Top ten houseplants, according to me

This was requested in a comment to my recent Behind closed doors post, so I am obliging. But don't expect any big surprises, or even much originality. There's something about indoor gardening that breeds impatience. Even the most conscientious of us would rather not be bothered by too much fussing over our interior plants, no matter how long they have served well and faithfully.

Here's the key to my simple numerical rankings:

Killability: 1 (You may as well compost this now)-5 (You could maybe kill this with boiling acid) Beauty: 1 (At least it’s a plant)-5 (Your friends will be very impressed); and Maintenance: 1 (Constant anxiety)-5 (What plant? Is there a plant there?) And here is my list—plebian, but reliable:

10. Orchids: Phalaenopsis. Of all the orchids, this is the easiest. Water once every 1-2 weeks, keep it where it gets some sun, and it will rebloom for you. Just don’t overwater it. I have seen these thrive and rebloom in office situations. Killability: 3 (can easily be overwatered) Beauty: 5 Maintenance: 4

9. Seasonal bulbs: narcissus, hippeastrum (paperwhites, amaryllis) These are easy and fun, and can be composted after bloom. A holiday tradition. Killability: 5 (they’re bulbs; the bulb will sustain them) Beauty: 4-5 (the hippeastrum in particular are gorgeous when in bloom) Maintenance: 4

8. Cactus: includes a huge group of plants Given some sun and a lot of neglect, these plants will hang around for decades. Killability: 5 Beauty: 3 Maintenance: 5

7. Sansevieria (mother-in-law’s tongue) These are the stand-bys of office spaces. They have a certain amount of variegated drama. Low light. Killability: 5 Beauty: 3 Maintenance: 5

6. Spathiphyllum (peace lily) These have white or pink oval blooms and leathery foliage. Low light. Killability: 5 Beauty: 3 (they’re often not in bloom) Maintenance: 2 (they tend to need a lot of water) To be honest, I could have placed a variegated philodendron in this ranking just as easily.

5. Dracaena (corn plant, dragon plant, lucky bamboo) This a very large tropical family, with tough thick or thin leaves and usually segmented stems or trunks. There are a lot of fun plants in this family. The corn plant in bloom is pretty amazing. Low light. Killability: 5 Beauty: 3-4 (variegation can help here) Maintenance: 5

4. Pothos (devil’s ivy)
For such a common plant, this is surprisingly lush and attractive, especially when trained (must be attached to a support) as a tall climber. Low light.
Killability: 5
Beauty: 4
Maintenance: 5

3. Schlumbergia (Christmas cactus)
I have had one of these for 20 years. If kept in a dark room at night, it will give you pink or red orchid-like blooms a couple times a year. It is easy to start from cuttings and can grow to rather alarming bush-like proportions.
Killability: 5 (I’ve never known one to die, ever)
Beauty 2 (not in bloom)-5 (in bloom)
Maintenance: 5

2. Cyclamen
I have had my pink cyclamen for 10 years. It is incredibly root-bound, despite a couple repottings, but explodes with blooms once a year. When not in bloom, the large variegated leaves are attractive.
Killability: 3-5 (these seem to decide to live or die, regardless of treatment)
Beauty: 4 (not in bloom)-5 (in bloom) Maintenance: 3 (needs a lot of water)

1. Saintpaulia (African violet)
How I love my homely little African violets. They bloom all year-round, especially since I baby them with special pots where the water is soaked in through the bottom. They’re small, but the furry leaves and velvety blooms are well worth their minimal upkeep. These can live virtually forever.
Killability: 5 (can even be brought back from near-dead)
Beauty: 4
Maintenance: 4 (they want to be left alone, but do need light)

So what do you think? What would your disagreements, variations, substitutions be here? Some other bloggers have posted about their favorite indoor plants, including Carol/May Dreams Gardens. I expect to add more links here as the day goes on, and expect our blogging about indoor gardening to continue when the December Garden Blogger's Bloom Day rolls around.

Comments

[Jan]

I'm just the opposite. When I can't garden outside because of winter, I tend smother my houseplants with care. I love pruning them, repotting them, moving them around, and even watering them.

[Susan Harris]

Good job! Just the info I need, too, as I've finally killed my fill-the-corner-with-green houseplant-I-can't-name.

[Carol, May Dreams Gardens]

That's a pretty good list, but I would put Clivia on it. It is a 5 on all counts. It's an easy foliage plant, but also has a striking bloom and you can not kill it. I'd list it instead of the Dracaena. Those always look too fake and half alive for me.

Now, must resist the urge to get some more African violets... mine were living virtually forever until the mealybugs moved in...

[eliz]

Carol, I've never tried Clivia, but now I will on your rec. In return, I think you should try AVs again. They were not the ones who brought the bugs in, were they?

[Bonnie Story]

I would add the good ol' Chinese Evergreen. Some really exceptionally pretty variegated ones are catching my eye and I'll undoubtedly have to get one. A great office plant, and practically indestructible. CE plants look great in a very pretty pot in a harmonizing color. They do need a bit of dressing up but what a reliable plant.

[Colleen]

Great list. Now I have some shopping to do!

[Milkweed]

I love cyclamen.

Some of my other faves not mentioned here are:

Jade ~ easy and beautiful

Angel-wing begonia ~ easy, beautiful, gorgeous flowers, simple to propagate, and what a lovely name...really lots of begonias are wonderful houseplants, but I'm partial to angel-wing.

Aloe ~ useful, easy, a good thing to have around the house

Red shamrock ~ easy, beautiful, delicate, and a pretty bloom

[Carol, May Dreams Gardens]

Eliz., I do intend to start getting AV's again, now that I've gotten rid of the mealybugs. Sadly, I think the first mealybugs did hitchhike in on an AV, but I take full responsibility because I was buying one from a place that I shouldn't have bought plants from... (big box store)... Let that be a lesson to all. Thoroughly inspect any new houseplants before buying them to make sure there aren't diseased or insect infested, just like you would any plant.

[PlantingOaks]

I actually really like Arabian, or sambac Jasmine. It's not a traditional houseplant, but I don't know why. It's one of those 'throw water on it every week or so and it will do fine' type things. And it smells wonderful. It does like to be in a window.

[eliz]

PO, I have 2 jasmines, but they are awfully susceptible to spider mites and they often are hesitant to bloom inside. I do best with mine outside in the summer. My vining jasmine explodes with blooms from early May to late July.

[Michele Owens]

Elizabeth, what a helpful list! If it doesn't bloom or I can't eat it, I don't do it--but maybe I'll give that orchid a try.

I don't have houseplants per se, but rather potted plants that move indoors in the winter. In this group, I have to put in a good word for my calla, Zantedeschia aethiopica, which is tough beyond belief and simply stunning in bloom.

[Mary O'Bryne]

I kill african violets. Consistently. They hate me! I don't know why. No matter how much water they get, they droop and stop blooming. Any thoughts? I also find that any time I try to grow herbs or potted ivy in my garden window or bathrooms that I get spider mites...ugh. Insecticidal soap is proving only somewhat effective.

[Lucinda]

You guys must have great light! My place is so dark - well, all of Portland, OR is dark now. In a north facing greenhouse window I have a hoya that is happy and blooms twice a year. They can get way too long and viney so I trained it on a topiary ring that is about 10" in diameter & water it about 2x a month.
Favorite fertilizer is Eleanor's VF-11. A. violets love it!

[eliz]

A violets don't want a lot of water and they do better watered from the bottom. I have them in a porous clay container that is sunk in a matching bowl. The water soaks in through the clay container. Sounds to me like you are overwatering, which is death for any houseplant except waterhogs like peace lily.

Spider mites like a dry atmosphere, which is what central heating gives you. They're a fact of life, but can be eradicated with persistent spraying.

[Janice]

Hi there!
I agree with your list completely, except you must add the jade plant. As long as you have a sunny spot for it (west or south facing a must), it is pretty much zero maintenance. The only way to kill it is to overwater. Plus, my 8-year-old plant started blooming last year and this year is putting on quite a show. The flowers are very dainty but plentiful so that plant is bursting with blooms.

[Jen]

I've managed to kill a lucky bamboo, african violet, aloe vera...

Houseplants hate me. I can put something in the ground outside and ignore it completely and it'll grow well. Inside dead in a week with great care.

[firefly]

Aeschynanthus radicans
Hoya lacunosa
Ceropegia woodii
Eucharis amazonica
Kaempferia galanga

Except for the ceropegia, these will all bloom in house-style light from windows (that is, terrible).

Also second the angel wing (cane) begonia and the Clivia. I've had my Clivia for 15 years, and its offset bloomed last summer too.

I water my plants once every 7-10 days and never fuss over them. Prune them once a year and occasionally repot.

Forced bulbs actually need a lot more attention than houseplants, IMO, especially if you are really "forcing" them to bloom (not including hippeastrum and paperwhites).

I also find that most calla lilies do better with a rest period. I put mine outdoors and then turf them out of their pots when the foliage goes yellow in late September.

[firefly]

Sorry, that should have been "Kaempferia elegans."

My bad.

[Jim/ArtofGardening]

You can't kill a Christmas Cactus? Oh. Maybe I just bought a suicidal one.

[greg draiss]

Basic list of hard to kill but likeable plants.............
no problem from my end of the world

The TROLL

[Elizabeth]

Gee Greg, I was trembling in fear that you would have a problem. Thank goodness it passed muster!

[Marte]

Janice,
What? Jade plants have flowers???!!! I have had mine for five years and it is a lovely thing, but I have never seen a flower. Please tell me more! I also have an aloe and a Christmas cactus which is an offshoot from one that I almost killed. (I don't do very well with houseplants) but that pale Minnesota winter sun is a killer unless you have a southern window.
(which I don't)

[Elizabeth]

Love this column and most of these plants. Am I missing the spider plant, though? I've had two since 1991. Not only are they still healthy and happy, but I regularly give babies away to novice gardeners and use the babies as outdoor annuals in my hanging pots along with geraniums. As I mostly container garden outside due to the size of my yard, my indoor garden in the winter also has jasmine, rosemary, aloe, and lemongrass along with the orchids. Not only are these easy in a sunny window, but it helps jump start the outdoor garden in the spring.

[kim]

I had to smile about the spider plant - yes, they are tough and pretty (and I've read great at removing indoor pollutants), but they do make a mess. I think their killability rating should be about an 11. :-)

I second the Clivia - my neighbor gave me one of her babies, and it doubled in size over the summer on my screened porch and has grown even more since I brought it in. The foliage is beautiful, and it seems to not mind being forgotten.

[Travis Stark]

This is an awesome top ten list.
You can make your own on my buddy's site http://www.toptentopten.com/