by Raven Lebeau

Created on: April 08, 2008

Plants are beautiful and add a touch of nature to the indoors. It's tempting to come home from the nursery with an armload of gorgeous greenery to accent your empty nooks and bright up a bookshelf or two. The problem with using plants for home decor, however, is the simple fact that plants are living things with unique needs, and they will die if those needs are unmet. I encourage everyone to bring plants into their homes, but only if the plant is carefully matched with its intended environment.

Being a self-taught houseplant expert, I can offer a few suggestions for choosing plants to meet your decorating needs while still meeting the needs of the plant.

"I have a big space that needs something green."

Good low light plants with some serious presence include corn plants, dragon trees, and rubber trees. These plants can survive with only north light, and some have been known to thrive under fluorescent office lights.

If you have a moderate amount of light, a majesty palm might be the answer, while a brightly lit location is a perfect venue for a hibiscus or Norfolk pine.

"I want to add some color."

Crotons are a great way to add constant color to a room, but they need to be in a non-drafty location where they will have bright, indirect light. Dragon trees and lemon lime plants have some color appeal and grow well in low light. Geraniums and hibiscus will both thrive indoors but will only flower if given bright light and adequate fertilizer.

If you want a low-maintenance, moderate light plant with some color, look for a grafted cactus. Mutant strains of cactus contain (for example) orange or magenta pigment instead of chlorophyll. Such cacti cannot live on their own, but can be grafted onto a green cactus to make a unique and colorful composite plant.

"I want to hang something from the ceiling."

Spider plants and philodendrons are good medium-low light plants. If you want to hang your plant in a bright location, then stevia, catnip, and pennyroyal are all beautiful choices that will trail down below their pots.

Keep in mind that you can always increase the visual impact of a small plant by placing it in a larger container, but do not pot it in too much dirt. Plants need to be potted such that the roots fill most of the pot, and can die of root rot if potted in too much extra soil. If you love that big pot and want to put your small plant in it, simply give your plant an appropriate sized pot and set it inside the bigger, more decorative container.

Learn more about this author, Raven Lebeau.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.