How Well Do You Know Your House Plants?

Have you ever despaired over crispy ivy? Or wondered what it takes to get a cactus to bloom?

House plants can seem like a mystery if you don't know how to care for them.

With information now at your fingertips, it's easy to find out about your plant, discover what it needs, and get the most out of it. I promise you'll be rewarded with a healthy, thriving houseplant that's a source of pride and joy for years to come.

Flowering Kalanchoe adds a winning combination of style and autumn color.

Everything you need is here in this user-friendly house plant guide:

• Look up your plant in the Encyclopedia A-Z and find out how to care for it.

• Suggestions for easy house plants -- including 10 House Plants You Can't Kill.

• Check out pests and diseases and find out what to do about spider mites, fungus, aphids and other things that are bugging your houseplants.

• Take a look at this list of poisonous plants and keep your family and pets safe.

• Bring the beauty of the tropics to you with these tropical house plants.

String of Pearls is a delightful houseplant. Plenty of sunlight will make it bloom.

Success with Succulents

Desert-dwellers store water in their fleshy leaves, making them drought-tolerant and easy to grow in a warm, dry environment.

Their unusual and varied colors and textures make them beautiful accents. Display a few together to show off their dramatic shapes.

Echeveria, Tiger's Jaw and String of Pearls (shown here) offer a variety that make excellent indoor plants. Place them in bright light and they'll feel right at home.

Succulents are growing in popularity as indoor plants...it's easy to see why.

Colorful croton plant adds a punch of color to any sunny room.

3 Showy Foliage Plants

Shorter days and cooler nights bring on an annual show of spectacular autumn color.

But, you don't have to go outdoors to enjoy dramatic foliage. The gold, orange, red and green of croton plant adds a warm, tropical feel to a room.

Don't overlook prayer plant for striking patterned foliage. Best known for its folding leaves, this rainforest native-turned-house plant is simply beautiful.

Leaf for leaf, no other plant can match coleus plant's bold patterns and vibrant colors. This garden favorite makes an easy house plant. If you can still find one at the garden center, buy it. You'll love growing this colorful gem indoors, too.

Indoor Herb Garden

A dash of oregano and a pinch of parsley is only an armslength away when you grow fresh culinary herbs in your kitchen.

Herbs need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, making them ideal for a sunny kitchen window.

Don't have a sunny spot? Set pots under a grow light, keeping the light 6 inches above the tops of the plants for about 14 hours a day.

Take a look at indoor herb gardens for ideas on what to grow, plus all the how-tos for successfully growing herbs. Make it easy on yourself with an herb kit that takes away all the guesswork.

Office Plants

Did you know that office plants are good for you?

Okay, they won't bring your coffee, but they will boost your mood and create an instant garden ambiance right there on your desk.

Check these out. It's never been easier to find a few good candidates to share your office space.

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Guide-to-Houseplants.com is all about getting to know your indoor plants so you can bring out their best.

My hope is that it will give you an easy-to-use resource -- a place to turn when you need quick solutions, helpful how-tos, and maybe inspiration to grow something new.

Pages and tips are added all the time. Subscribe to my blog and you'll always be the first to know about new features, articles and updates.

Enjoy your visit!