Image – Wikimedia/David J. Stang
If you are a fan of exotic plants, you can often go to nurseries in search of the rarest ones, that is to say those that you do not see every day. Some, according to their resistance to cold, are to be had in the garden, but there are many more that can be kept at home.
And I’m going to tell you about the latter, because exotic houseplants are so beautiful that, I don’t know about you, but I find it hard not to stop to look at themand even more not to acquire any.
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Aglaonema ‘Red Zircon’
Image – Sanook.fr
Aglaonema ‘Red Zircon’ is a very, very pretty cultivar, which reaches a height of about 30 to 40 centimeters and whose leaves change color as it grows. These are pink at first, but when the specimen is adult, they are red. It’s amazing how that has changed over the years.
But yes, if you have animals at home, you must keep them away from them, because it’s toxic. For the rest, do not hesitate to place it in the room where there is the most light so that it looks beautiful.
Anthurium clarinervium
Image – Wikimedia/Nadiatalent
Anthurium is a very pretty tropical shrub plant. In nurseries, it is quite easy to find the most common species: Anthurium andreanumwhich has a red flower and green leaves, but if you’re looking for something more exotic, we recommend A. clarinervium. As its name suggests, it has light colored nerves; in fact, they are whitish and their flowers are also white.
It grows up to 50 centimeters in height, but you have to keep in mind that it is an acid plant. This is very important to know, because if you water it with alkaline water and/or plant it in soil with a high pH, it will have serious problems due to iron deficiency. Moreover, it is toxic if ingested.
caladium
Image – Flickr/Carl Lewis // two-tone caladium
All Caladiums are wonderful. It’s very hard for me to recommend just one, because…well, I’m in love with them! As their common name suggests, painter’s palette, they certainly look like they were painted by someone. But no, they are natural. And there are so many cultivars that, I repeat, the difficulty is choosing one, so I will name a few:
- Caladium ‘Candidium’: its leaves are almost white with green veins.
- Caladium ‘Party’: Its leaves are yellowish green with veins of an intense pink color.
- Caladium ‘Frannie Munson’: the leaves are pink, with darker pink veins.
- Caladium ‘Miss Muffet’: the leaves are yellowish green and have pink/reddish spots all over their surface.
- Caladium ‘Pearl Blush’: its leaves are almost whitish, with a green edge and pink veins.
They are rhizomatous plants, reaching a height of about 40 centimeters. They like heat (not extreme), so they are ideal to enjoy at home.
Calathea ornata
Although there are over 200 species of calatheas, all adapted to the interior, the Calathea ornata It is special. Its leaves are dark green with reddish veins.and the plant can be about 40 centimeters high.
Likewise, it is important to know that it is pet-friendly, so if your cat or dog decides to nibble on it, nothing will happen to it (but I recommend keeping it in a place inaccessible to them so that ‘they don’t damage it).
Codiaeum ‘Red Banana’
Or croton ‘Red Banana’, as it is also called. It is a very attractive cultivar, with slender leaves that measure about four inches and are colored green, yellow and red.. It reaches about 50 centimeters in height, although it takes time, so it can be in the same pot for several years.
Now, this is a bush you should put in the brightest room you have, as it struggles in low light conditions.
Ctenanthe pilosa ‘Golden mosaic’
Image – Flickr/Maja Dumat
It is a rhizomatous plant that could be confused with calatea, but it has wider and somewhat shorter leaves, of different shades of green. It reaches about 70 centimeters in height by more or less 80 centimeters in width, so it is a tall plant, which looks great in the living room or in another large room.
What do you need to be healthy? Good plenty of (indirect) light, occasional watering and mild temperatures. This way you can keep it for many years.
macodes petola
Image – Wikimedia/JMK
The macodes petola It is a terrestrial orchid known as the jewel orchid. It is an exotic indoor plant that it has green leaves with much lighter green veins which are very soft to the touch, velvety. Its flowers arise from a flower stem and are whitish.
It is a very rare species, needs special care to survivelike being in a place with lots of light but not direct light, high air humidity and warm temperatures.
Philodendron hederaceum ‘Brazil’
Also called lemon pothos, it is a cultivar of Philodendron hederaceum What has heart-shaped, dark green and yellow leaves. It is a beautiful indoor climbing plant that you can plant in a hanging pot, or hung, for example, on a door frame.
It grows about 4-5 meters tallbut as it tolerates pruning very well, just take the scissors and prune its stems if you consider that they grow excessively.
Pilea peperomioides
Image – Wikimedia/Dandarmkd
It is a most curious plant: it has long petioles from which grow almost round green leaves that measure about ten centimeters in diameter when the specimen is adult. The maximum height of the plant is about 20-25 centimeters, and it measures more or less the same width, so it is perfect to have it on a narrow piece of furniture for example. But yes: it can’t lack (indirect) light, otherwise it won’t look pretty.
As a curious fact, let us add that in popular language it receives these names: Chinese monetary plant, UFO plant or missionary plant. The reasons ? I don’t know them, but what is certain is that it is a species that attracts a lot of attention.
Zamioculca zamiifolia ‘Black Crow’
Image – Wikimedia/Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
The black zamioculca. What about her? Unlike its leafy green sister, this It is a dark green color, which does not turn black, but it lacks a little. It reaches a height of about 50 centimeters, with fleshy stems 1 centimeter thick.
Although genetically capable of flowering, it is difficult for her to do so indoors. Now well, if you see that one day a whitish or yellowish tube-shaped inflorescence grows, do not be afraid: it is the flower, and it is a clear indicator that the plant is receiving the best care.
There are many more exotic houseplants out there, but these ten are the rarest of all, the most easily obtained.