In Britain, we’re a nation of houseplant lovers. Whether you wish to add a splash of colour, some lush greenery, natural fragrance or added decoration to your home, there’s a huge variety of beautiful plants to choose from.
If you’re not sure what to go for, or which plant best suits the conditions of your home, here’s some useful information about each of the UK’s top 10 favourite plants.
1 – Peace Lilies
Peace Lilies aka Spathiphyllum are one of the easiest house plants to look after. With their dark green leaves and white sail-like flowers, they don’t just brighten up the room but are excellent at cleaning the air too. Water when the top of the soil feels try – these iconic pot plants do not like overwatering.
2 – Guzmania Grand Prix
A member of the pineapple family, the Guzmania has a showy central red flower that will last 4-8 weeks depending on the light. An attractive addition to any home or office, this plant is simple to care for as long as you keep it out of direct sunlight and ideally in the shade. As a tropical plant, keep the humidity high, perhaps with the aid of a daily light misting of water.
3 – Cacti
As you would expect, cacti love lots of bright sunshine and they like average warm temperatures between spring and autumn. During the colder months, make sure the temperature doesn’t drop below 4C
4 – Boston Ferns
Ferns love good indirect light and humid air. They’re happy with average temperatures (15-21C) but will start to suffer if it gets hotter than 24C. The popular Boston Fern is often found in hanging baskets where its lush leaves really come into their own. Lightly mist once or twice a week and make sure the soil remains damp.
5 – Cyclamen
Preferring bright light but not direct sunlight, cyclamen like cooler temperatures (10-15C) and they produce beautiful dainty flowers in winter.
6 – Begonias
Begonias are happy in bright rooms with a minimum temperature of 13C. They do enjoy a few hours of winter sun but are not keen on being placed in direct sunlight
7 – Ficus
Fig plants is a wide ranging genus with specimen of all sizes. Some of the larger ones include the tree like weeping fig (ficus benjamina) and the rubber plant. Ficus prefers warm temperatures and will suffer below 13C during the winter. Figs do like bright spots with partial shade, but don’t like rapid temperature changes which may cause their leaves to drop.
8 – African Violet
African Violets love warmer climates and need a minimum of 15C in winter. Place them in a bright spot protected from strong sunlight, and supplement with artificial lighting in the winter to encourage flowering.
9 – Amaryllis
Amaryllis’ preferred temperature is around 15-21C. Producing the most gorgeous, huge flowers, they like shaded rooms without direct sunlight. They flower for longer in winter than in spring.
10 – Anthurium
Place Anthurium in a bright room (but keep away from direct sunlight) with an average temperature of 15-21C. During the winter months, the plant requires a rest period of 6 weeks at 15C with very little watering. Anthurium Andereanum Red Champion (Oil Cloth Plant) has deep glossy green leaves and waxy red flowers that will keep on coming if the plant is fed and kept in good light.