Indoor Plant Guide
"A beautiful plant is like having a good friend around the house."
Introduction
Houseplants, also known as pot plants, potted plants, or indoor plants, are ornamental plants that are grown inside. They are kept in homes, offices, gyms, hospitals, and many other locations to decorate spaces, bringing life to sometimes cold urban settings. Indoor plants are commonly tropical or semi-tropical, and can also be succulents, cacti or epiphytes. In this module, you'll learn all about houseplants, including the history of their cultivation, common techniques for their care,
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Cultivation of houseplants began in Ancient Egypt and Sumer, when fruiting plants were grown indoors in decorative pots. Ancient Greek and Roman populations cultivated Laurel trees indoors in terra cotta containers. In Ancient China (over 2,500 years ago), indoor plants were being showcased. Later on, during the Renaissance, plants were commonly traded and imported from the East Indies and Asia Minor to the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. Creeping Groundsel was widely kept as an ornamental houseplant in Europe during the 15th century.
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In the 17th century, the wealthy in France and England cultivated a renowned interest in houseplant keeping, and in 1660, writer Sir Hugh Platt published Garden of Eden. This book concerned the special care of houseplants and other outdoor ornamental plants popular at the time. Wealthy British households imported fruit trees (especially citrus), which they grew in special home extensions called 'Orangeries'. Less wealthy households commonly kept flowers growing indoors. Succulents, such as Aloe, were kept indoors, as well during this era.
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In the early 18th century, windows in lower-class housing areas were expanded, allowing more light into homes and opening up more opportunities for this population to cultivate plants inside. European colonialism and world exploration brought many new and interesting plants into the scene; explorers and botanists are thought to have brought back over 5,000 plants from places like Australia, South America, Africa and Asia. As more and more people bought plants, demand for indoor decorative containers went up as well. Early decorative pots, also called 'cachepots', were made mostly from ceramic.
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Techniques such as forcing plants to bloom and plant breeding were developed over time as botanists and horticulturalists tried to propagate existing plants and create new varieties. Nurseries were flourishing during this time, and stocked thousands of plants, including Citrus, Jasmine, Mignonette, Bay, Myrtle, Agave, and Aloe. The Victorian Era saw a large increase in use of houseplants by the middle class. Indoor plants were used as displays of wealth and moral value. Quintessential plants of this time included Kentia and Parlor Palms, Cast Iron Plant, and Ferns. Ferns were commonly grown in Wardian Cases (early terrariums). Geraniums were also commonly grown, placed in windowsills and in drawing rooms where their flowers could be enjoyed; these were probably the most affordable and widely grown houseplants of the time period.
A cachepot, or decorative indoor pot.
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Wardian cases were early terrariums kept in Victorian Era homes to display plants like ferns.
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Salons were popular rooms to keep houseplants in.
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In 1818, Orchids were introduced to the houseplant scene due to their use as packing material for other rare, sought-after tropicals. Around the same time, German Ivy was introduced to the United States, and quickly gained popularity as a trailing decorative houseplant. Other typical indoor plants during this time included Begonia, Cineraria, Clivia, Cyclamen, Flamingo Flower, Silver Fir, Ornamental Asparagus, Lilium, Snake Plant, and Rubber Tree. In the beginning of the 20th century, there was a bit of a turn against houseplants, and they were seen as dated relics of a past era. Houseplants used were architectural; mostly succulents and cacti. Popularity began to rise again in the 1920's, when the indoor plant market in California started to produce Kentia Palms and Pothos in great numbers for sale. A while after (in the 1940's), Philodendron and Araucaria were added to the to houseplants list. During World War II, when women entered the workforce in high numbers, indoor plants made their foray into the world of office decor, where they have remained. By 1960, Florida was producing about 55% of houseplants, and has held the top American producer spot ever since. Postwar, the most popular houseplants were Philodendron, Rubber Plant, and Geraniums. A popular design trend of the time, Scandanavian Design, heavily featured the use of houseplants in home settings as decor, as did Tiki Designs. Plant care labels in the industry rose in popularity during the 1960's, and in the next decade, Garden Center businesses took off as well. The industry we know today is based on all of these past trends.
Houseplant culture today
The culture surrounding the keeping of houseplants has really come into its own in the last century. From their lofty status as symbols of wealth, houseplants have grown (pun intended) into their role as beautiful decorative pieces that are widely cultivated by those from many different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The environmentalist movement, popularized by hippie culture in the 1970's, led to the trend of lush, indoor gardens. The indoor plant accessory market, selling items like hanging planters, stands for pots, indoor grow lights, and more has grown right alongside indoor plant cultivation culture. Bottle gardens and terrariums joined in the movement as well, and we now have a very exciting market as well as a knowledge base that continues to grow every day through the efforts of passionate individuals.
Recent events have shaped the houseplant market, most noticeably the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. People were forced to spend much more time indoors than ever before, and therefore had to find hobbies that could be enjoyed from the security of their homes. Indoor Plant culture, fueled by social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram, took off during this time. In July 2021, plants were mentioned over 3,000 times each day on Instagram. Unfortunately, this rapid rise in popularity had a negative side effect on the industry. The environmental impact of the houseplant market, especially topics like poaching and pollution, has become a major concern of an industry that prides itself on being 'environmentally friendly'.
The Environmental Impact of the Houseplant Industry
The houseplant industry, despite being part of an environmentally-conscious culture trend, is no stranger to having a noticeable carbon footprint. Issues include cost and impact of transportation, soil ingredient manufacturing, packaging, production, and intensive cultivation practices.
The houseplant industry, despite being part of an environmentally-conscious culture trend, is no stranger to having a noticeable carbon footprint. Issues include cost and impact of transportation, soil ingredient manufacturing, packaging, production, and intensive cultivation practices.
Poaching
Although most houseplants are grown in reputable greenhouses or nurseries, many are also collected from their natural environments for indoor cultivation. Wild plant collection is a major threat to many endangered species of tropical plants. In addition to their native environments shrinking and changing due to human development and global warming, these plants are threatened with illegal collection, an activity which removes plants from their environments as well as causes damage through trampling and physical removal. Plants that are particularly threatened by these activities include succulents and carnivorous plants.
Although most houseplants are grown in reputable greenhouses or nurseries, many are also collected from their natural environments for indoor cultivation. Wild plant collection is a major threat to many endangered species of tropical plants. In addition to their native environments shrinking and changing due to human development and global warming, these plants are threatened with illegal collection, an activity which removes plants from their environments as well as causes damage through trampling and physical removal. Plants that are particularly threatened by these activities include succulents and carnivorous plants.
indoor plant benefits and drawbacks
There are many benefits to cultivating plant life in indoor spaces, including improvements in air quality and indoor environments as well as benefits for human health and well-being. In recent years, indoor air quality has become an interest of many, due to the amount of time we all spent indoors during the pandemic. Scientific research studies have revealed that houseplants can have a statistically significant effect on indoor air quality, reducing carbon dioxide levels by between 10% and 25% and carbon monoxide levels by up to 90%. These effects have even been investigated for their use in cleaning the air in NASA spacecraft. Indoor foliage plants can also have a positive effect on the bacterial makeup of indoor spaces, increasing the number and diversity of bacteria in homes as well as reducing fungal diversity. Indoor plants also have the benefit of increasing humidity in enclosed environments and reducing temperature swings and noise levels. In addition to benefitting our indoor spaces, plants also have a positive effect on human well-being and mental health. There are many studies supporting this claim, and a systematic literature review published in 2022 provided a meta-analysis of the findings. Plants were found to have a positive effect on many areas of human functioning, including:
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Improvement in pain tolerance, including less use of pain medications.
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Reduced visits to hospitals and doctor's offices, lowering sick days and hospitalization days.
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Positive effects on reaction time.
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Blood pressure, heart rate variability, and blood saturation improvements.
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Improved performance in mental tasks, such as problem-solving, sorting, information-processing, reading, and general productivity.
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Increase in brain activity and eye movement.
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Improvements in academic performance.
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Benefits to skin and body temperature.
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Indoor plant genera
The following list includes the major genera of plants that are kept as indoor specimens. Information on toxicities and plant care is listed on each page individually.
Acalypha
Chenille |
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Aeschynanthus
Lipstick Plant |
Aglaonema
Chinese Evergreen |
Aloe
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Alocasia
Elephant's Ear, African Mask Plant |
Anthurium
Flamingo Flower |
Aphelandra
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Araucaria
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Apobalis
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Asparagus
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Asplenium
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Beaucarnea
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Begonia
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Billbergia
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Bromeliaceae
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Calathea
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Ceropegia
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Chamaedorea
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Chlorophytum
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Codiaeum
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Coffea
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Colocasia
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Crassula
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Crocodyllus
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Crocus
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Curio
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Cycas
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Cyclamen
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Dieffenbachia
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Dionaea
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Dracaena
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Dypsis
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Echeveria
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Epiphyllum
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Epipremnum
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Euphorbia
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Ficus
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Fittonia
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Gymnocalycium
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Haworthia
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Hedera
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Heptapleurum
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Hippeastrum
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Howea
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Hoya
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Hyacinthus
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Hypoestes
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Kalanchoe
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Ludisia
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Mammillaria
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Maranta
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Microsorum
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Monstera
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Musa
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Narcissus
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Nephrolepis
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Olea
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Opuntia
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Orchids
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Oxalis
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Pachira
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Peperomia
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Philodendron
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Pilea
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Platycerium
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Polystichum
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Pothos
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Raphidophora
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Raphis
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Saintpaulia
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Sanseveria
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Saxifraga
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Schefflera
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Schlumbergera
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Scindapsus
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Sedum
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Senecio
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Sinningia
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Spathiphyllum
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Stephanotis
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Streptocarpus
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Strelitzia
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Stromanthe
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Syngonium
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Thaumatophyllum
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Tillandsia
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Tradescantia
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Yucca
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Zamioculcas
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Zygocactus
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caring for indoor plants
Plants grown indoors have much different needs and care techniques than outdoor plants do, and each plant species has its own unique requirements. The most important factors to consider in the care of your houseplant are moisture, light, soil mixture, temperature, ventilation, humidity, fertilizers, and container choice.
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In general, most houseplants can be grown in regular potting soil mixtures available for purchase at many garden centers. The ideal texture of a soil for indoor plants is fluffy and light, which helps to facilitate good soil aeration and water movement. Materials used to amend potting mix include vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, sand, wood fiber, and coconut fiber (coco coir). All of these products can improve soil texture. For the most part, houseplants are going to appreciate a soil with a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral), however some prefer a lower pH (such as orchids, succulents, and cacti). Individual species' preferences for soil texture and acidity are listed on the plant information pages.
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Related to soil texture, soil moisture is a very important factor to consider when caring for an indoor plant. Like all plants, houseplants require a specific amount of water to grow at their peak performance. Overwatering can cause issues with fungal infections like root rot, and underwatering can cause plants to not be able to maintain normal functioning. Houseplant owners should be aware of how much water each plant in their care requires in order to properly provide just the right amount. In general, the best time to water indoor plants is in the morning, when the top layer of soil feels dry. Individual watering requirements for plant species are listed on plant information pages.
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Fertilizing indoor plants is a necessity. Because indoor plants do not have an active soil biome, they can suffer nutritional deficiencies more often than outdoor plants grown in the ground. Fertilizing
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Problems and pests
Common issues faced by owners of houseplants include:
- Mealybugs
- Root Rot
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Fungus Gnats
- Spider Mites
- Thrips
- Scale
