Add Colorful House Plants to Your Home
Add some color to your home, but without needing to rely on flowers. These houseplants with brightly colored leaves are easy to grow.
Related to the philodendron, snake plant, or peace lily pinstripe plants sport bands of color across long, elongated leaves. These tropical houseplants thrive in conditions of low light.
Croton
The vibrant, varied patterns on the croton leaf provide visual interest to any room. This exotic houseplant is known for its fiery colors however its array of shapes and sizes make it stand out.
This exotic plant loves bright indirect sunlight and can be grown outdoors or indoors. The leaves are narrow and croton are speckled with red, green purple, and yellow, creating a kaleidoscope of colors.
Bring it inside during cold snaps. Crotons are prone to losing its color when exposed to cool temperatures or drafts. It is also susceptible to pests, so inspect often and spray with a horticultural insecticide when needed.
Fittonia
Fittonia is a striking plant with dramatic deep green foliage, striking white, pink or red veins. It can bring brightness to a dark space and is particularly captivating when placed in an Terrarium.
It thrives in humid and warm temperatures, as many tropical houseplants. Keep it in a warm, humid room away from drafty windows or heaters that can dry out the air.
It grows best in well-draining soil and must be regularly repotted. When it starts to look like it's straggly, trim the tips to encourage more bushy growth.
Like all tropical plants, nerve plants require a weekly application of a liquid fertilizer designed for house plants during the growing season. A balanced fertilizer 5-5-5 diluted to half strength works well. It also thrives when it is in a humid area. Mist the leaves or use a humidity tray.
Calathea
Whether you opt for the bright green pin-stripe calathea or the peacock plant that has dark purple, dark green and silver brush marks These exotic house plants look gorgeous as centerpieces for your table. Their large oval leaves make excellent floor plants when placed on low plant stands. Calatheas like humid air (between 50% and 80% humidity), but they are not able to thrive in soil that is wet. They thrive in a well-drained potting mix consisting of 2 parts peat one part coco coir, and a bit of orchid bark.
Water calatheas weekly when their top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. If you use rainwater that has been filtered instead of tap water, you can avoid the build-up of salts and chemicals which could harm the plant. This is especially crucial during winter, when growth slows for plants. This is also an ideal time to feed your plant with a liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to 1/2 strength.
Red-edge Dracaena
The Red-edge Dracaena will give your home a tropical look. It is often mistakenly referred to as to be a palm. tall houseplants has slim stems and multiple canes with clumps that are thin green leaves, which are trimmed in yellow or dark red.
Like all dracaenas it thrives as a houseplant indoors and is easy to care for. They prefer indirect light and bright but are tolerant of lower lighting conditions. They prefer a well-draining pot mix, but might need occasional fertilization. Common problems are root mold and brown edges or tips and insect infestation.
They are well-known for their ability purify the air. According to house plants online are especially effective in removing the benzene (produced by smoking cigarettes, synthetic substances and car exhaust) as well as formaldehyde, xylene and trichloroethylene out of the air. They are also very easy to propagate from cuttings, which can be done at any time during the growing season by submerging them in rooting hormone and then lanting them in a pot of moist soil.
Aluminum Plant
Pilea cadierei (commonly known as aluminum plant or watermelon pilea) is a tropical houseplant that develops as an unmounded mound of quilted green leaves with distinctive silver stripes. It is a striking and easy to cultivate plant, but can be susceptible to infestations of spider-mite.
It is a fan of warm, indirect light and moderate humidity. The temperature should be in the range of 60-75 degF (16-23 degC).
It's a low-maintenance plant that prefers moist soil, but the top quarter inch of the soil should be dry before watering it again. In the growing season that is active in spring and summer you should water regularly enough to keep the soil damp. In the dormancy time of fall and winter the soil is less watered. It is recommended to apply a liquid fertilizer once a month during the growing season. Stem cuttings are a great method of vegetative propagation for this plant. They can be easily cultivated can be found in a mixture of peaty soil and loamy.
Waffle Plant
Hemigraphis Alternata, which is also known as the purple waffle plant, has metallic green-purple leaves with the unique surface of a puckered. It grows well indoors in a hanging basket or in a planter. It is also able to be grown outside, however it is less tolerant to cold temperatures than some other house plants.
In its equatorial rainforest habitat, Hemigraphis alternata thrives with bright indirect light and high humidity. To mimic this environment you can mist your Hemigraphis alternata routinely with a distillate water spray or put it in a pebble tray containing filtered water to increase the humidity.
You can prune Hemigraphis alternata as it becomes big and swollen to encourage growth, or to add aesthetic appeal. If it is susceptible to mealybugs, use an insecticide or a mix of warm water and neem oil in order to kill the insects. You can reproduce Hemigraphis alternata with 4 to 6 inches stem tip cuttings taken in the spring and summer.
Rex Begonia
Begonias are hardy plants that thrive indoors, especially those with showy leaves. The Rex begonias are distinguished by their veining and ruffling along with splotching and streaking, in the form of a mix of white, green silver, reds and pinks.
These beautiful plants require a regular watering routine. Water the plant when the top inch of soil is dry. Avoid pools of water that can cause root rot.
To add a soft texture to your soil, mix 50% standard potting dirt with 25 percent peatmoss, orchids bark or coco coir. This mix also assists the begonia to retain water. If you have a problem with mildew, reduce the amount of water your begonia is receiving and move it to an area that is brighter to eliminate the mold. You may also see mealy bugs on your begonia. A cotton ball soaked in alcohol will help remove them.
Alocasia
Alocasia"Black Velvet" is a variety of Alocasia that has striking, greenish-black leaves that are adorned with prominent veins, resembling scales. The leaf's undersides exhibit an ethereal or purple tint, which creates a striking contrast to the foliage. This variety is at home all year round or outdoors in warmer climate zones 4 to 8a during the summer months.
This tropical beauty thrives with bright indirect light, which keeps the leaves from burning. Ideal is a bright and sunny window, but many varieties can tolerate filtered or diffused light.
The soil should be moist to touch, but not soggy. Every month, a weak all-purpose fertilizer is recommended. Avoid feeding the plant during winter when it is in dormancy. Be on the lookout for mushy or brown roots that could indicate a nutritional deficiency. Alocasia is vulnerable to root rot, which can be fatal.
Bromeliad
Bromeliads bring a splash of color to rooms where many house plants can struggle. They're tropical in nature and thrive best in humid conditions provided. They can be easily grown through regular maintenance and their vibrant colors are able to bring life to dull spaces.
Bracts are big, vibrant leaves that are used to attract pollinators. The true flowers of the plant are hidden in bracts, and appear only after the flower has been fertilized.
As tall houseplants grows, it produces offshoots which look like miniature versions. These offshoots are known as pups and can be propagated to make new bromeliad plants. They require the same attention as the parent, including watering. Avoid watering with hard tap water, which can spot the foliage. Use rainwater or filter it if you can. This is particularly important for bromeliads that are in the pot.
Hedgehog
The hedgehog is the smallest member of the mammalia species, Animalia. This nocturnal mammal has cool quills that won't hurt. They are among the oldest mammals on the planet and have a distant ancestry to pigs and Shrews.
They are omnivorous in the wild, eating frogs, toads, eggs and snails in addition to mushrooms, grass roots fruits, and other vegetables. When frightened the hedgehog will form a ball of spiny hairs. Only the strongest predators are able to break the ball.
If you spot a hedgehog on the ground, place it back in its home or re-cover the site with natural material. If you must remove it from its natural habitat and put it in a large container away from your bedroom. Make sure you provide as much protection as you can. They must be kept in a space that is warm (73-80 degrees).