With brightly colored flowers in shades of pink to red, white and bicolors, blooming holiday cactus plants are a welcome sight at this time of year, but not all types bloom in late December. Many specimens have been kept as houseplants for years, or even decades. To learn more about the various plants called holiday cactus, read this article…
Even though we can’t grow oranges and grapefruits outdoors in the Midwest, it is possible to keep a citrus tree as a houseplant. Learn about the history of citrus and growing them as houseplants here.
One of the boldest houseplants around, croton offers fabulous foliage marked with bright yellow, orange, red, and even near black. These eye-catching plants add a tropical touch to indoor décor or make a dramatic focal point as a seasonal plant outdoors during the growing season. Learn more about this Asian plant distantly related to poinsettia in this article…
With “leaves” shaped like deer antlers arching out from a brown and green shield-shaped base, staghorn fern can be a dramatic decorative accent and conversation starter. Naturally growing on trees for support and protection, these plants can be a bit challenging to grow indoors, but make fine houseplants with a little effort. Learn about these unique tropical ferns and how to grow them in this article…
Plumeria are small tropical trees with fragrant flowers, commonly used to make wonderfully scented leis in Hawaii. Several types are easily grown in containers in colder climates to enjoy a touch of the tropics in summer. Learn more about this group of plants native to tropical America in this article…
String of pearls is an interesting succulent grown for its unusual, bead-like leaves. Small, fragrant brush-like white flowers are produced in summer. Learn more about this vigorous growing, low maintenance, tender evergreen perennial grown as a novelty houseplant …
For most Midwesterners, if they recognize a heliconia at all, it’s as a brightly colored, long-lasting component of a bouquet of tropical flowers. The genus Heliconia is a large group of plants native to tropical areas of the Americas with banana-like leaves and conspicuous inflorescences. Learn more about these showy, interesting plants in this article…
If you want to add some lemon zest to your garden, but can’t grow a lemon tree, consider trying some lemon-scented herbs or other plants. This article covers plants that have scents suggesting lemons.
Plants that look like rocks? Those would be living stones, in the genus Lithops. These are small succulent plants that survive in their harsh environment by having much of the plant body below ground, and only the wide leaf end visible above the rocky ground. To learn more about these fascinating plants that make good houseplants, read this article…
Burro’s tail is a low maintenance houseplant best grown in hanging containers that will showcase its fleshy, bluish green leaves covering the long, drooping stems. This succulent tender perennial does best in bright light and can be moved outdoors during the growing season. To learn more about Sedum morganianum, read this article…
If you want a glamorous and spectacular plant to bring an exotic look to your garden, and sweetly fragrant flowers, try growing kahili ginger. This showy subtropical plant is an attractive foliage plant even when it doesn’t have its terminal spikes of striking yellow and red fragrant flowers. To learn more about Hedychium gardnerianum, read this article…
Flowering maples aren’t real maples, but they have palmate leaves that look similar to that tree’s leaves, and much more spectacular flowers than true maples have. Also commonly referred to by just the genus name Abutilon, these tender sub-shrubs can be used as seasonal accent plants or grown indoors to bloom year-round. For more about flowering maples read this article…
