SOME EASY TO GROW INDOOR PLANTS :
Large and dominant foliage plants can become permanent features indoors, often creating eye-catching focal points. Some, such as large palms, are superb when seen against a while background.
Cyperus alternifolius :
Umbrella Grass/Umbrella Palm/Umbrella Plant/Umbrella Sedge Narrow, grass-like bracts in umbrella-like heads.
Propagation : Seeds and Division.
Ficus elastica :
Assam Rubber/India Rubber Tree/ Rubber Plant Oval and wide, leathery, 25-30 cm/10-20 in long, shiny, dark green leaves.
Propagation : Air layering.
Monstera deliciosa (syn. Philodendron pertusum)
Fruit Salad Plant/Hurrican Plant/Split-leaf Philodendron/Swiss Cheese Plant Shiny green, up to 45 cm/18 in wide, leaves with deep indentations along the sides of mature leaves. Juvenile leaves have entire edges.
Propagation : Seeds.
PLANTS FOR BRIGHT PLACES :
South-facing windowsills are the brightest positions in a home, but can be too bright for some plants. Houseplants suggested here happily live within 60 cm/2 ft of windows facing south. However, plants such as desert cacti (types that grow in semi-desert regions and at ground-level), succulent plants and pelargoniums thrive on windowsills.
If its too bright :
* net curtains help to make south-facing windows suitable for a wider range of plants in summer.
* leaves become pale.
* thin leaves become shrivelled and dry, eventually falling off.
* leaves wilt, especially at midday and in afternoons.
EASY TO GROW PLANTS :
Cacti (Desert Types)
There are many interesting-shaped cacti to choose from within this group, including those in families Chamaecereus, Echinopsis, Lobivia, Mammillaria, Notocactus, Parodia and Rebuntia.
Propagation : Seeds and Cutting.
Chrysanthrmum :
All-year-round types in pots are available throughout the year. Wide colour range.
Propagation : Cuttings.
Hippeastrum hybrida
Amaryllis/Barbados Lily.
Large, trumpet-shaped flowers at the tops of stiff stems. Some flower in summer and autumn. Wide colour range.
Propagation : Offsets, but use fresh bulbs each year.
(syn. Cordyline terminalis/Draceaena terminalis) Good Luck Plant/Flaming Dragon Tree/Hawaiian Good Luck Plant/Ti Plant/ Tree of Kings. Palm-like trunk bearing lance-shaped, mid to deep green leaves suffused with red, purple or cream, Several attractive varieties.
Propagation :
Cane Cuttings and detaching and repotting sucker-like shoots in spring.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Blacking Plant/China Rose/Chinese Hibiscus/Rose of China.
Large, trumpet-shaped, pink, red, white, yellow or orange flowers, often 13 cm/ 5in wide, from early to late summer.
Propagation : Cuttings with heels.
Blacing Plant/China Rose/Chinese Hibiscus/Rose of China. Large, trumpet-shaped, pink, red, white, yellow, or orange flowers, often 13cm/5in wide, from early to late summer.
Amaryllis/Barbados Lily. Large, trumpet-shaped flowers at the tops of stiff stems. Some flower in summer and autumn. Wide colour range.
PLANTS FOR SHADED AREAS :
No plant will indefinitely survive in total shade, although some grow in shade near a sunless window or where the light is just sufficient to enable a newspaper to be read. If a plant appears sickly, move it to better light to encourage recovery. Because of the inherent difficulties in growing houseplants in little light, those that are difficult to grow cease to be possible options and therefore most are either easy to grow, or present only a slight degree of difficulty. Also, some plants that are moderately easy to grow in moderate light become a challenge when the intensity of light falls. Remember that the intensity of light 2.4m/8ft from a window is only 5-10% of that on a windowsill.
Easy to grow plants:
Ficus Pumila is an easy to grow indoor plant which grows well in less light also. It is also called a creeping rubber plant and has heart shaped, dark green, l" long leaves. Philodendron scandens, also known as sweet heart plant, with shiny green heart shaped leaves, adapts well to shade.
If it's too dark ..
* stems and leaves turn towards the light, although plants can be given a quarter upright growth.
* variegated plants lose their rich colouring and become green.
* new leaves becomes smaller, and paler.
* lower leaves become yellow, eventually fall off.
* shoots become spindly, with long spaces between leaf-joints.
* flowers cease to develop.
Plants Needing Care :
Cissus discolor also called climbing begonia has spear shaped to slightly triangular vivid green leaves, marbled purple and white. Syngonium podophyllum, also called African evergreen, has spear like shiny green leaves, which later develop ear like lobes at the stalk end.
Syngonium podophyllum Arrohead Vine :
This is a climbing foliage plant. It has spear shaped shiny green leaves, later developing ear like lobes at the stalk end. There are several variegated varieties. It grows well in soft light and can also be grown in slight shade for a limited period of time.
