Use plants with golden and variegated leaves to fill your home with the warmth of the sun.
We may not be able to make the days instantly longer, or change the amount of light that comes in through our windows, but we can bring brightness into our homes with a selection of houseplants. There is an amazing selection of plants with gold, lime green, and variegated foliage available now, and these can revitalize your interior plantscapes.
Golden foliaged plants contrast nicely with your other houseplants, and many of them thrive in indirect light…you don’t have to have sunny windows to bring golden illumination into your home! We are constantly getting new varieties of variegated and yellow-leaved plants into the greenhouse, but let me introduce you to just a few plants that can perk up your display. Here are some bright houseplants and tips on how to successfully grow them.
This is Philodendron ‘Lemon Lime,’ an easy to grow plant that will be happy in eastern or northern windows. This plant is also fairly fast growing, so if you transplant it from the 4″ pot it is currently growing in, into a 6″ pot of your choice, the plant will happily increase in size. Note: Philodendrons like to go a bit dry in between waterings. Water them well so that all roots are moistened, let the excess drain out into a good-sized saucer, and then wait to water again until the soil starts to feel dry to the touch.
Do you have a houseplant stand or a hanging basket where you’d like a plant that cascades out of the pot? This Philodendron ‘Brazil Premium’ is perfect for those locations. Like other Philodendrons, it can go a bit dry between waterings, making it good for people who frequently travel for a week or two, or for those who occasionally forget to water their plants.
Philodendrons such as this ‘Golden Saw’ and the ‘Golden Crocodile’ plants are very in demand right now. They are easy to grow, increase in size fairly quickly, and are the perfect contrast to green leaved plants. In late-May, place this outdoors in dappled shade for the summer. Fertilize once a month in the growing season, using the fertilizer of your choice according to directions.
This unusual succulent, Pereskia aculeata ‘Variegata’ is actually a cactus that climbs! It can grow up a support or cascade down, according to your preference and the spot you are growing it. Grow this golden Pereskia in a bright location but not in direct sun.
Love succulents? If you have grown jade plants, you’ll love this variegated version. The green and cream types of Crassula ovata are as drought-tolerant as the green ones, but bring their bright foliage to light up your succulent display.
Unlike the plants I’ve featured above, this Ctenanthe pilosa is not drought-tolerant. Like the other prayer plants, this one likes a fairly even level of moisture. With all prayer plants, get in the habit of touching the soil every couple of days so that you can water before the plant goes completely dry. Grow this in a bright location such as in an eastern or northern facing window, or a few feet away from a southern facing exposure.
I love how the golden, cascading Philodendron brightens up the houseplant display around my kitchen table. As the winter continues on, we can escape to the joy of indoor plants.
