Showy, beautiful and easy to care for, Dieffenbachia can make a super indoor plant.

Its tolerance for low light and numerous varieties make it a favorite houseplant for homes and offices. 

One word of caution, however. If you have small kids or pets, you’ll probably want to make sure you place this plant out of reach. Diffenbachia’s milky sap is a mild irritant and should be kept from bare skin. The sap can even result in temporary loss of speech if ingested by causing swelling of the tongue and throat! That’s how Dieffenbachia came by it’s other name, “dumb cane.”

Caring for Your Dieffenbachia

• Light: It likes bright but filtered light, particularly in the spring, when it’s tender new leaves can get easily burned. Make sure to rotate your dieffenbachia so they don’t pull to one side of the planter.
• Water: Keep your Dieffenbachia moist, but be careful not to overwater.
• Fertilizer: Feed every couple of weeks with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to encourage growth

Tall, dark, handsome and super easy to grow: what’s not to love about a rubber tree plant, the first of our ficus trifecta.

(The other two are the Ficus Benjamina and the Fiddle Leaf Fig; click on their names to read more.)

With it’s beautiful dark glossy leaves, ficus elastica is one of the easiest varieties to cultivate. It doesn’t drop leaves and doesn’t demand much maintenance.

It also grows fast. In nature, rubber tree plants can grow to up to 80 feet, so if you keep re-potting this houseplant into bigger and bigger pots it will get wider and taller. However, If you limit it to a 10-inch diameter pot, you should get a nice 3- to 4-foot tall plant.

Rubber plants love light but keep it from direct sunlight that might burn its leaves. Do not attempt to grow this in a spot with low light; you’ll be disappointed.

Water your rubber tree about once a week during the spring and summer and every two weeks in fall and winter. Good potting soil will make your rubber tree happy. Use fertilizer sparingly – maybe once in the spring and once during the summer.

Also, do not be alarmed by some root structure that you might see at the base of the plant. Your plant is not trying to climb out of its pot; these are “aerial” roots and perfectly normal.

It’s interesting how many plants have common names that remind you of creatures that live in the water. Heliconias are known as “lobster claws” because their flowers have that shape. Then there’s the String of Dolphins. Today’s fish-as-a-plant is the Goldfish Plant.

Nematanthus gregarius features dark green leaves and flowers of red, orange and gold that do look a lot like goldfish.

They are an easy plant to grow and care for and are also great for propagating. Plus, they make quite a splash (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves) with their colorful flowers.

Caring for Your Goldfish Plant

Goldfish plants want a lot of light, but direct sun will burn them so make sure it’s indirect. They also grow well under artificial light in the winter.

These plants love humidity, so make sure that their soil never fully dries out and if you have them in a hanger, mist them on a pretty regular basis. (And mist them with room temperature water, not cold, which can damage the leaves). If you want a really happy Goldfish plant, you might want to consider the bathroom, where they’ll thrive on the steam from the shower!

You’ll want to fertilize on a regular basis during the growing season (spring and summer). Controlled release pellets are a good choice.

Other tips

• This is a long-living plant, and will thrive if you repot it every couple of years.
• You can easily propagate this plant. Pick a stem a few inches long without a flower bud and they will take root very easily.
• Also look out for aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs as these are common pests on this tropical plant.

Ceropegia Wodii has many names, but the most common is String of Hearts. It’s also known as a Rosary Vine. Both names are very accurate. The leaves of this lovely plant are distinctly heart-shaped and they drape down along a thin, wire-like stem that looks like a vine.

This succulent trails beautifully and makes it a popular plant for hangers. The vines, with the hearts looking like beads hanging along it, can grow to two or three feet.

Caring for Your String of Hearts

These plants are pretty tolerant and easy to grow. Plant using a cactus potting soil mix or a regular potting mix of soil and sand.

Water your String of Hearts sparingly. Your best bet is to allow the soil to nearly dry out and then water thoroughly. These plants are native to Africa and might droop a little during the winter, but don’t worry; they’ll come back in the spring.

String of hearts can survive in lower light settings, but does best in bright, indirect sunlight. Less light will result in less contrast in the leaf variegation.

Fertilize during the spring and summer, but cut back in the fall to allow your plant to rest during its semi-dormant period during the winter.

Other tips

• Rotate your plant periodically to ensure even growth on all sides.
• Make sure your plant has excellent drainage and remove excess water from the plant saucer after watering.
• You can cut off errant stems, but pruning is not strictly necessary.

Looking to put some pizzazz in your houseplant collection? Well, Warner’s is happy to announce we have some rare Frizzle Sizzle in stock. This native of South Africa is a bulb plant that features fabulously corkscrew leaves.

When in flower, the Frizzle Sizzle (more formally known as the Albuca spiralis) has fragrant, yellow blooms with a sweet smell similar to vanilla.

Caring for Your Frizzle Sizzle

• Keep them warm. This plant thrives best at temps over 60 degrees. 
• It likes sunlight, but not direct sunlight, which can burn its leaves.
• On the other hand, not enough sunlight will take the sizzle out of the frizzle and your leaves won’t curl as much.
• Let your plant dry out between waterings. 
• Frizzle sizzles tend to go dormant in the summer after flowering. At that point, stop watering and fertilizing until you see new foliage in the fall/winter.
• The Frizzle Sizzle seems to be blessedly free of pests and disease, making it an easy plant to maintain.
• Final note: When your Frizzle Sizzle sends up its flower stalks in the spring, the tips of the leaves might brown. This is a natural occurrence and not a sign that your plant is ill. 

Forget your fertilizer – these plants feed themselves.

Dionaea muscipula – or the Venus Flytrap – is infamous for its carnivorous ways. Its modified leaves are two lobes attached by a hinge, forming a trap. Nectar within the trap lures small insects and if those insects touch a sophisticated series of small hairs inside the leaf called trichomes, the leaves will close and the plant will eat the insect.

Venus flytraps still use photosynthesis to get most of their energy – you should probably think of the insects as a nutrient-rich supplement in their diets. But it means that you shouldn’t use fertilizer with flytraps – it’s likely to burn the plant instead of nourishing it.

Venus flytraps are also famous for being “difficult,” but truthfully, it’s just that they have some specific requirements. Meet those, and your flytrap should thrive.

Light: Unlike most houseplants, Venus flytraps thrive in bright direct sunlight. They need that extra light to power up their photosynthesis, since they do not pull nutrients from the soil.

Water: This is where the “difficult” reputation comes from. Much like a wealthy patron in a fancy restaurant, Venus doesn’t do tap. Rainwater is acceptable and if push comes to shove, they’ll drink distilled water. They’ve got a good reason not to drink tap water, however – the minerals and salts in typical tap water are fatal to them. So don’t judge.

Fertilizer: Don’t do it. Venus gets her nutrients from photosynthesis and those delicious bug snacks. The chemicals in fertilizer – much like the ones in tap water – will damage these sensitive plants.

Soil: Peat moss and perlite are the way to go. Potting mix will not work.

Imagine stepping into your kitchen and plucking a fresh lemon right off your own tree — no backyard required. Indoor citrus trees are one of the most rewarding houseplants you can grow, bringing fragrant blooms, glossy foliage, and even harvestable fruit to any sunny corner of your home. The secret? A little know-how on light, water, and a few indoor-specific tricks.

Light: Your indoor citrus tree needs all the light you can give it and the amount of light will make the difference between your plant thriving or just surviving. A south-facing window with about 8 hours of bright light would be perfect. During the winter, an LED grow light can help.

Humidity: Indoor heating dries out citrus trees, which they don’t like, so try using a small humidifier or pebble tray.

Water: Overwatering is the most common problem for indoor citrus plant owners. Use the soak-and-dry method to prevent overwatering; i.e., a deep watering followed by allowing the soil to dry out before watering again. When the first two inches or so are dry, it’s time to water again.

Soil: Citrus trees need excellent drainage and air circulation. A dedicated citrus potting mix will work, or amend standard potting soil with perlite or a little coarse sand.

Aloe aristata Zambezi, also known as the “torch plant,” is a compact, hardy succulent featuring dark green, toothed, fleshy foliage that’s dotted with white bumps and forms in tight rosettes. The “torch” nickname comes from the striking tubular orange-red flowers that can bloom on mature plants during the summer.

This plant enjoys warm, dry, sunny conditions and – like most succulents – is relatively easy to care for.

Light: Bright and indirect. If you want dark green, healthy foliage, a window with plenty of filtered morning light is just perfect.

Humidity: Dry please. This is not a plant that wants to hang out in your steamy bathroom or with your tropical plants.

Water: Use the soak-and-dry method to prevent overwatering; i.e., a deep watering followed by allowing the soil to dry out fully before watering again.

Soil: Lace aloe prefers a well-drained potting mix. If you use a standard potting soil, mix in some course sand and perlite.

Meet our little fashionista plant — a likely mutation of the Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’ that’s as stylish as it is easy to care for. With dramatic pinstriped leaves and a high-end name to match, this is a “Birkin” that won’t require a waitlist or a second mortgage.

This plant is relatively new, and its origins are delightfully murky. Most horticulturists agree that it descended from the ‘Rojo Congo,’ mutating so that its leaves developed cream and yellow pinstripes in place of red highlights. But the Rojo Congo has its own complicated backstory — created in Florida in 1996 from a Philodendron tatei and a Philodendron ‘Imperial Red.’ And if you’re still following this increasingly twisty family history, the ‘Imperial Red’ itself was patented in Belgium in 1982 after a greenish-maroon spontaneous mutation — with unknown parents — was discovered in a Florida nursery. Mysterious origins seem to run in the family.

Whatever its lineage, the ‘Birkin’ is a relatively easygoing houseplant, as long as you know what it likes — and this one has opinions.

Light: Bright and indirect. Too much direct sun will burn those gorgeous leaves and fade the cream and yellow pinstripes you’re paying for (so to speak).

Humidity: High, please. Set the plant on a tray of wet pebbles or mist it periodically. Keep those variegated leaves clean with a damp cloth — it helps with photosynthesis and keeps your Birkin looking runway-ready.

Water: Let the top couple of inches of soil dry out before watering again.

Soil: Like most aroids, Birkins appreciate an airy mix that retains some moisture but drains well — soggy roots are very much not on trend.

If you’ve ever wished your succulent collection had a little more drama, the Solar Flare Aloe is ready to deliver. This compact variety — typically an Aloe humilis hybrid — earns its name with rosettes that seem lit from within: a creamy-yellow to white center that melts into vivid green tips, all lined with soft, gentle spines.

What makes it truly special is what happens under stress. Give this plant a generous dose of bright, direct sunlight and watch the leaf margins flush with hot reds and oranges — a phenomenon called “stressing.” The more sun, the fierier the display. It’s one of the few plants that actually looks better the harder you push it.

Best of all, Solar Flare is deeply easygoing. It stays small enough for a windowsill or desk, stores water in its thick leaves, and asks very little in return.

Light: Bright indirect light is best.

Water: Let the soil dry out completely between waterings.

Soil: A good, fast-draining soil is best, such as one for cactus or succulents.

Fertilizer: Diluted succulent feed during the spring and summer only.