5 Favorite Houseplants

February 1, 2023

Houseplants have become a big trend among city dwellers who have limited access to the kind of beauty and benefits only these green friends can provide.

The MyHome office has a few garden aficionado and the obsession seems to be growing. For those of you suffering from foliage envy, today we present a few of our favorite houseplants to help get you on-trend.

Fiddleleaf Fig Plant (Ficus lyrata)

This plant has GOT to be the best thing that’s happened to the Universe since Ryan Gosling.  It’s big, it’s beautiful and people love it!

Fiddleleaf Fig plants are the trendy plants and will run you anywhere from $150 – $500 for an established, 4′ or 5′ tree.  Yes.  I wrote $500. That’s if you can even find it in stock.  There are places you can find young, baby Figs and those will be much cheaper (even as low as $8) — but, these are small. So, if you’re looking for something as big as the one in the photo, you’ll be disappointed.

With a plant this fabulous and full of life, don’t be surprised if you find yourself taking selfies with it and calling it your BFF.  They require a room as bright and sunny as their big personality!  Keep the soil evenly moist.

Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)

Rubber plants were a big trend in the 60s and 70’s making this a great plant to bring into your home and relive that fabulous era of interior design.

They come in a variety of different types, but our favorite is the Burgundy Rubber Plant. Its leaves are the prettiest dark green on top and the richest burgundy on the underside.

They’re hardy plants that can survive lower light conditions, however, give this guy some bright indirect light and it will reward you by growing big, tall, and bushy.

Get yourself a Rubber plant, set it down next to the Eames chair, and consider yourself ready for that Bewitched marathon.

Prayer Plant (Maranta)

Prayer plants are some of the most stunning plants out there!  Prayer plants come in a few different varieties, but, our favorite features big, oval leaves decorated with red veins and the funkiest light green pattern in the middle.

Not only will it add a touch of unique beauty to your home, but it will also be entertaining.   During the day, Marantas sit idly by just like your other plants; leaves just relax over the pot. However, at night, these guys party it up and the ‘hands‘ literally go up. When the sun goes down, Prayer plants fold their leaves up as if they’re “praying”, hence the name, “Prayer plant”, but, I like to think that they just love the nightlife.

Maranta’s promise a good time, every time which is why they prefer shade over brighter conditions to nursing their inevitable hangovers.

Watermelon Plant (Watermelon peperomia)

If there’s a plant that makes people want to reach out and touch it, it’s this striking lil’ fella. The leaves are the most unique among popular houseplants and can often leave people with one of two reactions: “OooOOO” or “Ahhhhh”.

Watermelon plants are viney individuals, with rounded, pointed-tipped leaves that have markings reminiscent of a watermelon rind. It is truly adorable and one that will have all your guests secretly jealous of you and wondering where they can get their own.  Bright, indirect light keeps this plant happy, bushy, and growing nicely.

Philodendron

Philodendrons are an excellent, ‘foolproof’ plant for apartment dwellers and those that lack a green thumb. Capable of thriving in apartments that are kept between 60 and 80 degrees and requiring virtually no light, makes the philodendron a special favorite.

This little gem is highly adaptable, and if not pruned regularly, can be found climbing up nearby walls or twisting up and around nearby poles. Their resiliency and ability to grow up to a foot a year make this plant “level 5 clingy” which is to say that there’s a good chance you could wake up one day and find it sleeping next to you in bed.

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I hope I’ve been able to showcase just how fun and diverse houseplants can be.  They will not only add spice and great decor to someone’s home but are also natural air purifiers!  And, while it’s not always listed among a plant’s traits and characteristics, they tend to be pretty awesome listeners. So go ahead and tell it about your day, if you feel so inclined.

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