Tiny and super colorful, the fascinating grafted or “moon” cactus is an eye-catcher that is a miracle of human intervention.

You know them when you see them. They have a solid green succulent stalk that looks like a traditional cactus, but are topped with bright, almost neon-like domes in shades of hot pink, flaming tangerine and sunshine yellow.

It almost feels like you’re looking at two totally different plants – and you are.

The bright little ball on top is a “mutant” pup from a regular cactus. In the wild, it would detach from the parent plant and ultimately die soon after because these pups don’t have the chlorophyll (essentially the green pigment) needed to photosynthesize.

So humans graft them onto a rootstock plant and that bottom part provides nutrients not only for itself but the colorful pup. It’s really quite amazing and accounts for one of the spookier nicknames this plant has – the Frankenstein plant!

Caring for Your “Grafted Cactus”

• Light – These plants do best in bright, indirect sunlight. Prolonged periods of direct sunlight can be harmful to the plant. A sunny windowsill or a covered porch with some shade are good locations. They’ll survive a winter freeze but to be safe, bring them indoors.
• Water – The water requirements for grafted cactus are minimal. In fact, they don’t like to be overwatered, which can lead to rot. You can generally tell if your plants need watering by feeling the soil. If the dirt is dry and dusty, your cactus would probably benefit by a mild watering. Suspend water during the winter.
• Temperature – As you would expect with a plant that comes from the desert, a grafted cactus appreciates warm temps. No setting this one up near the air conditioning!

In short this is a fascinating plant, the product of human ingenuity that makes a great “beginner” plant because of its fun colors and minimal maintenance requirements. 

We typically think of Jasmine as an outdoor shrub or vine, making our gardens smell wonderful with its blooms of star-shaped flowers. But you can also grow this plant indoors, and while it’s not difficult, it does require a little more maintenance than many houseplants.

Many indoor Jasmine plants bloom in winter, releasing a sweet fragrance in your home. The most demanding part of this houseplant is creating the conditions that allow it to bloom during winter. This is accomplished by making sure your plant is located in a cool room that gets lots of bright (but indirect) light during the day and is completely dark at night.

These conditions will also allow your plant to blossom more slowly, meaning you’ll get to enjoy its beautiful blooms and fabulous fragrance for a longer period of time.

These plants grow quickly and can either be used as hanging plants or upright with a little trellis support. Because they are vigorous growers, you’ll also need to prune your plant periodically – but wait until after it blooms so you don’t accidentally remove flower buds.

Caring for Your Jasmine

• Light: Avoid direct sunlight, but make sure you plant gets lots of bright light during the day. During rest periods (dormancy) make sure the room is dark at night and cool.
• Water: Jasmines don’t like dry conditions or soggy soil, and typically watering once a week will work well. Water less during periods of dormancy.
• Soil: Make sure your soil is well draining.
• Humidity. Jasmines dislike dry conditions, so don’t place near heating vents or ducts and consider using a humidifier to keep them moist.

Don’t let the name fool you – this isn’t your typical orchid.

Jewel orchids are known for their beautiful foliage with its bold stripes. They lack the dramatic flowers of most orchid plants (don’t get us wrong, this plant will produce perfectly pretty, fragrant flowers – but they don’t look like your traditional orchid).

Also jewel orchids are terrestrial (meaning they need soil to grow). Most orchids are native to the tropics, where they are epiphytes (i.e., air plants) that attach themselves to the barks of trees, absorbing nutrients from the air and water around them.

Because jewel orchids need soil also means they are one of the few orchid species that thrives in a terrarium.

Caring for your jewel orchid

• Planting Material: Look for well-draining soil mix, such as an orchid mix or terrarium mix. You are looking for a light mix as opposed to regular potting soil. If you do use regular potting soil, make sure to mix it with another lighter material such as perlite or peat moss.
• Light: Bright, indirect light is perfect for jewel orchids.
• Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Water when the top 1–2 inches of soil feel dry. Reduce watering during winter.
• Fertilizer: All orchids, whether epiphyte or terrestrial, do love to be fed regularly, but they like “light meals.” So take your typical houseplant fertilizer, weaken it by diluting it to about 1/2 strength and feed that to your plant every 2 to 4 weeks during the growing season.

Creeping fig (ficus pumila) is a vining plant that is popular as an indoor plant, valued for its ability to climb and trail. This versatile plant thrives in a range of lighting conditions and adapts easily to different environments.

With its small, heart-shaped leaves and tropical heritage, creeping fig brings a touch of the outdoors into your home year-round. Whether you’re placing it in a hanging basket or training it along a trellis, the key to success is keeping it in the right environment.

How to Keep Your Creeping Ficus Happy

Light – Indoors, creeping fig prefers bright, indirect light- enough to illuminate its leaves without scorching them. Aim for six to eight hours of diffused light daily. While it can handle low light for short periods, growth will slow, and its leaves may drop.

Water – Creeping fig likes to stay evenly moist, especially during the growing season. Water about once a week, allowing the top layer of soil to dry slightly between waterings.

Soil – This plant isn’t picky about soil type, as long as it drains well. A standard potting mix works perfectly. Good drainage is key to preventing root rot.

Temperature & Humidity – This plant likes it warm and humid. Keep indoor temperatures between 65–85°F and avoid cold drafts or vents. This plant thrives in above-average humidity, so kitchens and bathrooms make ideal homes. If your air is dry, use a humidifier to keep the plant looking lush.

Looking for a cutie to cultivate in a very small space? If so, check out the African violet.

This distinctive looking plant has bunches of purple, pink or white flowers surrounded by green, slightly fuzzy leaves.

African violets like medium to bright indirect light, which encourages blooming. You also want to make sure that the soil is moist but not soggy as they can suffer from root and crown rot. Make sure to water at the base and not on the leaves.

You also need to make sure that you take care of the leaves as their fuzzy texture can catch debris. Brush the leaves off with a small soft brush to remove dirt. Fertilize every two weeks during the spring and summer growing season.

Move over, monstera. Farewell, fiddle leaf fig. There’s a new “it” plant in town and it hails from the sun-drenched Mediterranean.

With their silvery-green leaves, sculpted branches, and minimalist vibe, olive trees are quickly becoming the houseplant of choice for plant lovers. While they might evoke dreamy, ancient groves, olive trees can thrive indoors – with a little care and the right conditions.

Caring for Your Indoor Olive Tree

• Light: Olive trees are sun lovers, Indoors, they need as much bright, direct sunlight as you can give them—ideally at least 6 hours a day. A south- or west-facing window is best. But don’t let the leaves touch the glass – that might cause scorching.
• Water: Less is more for Olive. While the soil of a potted olive tree should never fully dry out, you need to be careful not to over-water. When the top inch of soil is dry, give it a slow, deep drink.
• Humidity: Summer in the Mediterranean is hot and dry and a potted olive tree also likes those conditions. However, keep it away from heating vents so it doesn’t dry out.
• Soil: A good potting mix or cactus mix works well with Olive.
• Fertilizer: As a landscape plant, olive trees don’t need fertilizer, but in a container they need a little food. Try a once-a-month schedule with a balanced, slow-release houseplant fertilizer.

The Christmas Cactus, part of the genus Schlumbergera (which we think is just a fun word to say), is a staple of the holidays with its festive color popping during the season. The plant comes in pink, white, a rusty orange/red, yellow and purple.

There’s only a few species within this group of colorful cacti, and they all  are native to the coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil. Fun fact: while the Christmas Cactus blooms around the winter holidays in the U.S., it is known as the “May Flower” in Brazil, because that’s when it blossoms in the southern hemisphere.

Christmas Cacti are different from other succulents because they are looking for humidity as opposed to their desert counterparts.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Schlumbergera comes from Frederick Schlumberg, an enthusiast for the plant, who had a collection of them in his home in France in the 1800s.

Caring for Your Christmas Cactus

Water: While it is blooming, keep it evenly moist and mist frequently (remember, this plant loves humidity). You might also want to place a tray of pebbles filled with water beneath your plant container to introduce more humidity. That being said, you never want to water it so heavily that its roots become water logged.

Food: Once buds appear, give it some high-potassium fertilizer every couple of weeks.

Light: While the Christmas Cactus will tolerate lower light, it really prefers bright sunshine and even a little direct sunlight (but not too much; you don’t want to burn the leaves). This will encourage it to bloom.

Temperature: About 65 degrees is perfect for your Christmas Cactus.

Encouraging More Blooms

Your Christmas Cactus might have several blooming cycles during the year, but will usually stop flowering by fall. At that point, you should encourage its brief dormancy cycle by reducing water, light and temperature. About six to eight weeks before you want to see it bloom again, make sure the plant gets 12 to 14 hours of darkness in temperatures around 55 degrees.

Once you start seeing buds again on the plant start reintroducing it into warmer temperatures and watering it more frequently. You’ll see blooms again in about six weeks.

Here’s a fun fact about this week’s featured houseplant: Although they are only sold about 6 weeks each year, poinsettias are the most popular potted plant in the United States, with about 80 million sold annually.

Poinsettias are easy to care for during their peak season and while they are most visually dazzling during the winter, it’s possible to keep them as a houseplant all year long.

It will take a little bit of maintenance to get your poinsettia to re-bloom, however.

Caring for Your Poinsettia

Water: Water only when the top inch of soil has dried out. A good rule of thumb is to carefully lift up the plant; if it feels light, it’s time to water. If the plant is wrapped in decorative foil, take it off before watering to ensure proper drainage. Don’t allow the poinsettia to sit in water and make sure not to get water on the leaves.

Light: Your poinsettia will enjoy a bright, sunny window, but away from direct sunlight.

Temperature: 60 to 70 degrees during the day and 55 to 60 degrees at night will extend the bloom time and keep your poinsettia happy! Avoid temperature fluctuations and warm or cold drafts.

After the Holidays

Poinsettias will thrive as a year-round houseplant and, with care, can even be coaxed into blooming again next year. It’s not hard, but it does require diligence.

Fertilize your poinsettia once per month prior to and during blooming, but do not fertilize after blooming.  In September, you’ll need to restrict the amount of light your poinsettia gets to only about 10 hours. It will need to be in total darkness the rest of that time, so try placing a bucket over it or putting it in a closet. Keep the plant in a cool place with a temperature below 75 degrees.

Once the leaves show some red, you can return your poinsettia to it’s bright, sunny place and resume care as described above.