Winter can be a tough season for a lot of people. There are the obvious cold temperatures, fewer hours of daylight, less intense sunlight, the drab, monochrome landscape, snow and ice, and all the bundling up required before you even step outside. But humans aren’t the only ones who feel the effects. For plants that are used to living in their native habitats and enjoying the more humid outdoor air, homes heated for winter can be a challenge.
Small varieties of cactus can be grown indoors, but I confess that I don’t like tending plants with spines; I’d rather just admire them from a distance. Fortunately, cacti are not the only plants that will thrive in arid conditions.
Here are a few plants that will do just fine in warm, dry, indoor winter climates.
Jade Plant
With thick stems and fleshy leaves that hold water, succulents are like the camels of the plant world. One of my favorites is the jade plant. With its branching habit, even a small jade plant can look like a tree. Provide them with 4-6 hours of indirect sunlight a day. (Toxic to children and pets.)
Begonia
Most varieties of begonias are considered to be succulents. My angelwing begonias are not, yet I’ve found that they do quite well in the house despite the low indoor humidity. (Toxic to pets and children.)
Sansevieria
Sansevieria plants do fine with infrequent watering and can tolerate minimal light. They also have the ability to remove toxins from the air. Their vertical growth habit with upright leaves contrasts well with low-growing plants. Bright, indirect sunlight is best, but they also tolerate low light. (Toxic to pets. Keep at a distance from children.)
Peperomia
These plants do fine in either medium to bright indirect light and can go one to two weeks between waterings. (Safe for pets.)
Haworthia
These small succulent plants do best in at least some bright light. They are similar in appearance to aloe (one common name is “cushion aloe”), but while aloe is toxic to dogs and cats, Haworthia is pet safe.
Kalanchoe
These succulent plants with their pretty, scalloped leaves love both warmth and low humidity. They do best in bright, indirect light. Water them only when the top one to two inches of soil feel dry. Random, fun fact: A Kalanchoe species was one of the first plants to be sent into space, on a resupply to the Soviet Salyut 1 space station in 1979. (Ingesting kalanchoe can cause nausea and vomiting.)
Rubber Plant
Place at an east- or west-facing window, or several feet back from a southern window.
Caution: rubber plants leaves and sap are toxic to dogs, cats, humans if ingested. The sap may also cause skin irritation.
Pothos
Even though pothos is not a succulent or even semi-succulent, I’m adding it to this list because it does so well as a houseplant. It thrives on infrequent watering and tolerates low light situations. (The calcium oxalate crystals make pothos toxic to pets and children.)
One of the best features of all of these plants is that they require little care, making them super easy to grow. Most require watering only once a week or even less frequently.
Note: You’ll notice that I included information on each plant about their safety. That’s a reminder to learn a little about the plants you plan to grow if there are pets or young children in your home.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Pam’s new book, Listening to Nature’s Voice, is now available on Amazon. For more information or to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website: pamelabaxterbooks.com.
Source: Berkshire mont