In big cities, a person is very much deprived of communication with nature. Modern development sometimes deprives residents of green places of recreation. But the desire to enjoy the bright greenery does not decrease from this!

The way out of this situation is quite simple — to create your own jungle. And we will help you! In this article, we will look at the most interesting and popular indoor plants, as well as the basic rules for caring for green spaces.

Choosing Plants for the Urban Jungle

Almost anyone can grow their own garden. You don’t need to have a PhD in botany to do this! When choosing plants, you need to pay attention to two main aspects: ease of care and decorativeness.

Bromeliads 

The most famous representative of bromeliads is pineapple. But this is not the only representative of the genus. The «relatives» of pineapple may outwardly resemble this plant, or they may differ significantly. In any case, these are very interesting and ornamental plants. They love warm and humid air, so spraying and sprinkling are their favorite procedures.

succulents

This is a very large group of plants. Many people know that cacti are one of the most unpretentious plants. And cacti are representatives of succulents. In addition to cacti, succulents include a huge number of plant species. These are Schlumbergera (Decembrist), and prickly pear, and fat women, and living stones.

ornamental leafy plants

This group includes representatives of different plant families. Their main difference is bright, beautiful foliage. Many of them may never bloom for you. But it does not matter — all the charm of these plants is precisely in their foliage.

This group includes various types of ficuses, dieffenbachia, poinsettia, croton, coleus, etc.

palm trees

Perhaps the palm trees are the best way to convey the atmosphere of the jungle. Palm trees are famous for their decorative effect and longevity. Because most of them are trees. The simplest palm tree that you can grow yourself from a seed is the date palm. The tree survives very well in apartments.

flowering plants

Where in the jungle and without flowering plants? They bring bright colors, add their own unique flavor. Many flowering plants, in addition to the flowers themselves, also have bright foliage.

Azaleas, begonias, cyclamens, fuchsias, geraniums, saintpaulias — this is not a complete list of popular flowering houseplants.

creepers 

Creepers in the urban jungle add a certain tropical vibe and charm. As a rule, these are unpretentious and hardy plants. They can either hang from top to bottom or climb up the supports. 

Of the vines, ivy, hoya, monstera are most often bred in apartments.

plant predators

This is a separate group for the most enthusiastic growers. The beauty of carnivorous plants lies in their diet — they must receive animal food without fail. It is important for some to catch a live fly, others are content with inanimate insects. 

The most interesting and popular carnivorous plants are sundews, venus flytrap, nepenthes (pitcher).

ferns 

In recent years, ferns have begun to gain popularity. This is not surprising, because they are very attractive and decorative. Of the habitat conditions, the most important for them is high humidity.

Tips for caring for your tropical garden

Planting or buying a beautiful plant is just the beginning! In order for your green pets to delight you with their lush greenery, they need good care. Naturally, each plant needs an individual approach, but some general rules can be distinguished.

• water procedures. Most plants are very supportive of spraying and sprinkling. Especially tropical species. Also, in decorative leafy flowers, periodically wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. Thus, you will remove the dust from the leaf and make life easier for the plant. To give more decorativeness, you can use special rinses for plant leaves.

• Watering. In most cases, an excellent rule works here — it is better to water rarely, but plentifully. Many plants do not like frequent small waterings, because the water may not penetrate the entire depth of the pot. But even with abundant watering, you need to know the measure so as not to flood the plant. Roots suffer from stagnant water in a pot.

• Fertilizers. Without regular top dressing, it will not work to grow a beautiful jungle. This is due to the fact that there is a limited amount of earth in the pot and sooner or later all available batteries will run out. Therefore, the loss of micro and macro elements must be replenished regularly. Moreover, top dressing is better to make often and little by little.

A selection of the most popular types of indoor plants

Alocasia (Alocasia zebrina)

Elegant, incredibly fashionable! It has many varieties with different shapes, leaf colors. Some resemble hearts, others are African masks! 

Aloe (Aloe vera)

The plant does not have bright flowers and lush leaves. But it is a storehouse of useful substances. Aloe leaves and juice have anti-aging, wound healing properties.

Kostenets, or aspelenium (Asplenium nidus)

This is a small house fern that thrives best in shady areas away from direct light. Unlike many ferns, its fronds are in the form of leaves, which looks very beautiful.

Begonia (Begonia rex)

Begonia has long been popular, and now more and more decorative varieties are appearing.

Ivy (Hedera helix)

The most popular domestic liana, unpretentious, perfectly tolerates any conditions. 

Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)

Blooms in winter. Doesn’t like too much watering. 

Phalaenopsis (Phalaenopsis hybrid)

The king of domestic orchids, very easy to grow. It blooms almost non-stop if you provide it with a minimum of care. 

Ficus (Ficus microcarpa)

This is a great plant for beginners. Unpretentious and very decorative.

Hoya (Hoya australis)

An extremely hardy vine with interesting leathery leaves. The flowers are dense, fragrant, similar to those made of wax.

Calathea (Calathea rufibarba)

It has very decorative leaves, which, depending on the variety, have different colors and patterns. 

 Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)

This is the real chameleon among plants. Its unusual leaves can be of different colors and shapes! You will be surprised how varied it is. 

 Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)

Amazing creeper with huge holey leaves. Likes partial shade, humid air and frequent leaf polishing. And it takes up a lot of space!

Rose (Rosa hybrid)

Queen of the garden and window sill! Beautifully blooming, elegant and delightful. Miniature varieties are great for growing in pots.

 Spathiphyllum (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

One of the most popular indoor plants. It fits perfectly into any interior. In thickets of green foliage, original flowers sometimes form.

 Sansevieria (Sansevieria trifasciata)

The same «mother-in-law’s tongue.» This is a great option for those who dream of a «green friend», but do not have time to take care of him. It will withstand almost all mistakes and omissions — with the exception of over-watering. 

 Euphorbia (Euphorbia milii)

This is a very attractive and undemanding plant. And also blooming.

 Chlorophytum (Chlorophytum comosum)

This is perhaps one of the simplest and least demanding houseplants. Grows well almost anywhere. 

 Asparagus (Asparagus densiflorus)

A frequent guest of window sills for more than one generation of amateur gardeners.