Inspiration and Advice
Indestructible Indoor Plants
If like me you want the look of indoor plants without the hard work or, you love house plants but you’re just not great at keeping them alive, then you’ll love my list of indestructible indoor plants. These beauties look good year-round and thrive on neglect, so you get all the benefits of a lush green house with little maintenance.
As far as ‘hard to kill’ indoor plants go ‘Zanzibar Gem’ (Zamioculcas zamifolia) ranks high on the list. I think it’s one of the most beautiful too, with thick glossy green leaves that shine in every season. This little plant is built to survive drought, with fleshy stems and roots, so back off the watering and it will love you for it. Grow it in bright, filtered light for best results. Pair it with Northcote Pottery’s black Carter cover pots, for a striking modern mid-century look.
You only have to look at this plant’s common name to know that it’s a great choice for brown-thumbed gardeners. The Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) is as tough as old boots, with strappy glossy green foliage that looks lush throughout the year. This plant has fleshy underground rhizomes, so it's tailor made for long periods without water and can perform well in less-than-ideal lighting. Display it in white Wyatt pots, which feature a beautiful contemporary pattern to really make the green foliage pop.
Until a few years ago I didn’t know that this plant existed, now it’s one of my favourite house plants. Epipremnum ‘Dragons Tail’ is one of those indispensable indoor plants that looks green and lush all year round for minimal effort. It’s a climbing or trailing plant, so you can grow it up bamboo poles, allow it to trail over table tops or cascade down from hanging pots. When the leaves are young, they are pointed and look like a dragon’s tail (or how we imagine one to look) but as the plant matures the leaves split, so it looks a bit monstera like. It’s remarkably resilient and thrives with little water. I think it would look stunning in Northcote Pottery’s Black Isla pots. The nature-inspired pattern will set off the decorative foliage perfectly.
Design Tip: Combine green foliage with black and white pots for a lush organic feel.
I can’t recommend Devil’s Ivy enough. It’s one of the toughest plants that I grow at home and looks good all year with little water or maintenance. I water mine from time to time and remove the old browning leaves and that’s about it. And because it’s a trailing plant it brings green to all levels of the house. I’ve got Devil’s ivy cascading from hanging baskets indoors, trailing down from bookshelves and tumbling over the sides of big pots. Show off your Devil’s ivy in Northcote Pottery’s soft pink Charlotte pots, which have a unique linear design. Place them somewhere up high where the foliage can cascade down.
You don’t need a green thumb to grow Sansevieria. It’s hard to get it wrong with this plant because it will grow in both high and low light and you barely have to water it at all. So, if you’re the kind of person who forgets to water then the Sansevieria could be for you. In fact, you can leave it alone for weeks or even months on end and it will just do its thing. It’s also a top performer when it comes to filtering the air inside your home. I think it’s one of the most architecturally stunning of all the indoor plants, with striking sword-like foliage and wonderful leaf patterns. Display it in light grey Charlotte pots for a stunning industrial look.
Design Tip: Combine mood boosting indoor plants with pleasing pastel-coloured pots for a calm, peaceful display.
Every Philodendron that I have ever grown at home has proven itself to be both tough and beautiful, a must-have combination for your indoor plant collection. Look out for forms with colourful new growth or red or pink foliage to bring a splash of colour to your home. Showcase your Philodendron in Northcote Pottery’s Forest coloured Omega pots, which feature a mesmerising glaze that makes almost any plant shine. Then upsize your pot as your urban jungle grows.
You can easily kill a rubber plant (Ficus elastica) by overwatering, so remember they are super tough and should always be allowed to dry out between watering. Just make sure you grow them in an area with bright, indirect light. Rubber plants don’t like to be placed in dark corners. In fact, light brings out the colour and pattern in their foliage. There are also some beautiful varieties around. Look out for Ficus ‘Ruby’ with variegated pink and wine-coloured foliage that is accentuated in bright light or Ficus ‘Tineke’ with variegated green and white foliage with burgundy undertones. Showcase their colourful foliage in Cloud coloured Virgo pots which bring a natural look to your home.
I’m a fan of variegated indoor plants because they lighten your home, and the Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is one of the easiest to grow. It has strappy leaves in tones of white and green and is best displayed in hanging pots or positioned up high to show off its arching foliage. Keep it happy by growing it in bright indirect light. You’ll sometimes hear it called Hen and Chickens because it produces little plantlets, which can be used to propagate new plants. Team variegated house plants with Ocean Blue Virgo spots for a splash of colour.
Design Tip: Use pot colours inspired by nature to create an earthy look that will cosy up your home.