Add Colorful House Plants to Your Home
Bring some color to your home, but without having to depend on flowers. These house plants with brightly colored leaves are easy to cultivate.
Related to the philodendron, snake plant, or peace lily pinstripe plants have bands of color that cover elongated foliage. These tropical houseplants thrive in low light conditions.
Croton
The vibrant, varied markings on the croton leaves can add visual interest to any room. This exotic houseplant is famous for its fiery colors, but its variety of shapes and sizes make it stand out.
This exotic plant loves bright indirect sunlight and can be grown indoors or outdoors. The leaves are narrow and flecked with reds, greens, purples, and yellows making an array of colors.
Bring it inside during cold snaps. Crotons are prone to lose its color if exposed to cool temperatures or drafts. It is also susceptible to pest activity. Be sure to check it often and spray horticultural insecticides if required.
Fittonia
Fittonia is a striking, deep-green foliage with pink, white, or red veining. It can brighten an otherwise dark area and is amazing in the Terrarium.
It thrives in humid and warm temperatures, just like many tropical houseplants. Keep it in a cool room and away from drafty windows and any heating devices that could dry the air.
It is necessary to repotted every year. If it begins to appear straggly, prune the tips to encourage bushier growth.
During the growing season, nerve plants also require a weekly application liquid fertilizer designed for houseplants. A balanced fertilizer 5-5-5 diluted to half strength is ideal. It is also a great choice for a humid environment and is best to mist the leaves or set up a humidity tray to maintain the humidity levels around it.
Calathea
These exotic house plants make stunning centerpieces for tables, regardless of whether you go with the calathea that has its bright green pinstripes or the peacock, with dark purple, dark green and silver brush marks. Their large oval leaves make excellent floor plants when placed on low plant stands. Calatheas like moist air (between 50% and 80% humidity) however, they don't thrive in soil that is wet. They do well in a well-drained potting mix of 2 parts peat, 1 part coco coir and a bit of orchid bark.
Water calatheas once a week when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. By using filtered or rainwater instead of tap water you can avoid the accumulation of salts and chemicals which could harm the plant. This is especially important in winter, when the growth of the plant slows down. It is also a great time to feed your plants with liquid houseplant fertilizer, reduced to half strength.
Red-edge Dracaena
Red-edge Dracaena gives striking tropical looks to your home. This plant is often mislabeled to be a palm. It has slim stems and multiple canes, with clumps of thin green leaves that are cut in dark red or yellow.
Like all dracaenas it thrives as a houseplant indoors and is easy to cultivate. They prefer indirect, bright light but are tolerant of lower lighting conditions. They do best in a well-draining potting soil but might require fertilization on occasion. Common issues include root decay, brown edges or tips and insect infestation.
The plants are well-known for their ability cleanse the air. According to NASA's Clean Air Study, they are particularly effective in removing benzene from the air (produced by cigarette smoking, synthetic materials, and car exhaust) as well as formaldehyde and xylene. They are also easy to propagate from cuttings which can be done at any time during the growing season, by dipping them in rooting hormone and then placing them in a pot of moist soil.
Aluminum Plant
Pilea cadierei (commonly known as aluminum plant or watermelon pilea) is a tropical houseplant which develops as an mounded mound of green leaves quilted with distinctive silver stripes. It is an attractive and easy to cultivate plant, but it can be susceptible to spider-mite infestations.
It prefers indirect, warm light and moderate humidity. The temperature should range between 60-75 degrees F (16-23 degrees C).
It's a low maintenance plant that prefers moist soil but the top quarter inch of the soil should dry before watering it again. During the growing season in spring and summer, water often enough to keep the soil moist. Water less frequently during dormancy in winter and fall. It is a good idea to apply liquid fertilizer each month during the growing season. Cuttings from stems can be used to help propagate this plant in a vegetative manner. best houseplants in a mix of peaty and loamy soil.
Waffle Plant
Hemigraphis alternata, also known as a purple waffle plant is a metallic green-purple plant with a unique puckered texture. It is a great plant to grow in hanging pots or a the terrarium. It can also be grown outdoors, however it is less tolerant to cold temperatures than other house plants.
In its native equatorial rainforest, Hemigraphis alternata thrives with bright indirect light and high humidity. You can mimic this environment by misting your Hemigraphis Alternata with water that is distilled or putting it on a tray filled with filtered water and pebbles.
Hemigraphis Alternata can be pruned when it becomes large. This will encourage bushy growth and add visual appeal. Make use of an insecticide or a mixture of warm water and Neem oil to eliminate mealybugs if it is prone. You can reproduce Hemigraphis alternata from 4 to 6 inches stem tips collected in spring and summer.
Rex Begonia
Begonias thrive indoors and are especially hardy for those with showy foliage. Begonias of the Rex variety are distinguished by their distinctive veining puckering, ruffling and ruffling as well as splotching, spotting and streaking in a variety of greens, silver, pinks, whites and reds.
These colorful plants need regular watering. potted house plants as soon as the top inch of soil is dry. Avoid potted house plants of water that can cause root rot.
To add a soft texture to your soil mix 50% normal potting soil with 25 percent peatmoss, orchid bark, or coco coir. This mix also assists the begonia keep the moisture. If you are having issues with mildew, reduce the amount of water that your begonia gets and move it into an area that is brighter to eliminate the mold. You may also see mealy bugs on your begonia. The soaking of a cotton ball in alcohol will help to eliminate them.
Alocasia
Alocasia"Black Velvet" has striking, greenish-black leaves with prominent veins that resemble scales. The undersides of the leaves have a whitish, or even purple tint. This adds a dramatic contrast to the foliage. This jewel-type variety is well at home all year round or outdoors in warmer climate zones 4-8a in the summer months.
This tropical beauty is thriving with bright indirect light, which helps to prevent the leaves from becoming scorched. The ideal light source is a bright, sunny window, but many varieties can tolerate filtering or dappled light.
The soil should be moist to contact, but not spongy. A light all-purpose feed is suitable once a month, but avoid feeding during the winter when the plant is entering dormancy. Look for brown or mushy root growths that could indicate a nutritional shortage. Root rot is a common occurrence in Alocasia, and it can be fatal for the plant.
Bromeliad
Bromeliads can give colour to rooms that are otherwise void of color. They are tropical plants and thrive in humid conditions. They can be grown easily with a regular routine and their vibrant colors can bring life to dull spaces.
Bracts are big, vibrant leaves that are used to attract pollinators. The true flowers of the plant are hidden in the bracts, and only appear after the flower has been fertilized.
As the plant grows, it produces offshoots which look like miniature versions. The pups can be propagated into new bromeliads. The same watering procedure applies for the parent. Avoid watering with hard tap water, as it can spot the foliage. Instead you should use rainwater or filtered water. This is essential for bromeliads growing in pots.
Hedgehog
The hedgehog is a small mammal belonging to the Animalia class. The nocturnal animal is cool with quills that aren't harmful. They are the oldest mammals on the planet and have a distant ancestry with pigs and Shrews.
In the wild they are omnivorous, eating toads and frogs, as well as grass roots, mushrooms and fruits. If frightened or threatened, the hedgehog rolls itself into a spiny ball and only predators with the most forceful claws can break it out.
If you see an animal on the ground, place it back in its place or re-cover the site with natural material. If you need to remove it from its habitat and put it in a large container far from your bedroom. Make sure you provide as much protection as you can. They must be kept in a place that is warm (73-80 degrees).