Growing Conditions for Indoor Plants
Knowledgebase
Notes for Table
Light (minimum light requirements of the various species)
-
High
Bright, direct light or sunlight through unobstructed south, east or west window. Within 4 feet of window 300 footcandles or greater. -
Medium
Bright, indirect light, 4 - 10 feet from an east, south, or west window. No direct sunlight/ Directly in front of an unobstructed north window 100 - 300 footcandles. -
Low
10 feet or more away from a window - no direct light. Encompasses the greatest area of most interiors where plants are to be included. Directly in front of an obstructed north window. 25 - 100 footcandles.
Water
-
Moist
Indicates the plant requires frequent waterings - soil surface should not be dry. -
Dry
Infrequent waterings. For pots 6" diameter or less, soil surface should be dry to the touch before rewatering. For containers of greater diameter, media should be dry 1" to 2" below the surface (when water is required, apply thoroughly until excess drains out the bottom.
Temperature
-
Cool
Temperature of 60 degrees F, with variations from 50 degrees F to 70 degrees F. Night temperature 50 degrees F. to 60 degrees F. -
Warm
Temperature of 75 degrees F with variations from 65 degrees Fto 85 degrees F. Night temperatures 65 degrees F. to 75 degrees F (temperatures at night should decrease about 10 degrees F from normal day temperatures).
|
Botanical Name
|
Common Name
|
Light
|
Water
|
Temperature
|
||||
|
High
|
Medium
|
Low
|
Moist
|
Dry
|
Cool
|
Warm
|
||
|
Common Foliage Plants
|
||||||||
|
Adiantun raddianum
|
Maidenhair fern
|
|
•
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Agave spp.
|
Century plant
|
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
Aglaonema (spp.) modestum
|
Chinese evergreen
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Aloe barbadensis
|
Medicine plant
|
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
Araucaria heterophylla
|
Norfolk Island pine
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Ardista crenata
|
Coralberry
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Asparagus setaceus 'Sprengeri'
|
Asparagus fern
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Aspidistra elatior
|
Cast-iron plant
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
•
|
•
|
•
|
|
Asplenium nidus
|
Bird's-nest fern
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Brassaia actinophylla
|
Umbrella tree
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
Calathea makoyana
|
Peacock plant
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Caryota urens
|
Fishtail palm
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Chamaedorea elegans
|
Parlor palm
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Chamaedorea erumpens
|
Bamboo palm
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Chlorophytum comosum
|
Spider plant
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens
|
Areca palm
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Cissus antarctica
|
Kangaroo vine
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
Cissus rhombifolia
|
Grape ivy
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
Citrus spp.
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Clusia rosea
|
Signature plant
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
Codiaeum variegatum and vars.
|
Croton
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Coffea arabica
|
Coffee tree
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Cordyline terminalis
|
Ti plant
|
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
Crassula argentea
|
Jade plant
|
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
Cycas revoluta
|
Sago palm
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
Cyperus spp.
|
Umbrella plant
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Cyrtomium falcatum
|
Holly fern
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Dieffenbachia spp.
|
Sumb cane
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
Dizygotheca elegantissima
|
False aralia
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana'
|
Corn plant
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
Dracaena reflexa
|
Pleomele
|
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
Epipremnum arueum and vars.
|
Pothos
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
Fatshedera lizei
|
Fatshedera
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Fatsia japonica
|
Japanese aralia
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
Ficus spp.
|
Fig. rubber plant
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Fittonia verschaffeltii
|
Nerve plant
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
Hedera helix
|
English ivy
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Howea forsterana | Kentia palm |
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Hoya carnosa | Wax plant |
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Iresine herbstii | Bloodleaf |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Livistona chinensis | Fan palm |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Maranta leuconeura | Prayer plant |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Monstera deliciosa | Split-leaf philodendron |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Nephrolepsis exaltata | Boston fern |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Pandanus veitchii | Screw pine |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Peperomia spp. |
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Persea americana | Avocado |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Philodendron selloum | Saddle-leaf philodendron |
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| P. scandens oxycardium | Heart-leaf philodendron |
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Phoenix roebelenii | Dwarf date palm |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Pilea cardierei | Aluminum plant |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Pittosporium tobira 'Variegata' | Pittosporum |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
| Platycerium spp. | Staghorn fern |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Plectranthus australis | Swedish ivy |
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Podocarpus marcophyllus | Podocarpus |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Polypodium spp. | Polypody |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Polyscias balfouriana | Polyscias |
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Rhapis excelsa | Lady palm |
|
•
|
•
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Rhoeo spathacea | Oyster plant |
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
| Rumohra adiantiformis | Leatherleaf fern |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Sansevieria trifasciata | Snake plant |
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
| Schefflera arboricola | Umbrella tree (schefflera) |
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Spathiphyllum spp. | White flag |
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Sphaeropteris cooperi | Tree fern |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Syngonium spp. |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Tolmiea menziesii | Piggyback plant |
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Tradescantia (incl. Zebrina) | Wandering Jew |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Yucca elephantipes | Yucca plant |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
•
|
|
| Common Flowering Plants | ||||||||
| Azalea |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Begonia |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Chrysanthemum |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Cyclamen |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Lilies |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Poinsettia |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Primula |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
|
| Common Bromels (high light in winter to flower) | ||||||||
| Aechmea miniata discolor | Vase plant |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Aechmea fasciata | Urn plant |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Billbergia nutans | Queen's-tears |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
| Billbergia pyramidalis |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Cryptanthus spp. | Earth-star |
•
|
|
|
•
|
|
|
•
|
| Noeregelia carolinae 'Tricolor' |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Tillandsia cyanea |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
| Tillandsia ionantha |
•
|
|
|
|
•
|
|
•
|
|
Adapted from Russell C. Mott, Bailey Hortorium, Cornell University, 2001
