Tropical Indoor Plants
Orchids: The Ultimate Indoor Plant
Orchids have a reputation for providing long-lasting, colourful blooms, making them the perfect indoor plant all year round. The most common orchid found in our stores is the Phalaenopsis Orchid. Orchids adapt well to any environment, and like most houseplants, prefer a temperate climate (68° or room temperature). Orchids also favour bright, filtered light, so place them near east or south-facing windows whenever possible. They can also withstand periods of drought, so if you miss a week or two of watering, no major harm should come about. Orchids also tend to thrive in areas with high humidity, making bathrooms or laundry rooms great places to display these colourful plants. In addition, the Phalaenopsis Orchid's long lasting blooms usually hold for 2 to 6 months, and have very few insect or pest problems, which makes them very easy to care for.
To get the most out of your orchids:
- Never place them near an outside door where (cold) drafts could be an issue!
- Do not water them more than once a week! Never leave the bottom of the pot standing in water.
- When the plant is finished blooming, cut back the stem down to the bottom, it will re-bloom in approximately 8 months.
Help Improve Indoor Air Quality
Tropical houseplants also benefit our indoor spaces by converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, and "cleaning" the air by lowering levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While air filters are adequate at capturing various indoor particles such as dust and dander, they do little to eliminate common VOCs caused by paints, varnishes, household cleaners, adhesives, carpeting and tobacco smoke.
Caring for Tropical Plants
Because tropical plants originate from tropical and subtropical regions that rarely experience cold weather, it's important to give these plants an environment as close to their native habitat as possible. When selecting a tropical plant, be sure to investigate the amount of sunlight, water and feeding it requires. For instance:
- Your plants may require direct or indirect sunlight.
- Watering needs may vary; your plants may need consistently moist soil, or need to dry between watering.
- Most tropicals like humidity; place some water in a spray bottle and spray the leaves once a week to mimic a humid atmosphere.
- Place your tropical plants in a room where people congregate; your plants will breathe in the carbon dioxide they exhale.