Houseplants offer several benefits besides just looking pretty. Houseplants help purify the air so you can breathe better, living greenery helps reduce stress, and colorful blooms help us feel optimistic. There’s a wide array of houseplants to choose from, including these easy-care exotic plants that are sure to brighten up your interior living space as well as your mood.
Moth Orchid
Dainty-looking and easy to grow, the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) will thrive in a room that receives high-to-medium natural light. Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, and this exotic houseplant will bloom almost year around. Feed with orchid food according to manufacturer’s directions. Re-pot each year when the plant has finished blooming.
Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum) produces molted green leaves and needs very little water to thrive indoors. This hardy exotic houseplant will tolerate almost any indoor condition and will thrive even when neglected. To keep Chinese Evergreen looking its best, place it in a location that remains around 70 degrees, provides indirect light and away from drafts.
Lucky Bamboo
This exotic houseplant (Dracaena braunii) grows in water. Start Lucky Bamboo in 2 inches of water, then as roots grow re-pot in a container that can hold enough water to cover roots. Place plant in a low-light location and change water every two weeks. Add one drop of liquid fertilizer to water each time it’s changed.
Rubber Tree
Tall and majestic, the Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) can reach a mature height of 50 feet. Place Rubber Tree in a bright, warm location, but not in direct sunlight. Keep soil moist during growing season, but only water every other week during the winter. Leaves will turn yellow if over-watered. Wipe leaves with a damp cloth once a month to remove dust.
Squirrel Foot Fern
This exotic houseplant produces soft, furry, creeping stems that look like squirrel feet. Squirrel Foot Fern (Davallia trichomanoides) is easy to grow in a room that has medium light. Place this exotic houseplant in a bright location, but not in direct sunlight. Mist daily to prevent ‘feet’ from drying out, water every other week with a water-soluble plant food. Re-pot every two years.
Clivia
Clivia (Clivia miniata) produces stunning bright orange or red blooms among its dark green leaves in the late winter when nothing else is blooming. Easy to grow exotic houseplant that prefers dry soil and bright, indirect sunlight. Clivia can be placed outdoors in the summer time and returned indoor before temperatures dip below 70 degrees.
Image by: Daniel Poloha
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