A Primer on Plants for Interior Decoration

If you’re planning on decorating your home or office with indoor plants, it’s a wonderful endeavor. No matter what climate you live in, you can choose from lots of beautiful plants. Let’s start by recognizing that “indoor plant” is a misnomer, though. Plants all come from the outdoors, so an “indoor plant” is really an outdoor plant hardy enough to live inside under the right conditions. If plants evolved to live indoors, they wouldn’t need pesky things like sunlight or ventilation, right? Luckily, it’s easy to find great plants for interior decoration if you know what to look for.

Flower Power

Flowering plants are attractive and will bloom for you if they get enough light. Consider the following:

• Some flowering plants, like the African violet, will bloom all year if they have sunshine.
• Fans of blooming plants might like flowering succulents like the agave. These continue to look festive and healthy even if they don’t actually bloom for you.
• Moth orchids can also thrive indoors if the environment is warm and humid enough.
• Anthurium are wonderful plants for interior decoration.
• Novice plant growers might also like hardy offerings such as aloe, jade, or some cacti.
• Plant enthusiasts in warm, sunny climates may enjoy bonsai such as the Japanese maple or the Chinese juniper.

Going Green

Maybe your idea of plants for interior decoration is all about tall greenery and lots of large leaves. If so, keep these varieties in mind:

• The Japanese peace lily is full, lush, and easy to maintain.
• Zebra plants (i.e., aphelandra) have striking stripes.
• Indoor trees draw the eye and should be part of any design concept.
• Schefflera grow tall and full without stealing focus from the rest of the room.
• Ivies are staples of interior plant décor, and with good reason. They can appear to overflow planters on shelves or pedestals or can be trained to grow across walls, onto ceilings, or even among other plants.

Not sure how to get started? Ask a plant care specialist for help in choosing the right plants for interior decoration. More importantly, don’t forget to have fun! For further information about indoor plants or maintenance, call Plant Interscapes at 1-888-284-2257.