Houseplants

Sun Requirements Norfolk Island pines (Araucalia heterophylla) grow best in bright light indoors, but out of direct sunlight. Rotate plants every week so they don't start leaning towards the light in your room. Bloom Period and Plant Shape Norfolk Island pines are grown for their evergreen branches and their classic, pyramidal, pine tree shape. Even though they aren't technically pines, they lend a nice evergreen appearance to the home. Mature Height x Spread In their origins, on a small island close to New Zealand, they can be large...

Sun Requirements Bright sun is best for parlor palms when grown indoors as houseplants. An East facing window is good, but keep this palm away from South-facing windows where it will get direct light. Too much sun can cause yellowing leaves. Bloom Period and Plant Shape Parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans) are grown for their light green fronds with a delicate texture and arching shape. Mature Height x Spread The plant grows slowly to 3 to 6 feet, but it may take a number of years to get that large. You often find these palms sold as clumps...

Sun Requirements Bright, indirect light from a nearby window Bloom Period and Plant Shape Blooms spring and fall and flowers last for a few months Mature Height x Spread Outdoors peace lilies can grow up to 6 feet tall. As houseplants in containers they mostly are 1- to 2-feet tall. Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) are tropical evergreen plants most often grown as houseplants. They are known for their white blooms that look like peace flags. The blooms are actually modified leaves. In subtropical areas they also can be used as landscape...

Sun Requirements Medium to bright sun is best for peperomia. An East facing window is good or artificial lighting turned on 14 hours a day will help keep the leaves brightly colored. Bloom Period and Plant Shape The flowers on peperomia are tall, narrow green or brown stalks. The plant leaves can be tiny or large depending on the selection. They often are thick and succulent and compared to rubber tree leaves. In fact, a common name is baby rubber tree. However, the two plants aren't related. Mature Height x Spread Peperomia can grow up to...

Learn how to poinsettia plants for the holidays including information on getting them to rebloom. Listen to podcast: I recently returned from a trip to India, and while visiting a friend in his garden outside Delhi, I was struck by one brilliantly colored, red plant. This five-foot-tall and -wide plant looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, it was a poinsettia. While we mostly know poinsettias as those potted holiday plants, they actually are a shrub in their native Mexico. The name comes from an American who brought them into the...

Sun Requirements Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) or devil's ivy is related to Philodendron, another vining, popular houseplant. They both grow best in bright, indirect light. Pale green leaves usually means too much sun. The loss of variegation and the leaves may reverting to all green can mean too little light. Bloom Period and Plant Shape Pothos is grown primarily for its heart-shaped leaves and long vining stems. Some types vine more aggressively than others. Mature Height x Spread The plant vines almost uncontrollably outdoors in tropical...

Sun Requirements Rubber tree houseplant (Ficus elastica) grows best in a bright room with lots of light, but no direct sunlight. A South facing window shielded with a sheer curtain is ideal. If your rubber tree starts getting leggy, it doesn't have enough light. Bloom Period and Plant Shape Rubber trees are grown for their large size and big, shiny, thick leaves. The plant grows in a tree shape, so you'll need to have enough ceiling space to grow this tree. Mature Height x Spread Rubber trees grow up 100 feet tall in their natural outdoor...