A house becomes a home when you feel an instant comfort the moment you step inside. It should scream your personality and taste in décor. Living in a house is one thing, but to own it, you’ll have to put your heart and soul into it.
Some people like to live a rough, careless life. They could not care less about getting fancy wall hangings or decent furniture. They are content with the basics. On the other hand, many people try to own the place where they live. They spend money, put effort into making their house feel like home. To do that, they choose such elements that are close to their hearts. One such thing is indoor plants.
Placing indoor plants in their correct spots is not an easy job. You cannot just buy plants without knowing where you’ll put them and how you will maintain them. Being a plant parent requires more than just the love for everything green.
While some plants are easily grown indoors with low sunlight, others need more sunshine to bloom. If you have bright spots at your home where you can’t decide what to put, this is the right place for you. You can place sun-loving plants in those spaces and watch your plant-child grow happily.
If you are performing a clean-up to remove old plants from your home garden, its always handy to have a skip bin on standby. This page here on the skip bin finder website outlines how green skip bins can help benefit the environment. It’s worth thinking of the environment before disposing of green waste.
Let’s find out what plants are best when put in direct sunlight:
1. Aloe Vera – Aloe barbadensis
Lo and behold, the best friend that our skin needs time and again – the refreshing Aloe Vera! The benefits of fresh aloe gel are not a surprise to anyone. Its healing properties surpass artificial medicines. It is said to do wonders to skin and even hair. It belongs to the family of succulents, hence, very low maintenance.
You can put the aloe plant in a clay pot that has proper drainage. It grows very well in direct sun but can survive in lesser situations too. Since it is a low-maintenance plant, it can survive with less water. It is better to water the plant regularly but be careful not to overwater it. When the aloe plant is happy, it gives off baby plants that can be separated and planted in other pots. Make sure that the soil pH ranges from 7.0 to 8.5.
2. Jade Plant – Crassula ovata
Like the aloe plant, the Jade plant is also a low-maintenance succulent. It may not look like a cactus, but it can survive in drought situations. The jade plant comes in a variety of colors. The classic plant has paddle-shaped green, fleshy leaves that sometimes develop a red border. Other variations can have different colors, star-shaped flowers, and smaller leaves.
The jade plant is very resilient. It eats up sunlight and can stay alive for decades. It prefers regular water so that the leaves can remain attached to the main plant. The pH levels of the soil must be between 6.0 and 6.5.
3. Papyrus – Cepyrus papyrus
The ever strong and ancient plant of papyrus rarely sheds its leaves. You can place it at that one bright spot in your house, and you won’t have to worry about any mess. Egyptians used the papyrus plant to make boats and paper.
The papyrus plant needs its roots in the water at all times. The more moisture it gets, the more beautiful it grows. You will have to place the plant in a container of water and change it every week.
4. Snake Plant – Dracaena trifasciata
If you are the kind of person who is too lazy to water plants but loves them anyway, the snake plant is for you. The snake plant enjoys indirect but bright sunlight. That is all it needs to grow lush and pretty. Even if you don’t water it for several days, it will still be as good as new.
You can place the snake plant pot in front of a west-facing window. It does not mind occasional direct sun and low light. It is a low-maintenance plant in the true sense because you don’t have to worry about the soil either. It can be placed in a pH range of 4 to 8.5. The snake plant is also called Mother-in-law’s tongue because of its long, tongue-like shape. It comes in a variety of patterns that resembles that of a snake.
5. Money Tree – Pachira aquatic
A part of the traditional Chinese practice of Feng Shui, the money tree is said to bring glad financial tidings. The plant is often sold as a bonsai because it resembles a small tree with its braided, strong-looking stem.
Although money tree is yet another low-maintenance plant, it can have sunburns if the sunlight is too strong. The best spot for a money tree is by a south-facing window of the house. Keep an eye on it during the peak summer days, or the leaves will wilt and fall. It is best to move the plant a little away from the windows so that it gets sufficient but not too much sunlight.
6. String of Pearls – Senecio rowleyanus
The string of pearls is a beautiful succulent plant with pea-sized, orb-shaped leaves growing from its stems. Stems can grow up to 2 feet that can be cut to improve growth or for propagation. The whole vibe of this plant makes it perfect for hanging in plant baskets or be placed on higher, sunny windows.
While it can survive with low water, it prefers indirect, bright sunlight. You can hang it by a west-facing window so that it does not get any sunburns. Keep in mind that the string of pearls plant is mildly toxic, so better to keep it away from children and pets.
7. Croton – Codiaeum variegatum
Sure, flowers are pretty and all, but it’s the leaves that make up most of the plant. If you want to have colors in your house without waiting for flowers to bloom, croton is your best friend. Croton plant has huge, vibrant-colored leaves that come in a variety of colors. It looks great among other plain green plants or simple walls.
The croton plant can survive in the indirect sun, but the direct and bright sun is needed to get the most of its bright colors. It also needs to stay humid and properly watered to grow to its fullest. If the room is heated, you will have to mist the croton plants so that it does not lose its moisture. Croton hates it if it is moved around often. It starts to lose its leaves if its place is changed.
8. Yucca Plant – Yucca gigantea
The yucca plant can grow very tall if planted outside. But for indoors, it gets to a maximum of three feet. The thick woody stems of the yucca plant make it stalwart in desert situations. It can survive in a worse situation like poor soil or high temperature. Yucca grows exceptionally well in good sunlight as long as the drainage system is good. As a bonus, yucca needs to be watered once every two weeks.
9. Bird of Paradise – Strelitzia
As the name indicates, this plant has the most beautiful flowers you will ever witness. The flower seems like a bird with its heading soring high and the petals making up for the wings. These gorgeous flowers bloom only when the plant gets enough sunlight. Once the plant has matured, you can cut it and use them to propagate into new plants.
10. Hen and Chicks – Echeveria Elegans
Don’t be deceived by its name, as the hen and chicks is one of the hardiest plants out there. It can live to its fullest in rocky, dry areas. Hen and chicks plant gets its name from its habit of propagating whenever it is happy and fully healthy. The plant has a rosette shape with tough fleshy leaves. If given direct sunlight, it can last for years, even with low maintenance.
Conclusion
If we take proper care of things, they last longer. Likewise, plants need personal attention and maintenance. While some plants are needy with regular checkups, others require nothing but a good amount of sunlight. These plants promise to be around for a long time while keeping your house or office’s vibe fresh and clean.