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Flowers not pretty, if produced at all. Fairly easy to grow. Commonly used in shopping malls, offices etc. but there are rare types.

Gesneriaceae (African violet family) These are mostly small plants with hairy leaves and pretty flowers. Like east or west facing windows and do well under florescent lights. Small. Do well in normal home temperatures. Like some humidity. Give a jungle look. Seldom large enough to be feature plants. Mostly don't hang or climb. Have lots of flowers. Fairly easy to grow. Some rarer kinds which most people won't be familiar with.

Mesembryanthemaceae This is the largest family of succulents except the cactaceae. They are mostly small plants with fleshy leaves and superficially daisy-like flowers. Some are really weird, often resembling stones. Like lots of light. Some can sprawl over larger areas but they never grow very tall. Need a cool winter period (but not freezing). Like low humidity. Give a desert look. Pretty well never make feature plants. Some will hang. Have pretty flowers. Tend to be hard to grow. Many are rare and strange looking.

Orchidaceae (orchids) a large family known for their weird and often beautiful flowers. Most the houseplant species are forest epiphytes. Prefer lower light. Varied in size. Varied in temperature requirements (some being hardy in cold climates) but tend to like warm conditions. Like high humidity. Give a jungle look. Can be used as feature plants. Some climb or hang. Often have spectacular and unusual flowers. Tend to be hard to grow. Many rare and tend to be expensive.

Stapeliads (carrion flowers) These look like cacti but they're really milkweeds. Prefer bright light but will often do well in an east or west-facing window. Mostly small (the biggest are about 1M tall). Like warmth. Hate humidity. Give a desert look. Seldom grow large enough to be feature plants. Some hang. Have weird star-shaped flowers. Tend to be hard to grow. Most people have no idea what they are and there are many rare types.

If you really want rarer plants, you should try specialist nurseries or getting plants from collectors. You can also get mail order plants or seeds (the latter have the advantage that they're easier to get across international borders) of types that aren't locally available.

Learn more about this author, Richard Pearman.
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