Coffee Plant Care: Growing Coffea at Home
Coffee plant (Coffea arabica) care as a houseplant: bright indirect light, humidity, watering, and whether you can really harvest your own coffee beans.
6 min read
Care profiles, plant by plant
Every species has its quirks. These profiles cover, for each plant, the light it needs, how often to water it, the humidity it appreciates and whether it is toxic to dogs and cats, along with the problems typical of that particular species and how to avoid them.
56 articles
Hibiscus in Pots: Care for Spectacular Blooms
Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) care in pots: full sun, watering and feeding for big blooms, pruning, and how to overwinter it indoors. Full guide.
6 min read
Indoor Jasmine Care: White, Fragrant Flowers
Indoor jasmine care: lots of bright light, a support to climb, watering, and the tricks to get those fragrant white blooms. Full houseplant guide.
6 min read
Norfolk Island Pine Care: The Living Christmas Tree
Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) care: light, watering, humidity and why its branches turn brown and drop. The living indoor Christmas tree guide.
6 min read
Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen): The Complete Care Guide
Care guide for the Aglaonema or Chinese evergreen: light for the pink varieties, watering, humidity, propagation by division and its toxicity to pets.
13 min read
Asparagus Fern Care: The Feathery Plant That Isn't a Fern
Asparagus fern care guide: bright indirect light, high humidity, watering, why it drops its feathery needles, and why it's mildly toxic to pets.
5 min read
Coleus Care: The Plant Grown for Its Colorful Leaves
Coleus care guide: bright light for vivid colorful leaves, pinching to keep it bushy, steady watering, and super-easy propagation in a glass of water.
5 min read
Cyclamen Care: Keep It Blooming All Winter
Cyclamen care so it blooms all winter: cool temperatures, light, watering from below to avoid crown rot, and how to handle its summer dormancy.
6 min read
Oxalis (Purple Shamrock) Care: The Butterfly Plant
Care for the purple shamrock (Oxalis triangularis): light, watering, the leaves that fold at night, and how to handle its normal dormancy period.
5 min read
Fittonia (Nerve Plant): Care and Humidity Guide
Fittonia or nerve plant care: high humidity, indirect light, keeping it moist, and why it dramatically wilts and revives. Pet-safe. Complete guide.
6 min read
Peperomia: Care, Watering and Easy Propagation
Peperomia care: medium light, careful watering for its semi-succulent leaves, and easy leaf propagation. Compact and pet-safe. Complete care guide.
6 min read
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea): Care and Watering
Ponytail palm care: it stores water in its swollen trunk, so very little watering, lots of light and nearly indestructible. Pet-safe. Complete guide.
6 min read
Schefflera (Umbrella Plant): Complete Care Guide
Schefflera or umbrella plant care: bright light, watering, pruning to keep it bushy, and why it drops leaves. Full guide with practical tips for beginners.
6 min read
Indoor Yucca: Complete Plant Care Guide
Indoor yucca care guide: lots of light, very little water, well-draining soil and troubleshooting (soft trunk = overwatering). A practical, no-nonsense guide.
6 min read
Bromeliad Care: Watering the Central Cup and Pups
Bromeliad care: watering the central cup, bright indirect light, humidity and what to do with the pups when the plant flowers and dies. Full guide.
6 min read
Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane): Care and Toxicity Warning
Dieffenbachia care: medium light, watering, how to clean its big variegated leaves and an important warning about its toxicity. The full care guide.
5 min read
Geraniums in Pots: Care, Watering and Endless Blooms
Geranium (pelargonium) care in pots: full sun, watering, deadheading for more flowers and how to overwinter them. The classic balcony plant, full guide.
6 min read
Lavender in Pots: Care, Sun, Watering and Pruning
Lavender in pots: lots of sun, sharp drainage, careful watering (overwatering kills it) and pruning so it doesn't go woody. The full care guide.
6 min read
String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii): Care and Propagation
String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii) care: bright light, semi-succulent watering, soil, super easy propagation and why it gets leggy. Full guide.
6 min read
Begonia Care: Rex and Maculata (Polka Dot) Begonias
Begonia rex and maculata care: bright indirect light, watering without wetting the leaves, humidity, propagation and why it's toxic to pets. Full guide.
5 min read
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia): Care, Light and How It Blooms
Strelitzia (bird of paradise) care: lots of bright light, watering, why the leaves split naturally, and how to get it to bloom indoors. Full guide.
6 min read
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana): Care in Water and Soil
Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) care in water and soil: water quality (no chlorine), light, why it yellows, and how to arrange the stalks. Full guide.
6 min read
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea): Care and Why It's Ideal
Parlor palm (Chamaedorea) care: tolerates low light, watering, humidity, why the fronds brown at the tips, and why it's safe for pets. Full guide.
6 min read
Poinsettia Care: Make It Last and Turn Red Again
Poinsettia (Christmas star) care: light, watering, the darkness trick to make it turn red again at Christmas, and the truth about its mild toxicity.
6 min read
Air Plants: Tillandsia Care Guide
Air plant (Tillandsia) care guide: they live without soil, how to water by soaking, bright indirect light, drying after soaking to avoid rot, and display ideas.
13 min read
Areca Palm: The Indoor Care Guide
Care for the areca palm indoors: bright indirect light, watering, humidity, why the tips go brown, and why it's pet-safe and one of the best air-purifying plants.
12 min read
Christmas Cactus: Care and How to Make It Bloom
Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) care guide: it's a jungle cactus, not a desert one. Light, watering, soil and the cool-and-dark trick to make it flower.
6 min read
Croton: Care for the Colorful-Leaf Plant
Care for the croton (Codiaeum) indoors: lots of light for its vivid colors, watering, humidity, why it drops leaves when moved, and its toxicity to pets and people.
5 min read
Alocasia (Elephant Ear): Care Guide
How to care for alocasia (elephant ear, Polly): bright indirect light, consistent watering, high humidity, winter dormancy, pests, and toxicity to pets.
14 min read
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata): Care Guide
How to care for the jade plant (Crassula ovata): lots of light, soak-and-dry watering, succulent soil, easy leaf and stem propagation, and toxicity to pets.
6 min read
String of Pearls (Senecio): Care Guide
How to care for string of pearls (Senecio rowleyanus): bright light, careful watering so it doesn't rot, well-draining soil, easy propagation and toxicity.
6 min read
Syngonium (Arrowhead Plant): Care Guide
How to care for syngonium (arrowhead plant): light for variegation, watering, training it to climb or stay bushy, easy propagation, and toxicity to pets.
6 min read
Tradescantia (Wandering Dude): Care Guide
How to care for tradescantia (zebrina, purple heart): bright light for color, watering, pinching to keep it full, super easy propagation, and toxicity.
6 min read
Anthurium Care: How to Keep the Flamingo Flower Blooming
Care for the anthurium or flamingo flower: light, watering, humidity, how to keep its glossy red spathes blooming year-round and its toxicity to pets.
13 min read
Boston Fern: Complete Care Guide
Boston fern care: humidity is the key, watering, indirect light, why fronds turn brown and crispy, and the fact that it's safe for pets.
5 min read
Maranta (Prayer Plant): Complete Care Guide
Care for the maranta or prayer plant: water quality, humidity, medium indirect light, why its leaves curl, and the fact that it's safe for pets.
4 min read
Money Tree (Pachira Aquatica): Complete Care Guide
Care for the money tree (Pachira aquatica): light, watering, the braided trunk, why its leaves turn yellow and whether it's safe for pets.
5 min read
Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica): Complete Care Guide
Care for the rubber plant (Ficus elastica): light, watering, cleaning its big glossy leaves, pruning to branch out, common problems and pet toxicity.
6 min read
Indoor Cactus Care: How to Get Blooms (and Avoid Rot)
Indoor cactus care: how much light and water it needs, which soil, the winter rest that triggers flowering, and the mistakes that rot it. Easy and tough.
6 min read
Dracaena: Care for the Almost Indestructible Houseplant
Dracaena care (marginata, fragrans, lemon lime): light, watering, why it gets brown tips and how to prune it. Tough, elegant and low-water.
5 min read
Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata): Care Without the Leaf Drop
Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) care: light, watering, why it drops leaves and how to get it to grow tall and bushy. The elegant diva, demystified.
6 min read
Hoya (Wax Plant): Care to Get Those Flowers
Hoya (wax plant) care: light, watering, soil and the secret to make it bloom. A tough trailing plant with incredible flowers you shouldn't prune wrong.
8 min read
Kalanchoe: Care for the Succulent That Blooms All Year
Kalanchoe care: light, watering and the darkness trick to make it rebloom. A bright-flowering succulent that's easy and tough, ideal for beginners.
5 min read
Pilea peperomioides: Care for the Chinese Money Plant
Pilea peperomioides (Chinese money plant) care: light, watering, why it makes so many pups and how to propagate it. Round, easy and pet-friendly.
5 min read
Aloe Vera: Care, Watering and How to Use Its Gel at Home
Aloe vera care: how much light and water it needs, which pot and soil, how to propagate it from pups and how to extract its gel. The most useful succulent.
14 min read
Calathea Care: The 'Prayer Plant' Without Brown Tips
Calathea care: why it gets brown tips, which water to use, humidity, light and watering. The plant with stunning leaves that move at dusk. Pet-friendly too.
6 min read
Phalaenopsis Orchid Care: How to Make It Bloom Again
Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) care: how to water it without rot, light, what to do when the flowers fall, and how to get it to rebloom year after year.
6 min read
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum): Care for the Plant That Tells You
Peace lily care: the houseplant that 'faints' when thirsty. Light, watering, why it won't bloom and how to revive it. Ideal for low light and beginners.
6 min read
Philodendron: Care for the Most Forgiving Tropical Climber
Philodendron care (climbing and upright): light, watering, a moss pole for bigger leaves, and how to propagate it. Tough, fast-growing and very decorative.
5 min read
Snake Plant (Sansevieria): The Plant You Almost Can't Kill
Snake plant (Sansevieria) care: minimal watering, light, why it's perfect for beginners, how to propagate it, and the only mistakes that actually kill it.
6 min read
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum): The Easiest Trailing Plant
Spider plant (Chlorophytum) care: light, watering, why it grows 'pups' and how to propagate it in minutes. Tough, air-purifying and pet-safe.
6 min read
Succulents: Care So They Don't Stretch or Rot
Succulent care: how much light and water they need, which soil and pot, how to propagate from leaves, and why they stretch. The guide to keep them pretty.
6 min read
Venus Flytrap Care: The Famous Carnivorous Plant Made Easy
Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) care guide: which water to use, light, watering, feeding, winter dormancy, and the mistakes that kill it in weeks.
7 min read
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas): Care for the Toughest Houseplant
ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) care: it handles low light and missed waterings. Learn light, watering, propagation and why it's the ideal plant for offices.
6 min read
Pothos: Care for the Easiest Plant in the World
Pothos is the perfect plant to start with: tough, fast-growing and forgiving. Learn how to water it, light it, propagate it and keep it lush.
7 min read
Monstera Deliciosa: The Complete Care Guide
Everything about the Monstera Deliciosa or Swiss cheese plant: light, watering, humidity, how to get those holey leaves (fenestrations) and troubleshooting.
7 min read