Sharing your home with plants is good for your well-being – choose wisely and they’ll look after you without you needing to return the favour
Bringing plants into the home makes us all happier and healthier. It’s a no-brainer – a well-placed houseplant or two can light up any room.
Any interior designer will tell you plants are completely integral to creating a warm and inviting space.
And researchers have shown time and again that bringing nature into the house is good for our well-being.
But we live undeniably busy lives – and many of us will have had the experience of buying a lovely houseplant, then watching it die because we don’t have the time or attention to give it.
Happily, there are many houseplants out there that are really easy to look after – even for the very busy.
If you are thinking about getting a plant for a very specific position, think about the conditions in that spot.
Does it get direct sunlight or not? If it’s a windowsill, it helps to know what direction it is facing. Is it a draughty spot or near a radiator?
Most plant labels will describe the ideal conditions for it, such as needing good light, an aversion to cold air or requiring regular watering.
Buying from a garden centre or nursery (rather than a supermarket) also means the staff should be able to answer any questions about care.
When picking your plants, look for shapely specimens that are strong, healthy and vigorous. That will help them settle in their new surroundings.
Tough vine plants like ivies or the “kangaroo vine” (Cissus antarctica) can cope with a bit of manhandling and fluctuating temperatures, and make wonderful, no-fuss houseplants.
You can stick them in a shady corner or on top of a shelf or cabinet and they will do fine.
Monstera deliciosa, the “Swiss cheese plant”, is a gorgeous option – and a perennial favourite – with its signature perforated foliage.
From the warm climes of Mexico and Panama, it loves getting cosied up in a British living room.
Just give it partial shade and it will instantly bring the feel of the tropics to your home.
Another easy plant that will give your room a botanical burst is old favourite, the aspidistra – sometimes known as the cast iron plant as it thrives on little or no attention.
Dracaena is also undemanding and has dramatic strap-like leaves, often with red and yellow variegation on stems that can reach up to 1.8m tall.
A classic parlour palm has a really friendly vibe, is very easy to care for, and is a superb way to brighten up any space.
A relative newcomer to the easycare indoor plant world is the interesting Zanzibar gem, or Zamioculcas zamiifolia, which is often called simply “the ZZ plant”.
It looks a lot like the tropical cycad known as the cardboard palm, but has thick, fleshy, naturally glossy leaves. It thrives in living room conditions but hates a lot of water.
Peace lilies, which produce white, cupped spathes with a pronounced finger-like spadix are outstanding for removing airborne contaminants and can live for many years on little more than occasional watering and feeding.
And bromeliads are bold-looking plants that won’t ask for much in return – you simply keep their vases of cupped leaves filled and forget about them.
The ultimate no-care plants, though, are today’s trendy cacti and succulents. They will withstand most maltreatment except for heavyhanded watering and feeding.
All you need do is check on them and give them water about twice a month and that’s it.
Crassula ovata, also known as the jade plant or money tree, is a succulent with a unique look that makes a fantastic houseplant.
It can grow quite large if you want it to, but it is slow-growing and easy to control if you want to keep it small.
Whatever you choose, don’t be afraid of houseplants.
There are plenty that are dead easy to care for, and they are well worth a little effort.
House plants give such a positive feel to a house, adding life, colour and vibrancy to any room.
Aspidistra, the ‘cast iron plant’, thrives on little or no attention