Top indoor plants

Indoor plants bring an abundance of beauty into our homes and create a connection to nature within the spaces where we spend much of our time. By bringing the outside in, we invite the many and varied benefits of plants, such as an increased sense of calm and productivity, into our daily lives. And we pull into focus the importance of the natural environment, encouraging us to take better care of it, repaying the good it does for us.

Variegated arrowhead vine
(Syngonium podophyllum ‘Albo Variegatum’)
Variegated foliage can add beautiful depth to an indoor garden, and the patterned foliage of this easy-care syngonium is particularly special. The leaves, initially small, become larger and arrow-shaped as the plant matures. To maintain variegation, ensure it receives lots of bright, indirect light. Your syngonium will want to grow as a vine once it gets established, so either prune to keep it compact or provide support for it to climb. Watering roughly once a week will keep this plant at its best. (Allow at least the top few centimetres of potting mix to dry out between drinks.) Cuttings survive fantastically in a vase – and once roots appear you can add the cuttings to the original pot to make it bushier, or create a new pot plant.

Elkhorn fern
(Platycerium bifurcatum)
These elegant native ferns are often sold mounted on a piece of wood to mimic their natural habit of clinging to tree trunks, but they will happily grow in a pot. Mature plants have shield-like basal fronds from which thinner, forked, grey-green fronds grow, resembling the antlers of an elk. The basal fronds turn brown as they age, but should never be removed. Regular watering is crucial, especially in the warmer summer months.

Zanzibar gem
(Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
Indoor plants don’t come much hardier or more low-maintenance than the Zanzibar gem. Ideal for beginners or those with a low-light corner to fill, these plants can withstand some serious neglect. Their thick, tuberous stems store water for drier times, meaning a monthly drink is often enough. While they can tolerate low light conditions better than most, they will thrive in bright, indirect light.

Text by Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan