If you need a cute hanging plant that will add a lot of character to your outdoor patio or a really sunny nook of your home, we highly recommend Burro’s Tail.

It’s fleshy, overlapping conical leaves make it look like a braided tail. Those stems can grow to two feet and during the summer (the one pictured here is a baby; if they have the room to really grow those stems, Burro’s Tail can sometimes look like the plant version of Cousin Itt from the Addams Family). In summer, the stems have pink or red flowers at the ends. 

Scientifically known as the sedum morganianum, the Burro’s Tail likes full sunlight for growth and to enhance the blue-green or green-gray leaf color.

In terms of maintenance, it’s a typical succulent. It prefers gritty, well-draining soil and moderate watering, except in winter when you should cut back. You’ll want to let it dry out between waterings, as excess water will damage this plant easily.

You can propagate a Burro’s Tail either from the stem or leaf cuttings; the leaves are very delicate and break away easily. 

Arrowhead plant by User:Omegatron / CC 3.0

Take one look at the lovely Arrowhead Plant and you’ll see where it gets its name. The distinctively shaped leaves are contrasted by their lighter colored veins, giving it a bold and striking look.

This plant is great both as a table topper (if you trim the runners) or as a hanging plant.

Caring for Your Arrowhead Plant

Water: Water well and then allow the top half of the soil to dry out before watering again. Arrowheads droop when they are thirsty but are known to rebound quickly once they get a drink. As with most plants, avoid over-watering, which can lead to root rot.

Food: During the spring and summer (its peak growing time), these plants like fertilizer every couple of weeks. Drop down to once a month in the fall and winter.

Light: The darker green variations of this plant will do okay in low to medium light, but if it’s a lighter green or burgundy/pink variety, they need more light.

Temperature: Anywhere from 60 to 75 degrees works for the arrowhead. They love humidity, but can survive in the normal household humidity. However, keep them away from things that could sap the moisture from them, like air vents or fireplaces.

Rare and super unique, String of Dolphins is a fun succulent whose leaves literally look like tiny dolphins jumping out of the water.

These plants look fabulous in a mixed container or in a hanging basket on its own with the distinctive leaves hanging down.

Like most succulents, String of Dolphins are relatively low maintenance and have few growing issues. They need well-draining soil, however, to thrive.

They prefer bright, indirect light or filtered light from a window. They also tend to thrive in slightly crowded conditions, so think about mixing them with other smaller succulents and decorating with a sea theme of seashells or sand dollars.

Don’t let the name fool you – Pilea Depressa might be called the “Baby tears” plant, but you will have nothing to cry about with this beauty.

Alex, our houseplant guru here at Warner’s, is a big fan. She says, “This plant will spice up your room with its bright green color.”

Pilea Depressa has small thick leaves. It’s a nice and easy-to-keep plant that looks very pretty in a hanging pot, because the stalks with leaves will hang down. But it also does well in a terrarium, where it can be a decorative climbing plant.

Pilea Depressa likes medium to high light, but no direct light, which will burn the leaves and turn your bright green plant brown.

Allow your plant to dry out between waterings, and don’t let water stand in the saucer underneath the plant.

The Neanthe Belle or Parlor Palm is one of the most popular houseplant palms in the world – and its easy to see why. With its elegant lush leaves, this palm is a lovely addition to any home.

The plant can reach three to four feet in height, but it will take several years to get there. This plant thrives in a variety of indoor lighting conditions, but a room with medium to bright light and a north or west facing window is best. Do not keep your plant in direct sunlight.

Keep your plant evenly moist, meaning the soil should never be completely dry or overly wet. Do not keep the plant in standing water for more than 15 minutes as this can lead to root rot and pests.

The Parlor Palm needs more fertilizer than most indoor palms. Feed monthly in spring and summer with a slow-release fertilizer. If the leaf tips are brown, you could be over fertilizing.

For tall, cool elegance you can’t go wrong with Rhapis excelsa, better known as the Bamboo Palm or Lady Palm.

Dark green with fan-like groups of leaves set on tall stalks, the plant is from Asia, most likely China or Taiwan. It’s low lighting and humidity needs makes it a popular choice for offices.

You should place this palm near an east-facing window out of direct sunlight in a room. Water the palm when the soil is dry to a depth of 1 inch during the spring and summer and 2 inches during the fall and winter.

You can repot your palm every couple of years, increasing the size of the pot each time if you want it to grow. After you’ve reached the desired size, continue to repot every couple of years to refresh the soil (they like a soil mix similar to what you’d use for African Violets).

You’ll only want to feed your plant during the summer and take care not to over-fertilize.

Photo courtesy of Eric in SF through Creative Commons 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

With the Areca Palm, the thing to remember is that this houseplant loves the light. Bright, indirect light, preferably from a south or west facing window is the ticket to making this palm grow.

And grow it will. Your tabletop version will gain anywhere from 6 to 10 inches every year until it reaches its mature height of six to seven feet.

Their fronds can have up to 100 leaves that spread out beautifully, which is why this variety is often referred to as the butterfly palm. However, they are one of the few palms that do well if you trim them, making it easier to keep the plant indoors for its lifespan without having to rearrange your furniture to fit it. 🙂

While Areca Palms are not difficult to care for, you can’t neglect them. They like enough water to keep their soil slightly moist in the spring and summer, while you should let the soil dry slightly between waterings in the fall and winter. As for food, you can use a time-release fertilizer in the spring that will last the whole season.

You’ll need to repot your Areca every couple of years, mostly to replenish the soil and remove fertilizer salt deposits that can build up.

This is a great plant that can produce colorful cherries against a backdrop of glossy dark green foliage but is very cute even when it doesn’t have berries or flowers.  When berries appear, they go from yellow to orange, then finally to deep red. Each cherry produces two coffee beans, but they don’t produce every year and, in fact, an indoor version may not produce coffee at all.

The coffee tree is a natural air purifier. It will absorb harmful particles from the air, releasing more oxygen. In addition, to make the air in your home purer, you’ll also feel good knowing that your beans were not sprayed with pesticides and are free of harmful chemicals.

This evergreen plant requires minimum maintenance and is trouble free. Keep it in a pot indoors. Never let the temperature fall below 30 degrees. They like bright, indirect light. Soil should be acidic to neutral. They also like high humidity (you can make a humidity tray by putting some gravel in a saucer and filling the saucer with water).