5 Tips For Choosing A New House Plant

House plants can brighten up any room. They also improve indoor air quality, all while looking lovely and adding to the decor. The following can help you pick the best plants for your home.

1. Light Conditions

The most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for a new house plant is the available light in your home. The plant labels will indicate whether the plant needs low, medium, or high light. Low-light plants can thrive in as little as 2 hours of sunlight, so they are perfect for rooms with north-facing windows. Medium-light plants typically need at least four hours of light, while high-light plants need six or more, so they aren't as suitable for most rooms in a home. 

2. Color Desires

Do you just want a bit of green to brighten up the room, or are you hoping for a colorful display? Foliage plants are most often chosen for house plants because there are many that can survive in lower indoor light. You can opt for colorful foliage plants, such as tradescantia or coleus. With flowering plants, be aware that many only flower during certain seasons so they won't provide year-round color. 

3. Available Space

House plants come in a variety of sizes, from diminutive air plants to large ficus and monstera plants. If you have limited space, opt for house plant varieties that are relatively small or that can be grown easily in a hanging basket. In fact, hanging plants can be a good idea in limited spaces where you want a larger plant, since the trailing stems won't take up much living space in the room.

4. Growth Concerns

All plants have varying growth habits and speeds. If you aren't interested in constantly trimming or dividing a plant, avoid those like Tradescantia zebrina, which grow very quickly. Instead, consider slower-growing varieties like most cacti and succulents. These can often be tended to for years before they ever need trimmed, divided, or even re-potted.

5. Care Needs

Care needs can differ greatly between house plants. A cactus, for example, may only need watered monthly and fertilized once or twice a year. A lush foliage plant, on the other hand, may require twice-weekly watering, regular fertilization, trimming and pruning, dividing, and re-potting. Before selecting the perfect house plant for your home, review its care instructions to make sure it is suitable. 

Contact a nursery if you are ready to add some new house plants to your home, like Mill Creek Gardens, LLC.


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