Indoor Plants for Mother's Day

Give the mom in your life a statement plant like fiddle leaf fig or monstera, the Swiss cheese plant, named for its big and bold notched leaves. This category of plants is as much about decor as gardening.

New selections in the trending statement plant category are Baltic blue pothos, noted for its unusual foliage. Instead of variegation, this plant’s foliage develops fenestrations (slits and holes), making it look similar to monstera. As with other pothos, it can grow like a trailing plant, a climber, or keep it pruned so it’s full and bushy.

Geo (Geogenanthus ciliatus) is a trending tropical with paddle-shaped leaves of a rich purple-black color and a high shine. It’s a low grower, so it doesn’t need to take up a lot of space, but it still makes a big impact. It’s a thirsty plant (keep it watered like a peace lily), and visually dramatic.

Xanthosoma is a tropical relative of caladium with arrow-shaped leaves strikingly veined in creamy white. Unlike caladium, it doesn’t need to go dormant in the winter, so you can enjoy it all year long. While it’s young, it’s a great tabletop plant, but with good care, it can grow into a 3-foot-tall floor plant.

Indoor vines are an easygoing and easy growing style that’s here to stay. Give mom trailing houseplants like ivy and pothos. Park them on shelves and let them do their thing, sending out shoots that will cascade over edges and door frames, across shelves and even the entire room.

In the Garden Center, look for selections like Moonlight Scindapsus, an elegant houseplant closely related to pothos that features thick heart-shaped leaves with a silvery sheen. It can grow up a trellis or totem, or trail from a hanging basket.

More climbing vine favorites include:

• Burro’s tail
• Creeping fig
• Pothos
• Purple heart
• String of pearls

Orchids bring instant elegance to any room with eye-popping, vibrant color. Orchids are remarkably easy to maintain indoors. They provide a bounty of floral beauty once you learn the best way to keep them happy and healthy. The easiest orchids to grow are moth orchids, also called phalaenopsis, and cattleyas.

Orchids aren’t the only indoor bloomers. African violets are compact classics and come in lovely shades of pink, white and purple.

Try growing a peace lily. It blooms and is on the scale of a statement plant. It also needs less light than other bloomers.

It’s possible to be a busy person and keep up with houseplant care when you choose the right plant for your site. The low-maintenance houseplant category label encompasses plants that can tolerate low light and a bit of neglect. If Mom is a traveler, consider these forgiving plants.

Colorful aglaonema (also known as Chinese evergreen) is one of the easiest houseplants to grow. It tolerates low light, doesn’t mind if you forget to water a couple of weeks, and holds up well even when relative humidity levels are dry.

Low-maintenance favorites:

• Cast iron plant
• Croton
• Dieffenbachia
• Dracaena
• Hoya
• Peace lily (spathiphyllum)
• Pothos
• Snake plant (sansevieria)
• Succulents
• ZZ plant (zamiocculcas zamiifolia)

Whether Mom’s desk is in an office or at home, she’ll appreciate a welcome touch of green in her workspace.

In the Garden Center, look for Silver Dragon Alocasia (also called elephant’s ear). This dwarf selection is perfect for desks and tabletops. It shows off silver-flushed leaves that are remarkably thick—almost like plastic—so it holds up like a champ indoors.

More office favorites:

• Arrowhead plant (syngonium)
• Chinese evergreen (aglaonema)
• Corn plant (dracaena)
• Madagascar dragon plant (dracaena marginata)
• Nerve plant (fittonia)
• Parlor palm
• Peace lily (spathiphyllum)
• Ponytail palm
• Snake plant (sansevieria)
• Spider plant
• Split-leaf philodendron
• Succulents
• ZZ plant

Before selecting a houseplant, know the conditions where the plant will live. You need to consider light and humidity. Most houseplants like bright, indirect light, others can handle low light. While succulents need a dry environment, most tropicals need some humidity.

Read plant tags and online product information to understand the needs of the plants you purchase.

Even low maintenance plants need a bit of routine care. New plant parents will appreciate a stylish watering can, a container of fertilizer and a pair of pruning snips.

Overwatering is the easiest way to kill houseplants. Plants will tell you when they need water, you just need to check. For most plants, frequently check the soil and, if it feels dry to the touch, it's time to water. Signs of distress include wilting leaves and the soil pulling away from the sides of the container.

Always give plants lukewarm water.

You can water plants with a watering can, or place them in a sink to give them a drink from the faucet. Plants like ferns prefer more humidity. For these thirsty plants, keep a small spray bottle handy to mist them throughout dry days.

Most indoor plants like temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Place plants away from vents and heat sources.

Give new plants some grace in their new home. They may need to be moved around a few times to get the just-right site.