African Violets:

A lot of people enjoy growing African Violets in their homes. There are a lot of different colors and types of African Violets available. However, if you are going to grow African Violets, there is a good chance that you will need to buy indoor lamps as well. Although these flowering houseplants require a little bit more attention and care than other houseplants, you will definitely enjoy the bright and fun flowers which these plants can produce!

Spider Plants:

A lot of people recommend spider plants as a colorful and fun flowering houseplant. Spider plants are hanging plants which have grassy leaves that are either available in yellow and white, or green. In addition, spider plants also produce fun little white flowers, which add a fun touch of color indoors. If you have an interior with a lot of darker colors, having fun little white flowers will be a great color addition.

Neoregelia:

Another one of the most colorful flowering plants is Neoregelia. The leaves are brightly colored and flat, and they are usually red or fuscia colored. There also are colorful flowers which grow out of a shallow depression which is in the center of the plant. The fun flowers with the striped leaves make this a very fun and playful houseplant to decorate your house with.

Fire Flash:

Fire Flash is another colorful flowering houseplant, and it actually is related to spider plants. Fire Flash has brightly colored leaves which are green with a bright coral-colored stem. The middle of this plant produces a great columnar spike of white flowers in the center of the plant, which are densely packed with little white blossoms. This is a really fun colorful flowering houseplant that looks great indoors.

Colorful blossoms or leaves?

One of the first things that you should decide is if you want brilliant colors in the leaves or in the blossoms of your flowering houseplants. For example, if you are interested in brightly colored leaves, you can get houseplants like spider plant of fireflash. Both of these plants have very brightly colored leaves with white blossoms (which make a really pretty contrast). Or, you may decide that you want colorful blossoms instead, and you might be interested in getting a plant like the African Violets, which have a variety of great colors for their blossoms! You also might find that you would like brightly colored leaves and flowers – which may cause you to be interested in a flower like Wandering Jew (which has deep purple leaves and light purple flowers).

Sunlight:

Another thing that you will want to take into consideration is the amount of sunlight that it is in your home. There are some flowering houseplants that only do well in bright sunlight, and there are others that do better in the shade. Make sure that you research the flowering houseplants that you would like to purchase, so that you can be sure that your plant will do well with the amount of sunlight in your home. If you are really set on having a certain plant in your home, make sure that you can place the plant in a certain area that will give it enough light. Or, you can also explore the option of purchasing light lamps that can give your plant the light that it really needs. Also, you should be aware that there also are some brilliant flowering houseplants which do well in both sunlight and shade too, such as the Angel Wing Begonia.

Find out about the care for your plant:

The first thing that you need to do in order to keep your flowering houseplants alive is to find out about the basic care needs of your specific plant. For example, you should find out how often your plant needs to be watered, how much sunlight the plant should be exposed to, and if the flowers need to be deadheaded (usually they do, in order to keep blooming). African Violets are flowers which only need to be watered if the soil is dry, whereas you can let a Christmas Cactus go for a day or two if the soil is dry. Make sure that you know about all of the care needs for your plant, so that you will be better able to keep your flowering houseplants alive.

Mulch and fertilizer:

Another thing that you can do to keep your flowering houseplants alive is to use mulch and/or fertilizer. You can find out if mulch and/or fertilizer will be helpful for your plant by also reading about the basic care information for your plant. However, if you do use fertilizer, you should be careful not to use too much – you don’t want your plant to “burn” from exposure to too much fertilizer.

1.Make sure you get the right kind of plant: First of all, you will obviously need to pick a houseplant that grows flowers. In addition, it is important that you make sure that you are aware of how long your houseplant flowers will last – some flowers, like the Maid of Orleans, can flower all year long, but the flowers will only last one day. This means that your houseplant can be continually producing blossoms, but you will only enjoy the flower for about a day. Hibiscus flowers also are known to blossom throughout the year, but their blossoms only last for a day or two as well. Oxalis regnellii, or “Atropurpurea” is a great flowering houseplant which is constantly producing a lot of blossoms. This houseplant is a great option if you are looking for something that can produce a lot of flowers all year long.

2.Make sure that they get the light they need: One of the key things to getting houseplants that flower all year long is to make sure the plants get enough light. If you live in a place where it is usually sunny during the colder months, make sure that your plant is placed in an area where there is a lot of sunlight (but not close enough to the window that it will get really cold!). Another option that you can try is light lamps. If your plants aren’t getting the light and energy that they need in order to flower all year long, place them underneath light lamps. This will help the plants to have enough energy to be able to produce flowers all year long.

1.Emphasize or deemphasize lines: Depending on the way that your home is decorated, you may feel like there are a lot of lines (whether horizontal or vertical) in a certain room. This can be a good or a bad thing – depending on the type of effect that you want to create within the room itself. Houseplants can help to enhance the décor and lines of the room by either emphasizing the lines or deemphasizing the lines in the room – depending on what you need. For example, say that you have a very modern looking living room with some vertical lines in the picture frames, television, table, etc. If you want to further emphasize these lines, you should get a houseplant that has a vertical emphasis as well, such as a small bamboo plant or another plant that has a long vertical stem. Or, if you don’t want to emphasize the vertical lines any longer, you can pick a plant that has a more horizontal axis, so it will add some variety.

2.Emphasize or deemphasize colors: It is really popular to have color schemes in different rooms for your house’s décor, and you can use houseplants to your advantage to help enhance these colors. There are a couple of different ways that you can do this – you can either use houseplants that have complimentary colors with your décor, or you can find a houseplant that has the same color as your décor, to give the color more emphasis. For example, if you have a yellow room, you might be interested in looking into a purple plant, such as Wandering Jew, in the same room to make a neat accent color. Or, if you already have some purple in a room and want to make that color stronger, then add a plant like Wandering Jew. There are a lot of different houseplant colors available, so don’t feel like you are limited to only using green when working with houseplants.

1.See what needs to be “done” in your home: You should use houseplants to your advantage as much as possible when you are decorating. When thinking about places to put houseplants, you should look and see what needs to be “done.” Are there any problem areas in the house that need a houseplant to help cover them up? Do you have too many horizontal lines in one room and you’d like to add some more vertical lines to make things look more balanced? Perhaps you have too much of one color in a room, and you would like to add a houseplant that has a different accent color. By examining your house first, you will have a good idea of what kinds of houseplants you will need to help you in your decoration.

2.Take the basic care needs of the plant into consideration: After you have decided what you would like your houseplant to “do” in your home (in terms of decoration), then you are ready to look into different types of plant varieties. However, when using houseplants as part of your decorating, you will need to take the basic care needs of the plant into consideration. Make sure that your home will provide the right temperature and light for your plant. If not, then you might need to get a light lamp or a heat lamp. In addition, you obviously will want to make sure that you can give your plant the humidity and water that it needs as well, so that your plant won’t die.

1.Spider plant: This plant is one of the most popular houseplants to use for decorating – and for good reason! The leaves of the spider plant can come in green, or they can come with yellow stripes. In addition, the spider plant also produces pretty white flowers, which are really fun. It has been recommended that the spider plant fits in best with either country cottage or Victorian decoration.

2.Dragon Tree: A lot of people mistake the Dragon Tree for being a yucca plant, but it is a little bit different (although they look rather similar). The Dragon Tree is a very popular option for decorating these days, especially for people who have an Asian type of decoration in their home. This plant also looks good with a lot of Modern decoration as well. Some people think that this plant looks best in the corner of a room, particularly because it can grow to a tall height in that space.

3.Dumb Cane: Dumb Cane is a white-on-green plant which looks really good with contemporary decor as well. However, if you purchase Dumb Cane, you will need to make sure that it is kept out of the reach of animals and small children – if you eat this plant, it can paralyze your vocal chords.

4.Geraniums: Geraniums are a really popular houseplant for decorating, particularly because the bright flowers of the plant add a great splash of color to any room. In addition, geraniums are fairly easy plants to take care of as well – make sure that you place it in full sun, let it drain between waterings, and you will have a happy and healthy plant which should bloom all year long!

• Use the houseplants to your advantage: One of the great things about decorating with houseplants is that you can use houseplants to your advantage. You can decorate your house with houseplants to help to cover up “problem areas.” There are many different areas in the house that could be considered a problem area, such as a place where there is a stain on the floor, peeling paint, or some other not-so-nice-looking area. Houseplants are a great way to cover up problem areas that you don’t want your guests to see. For example, if you have a stain on your floor, get a large houseplant that you can place on the floor in that area. Not only will it cover up the stain, but it also will add a dash of color into the room as well.

• Look into different plant colors and varieties: When decorating with houseplants, a lot of people first think of different green houseplants. However, you should also know that there are lots of houseplants that are different colors than green. There are lots of colorful houseplants available, such as the Wandering Jew which has really lovely dark purple leaves with light purple flowers. Some of the colorful houseplant varieties are angel wing begonia, spider plants, fire flash, and negorelia.

•Take space into consideration: One of the great things that you can do with houseplants is help to cover up “problem areas” in your house. When decorating with houseplants, see if you can identify any problem spots where a plant could do well. This could be an area where paint is peeling, where there is a stain on the carpet, or a place where your child scribbled on the wall with permanent marker! Houseplants are a great way to cover up problem areas that you don’t want your guests to see!

•Take light into consideration: It is important to remember at all times that although houseplants are decoration, you also need to remember that they are living things too. For example, your plants will need to have the right amount of light that they need. Be sure that your plant is located in the right amount of light – so make sure that it can decorate a great part of your house while getting the light that it needs. If you are really set on having a houseplant in a certain area of your house, and there isn’t enough natural light for it to grow, then you probably will need to look into the option of getting a light lamp for it.

They are toxic—most people would agree that this is important to know. Every part of the philodendron is toxic, and they do pose a threat to children and house pets. Chewing the leaves (or any other part) of a philodendron results in burning and swelling in the mouth and throat. Although it is rare, there have been fatalities resulting from consumption of philodendron leaves. If you have a toddler in your home, you might want to wait to purchase your philodendron plant. If you already have a plant, move it to a place where the child will not be able to access it. These plants will do well in any place in your house as long as they are not in direct sunlight. Consider hanging the plant or placing it on a shelf that your children and pets will not be able to access.

They are easy to grow—the nice thing about the philodendrons is that they are easy to grow. They are native jungle plants from the West Indies and the jungles of South and Central America. Because they thrive underneath the jungle canopy, they do well in low-light conditions. They also don’t need a real rigorous watering schedule. You can water a philodendron when the soil dries out or even wait until the leaves start to wilt. One big drink and it will perk right back up again. These plants can continue to grow for a very long time. In fact, chances are good that your philodendron plant will outlive you. There are philodendrons in observatories around the country that are still thriving after a hundred years or more.

Watering—the philodendron is not a fussy plant but there is an optimal way to water it. No matter what species of philodendron you have, you should water it regularly. The key to watering is not how often you water but the soil that you put the plant in. Soil that drains well will prevent the plant from sitting in soggy soil, which can cause the roots to rot. Once you have the plant in good soil just water it when the soil starts to dry out. You should wet the soil until it drains and not water it again until the soil has dried out. If you want to mist your plant, you can do that everyday if you like. You don’t have to mist the plants but it is something that will help them to thrive.

Lighting—you can put your philodendron just about anywhere as long as you don’t place it in direct sunlight. The plants evolved on the jungle floor, under the jungle canopy so they are not made to handle direct sunlight. These plants thrive in artificial light or even in low light conditions. Direct sunlight will actually burn the leaves of the plant. So, if you set your plant outside in the summer, monitor the leaves for signs that it is getting too much sun. If the leaves start to burn and turn yellow, find a place with better shade to put it in.

Repotting—philodendrons are one of those wonderful types of plants that actually like to be root bound. This means that you won’t have to repot the plants very often. Wait until the soil literally can’t hold water because it is just a mass of roots before you repot. When you do repot, don’t go much bigger with the pot. If the pot is too big, the water won’t drain or evaporate fast enough and the roots will begin to rot from too much water. When you do repot, make sure to get good draining soil that has plenty of organic stuff in it. These plants are from the jungle; you can’t find a soil that is too rich for your philodendron. Because drainage is so important, find a pot with drainage holes in the bottom. If you want to use a pot with no drainage holes, either plant the philodendron into a slightly smaller pot that does have holes and place that inside the larger pot, or fill the bottom with stones and crockery.

Watering—yes you are going to have to water this plant, but the good news is that you don’t have to water the plant too diligently or too often. You want the soil to get moist but don’t over water it and let the plant sit in soggy soil. The goal is to use soil that drains well. Water the plant until it drains and then don’t water it again until the soil starts to dry out. You will know that you are over watering the plant if the leaves start to turn yellow. You will know that you are under watering the plant if the leaves start to turn brown or when they start to wilt.

Lighting—as previously mentioned, these plants grow best in indirect sunlight or in low light conditions. These plants are native to the jungle floor, below the ceiling of the jungle canopy, so they don’t need much light to survive. The plants will do just fine in an office or some other room lit only with artificial lighting. Exposure to direct sunlight will cause the leaves to spot or burn.

Fertilizer—plants that need less sunlight also need less fertilizer. However, you will probably want to fertilize your philodendron from time to time. Follow the directions that come with the fertilizer or plant food. Just remember, when mixing up the solution, weaker rather than stronger solutions are going to be best for this type of plant. Feed the plant less in the wintertime when the growth slows down and more in the summer time when it starts to grow again. The bigger the leaves on your philodendron the more important it is going to be for you to use a nitrogen fertilizer. If you use too much fertilizer, your leaves will turn brown and fall off.

The name philodendron comes from the Greek words for “love” and "tree” and might literally be interpreted as “tree lover”. This name is appropriate for several reasons. One reason is that people tend to love their philodendrons. They live long long lives and after years with a plant, some people start to feel real affections for their plants. The other reason that the name is appropriate is that most of the philodendron species feature heart shaped leaves. Picture one of the giant philodendrons with leaves made of three feet hearts. “Love tree” seems to be a fitting title don’t you think? People sometimes refer to philodendrons as “philos”, which literally means love.

It is hard to say what the typical philodendron looks like because there are over 200 species of philodendron, and they all differ in important aspects such as size, leaf shape, color and even plant type. There are philodendron trees, philodendron bushes, philodendron climbing vines, and philodendron plants. However, all plants can be identified as either climbing or non-climbing types. In general, the climbing types are good houseplant and do very well indoors as long as they have something to climb on. The non-climbing plants are often seen in arboretums and public gardens. These plants get enormous. The one at the conservatory at Golden Gate State Park is over thirty feet high! These giant species aren’t typically grown indoors; however, you might see one in a place with a lot of room such as a hotel lobby.

Ortho’s All About Houseplants by Marilyn Rogers (Editor).

This book was reviewed by three Amazon.com customers and received an average of four out of five stars. Besides describing the different types of houseplants (with plenty of pictures to help you with doing your own identification), the book also provides great tips to help beginners choose the right type of houseplant for their homes and take care of the houseplant after bringing it home. One of the reviewers states that the book is a “must have” for beginner indoors gardeners.

Besides plenty of relevant information for both novice and expert indoor growers, the book is also priced right. There are copies available on Amazon for only one penny (plus shipping costs). Even if the book doesn’t end up helping you identify the plants the way you would like, it is not going to cost you much to find that out.

The New Houseplant A-Z: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Choose, and Care for the 350 most Popular Houseplants by Peter McHoy.

This book is also available on Amazon and might be a better reference. The book has more than 600 full color pictures to help you identify all sorts of different plants, from cacti to ferns and everything in between. The book is not that long, it is only 128 pages but the pages are stuffed with both pictures and good information. The book will help you identify plants by leaves and by foliage. The author is a well-known gardening expert and has written over 30 gardening books on various topics.

Internet resources

Several sites on the Internet are recommended as good resources for identifying plants. One of the more popular sites is gflora. This site is an encyclopedia of houseplants and features more than 300 varieties complete with descriptions and pictures. One of the nicer features on this web site is that it offers a “families list”. This may help you to narrow down the plant that you are interested in by family. The downside of this list is that the families are listed by their Latin names and not by common names; if you suspect that your plant is some type of ivy, you will not be able to click on an ivy link to find the plant because “ivy” is a common, not a Latin name.

Another site that might help you with identification is Dave’s Garden. This site has a section called PlantFiles, which is the largest plant database in the world. These plant files are conveniently organized into categories such a “most commonly grown plants”. If you sign up as a member of the site, you will be able to interact with Dave and with other users. When it comes to identifying a difficult plant, it is a good idea to have plenty of opinions to go from.

The horticulture department of Texas A&M offers a great web resource. This site can be found at Aggie Horticulture. The site offers the same type of A to Z guide that is found at the gflora website. The advantage to the Texas A&M site is that the plants are organized by common names as well as the scientific names. This is a great advantage if you are not a botanist and not familiar with all of the Latin names. Chances are good that if you are a botanist familiar with the Latin names you will need a more comprehensive resource than those suggested in this article.