How to Grow an Elephant Ear Plant Indoors

Crank up the indoor drama by growing this big-leaf plant in your home. Jacob Fox With their big, bold leaves,elephant ear plants(Alocasiaspp.) can definitely make a splash in your home. Credit:Jacob Fox Keep thislarge-leafed houseplantinside year-round orgive it a summer vacation on your patio. As with all plants, the goal is to mimic their native conditions. For indoor elephant ears, if you live in northern light and chilly rooms, keep on plant shopping....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 235 words · William Smith

How to Grow an Oak Tree from an Acorn

Use these tips on growing oak trees from acorns to start a grove of your own. Growing an oak tree from an acorn can be a fun and rewarding project. The large acorns of oak trees are fairly easy to plant. Credit:TOLGA DOGAN / Getty Images Most species of oak have an adaptive strategy called masting. Not all acorns are viable, and those that are might still not germinate properly....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 216 words · Brenda Johnson

How to Grow and Care for a Banana Plant Indoors

These essential tips will help you successfully grow banana plants indoors as houseplants. Banana plantsadd a tropical feelingto any room with their huge, shiny leaves. However, dont expect a bunch of bananas to decorate your living room. Credit:RenataKa / Getty Images When grown inside, banana plants hardly ever produce fruit. However, not all bananas have yellow skin. Blue Java bananas have a turquoise peel, while red bananas have a deep burgundy-colored peel....

May 4, 2025 · 4 min · 652 words · Christopher Sullivan

How to Grow and Care for a Cast Iron Plant

As the name implies, the cast iron plant is a tough, no-nonsense plant for indoors or out. Likepothos,snake plants, andZZ plants, low-maintenance cast iron plants (Aspidistraspp.) are perfect houseplants for beginning growers. Credit: Denny Schrock Heres what you oughta know to successfully grow cast iron plants. Inside, they grow in nearly every jot down of location. Placing them in an east-facing or north-facing window works well, although the plant also enjoys a southern exposure....

May 4, 2025 · 5 min · 897 words · Jacqueline Bell

How to Grow and Care for a Coffee Plant Indoors

Grow a coffee plant indoors for its glossy green leaves that add a tropical touch to your home. porosolka / Getty Images With their glossy green leaves, coffee plants make beautiful houseplants. Here’s how to grow coffee plants indoors. Credit:porosolka / Getty Images Some coffee cultivars are better suited for growing in pots than others. Light Coffee is an understory plant that grows best in bright, indirect light. Amend the soil with compost or worm castings before planting to give coffee plants a boost....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 333 words · Tara Bradford

How to Grow and Care for a Finicky Fiddle-Leaf Fig Tree

These expert tips will ensure your fabulous, yet fussy houseplant thrives. In fact, I even got a second one that is also doing well. I did tap Joyce Mast, a former plant expert for Bloomscape, for her expertise. Here’s my 8-foot fiddle-leaf fig next to my 15-inch Christmas cactus in all of their glory.Credit: Jennifer Aldrich Here are her best tips for keeping a fiddle-leaf fig tree thriving. The fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a tropical plant native to rainforests in central and western Africa....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 352 words · Oscar Klein

How to Grow and Care for a Lavender Plant Indoors

Growing lavender indoors gives you year-round access to beautiful blooms, fresh fragrance, and flavoring for recipes. This is accomplished bygrowing the herbs outdoors in containersand then overwintering the plant indoors when the weather turns colder. Be sure to relocate your lavender indoors before the temperature drops below 40F to protect it from cold damage. Credit:Olena Rudo / Getty Images Its not necessary to move an entire lavender plant indoorsjusttake a few cuttingsfrom the plant....

May 4, 2025 · 1 min · 201 words · Carolyn Mccullough

How to Grow and Care for a Monstera Houseplant

These must-know tips will help you care for a monstera like a pro. They’ve become an iconic tropical houseplant with foliage ranging from emerald to forest green. These vining plants are originally native to rainforests in Central America. Credit:Torriphoto / Getty Images For the majority of growers, monsteras are houseplants. Outdoors, monsteras can reach up to 50 feet high with leaves spanning two feet long. When grown indoors, their size is much smaller due to container size, variety, and available light....

May 4, 2025 · 4 min · 760 words · Gina Jones

How to Grow and Care for a Peace Lily Plant Indoors

This easy-care houseplant is popular with first-time houseplant ownersit can even grow in water alone. Peace lilies are hugely popular houseplants that are super easy to grow. They feature glossy, emerald-green leaves thatgrow in very low light. Credit:Denny Schrock However, when placed in bright, indirect light, peace lilies can produce elegant white flowers (a.k.a. spathes) almost year-round. This guide covers everything you oughta know to grow and care for this tropical plant successfully....

May 4, 2025 · 4 min · 666 words · Jacqueline Guerra

How to Grow and Care for African Violet

This low-growing, easy-care houseplant with thick, fuzzy leaves blooms repeatedly. Some varieties of these popular houseplants also feature double blooms and ruffled petals. The individual flowers last for a week or more. Credit:KRITSADA PANICHGUL In a window, place the plant twelve to eighteen inches from the glass. Keep them away from heat sources such as radiators where the air is very dry. Light African violets grow well in bright east- or north-facing windows....

May 4, 2025 · 3 min · 494 words · Joshua Johnson

How to Grow and Care for Amaryllis So They Thrive All Winter and Beyond

Andre Baranowski Huge, colorful flowers on tall stalksmake amaryllis a holiday favorite. Their willingness to flower, at least the first time, is part of their popularity. Amaryllis also can be planted and grown as perennials outdoors inHardiness Zones 9-11. Credit:Andre Baranowski Theyll be fine if they have some sunshine andwell-drained soil. How and When to Plant Amaryllis Planting amaryllis bulbs in containersis about as easy as it gets. For a starting point, plant amaryllis bulbs about eight weeks before you want them to bloom....

May 4, 2025 · 4 min · 652 words · John Perez

How to Grow and Care for an African Milk Tree Indoors

African milk tree is a succulent that resembles a cactus and is often grown indoors. Despite having multiple names containing the word cactus,its not a cactus but a succulent. Heres what you gotta know about growing this succulent tree. Credit:Marty Baldwin Most people in the U.S. grow African milk trees indoors. Choose a south-, west-, or east-facing window that receives at least six hours of bright sunlight daily. Light African milk trees do best in partial to full sun....

May 4, 2025 · 2 min · 369 words · Zachary Hicks

How to Grow and Care for Anthurium

Also known as flamingo flowers, anthuriums add tropical flair to any space. Add color and a tropical touch to a room by growing anthurium. Thiseasy-to-grow houseplantproduces brightly colored flower-like leaves in shades of pink, red, purple, and white. Credit:Denny Schrock Technically called a spathe, these colorful leaves are shiny and last 6 weeks or more on the plant. Each spathe is punctuated by a cylindrical flower spike called a spadix....

May 4, 2025 · 3 min · 589 words · Joseph Willis