10 houseplants to try now that you’ve mastered the easy ones

Aug 04, 2023

Maybe you got into houseplants during the pandemic and now your collection of beginner-level greenery is thriving. You’ve resisted overwatering your snake plant, your pothos is spilling over its pot and your monstera is growing like crazy. What next?

“There’s so much in the houseplant world that is intriguing and unusual — plants you don’t see everywhere,” says Lily Cox, co-owner of D.C. plant business Rewild. “Moving into your intermediate level has a little bit to do with embracing nuance and learning to accept the changes that your plant goes through.” In other words — you can’t expect a more challenging variety to always look as emerald-hued as your happily neglected ZZ plant. But taking some risk is a part of growing your skills.

If you’re ready to branch out, here are 10 houseplants that experts recommend for the mid-level caretaker.

There are over 500 types of hoyas, but Cox likes these two types because of their distinctive appearances. The Hindu rope plant has curly, glossy leaves while the hoya linearis dangles in long flowing strands. Both are great options for a tall bookshelf or plant hanger.

Like most hoyas, both of these are somewhat drought-tolerant, but you don’t want to let them dry out for long, Cox says. They also need plenty of light, but can be overwhelmed by a full southern exposure. With proper care, these plants will reward you with a yearly bloom of hoyas’ star-shaped flowers: Hindu rope plants in light pink and hoya linearis in white.

While philodendrons — a family that includes the ever-popular monstera — are often billed as beginner-friendly, some types provide more of a challenge. Sarah Gerrard-Jones, author of “The Plant Rescuer: The book your houseplants want you to read,” recommends the philodendron gloriosum, with its billowing, heart-shaped leaves, because it will add variation to a more standard houseplant collection. And though their foliage can easily discolor with too much or too little water, they can still tolerate some neglect. They can grow up to 2½ feet tall, and once you have one gloriosum, it’s easy to propagate more. “The rhizome grows horizontally, so it’s super easy to chop that up and grow new plants,” Gerrard-Jones says.

The case for talking to your houseplants

Otherwise known as the maranta, this patterned variety is related to the calathea — but it’s lower maintenance. Prayer plants, which grow to about a foot tall and more than 15 inches wide, prefer bright, indirect light (though they can tolerate lower light) and their soil should remain a bit moist to the touch. “They’re definitely more tolerant of drying out than [calatheas],” says Caitlin Tuttle, co-owner of D.C. plant shop PLNTR. “They’re not viners, nor do they necessarily grow upright, but they tend to just shoot out and grow very architecturally.”

While calatheas are trickier to care for than most of the other houseplants on this list, they are, as Cox says, “here to stay,” thanks in large part to their striking foliage. Among the most popular types is the peacock plant, whose leaves feature varying shades of green on top, with burgundy undersides. Calatheas need bright — but indirect — light, because they burn easily. They also require steady moisture and humidity. To help yours thrive, try a sub irrigation planter (with a reservoir at the bottom that the roots can pull water from as needed) or clustering them with other plants to create more humidity.

Don’t be alarmed if you see this tropical plant shed a couple of its white-veined leaves — it should be quick to replace them. “It’s not something we find across all houseplants,” Cox says. “This is a phoenix rising from the ashes kind of plant because it’s a bulb. It can actually die back entirely and then return from the grave.” On whichever incarnation, alocasias (also called elephant ears) like bright, indirect light from an east or west facing window with a wide view of the sky. At up to 10 feet tall, they are perfect for filling open corners and spare spots by couches.

If you’re looking for a statement plant on the larger side, you might be tempted to try the relentlessly en vogue fiddle-leaf fig — but in the wrong conditions, those can quickly lose their leaves. Instead, consider a more forgiving variety of ficus: the pink-tinged ficus elastica ruby. Like the fiddle-leaf, these trees have distinctive oversized leaves and skinny stems, and can grow to about eight feet tall indoors. Tuttle recommends them because they’re not as picky as fiddle-leafs when it comes to sunlight and watering preferences, and are less susceptible to bacterial and root infections.

Bidding wars and $1,000 succulents: The wild world of rare houseplants

If you’ve enjoyed caring for a monstera or pothos, anthuriums are a “great plant to graduate to,” says Cox, because all three plants belong to the Araceae family and require similar care. As an introduction to anthuriums, Gerrard-Jones recommends anthurium clarinervium, which has heart-shaped, velvety leaves with white veins, and grows to about two feet high and three feet wide. Though they like relatively moist soil, take care not to overwater. “You can pay quite a lot of money for some rare anthuriums,” Gerrard-Jones says, “but if you master looking after the clarinervium, which is relatively easy, you can get into some really cool hybrids after that.”

Many types of succulents thrive on neglect, making them a top choice for novices. But not every member of this houseplant category is created equal. Take the cathedral cactus, a rapidly growing, skyward-stretching plant otherwise known as the African milk tree, or the chain cactus, which has clunky, draping leaves. Both plants, which Gerrard-Jones recommends as great intermediate options, are succulents that require a bit more of your attention. Neither need much water, but the chain cactus prefers humid spaces such as a warm bathroom or kitchen. “It’s got this really interesting shape,” Gerrard-Jones says, “and it adds a kind of jungle vibe to a room.” The cathedral cactus, however, prefers a dry heat and can develop issues in colder temperatures.

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