6 Best Indoor Plants and How to Care for Them
TRAVEL
BY SHOAIB | JULY 10, 2022
Indoor plants improve your mental and physical well-being in ways you probably didn’t even realize. Ever wonder why you feel like you can breathe easier, focus better, and simply be happier in a room full of nature?
Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree (Ficus Lyrata)
This shrub boasts a long, elegant stem and branches with broad, leathery leaves. For placement, it suggests “under a skylight or next to a window.” In other words, it needs as much sunlight as possible. It suggests pruning the top branches when it grows above the window frame.
Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree Care: Water once a week, or more if it’s winter and the air in your home is dry.
Kentia Palm (Howea Forsteriana)
The fronds of this plant spring to great heights from the soil, then lean forward, quietly shading the ground beneath. “It looks great in a big urn,” says Schrader, noting that it should be given lots of space, as it can grow up to 10 feet with a broad reach.
Kentia Palm Care: Requires medium to bright light; water weekly.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria Trifasciata)
“I think they’re having a resurgence, especially for contemporary interiors,” says Schrader. With sword-shaped leaves winding gently from the soil like charmed snakes from a basket, this indoor house plant strikes a lovely balance between order and chaos.
Snake Plant Care: Place anywhere you’d like and let the soil dry completely between watering. Check the soil every week, but it’s fine to skip a few.
African Spear Plant (Sansevieria Cylindrica)
“Very architectural, very sculptural,” says Schrader. Indeed, this plant’s conical leaves conjure images of spires, obelisks, and skyscrapers.
African Spear Plant Care: Place in any light you choose; water every few weeks.
Mistletoe Cactus (Rhipsalis)
Do Give recommends looking for more unusual varieties of cactus plants, such as rhipsalis (pictured above), kalanchoe thyrsiflora, and aloe white beauty. Arrange them in a set of three or amass a larger collection. “Rhipsalis offers a welcomed textural change, compared to the sometimes controlled look of other succulents,” says Heibel.
Mistletoe Cactus Plant Care: This sturdy plant does best in indirect light, but it can survive in low light, as well—just make sure to bring it into the light every once in a while to help it recharge. Water weekly. If the tendrils ever droop, that’s a sign the plant is thirsty.
Amazon Lily (Eucharis Amazonica)
Another dark green plant, but this one features large, white flowers that bloom throughout winter and early spring. “Even when it’s not blooming, it’s nice to look at,” Schrader says. It thrives in medium light; allow soil to dry between watering.
Amazon Lily Care: The leaves will wilt when it needs water, but once a week should suffice.
