High
Light
Houseplants
Areca Palm
Dypsis lutescens
Size: Large, slowly growing up to 6-8′ indoors.
Light: Bright, indirect light, but does not like direct sun.
Water: Keep evenly moist. Does not tolerate soggy soil and prefers distilled water.
Humidity: High humidity to keep fronds looking fresh.
Palms like to be a little root-bound, take your time on re-potting.
Cactus
Cactaceae Family
Size: Varies by species
Light: High light, at least 2-3 hours of full sun a day.
Water: Water lightly on a regular basis while actively growing, water sparingly in winter. Do not drench soil. Very susceptible to root rot. Prefers distilled water.
Humidity: Average to dry humidity.
Performs best in a cacti potting medium. Typically flowers if given enough light.
China Doll Plant
Radermachera sinica
Size: Medium, up to 4′ tall indoors.
Light: Bright, indirect light.
Water: Keep soil evenly moist. Do not allow to be soggy or completely dry out. Will drop leaves if too dry. Leaves will yellow and drop if too wet.
Humidity: Average household humidity. Benefits from occasional misting.
Pinch back at leaf node to encourage bushy habit.
Crown of Thorns
Euphorbia milii
Size: Medium, up to 2′ tall.
Light: Bright light to full sun. Plants not receiving enough lights will not bloom. Prefers about 4 hours of direct sun every day. Rotate to promote even growth.
Water: Allow top 1″ of soil to dry out before watering. Water sparingly in winter. Avoid watering foliage and stems, they can rot easily.
Humidity: Average room humidity.
Performs best in a cacti potting medium. Can bloom almost year-round.
False Aralia
Dizygotheca elegantissima
Size: Large, slowly reaching about 6′ tall indoors.
Light: Bright, indirect light. Keep out of direct sun.
Water: Allow top 1″ of soil to dry out before watering. Wilted leaves are a sign of over-watering.
Humidity: Prefers moderate to high humidity. Try to mist every morning.
Moving to a new location can cause leaf drop.
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Ficus lyrata
Size: Large, up to 10′ indoors.
Light: Prefers bright, indirect light. Rotate slightly once a week to keep all sides exposed.
Water: Keep evenly moist. Drooping yellow leaves indicate over-watering.
Humidity: Average room humidity. Brown leaf tips indicate humidity is too low.
Drops leaves easily if moved to new location suddenly.
Lady Palm
Rhapis excelsa
Size: Small to large depending on container. Slow growing and will bonsai well, reaching only 12″ high.
Light: Bright, indirect light.
Water: Keep evenly moist during growing season. Allow top 1″ to dry out between watering in winter. Sensitive to treated water. Prefers distilled water.
Humidity: Moderate to high humidity.
Upright growth habit, does not take up a lot of horizontal space.
Ming Aralia
Polyscias fruticosa
Size: Medium, up to 3′ tall. Slower growing and can be grown as a bonsai tree.
Light: Prefers bright light, will tolerate low light to full sun.
Water: Allow top 2″ of soil to dry out between watering. Very sensitive to over-watering. Out of caution, it is good to air on the dry side, especially during winter months.
Humidity: Moderate to high humidity. When air is dry, mist every morning.
Over time Ming aralia drops lower leaves, revealing an eye-catching, gnarled tree-like trunk.
Moth Orchid
Phalaenopsis species
Size: Medium, up to 2′.
Light: Best in bright, indirect light, can tolerate medium, but may not bloom. Can be grown under fluorescent lights.
Water: Allow top inch of soil to dry out before watering. Do not let the potting mix get soggy.
Humidity: Prefers high humidity.
Plant in orchid mix, and keep in small pot, prefers to be root bound.
Norfolk Pine
Araucaria heterophylla
Size: Large, up to 6′ tall.
Light: Bright light, even some direct sun. Bottom branches will fall off if light is too low.
Water: Keep evenly moist while actively growing. Lightly moist in winter.
Humidity: Tolerate basic household humidity. Dry, yellowing needles can indicate air is too dry.
Does not respond well to pruning
Ponytail Palm
Beaucarnea recurvata
Size: Small to large. Very slow growing to 6′ if given space. Easily grown as a bonsai specimen.
Light: Bright light to full sun.
Water: Allow soil to dry out partially between watering. Water only enough to prevent complete dry out in winter months. Water only the soil, prone to rot if trunk gets wet.
Humidity: Average, but will tolerate dry air.
Quite drought tolerant by storing water in swollen base making them a good choice for the busy or more forgetful plant owners.
Sago Palm
Cycas revoluta
Size: Small to large depending on container. Extremely slow growing, up to 6′ if allowed.
Light: Bright light with some direct sun. Will lean toward light source if not regularly rotated.
Water: Allow soil to dry out a bit between watering, but not completely. Be careful to water just the soil and not the crown of the plant. Yellow leaves are often caused by over-watering.
Humidity: Average room humidity.
Roots do not like to be disturbed, so repot only when necessary.
Spineless Yucca
Yucca elephantipes
Size: Medium to large, growing up to 5′ tall.
Light: Prefers bright light, to full sun. Will tolerate lower lights though.
Water: Keep evenly moist during growing season. Water just enough to keep soil from drying completely in winter.
Humidity: Average to dry humidity.
Very adaptable plant and tolerant of changing conditions, except soggy soil.
Succulents
Echieveria, Sedum, and Kalanchoe Species
Size: Varies by species, typically small to medium.
Light: Bright light with some direct sun.
Water: Keep lightly moist during growing season. Water sparingly in winter. Avoid water rosettes or crowns of plants. Wrinkled foliage indicates too dry.
Humidity: Average to dry room humidity.
Prefer to be planted in a cacti potting medium.
Weeping Fig
Ficus benjimina
Size: Large, growing up to 10′ indoors.
Light: Bright light.
Water: Allow to dry out slightly between watering. Keep drier in winter months. Does not tolerate soggy soil. Prefers distilled water.
Humidity: Moderate to high humidity.
One of the best plants for improving air quality.