Notes

This Week's Most Remarkable Stories About Colorful House Plants
Add Colorful House Plants to Your Home

Add some color to your home, but without having to depend on flowers. These house plants with brightly colored leaves are easy to grow.

Pinstripe plants are closely related to the philodendron or snake plant. They have bands of color on their elongated leaves. These tropical houseplants thrive under low light conditions.

Croton

The bright, varied markings of croton leaves provide visual interest to any space. This exotic house plant is most popular for its vibrant colors, but the variety in sizes and shapes makes it a standout by itself.

This exotic plant can be grown either indoors or outdoors. The leaves are narrow and covered with greens, reds, yellows, and purples creating an array of colors.

The croton is famous for dropping its leaf color if it is subjected to cool temperatures and drafts, so bring it inside during cold snaps. It is also susceptible to pest activity which is why it is a good idea to check it regularly and spray with a horticultural insecticide as needed.

Fittonia

Fittonia has a striking deep-green foliage with pink, white, or red veining. It can brighten up a dull area and is stunning when it is placed in the terrarium.


Like many tropical house plants that thrive in warm temperatures and high humidity. Place it in a humid, warm space away from drafty windows and heaters which could dry the air.

It needs to be repotted each year. When it starts to look like it's straggly, trim the tips to encourage bushier growth.

Like common houseplant , nerve plants need a weekly application of liquid fertilizer formulated for houseplants during the growth season. A balanced 5-5-5 fertilizer that is diluted to half strength works well. It also thrives in humid environment so spray the leaves with mist or set up an air-tight tray to keep the high humidity around it.

Calathea

These exotic house plants make stunning centerpieces for tables, regardless of whether you choose the calathea with its bright green pinstripes, or the peacock which has dark green, purple, and silver brush marks. Their large oval leaves make great floor plants when placed on low plant stands. Calatheas like humid air (between 50% and 80 percent humidity), but they do not grow well in soil that is wet. They thrive in a well-draining potting mix of 2 parts peat one part coco coir and a bit of orchid bark.

Water calatheas once a week when the soil's top layer is dry to the touch. Using filtered or rainwater rather than tap water will help prevent the accumulation of salts and other chemicals in the water which could cause damage to the plant. This is especially important in the winter months when the plant's growth slows. This is also an ideal time to feed the plant with a liquid fertilizer that is diluted to 1/2 strength.

Red-edge Dracaena

Red-edge Dracaena provides striking tropical looks to your home. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as a palm, this plant features slender multiple canes or stems with clumps of thick green leaves trimmed in a dark red or yellow.

Like all dracaenas it thrives as a houseplant indoors and is easy to cultivate. common houseplants prefer indirect, bright light but can tolerate lower lighting conditions. They do best in a well-draining potting soil but may require occasional fertilization. Root rot, brown tips or margins and insects are all common issues.

The plants are well-known for their ability to clean the air. According to NASA's Clean Air Study they are especially effective in getting rid of the benzene (produced by cigarettes, synthetic materials and car exhaust) and formaldehyde, xylene and trichloroethylene out of the air. They are also extremely easy to propagate from cuttings, which can be done anytime during the growing season by submerging them in rooting hormone and then lanting them in a pot of moist soil.

Aluminum Plant

Pilea cadierei (commonly known as aluminum plant or watermelon pilea) is a tropical houseplant that grows as a mounded mound of quilted green leaves with distinctive silver stripes. It's a striking and easy-to-grow plant however, it could be susceptible to spider mite infestations.

It likes indirect, warm light and moderate humidity. The temperature should be between 60-75 degF (16-23 degC).

It's a low-maintenance plant that likes soil that is moist, however, the top quarter inch of soil should dry before watering it again. In the growing season of active growth, spring and summer, it is important to water the soil enough to keep the soil moist. Water less frequently during dormancy in fall and winter. A liquid fertilizer is a great idea to apply every month throughout the growing season. Stem cuttings can be used to propagate this plant vegetatively. These root easily in a mixture of peaty and loamy soil.

Waffle Plant

Hemigraphis alternata, or purple waffle plant, has metallic green-purple leaves with distinctive puckered texture. It is a great plant to grow in hanging pots or terrarium. It can be planted outdoors, but is less tolerant to cold temperatures than other house plants.

Hemigraphis alternateta thrives in bright indirect sunlight with high humidity, much like it does in its natural equatorial rain forest. You can replicate this environment by misting your Hemigraphis Alternata with distilled water or placing it on a tray with filtrated water and pebbles.

You can trim Hemigraphis alternata as it becomes large to encourage bushy growth or to enhance the aesthetic appeal. If it is prone to mealybugs, apply an insecticide or a mixture of warm water and neem oil to kill the insects. You can reproduce Hemigraphis alternata with 4 to 6 inches stem tips taken during spring and summer.

Rex Begonia

Begonias are tough plants that thrive indoors, especially ones with large leaves. They are distinguished by their distinctive veining, ruffling and puckering together with splotching, spotting and streaking in a variety of greens, silver, white, reds and pinks.

These vibrant plants require regular watering. Water the plant as soon as the top inch of the soil is dry. Avoid pools of water that can cause root rot.

Use a mix of 50% potting soil, and 25 percent peat moss, or coco coir, or orchid bark to create an airy, porous appearance to the soil. This mix can also help the begonia to retain moisture. If you find yourself struggling with powdery mildew, slightly reduce your begonia's watering and move it to a more bright place to rid it of the mold. You might also notice mealy bugs on your begonia. Soaking a cotton ball in alcohol can help remove them.

Alocasia

Alocasia 'Black Velvet' has bold, green-black leaves with prominent veins that resemble scales. The leaf undersides have a purple or whitish tint and add a dramatic contrast to the foliage. This jewel-type is suitable for indoors all year long or outdoors during the summer in zones 4-8.

This tropical beauty thrives in bright indirect light that keeps the leaves from burning. A bright and sunny window is ideal, however some varieties can tolerate filtered light or even shaded by dappled.

The soil should be moist to surface, but not soggy. Every month, a weak all-purpose fertilizer is suggested. Avoid feeding common house plant during winter when it is in dormancy. Look for roots that are brown or mushy that could indicate a nutritional shortage. Root rot is a common occurrence in Alocasia, and it could be fatal for the plant.

Bromeliad

Bromeliads can give color to rooms that are otherwise void of color. They are tropical and thrive in humid conditions. They grow easily when they are given a regular routine, and their bright shades can brighten otherwise dull areas.

They produce large, vibrant "flowers," called bracts which are actually leaves that attract pollinators. The true flowers of the plant are hidden within the bracts, and only appear once the flower has been fertilized.

As they grow, the plant produces offshoots that look like miniature versions of the parent plant. The pups can be propagated into new bromeliads. Watering is the same as for the parent. Avoid using hard tap water to water your plants. It could cause leaves to turn spotted. Use rainwater or filtered whenever you can. This is essential for bromeliads that are in pots.

Hedgehog

The hedgehog is a small mammal of the Animalia class. This nocturnal animal has cool quills that aren't harmful. They are the oldest mammals on the planet and have a distant ancestry to pigs and Shrews.

They are omnivorous in the wild, eating frogs, toads, eggs and snails in addition to mushrooms, grass roots, fruits and other vegetables. If they are scared or afraid the hedgehog will roll itself into a spiny ball and only predators who are strong can break it open.

If you find a hedgehog that is rooted in the ground, you can put it back in its nest or cover the area with natural materials. If you need to remove it from its habitat, place it in a large container away from your bedroom. Give as much shelter as you can. They must be kept in an environment that is warm (73-80 degrees).

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