Tropical indoor plants - caring for exotic and tropical indoor houseplants.
Not only can you create an attractive garden outdoors with vibrant flowers and weird and wonderful ornamental plants, but many people choose to brighten up their homes inside with a selection of tropical indoor houseplants as well.
Tropical indoor houseplants come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Some possess wonderfully coloured, heavenly scented and imaginatively shaped flowers; whilst others are made up of vibrant green patterned leaves that you can only imagine have come straight out of a tropical rainforest.
Tropical indoor houseplants come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Some possess wonderfully coloured, heavenly scented and imaginatively shaped flowers; whilst others are made up of vibrant green patterned leaves that you can only imagine have come straight out of a tropical rainforest.
The great thing with exotic indoor houseplants is that they look fantastic on their own, wherever they are, and don't need anything to embellish them or make them look better - a simple background such as a plain white wall will do the trick nicely.
You can create spaces in each room for several plants to sit together or position a statuesque specimen on its own as a focal point in the room. How you design your indoor living space is entirely up to you, but bear in mind that plants that like similar climatic conditions should be positioned together.
Many indoor exotic houseplants that we keep in our homes in the UK, the US and in other parts of the world originate in tropical regions around the globe including the Central and South American rainforests, West Africa and in the tropical regions of Malaysia and northern Australia. These plants and flowers are often used to hot and humid conditions, which is why they survive, and in many cases thrive, in an indoor atmosphere.
When you are choosing which indoor plants to buy, do make sure that you research where the plants come from and what conditions suit them best, and ensure that you can recreate similar conditions in your home. If a room is too hot and too sunny for your plant, it could cause it to die, and similarly if the plant does not receive enough light or not enough water, the same can happen.
You can create spaces in each room for several plants to sit together or position a statuesque specimen on its own as a focal point in the room. How you design your indoor living space is entirely up to you, but bear in mind that plants that like similar climatic conditions should be positioned together.
Many indoor exotic houseplants that we keep in our homes in the UK, the US and in other parts of the world originate in tropical regions around the globe including the Central and South American rainforests, West Africa and in the tropical regions of Malaysia and northern Australia. These plants and flowers are often used to hot and humid conditions, which is why they survive, and in many cases thrive, in an indoor atmosphere.
When you are choosing which indoor plants to buy, do make sure that you research where the plants come from and what conditions suit them best, and ensure that you can recreate similar conditions in your home. If a room is too hot and too sunny for your plant, it could cause it to die, and similarly if the plant does not receive enough light or not enough water, the same can happen.
Caring for tropical plants
The main points to consider when caring for your exotic indoor plant are water and light. Many exotic houseplants require plenty of water during the summer months and light watering in the winter. Do not make the mistake of thinking that they must be heavily watered all year round.
When you do water the plants, give them a good soaking without flooding them and then wait until the soil is dry before watering them again. Too much water can lead to fungal diseases and rot and will cause the plant to suffer or even perish. A handy implement to own is a water misting spray, which you can use much more frequently without harming the plant.
Many of the plants do not actually like bright direct sunlight, even though they enjoy the heat and plenty of warmth.
This is because in their natural surroundings they were often shaded by tall trees and grew underneath them, receiving filtered light from the sun.
Most plants fare better in a bright, warm spot that receives a lot of indirect sunlight. Direct sun can cause the leaves of the plants to brown and shrivel up.
Airflow is another point to consider and many of these types of houseplants do not like any form of airflow such as a cold or even warm draught that blows from air-conditioning machines or heaters.
These plants thrive at a temperature of between 27 - 32°C but can survive at temperatures of around 18°C minimum. More important is probably a slightly humid atmosphere with humidity at around 60 or 70%.
When you do water the plants, give them a good soaking without flooding them and then wait until the soil is dry before watering them again. Too much water can lead to fungal diseases and rot and will cause the plant to suffer or even perish. A handy implement to own is a water misting spray, which you can use much more frequently without harming the plant.
Many of the plants do not actually like bright direct sunlight, even though they enjoy the heat and plenty of warmth.
This is because in their natural surroundings they were often shaded by tall trees and grew underneath them, receiving filtered light from the sun.
Most plants fare better in a bright, warm spot that receives a lot of indirect sunlight. Direct sun can cause the leaves of the plants to brown and shrivel up.
Airflow is another point to consider and many of these types of houseplants do not like any form of airflow such as a cold or even warm draught that blows from air-conditioning machines or heaters.
These plants thrive at a temperature of between 27 - 32°C but can survive at temperatures of around 18°C minimum. More important is probably a slightly humid atmosphere with humidity at around 60 or 70%.
Popular tropical plants
Whether you desire a beautiful flowering scented plant for your home or a tall, majestic-like palm, there are hundreds of specimens to choose from. Ask your garden centre's assistant which are the easiest to care for or the most likely to survive if you are purchasing an exotic tropical plant for the first time.
Some of the most common and most popular exotic indoor houseplants are listed below:
Some of the most common and most popular exotic indoor houseplants are listed below:
- Bromeliads
- Crotons
- Orchids
- Elephant's Ear
- ZZ plant
- Zebra plant
- Bird of Paradise
- Flamingo flower
- Sago Palm
- Madagascar Dragon tree
- Jade plant
- Dumb Cane
- Chinese Jasmine Firecracker
- Oilcloth flower
- Rubber plant
- Scarlet Star
- Swiss Cheese plant
- Herringbone plant
- Mother-in-Law's Tongue
- Peace Lily
- Yucca plant
