Please recommend some good, hearty indoor plants

[mshan]

I would like to add a couple house plants to clean the air in my apartment.

Can anyone recommend some low maintenance, hearty, and reasonably priced plants that do well in indirect indoor lighting?

 

[vi edit]

Devils Ivy

 

[mshan]

What do you think of spyder plants and philodendrons (found them googling for indoor plants)?

Also, how much should these plants cost? And are they about the same price at Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowes?

 

[jkersenbr]

Philodendrons are a good choice, but definitely need a room with a window. Live for a long, long time if cared for properly. (If you know someone who has one, you can start a new one from a "cutting" for free too). I've found the split-leaf philodendrons to be more hardy than the plain ones or ones with splotches of white on the leaves.

The peace lily is hardy and doesn't need much light at all. Good for interior rooms, or shady corners.

The Cast Iron Plant is as hardy as it comes. Can nearly grow in the dark and recover from injuries of negligence and accidental knock-overs.

 

[Thraxen]

I'm not sure what they are called, but take a look at this picture: Link

See the plants to the far right in the black container next to the blue chair (they have cellophane wapped around them)? They look like some sort of small tree that has been cut therefore forcing the plant to put out new leaves and keeps the plants short. Those guys grow great indoors. We have one in our living room and it's very full and quite nice looking. At places like Wal-Mart they are usually sold with pairs (unlike the picture that has 4 in one container).

[edit] I can take a picture of ours when I get home if you are interested.

 

[mshan]

I just bought a plant from Walmart that looks like this:

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/52621/

There was no label on the plant, but I think it is a Devil's Ivy (Walmart sticker just says 10 inch foliage promo wm). It came in a hanging basket, if that helps at all.


Are there any other plants that look like the Devil's Ivy?

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

spider plants are good

 

[Zach]

Spider plant, ficus (Left in mshan's pic, the tree looking thing with a twisted trunk).

The "Lucky bamboo" at some places is actually a hearty grass reed. I've had one in a pot of water for a few years. Just top off the water every month or two. Daily if the cats get thirsty for it.

Edit: Devil's Ivy too.

 

[mshan]

I read that I'm supposed to water the Devil's Ivy once or twice a week, and mist the leaves frequently (how often?).

I read I'm supposed to pour water on the soil slowly till it starts coming out a hole in the bottom of the plant container.

Is this correct? and should the soil essentially be saturated with water transiently (with no standing water remaining in the bottom of the container?

 

[Patt]

Jade plants are nice, and only need to be watered every month or so :thumbsup:

 

[unsped]

you would probably need acres of plants to make any noticable difference in air quality.

 

[Mermaidman]

Originally posted by: unsped
you would probably need acres of plants to make any noticable difference in air quality.

Nah, one of these can make you feel much better.