Wish to have a cozy, welcoming living room full of plants boosting your mental and physical health but not want to add up to the stress? 

Here’s a list of 7 plants that thrive even on your neglect, beautifying and purifying our lives, boosting creativity and mood. Yes, an indoor green paradise with minimum to the low effort made possible!

Lucky Bamboo

With intricate stems and remarkable resilience, this tropical water lily symbolizes good luck in Feng Shui.

The Basic Information

• Common Name: Lucky Bamboo
• Botanical Name: Dracaena sanderiana 
• Type of plant: small to medium-sized, slow-growing, herbaceous perennial
• Native from: Tropical western Africa
• Mature Size: 1–3 ft. tall, 1–2 ft. wide
• Flower colour: White
• Bloom time: Fall, winter (does not bloom indoors)   

Preferable Conditions

• Watering: If the plant is grown in soil, water the plant in moderation that is not too damp but not too dry. If housed in a water vase, replenish it with fresh water every 7-10 days to keep it healthy and green.
• Potting: a well-drained rich potting soil, a vase full of pebbles or a simple vase filled with water. (1-inch standing water required at all times if in a vase)
• Temperature: range of 65–95°F (18–35°C), making it a great house and office plant. During winters, avoid keeping the pots near windows.
• Light: Moderate indirect sunlight as direct sun exposure scorches the leaves.

Benefits

• Great for fresh plant parents as it requires minimum care and has high resilience.
• It brings luck, happiness, and prosperity, according to Feng Shui (Chinese geomancy).
• Great for indoor plantation as it requires indirect sunlight.

Tips

The stalks of this beautiful plant can be influenced to achieve various shapes by controlling sun exposure. 

Areca Palm/ Parlor Palm

Tall and attractive with narrow and full fronds almost like bamboos

this plant is best suited for the Indian climate

With a slow to moderate growth rate, spring is the best time to plant them.

Though easy to care for in nature, areca palms won’t tolerate complete neglect.

The Basic Information

• Common Name: Areca palm, bamboo palm, butterfly palm, golden cane palm, yellow palm
• Botanical Name: Dypsis lutescens (formerly Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
• Type of plant: Perennial
• Native from: Madagascar
• Mature Size: 10–30 ft. tall, 8–15 ft. wide
• Flower colour: Pale yellow  
• Bloom time: Summer

Preferable Conditions

• Watering: Once a week. Let the soil dry completely before watering it again during winters and fall but keep the soil moist during summers.
• Potting: A well-drained, peat-based soil mix. It cannot be grown in a pebble or water vase.
• Temperature: range of 65–75°F (18–24°C), warm climate is preferable. Sudden cold bursts from air conditioners or windows and heat from heating sources cause dark spots on leaves or turn them brown, respectively. It lives happily in high humidity, hence a perfect plant for the climate of India.
• Light: Requires bright indirect sunlight. (from the south or west-facing window)

Benefits

• This plant improves the air quality around it by absorbing air pollutants and toxins and adding moisture to the surroundings. 
• By removing various dangerous chemicals such as formaldehyde, xylene and toluene from the air, this plant helps in better oxygen availability.
• As this plant purifies the air in its surrounding, it helps in decreasing stress levels as more oxygen is available for absorption.

Tips

Avoids growing them in overly large pots instead; use tight containers as it helps maintain their size. Pruning is another essential task to keep the size in check.

Monstera Deliciosa 

With intricate ariel roots, leathery, glossy, characteristic split, and heart-shaped leaves with punched holes, the Swiss cheese plant is a relatively low maintenance and high statement-making option for your living room. A plant adored by interior decorators for its simplistic, modern and statement look. 

The Basic Information

• Common Name: Split-leaf philodendron, Swiss cheese plant, Windowleaf, Ceriman
• Botanical Name: Monstera Deliciosa
• Type of plant: Climbing evergreen
• Native from: Central America
• Mature Size: 3 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide
• Flower colour: Cream/tan
• Bloom time: Mid-summer 

Preferable Conditions

• Watering: Regularly during its growing phase, but post growth stage, only once a week mist would satiate its humidity requirements.
• Potting: Select a deep pot with a good number of drainage holes and fill it up with peat-based potting media as the plant requires well-drained, moderately moist soil
• Temperature: range of 65–75°F (18–24°C), warm climate
• Light: Bright indirect sunlight is preferable. Though too much direct sunlight in warmer months may burn its foliage, setting it out in direct sunlight once or twice a year encourages its lush growth.

Benefits 

• As the leaves of Monstera Deliciosa are waxy, they help in trapping dust particles that would otherwise fall on various surfaces.
• Misting it only once in 5-7 days will help add humidity to the air, warding off ailments such as dry skin conditions and other respiratory issues aggravated by dryness.

Tips

Monstera requires a lot of space and has a considerable presence. So, instead of putting it in a tight corner or on a windowsill, plant it in a statement-making spot in your living room.

As a climber in nature, consider adding a small trellis, pole or stick near the pot to help the plant climb and flourish.

Snake Plant

With high tolerance, adaptive make, and six gorgeous varieties to choose from, these plants with strappy leaves and architectural shape are the best for little time investors or new plant parents as they are nearly indestructible. They adapt and look fresh, vivid in almost all the conditions.

The Basic Information

• Common Name: Snake plant, mother-in-law’s tongue, viper’s bowstring hemp, St. George’s sword
• Botanical Name: Sansevieria trifasciata
• Type of plant: Evergreen perennial
• Native from: Tropical West Africa
• Mature size: 6 in. to 12 ft. tall
• Flower colour: Greenish-white
• Bloom time: Spring (rarely blooming)

Preferable Conditions

• Watering: There’s a saying, ‘Snake plants do well when you almost forget about them’, which is entirely accurate. In summers, water when the soil feels dry to touch (mostly once a week). While in winters, reduce the watering to once a month.
• Potting: A loose sandier soil with low peat so eventually it packs and refuses to re-hydrate or drain properly.
• Temperature: range of 70-90°F (20-32°C), warm conditions. Although highly adaptable, the plant will suffer if exposed to temperatures below 50°F.
• Light: Although tolerant of a variety of lighting conditions, steady indirect sunlight is preferable. 

Benefits

• Snake Plant acts as an air purifier as it demonstrates an ability to remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air, according to the joint studies run by the University of Georgia and Yonsei.
• This plant can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen at night, opposite to other plants. This uniqueness gives it the ability to combat “sick building syndrome” and help in battling depression.

Tips

If possible, try watering from the bottom of the plant to encourage roots to grow deep and downward by helping to stabilize the thick tall leaves.

Pothos (Money Plant)

Pothos requires more humidity and less light with minimum light and wind, making it perfect for indoor settings. With a variety of patterns and decorative nature, pothos is a hit amongst indoor plants.

The Basic Information

• Common Name: Pothos, golden pothos, devil’s vine, devil’s ivy money plant
• Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum
• Type of plant: Vine
• Native from: South Pacific
• Mature size: 20–40 ft. long, 3–6 ft. wide
• Blossom time: Does not flower

Preferable Conditions

• Watering: Don’t leave pothos continually in damp soil. Instead, water it only once the soil dries out entirely as it may rot the roots, collapsing the plant and spotting the leaves. Let the plant tell you when to water- when it starts drooping, give it a good drink. But, at the same time, don’t wait for the leaves to begin shrivelling, or you will lose some leaves.
• Potting: This plant thrives well in almost any type of soil. It prefers ordinary, well-draining potting soil.
• Temperature: above 50°F ( 10°C) range of 65-75°F (18-23°C)
• Light: Prefers bright but indirect sunlight. If they don’t get enough light, the leaves patterns revert to all-green plants. Moving them to brighter conditions usually restores the variegation.

Benefits

• These are arguably one of the easiest plants to grow, thriving on neglect and low light.
• Like any other indoor plants, pothos purifies the air by removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide and helps eliminate odours.
• It can also help alleviate eye irritation after long days of staring at screens.
• Touching the leaves of golden pothos has calming and soothing effects, according to a study conducted by 14 Japanese men.

Tips

Being a versatile plant, pothos can be trained to grow in the desired shape for decorative purposes. One can use them to form loops, placed on a shelf, desks, or hung in a cascading way from the window.

Arrowhead Vine

Arrowhead is a vigorous, deciduous, marginal perennial plant that withstood the test of time for more than a hundred years because it is both easy to grow and attractive. Young arrowheads (bushy) are excellent choices for decorating your living room coffee tables, side tables, desks, etc. And as the plant matures, they develop climbing habits making them fun to grow.

The Basic Information

• Common Name: Arrowhead vine, American evergreen, five fingers, and nephthytis
• Botanical Name: Syngonium podophyllum
• Type of plant: Vine 
• Native from: South America, Mexico
• Mature size: 3–6 ft. tall, 1–2 ft. wide
• Flower colour: White
• Bloom time: Summer (rarely flowers)

Preferable Conditions

• Watering: During spring and summer, let the soil dry partially in between waterings but not wholly. Water them 2-3 times a week. In winters, reduce the watering to once a week. This plant should not be kept too dry or too wet.
• Potting: A traditional soil-based potting mix with well-drainage is preferable as the arrowhead plant’s roots are prone to rot if kept moist. It is one of the best plants which can be grown in a water vase. Just remember to fill the vase with fresh water twice a week.
• Temperature: range of 65-75°F(18-23°C), warm and humid conditions. Try maintaining temperatures above 60°F. While it can tolerate average humidity, it thrives the best with the added moisture in the air.
• Light: Medium to bright light but not direct sunlight. It can tolerate low lights but not intense direct sunlight. Hence, diffused light is the best. Variegated colourways can handle a bit more direct light than their deeper green varieties, as they are better adapted to partial shade.

Benefits

• With a transpiration rate of 7, this excellent plant boosts humidity by reducing dry air.
•  Arrowhead is a significant CO2 absorbing plant, according to the study executed by University Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia.
• Upon oral consumption of its roots and leaves, this plant helps treat anaemia, fatigue, lowers the risk of heart problems, increases bone formation, supports lung and respiratory health, prevents diabetes by regulating sugar levels.

Tips

Pot them in terracotta or clay vessels to wick away the extra moisture from the soil.

Utilize a method of increasing humidity like a portable machine or a bed of wet river rocks beneath the pot to increase the room’s humidity, leading to better plant growth.

If its youthful arrowhead shape is preferred over five fingers mature form, trim it regularly.

Plant them in hanging baskets or keep a pole, trellis or stick near the pot for them to vine over it.

Peace Lily

The plant with specialized leaf bract hooded over the white or yellow

flower mistook as a part of flower than the leaf, an excellent air purifier brightening up the living space is a superb choice for living room decor. 

The Basic Information

• Common Name: Peace lily, Spath lily
• Botanical Name: Spathiphyllum spp. and hybrids
• Type of plant: Flowering tropical plant
• Native from: The rainforests of Central and South America
• Mature size: Up to 3 feet tall 
• Flower colour: White or yellow
• Bloom time: Spring

Preferable Conditions

• Watering: Being a native of rainforests, these plants love higher humidity; hence water them frequently. During winters, reduce the watering but never allow the soil to dry out completely.
• Potting: A rich, loose potting full of organic material is best suitable as these plants have native canopy conditions where the soil is rich with deteriorating plant materials.
• Temperature: range of 65- 80°F (18-26°C), moist warm conditions are preferable. Avoid cold drafts and temperatures below 55°F.
• Light: Peace lilies are shade-loving plants that require plenty of filtered light, though not direct sunlight. Their leaves tend to curl up and pale if they are receiving too much sunshine. 

Benefits

• It purifies the air inducing restful sleep by filtering indoor air and increasing humidity.
• It absorbs acetone vapours produced by varnishes, paints, rubbing alcohol and various household products.
• It removes mould spores from the air, making it suitable for living rooms of people sensitive to these mould spores resulting in asthma and other chronic lung diseases.  

Tips

Spray the leaves every week with water throughout the summer growing season for the plants best growth.

Hope you will find our first blog informative. I have written this blog under Indian cities context and the plants which are easily available at your neighborhood local plant nursery. Do comment with your choice of indoor plant at home or the one you are already taking care at your home or apartment.

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