(Some of) The Best Indoor Plants for Your Home

Summer’s wrapping up and with colder weather ahead, many of us are going to be putting our gardens to bed for the winter. While there are many fun and exciting options for fall gardening, in northern climes we may be gardening indoors for a while. Likewise, some of us have smaller space or apartment and may find that indoor plants give us a more expansive way to enjoy gardening. So, for whatever your reason, indoor plants are a great option and you have a wide variety to choose from. Here’s a partial list of the best indoor plants for your home, office, or other space!

Note: all of these plants have been selected to be pet-safe. At Gardzen, we care about your furry friends!

• Succulents make great indoor plants, requiring very little upkeep and thriving without much water. Echeveria sppcan be a great starting point for indoor gardeners. These are fun-looking little plants that pack a lot of personality and character into a small package and add a fun contemporary look to any space. They do need 4-6 hours of sunlight daily, so bear that in mind before bringing one home.

• Spider plants (Chlorophytum spp)are a popular choice for indoor plants, and with good reason! They’re easy to care for, nontoxic to both people and animals, and hardy under a wide variety of conditions. They’re also easy to propagate, due to the way they reproduce. This makes them a fun experiment for indoor gardeners and a chance to practice some garden skills inside.

• If you want a truly interesting plant that thrives indoors, the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)is a wonderful choice. A carnivorous plant, the Venus flytrap feeds on small insects that get caught in its jaws. We don’t recommend triggering the trap just for fun—the plant needs that to live! Venus flytraps also need bright light and regular watering with clean water; many flytrap owners recommend distilled water as the best option.

• Boston ferns (Nephrolepsis spp)are another perennial favorite as a houseplant. They’re easy to care for, though they do like humidity and indirect light so misting them with a sprayer is a must. Their long trailing fronds are pretty in any space—thought cats do love to play with them. Thankfully the Boston fern is nontoxic to cats and dogs.

• Another humidity-loving plant, Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae spp)is another fun feature that will add a striking touch to any living room. Their long flowing leaves and attention-grabbing blooms offer a nice color contrast and brighten up a home or office. With a little care, bromeliads can last for years and provide joy throughout the seasons.

• Another unique plant feature for your indoor space, purple waffle plant (Hemigraphis alternativa)offers both color and texture while helping to purify indoor air. This one is interesting, as the plant requires bright indirect light only in order to look its best—direct light will bleach the leaves and they’ll loose their wonderful red and green coloration.

There are many, many more options for your indoor plants, but these are some fun choices to get you started. Indoor gardening is still gardening, and you can always use plants to make your space more beautiful, personal, and interesting. Let us know what your favorite indoor plants are, or what tips you have for indoor plant care—who knows, you might inspire a future blog!