Indoor Plants

How to choose indoor plants

Light is the whole decision, and most indoor plant failures are really light failures. Stand in the spot you want to fill at midday and be honest about what you see.

• Bright, indirect light (near a window, no direct sun on the leaves): the widest choice. The Fiddle Leaf Fig, monstera, philodendrons, calatheas and weeping figs all do their best work here.
• Low light (a few metres from a window, or a south facing room): snake plants, peace lilies, aglaonemas, pothos and the lady palm keep performing where most plants slowly give up. Growth is slower, not unhappy.
• Direct sun (a hot windowsill or sunroom): most tropical foliage scorches here, so hand this spot to jades, kalanchoes and the rest of our succulents and cacti, or to a coffee plant that gets morning sun only.

Then be honest about attention. Snake plants, pothos, dracaenas and succulents tolerate the fortnightly waterer. Calatheas, fittonias and alocasias want checking twice a week and repay it with the best foliage in the category. If you are starting out, buy one forgiving plant and one fussy one, and learn on the cheap one.

Indoor plants in Australian homes

Australian indoor conditions are defined by air conditioning and heating, which both strip humidity. Most tough foliage plants cope, but the humidity lovers, calatheas, fittonias and ferns, do noticeably better in bathrooms and kitchens or grouped together so they create their own moist pocket. Keep all plants clear of air con outlets and heater draughts, which brown leaf edges faster than any watering mistake. In southern states, pull plants back from cold window glass on winter nights, and in the tropics almost the entire range will also grow happily on a shaded veranda. Our palms, ferns and tropical plants range extends the look to those covered outdoor spaces.

Potting, watering and feeding

Water by feel, not by calendar: push a finger into the mix and water only when the top 2cm to 3cm is dry, then water until it runs from the drainage holes. For most homes that lands somewhere between weekly in summer and fortnightly in winter. Every pot needs a drainage hole; a decorative pot without one is a sleeve, so keep the plant in its plastic nursery pot inside it and tip out any standing water. Repot every one to two years in spring into a pot about 5cm wider, using a premium indoor mix. Feed monthly with half strength liquid fertiliser through spring and summer, not at all in winter, and wipe dust off large leaves every month or two so they can actually photosynthesise.

Common questions

Why are the leaves going yellow?

Overwatering, nine times out of ten. Roots sitting in wet mix suffocate, and the plant shows it in the leaves. Let the pot dry out further between drinks and check nothing is pooling in the outer pot. Yellowing on just the oldest one or two leaves is usually normal ageing.

Which indoor plants survive a dark corner?

None thrive in genuine darkness, but snake plants, aglaonemas, pothos and peace lilies get closest, and a peace lily will even tell you when it is thirsty by drooping. If you cannot comfortably read a book there at midday, rotate two plants through the spot fortnightly instead of sacrificing one.

Are indoor plants safe around pets?

Many popular foliage plants, including monstera, philodendrons and peace lilies, irritate mouths and stomachs if chewed. With a determined chewer in the house, choose calatheas, peperomias, spider plants and parlour or lady palms, and keep everything else on shelves out of reach.

How do plants handle delivery?

Indoor plants are delivered Australia wide, secured in their pots so the mix stays put in transit. Delivery starts from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Unbox on arrival, water if the mix is dry, and give new arrivals a week in bright, indirect light before moving them to their final spot. Our guide on how to keep your indoor plants alive covers the first month in detail.