Types of Houseplants

A Wide Variety of Houseplants

The many types of houseplants are varied and broad. There are flowering types and non-flowering types. You can grow Cactus, small shrubs, and flower bulbs. You can even grow many varieties of herbs. Indeed, many common houseplants are the very same flowers, vegetables, and herb you grow outdoors in the summer.

We commonly think of only a limited number of plants as candidates for an indoor garden. In actuality, this includes hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of plants. One could say there is an endless variety of houseplants.

Imagine the possibilities: To grow any plant as a houseplant, the plant needs to be adaptable to a different, indoor environment. The indoor environment is usually, cooler and drier, with much less available sunlight. If a plant can exist in these conditions, it can become a houseplant.

Common Houseplant Varieties Include:

African Violets
Aloe Vera Plants this medicinal herb plant is a great houseplant.
Aluminum Plant
Amaryllis
Begonia
Bonsai
Bromeliads
Cactus
Coleus
Cyclamen
Dracaena
English Ivy
Forced Bulbs – most varieties of flowering bulbs grow well indoors.
Gardenia
Geraniums
Impatiens A great shade lover with glossy leaves and showy flowers.
Money Tree
Paper Whites
Philodendrons
Pineapple Are you up to the challenge!?
Poinsettia
Spider Plants – everybody has one or two of these, right!?

Herbs as Houseplants

Many varieties of herbs can be grown indoors as a houseplant. Good examples of these are Chives, Basil, and Parsley which can survive in the more limited light conditions of your home.

If you are going to transplant them from your summer garden, plan to bring these plants indoors just before the first frost. Transplant them from your garden into a pot with fresh potting soil. If you miss the first frost, some plants, like chives, will go dormant. Once brought inside, they re-awaken.

If you want to start new plants, sow seeds in an indoor container in late summer or early fall. Allow enough time for them to get a good start on their growth while ample sunlight and warmth is still around.