9 easy-care, attractive indoor house plants

Contrary to popular belief, there are indoor plants that thrive with minimal care. They can also be a lot of fun and come with some sensational lifestyle benefits. If you’ve refinanced and you’re upgrading your home, why not spend some of that renovation money on indoor plants? They’re good for the environment, and they’re an easy tool for decorating a room, and as with all plants, they absorb carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. So even if you just want to spruce up a room, here are 9 of the best indoor plants that even the non-green thumbed could keep alive and thriving.   [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="690"] Aloe likes temperatures of about 21 degrees Celsius and indirect sunlight.[/caption]

 1.  Aloe

Aloes are succulents with known medicinal properties used in some skin creams and health products. It has long tapering, pointy leaves and some varieties grow over a metre high and can make a big impact indoors.

Caring for Aloes: Aloe likes temperatures of about 21 degrees Celsius and a sunny room, but only indirect sunlight. Keep the soil dry after a good watering every week.

2.  Areca Palm

Areca vestiaria is a stilt root, clumping palm with a beautiful bright orange leaf base. This palm can grow to about two metres but if potted in a smaller container, it won’t grow that high.

Caring for your Areca Palm: Keep the soil fairly dry and water every two weeks. This plant does well if placed in indirect light.

3.  Ficus

This indoor tree can add a touch of cheerfulness to any room. The trunks can be grown as a braid for some clever topiary.

Caring for your Ficus: The Ficus likes the sunshine. There are about 750 varieties of Ficus and most prefer a few days with dry soil between being thoroughly watered.

  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="690"] Jade plants prefer bright light and moderate room temperatures.[/caption]

4.  Jade Plant

An old saying goes, ‘jade by the door poor no more’. This plant is also known as the money plant, and the friendship plant and is supposed to bring money if left at the entrance. Jades have thick, succulent leaves and interesting looking branches.

Caring for your Jade plant: Prefers bright light and moderate room temperatures but they don’t need a lot of water, so keep soil fairly dry.

5.  Fiddle-leaf Fig

The fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) has been the most popular indoor plant for ages and is often used in interior decorator magazines. The leaves are big, dark-green and shaped almost like fiddles or violins, hence the name.

Caring for your Ficus: They love a good drenching, but they have to be dried out between watering. And they can be temperamental if moved around.

  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="690"] Grown indoors, snake plants will thrive in any conditions.[/caption]

6.  Snake Plant

This is also known in Australia as Mother-in-law’s Tongue and anyone who can’t grow this plant isn’t even trying. The variegated leaves shoot upright, with some versions having white or yellow edges. The small flowers rarely bloom.

Caring for your Snake Plant: Grown indoors, this plant will thrive in any conditions, really. If anything, the soil and air should be dry between watering.

7.  Peperomia

These small indoor plants have shiny, often colourful leaves and some varieties include red-edge, watermelon, and ripple peperomias.

Caring for your Peperomia: It favours normal indoor temps from about 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and low to medium light. The soil surface should be kept dry between watering.

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8.  Rubber Tree

This plant will grow into a 2.5 metre monster so if you want to keep it small, just prune long stems. The dark green leaves are really attractive.

Caring for your Rubber Tree: Allow the surface soil to dry out in between drinks. It loves medium to bright light.

9.  Shamrock Plant

The pretty little Shamrock plant (Oxalis purpurea white form) has tiny green leaves shaped like shamrocks and gorgeous white flowers.

Caring for your Shamrock Plant: It loves bright, indirect or dappled light. Let the soil dry out a fair bit between a once-a-week thorough watering.

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What are your favourite, easy-care indoor plants?

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