Plants for the Indoor Window Planter Box

Plants for the Indoor Window Planter Box

Most houseplants can be utilized as indoor window box subjects. Before constructing plantings, consider the lighting exposure in the north-, south-, east- or west-facing window, then the magnitude of the planter box and the water demands of the crops under consideration. If the window box will contain several plant varieties, then the arrangement will probably be more likely to be successful if it contains varieties with similar lighting and water requirements. Use window boxes which have bottom drain holes so that the plants do not develop root rot. It’s also worthwhile to think about maintenance. Some indoor varieties require regular grooming while some are almost maintenance-free. If buying youthful plant specimens, know the size they will be when mature.

Bright Light

A bright, south-facing indoor window box is acceptable for succulent plants. They comprise aloe (Aloe vera or Aloe barbadensis) and houseleeks, which are also called hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum). Hardy outdoors all year in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11, aloe is a tall plant to get the center of this box. Its spiky leaf rises around 24 inches long, and its flower stalks bearing small, yellow blossoms arise in summer. Houseleeks complement aloe and require the very same problems. Low-growing with rosettes of pointed gray or blue-green leaves, houseleeks are hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8. Their leaf tips may be purple or dark red.

Lower Light

A large indoor window box at moderate to low light can host a number of plants which require full shade or partial shade. One example is spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11. It slender, arching leaves and stretched flowering stems can drape on the box sides. The plant’s flowers finally give way to plantlets which can be rooted and detached. Another potential for an indoor window box at moderate to low light is African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha), which grows best in the indirect light of a north-, east- or west-facing window. The plant includes rounded leaves and flowers in a range of colors. It’s hardy in USDA zones 10 through 13. Water African purple and spider plant if their land surface is dry to your touch.

Showy Specimens

A indoor window box can contain one or more showy plants. One of the many choices are anthurium (Anthurium hybrida) and rex begonias (Begonia rex-cultorum). Free-flowering in bright, indirect light from an east or west window, anthurium produces abundant red, pink or pink heart-shaped flowers, and its large, shiny, green leaves are also heart-shaped. Growing around 18 inches tall, the plant thrives with constant moisture. It’s hardy in USDA zone 10. Rex begonia (Begonia rex-cultorum), hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11, continues to be cultivated indoors a long time and works nicely in a window box. Its flowers are usually relatively small, but its foliage displays vivid color combinations which are splashed, striped or swirled on each leaf. Give a rex begonia direct lighting, and permit its soil to dry between waterings.

Trailing Varieties

Indoor window box plantings frequently include trailing plants which cascade over the container’s sides. Trailing plant options include the variegated “Marginatus” Swedish ivy (Plectranthus forsteri “Marginatus”) and also the heart-leaf philodendron (Philodendron scandens). Suitable for a large window at a south window, “Marginatus” Swedish ivy, hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11, features curved, scalloped foliage, sometimes with red stems. Its soil ought to be dry to the touch until it’s watered. Heart-leaf philodendron is just a tried-and-true houseplant that does best in a south window. It’s hardy outdoors in USDA zones 10 through 11. All pieces of heart-leaf philodendron are toxic to pets and humans if ingested.

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