10 best houseplants

1. Palms (Golden Cane Palm or Bamboo Palm)

A great daytime oxygen generator. It's best suited for work and entertainment areas of our homes. Ideal for a well-lit corner and provides some height as well.

2. Mother-In-Law’s Tongues or Snake Plants

A prolific night time oxygen generator that is best for bedrooms.

3. Devil’s Ivy or English Ivy

Quite tolerant of occasional neglect, this plant will grow well on a climbing frame or in a hanging basket.

4. Philodendron and Syngonium varieties

Some may need some climbing support in the pot.

5. Zanzibar Gems

Requires very little to no water and tolerates low levels of light. It's the perfect plant for 'brown thumbs' who may forget to water their plants.

6. Peace Lilies

This easy-to-grow indoor plant variety will reward you with white blooms and is perfect for bathrooms.

7. Boston Ferns

Excels in a hanging basket, but make sure it stays moist. It's best suited to bathrooms.

8. Bromeliads

Depending on the variety, it could prefer bright sunlight and you'll need to provide water to the plant's central reservoir and mist it regularly.

9. Weeping Figs

Prefers warmer areas and high humidity.

10. Dracaena varieties

Narrow, upright growers for a well-lit corner or screening effect.

The benefits

Not only do many houseplants help remove volatile organic chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene from the air we breathe, simply having a green environment around us improves our mood, concentration, productivity, and social behaviour.

Caring for your houseplants

• For best results, grow your houseplants in a quality peat or coir based potting mix
  
• Keep your plants moist but not wet
• Feed them every couple of months with a ½ strength liquid fertiliser
• Make sure they are situated in a well-lit (no direct sunlight), airy spot in your home
• Keep an eye out for mealy bugs and scale (two common houseplant pests)
• If you need to turn on a light in a room during the day, it will generally be too dark for most plants