally blooms. Learn more about where to display it.
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Streptocarpus has a unique texture to its leaves and bears flowers directly out of its leaves. Although it does not like summertime, it blooms regularly given right conditions. Learn when to prune leaves.
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String of hearts plant is one of the more curious house plants. Read how its vines bear tubers, which can take root if put in soil and find out how to care for it.
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Swedish ivy, though not known for its flowers, does exude a scent if touched. Pinching its verdant leaves stimulates branch growth in this bush-like plant. Learn how to use older plants.
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Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) is an old fashioned garden flower that originally came from Southern Europe. The flowers look like small carnations and come in white, pink, rose, red, purple, and other colors. Learn more about this cheerful plant.
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