Houseplants enhance and brighten our indoor spaces, especially this time of year. However, typical indoor environments can often be stressful for plants, so careful selection and care are needed to maintain attractive houseplants.

Popular houseplants originate in tropical areas, where it is warm, moist, and quality light is consistently available all year. Indoor environments often fluctuate in temperature and light, and typically are dry. In addition, plants are growing in a limited amount of soil. These conditions can be stressful for houseplants and can easily lead to plant health decline.

Choosing the more durable plant species that can tolerate less than ideal conditions is an important first step to healthy attractive houseplants. Pay close attention to light requirements and match the plant to specific conditions of your indoor site. There is no substitute for a lack of light. Plants balance a fine line between energy produced using light (photosynthesis) and energy used for growth processes (respiration). Shorter days and changes in the angle of the sun in associated with winter can also create problems.

Among the popular durable species suitable for lower light conditions are Snake Plant (Sansevieria), Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra), Pothos vine (Scindapsis), and Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema). Medium light indoor plants to consider include African Violets (Saintpaulia), Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria), Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina), Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica), and Peperomia. Plants for brighter light conditions include the colorful leaved Croton, Kalanchoe, numerous cacti and succulents, and various citrus species.

Houseplants face various temperature related issues. Fluctuations with the seasons as homes are heated and cooled is one problem. Cold and warm drafts may develop in specific locations. Excessively warm temperatures at night also lead to decline as plants burn up energy reserves faster. Dry air indoors draws water out of plant foliage faster than it can be replaced, especially now in the winter heating season. This is a leading cause of brown tips to leaves.

Watering will help in dry environments, but often houseplants are overwatered and decline from sitting in excessively wet soil. Water should drain out the bottom of the container and allow soils to dry before watering again. Research the water needs of your plants.

Finally, improper soil conditions can create problems. Houseplants often have a limited amount of soil to root in. The soil may also be of inadequate quality and may have high salt levels. Repotting into fresh soil, and a larger pot (if needed), periodically may solve these issues. For most species, do not add fertilizer now however, as plant growth typically slows down in winter. Wait to fertilize in spring when houseplants are actively growing again.