Take your indoor garden to the next level by including some colorful houseplants for added interest throughout the year. Even those with low to moderate light in their homes can boost the color of their indoor gardens.
Philodendron has long been a favorite houseplant for low light situations. Update your collection with the bright chartreuse leaves of the trailing Lemon Lime philodendron or upright Pink Princess with splashes and streaks of pink on its dark green leaves.
Chinese Evergreens (Aglaonema) are a good choice for gardeners who prefer low-light plants that tolerate drier soil. You can find Chinese evergreens with a variety of colorful leaf patterns. Siam Red has broad leaves with red edges, Red Valentine offers green leaves with pink and red blotches, and the white markings on its green leaves inspired Split Milk’s name.
Nerve plants (Fittonia) on the other hand prefer consistently moist, well-drained soil to keep their green leaves with pink, purple, red, or white variegated leaves looking their best. Regular trimming will help this plant look its best and starting new plants from these trimmings will keep your plant collection filled with these colorful but often short-lived plants.
Prayer plants, including the Marantas and Calatheas, can be a bit more challenging but their unique foliage that folds up like praying hands at night makes them well worth the effort. These plants prefer moderate, indirect light and can scorch in direct sunlight or pale when the light is insufficient. Like nerve plants, they prefer consistently moist soil and high humidity. Boost humidity by grouping houseplants together and placing them on gravel trays. The pebbles in the tray elevate the pots above the water kept in the saucer. As the water evaporates, the humidity level increases around the plant. Use rainwater or distilled water to avoid brown tips on prayer plants, dracaenas, and spider plants caused by fluoride and chlorine in tap water.
For those with a bit more light add a few spots of color with polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya). You may have grown this plant as an annual in your garden and containers, but it also performs well as an indoor plant. Regular trimming of the green with white or pink-dotted leaves keeps the plant full and compact.
Peperomias prefer bright indirect light, but some varieties will tolerate a bit less. Ripple Peperomia (Peperomia caperata) adds texture and a bit of color while watermelon peperomia (Peperomia argyreia) offers a nice contrast with its smooth leaves colored like watermelon rind.
Dracaena plants offer a wide variety of textures with narrow and broad leaves and various types and intensities of variegation. Dorado’s leaves have thin yellow leaf edges, Lemon Lime’s green leaves are highlighted with white stripes and chartreuse leaf margins, and Limelight with its wide neon bright chartreuse leaves are just a few of the many colorful dracaenas now available.
If the colorful leaves of any of these plants tend to pale or fade to green you may need to increase the amount of light the plants receive. Try moving them closer to an east- or west-facing window or supplement those lowlight situations with artificial lights.
Consider these plants a piece of living art or a way to refresh your indoor décor. Not only do they improve the view, but they also help boost your mood, reduce stress, and improve focus when observing and tending these and your other indoor plants.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts the “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Her website is MelindaMyers.com.
Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
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