Top 10 Houseplants

"Anthuriums are favorites because of their bold, tropical-looking flowers," says Justin Hancock, consumer marketing and digital specialist at Costa Farms. "Traditionally they come in shades of pink, red and white, but newer hybrids also come in purples, chocolate and streaked bicolors. They like warm, humid conditions and bright light. In favorable spots like that, each flower can last a couple of months. There aren’t a lot of plants you can say that about."

Though Justin Hancock, of Costa Farms says croton isn't the easiest houseplant to grow, he loves its boldness. "This tropical loves bright light and good humidity—if you have those conditions, then it’s tough to find another plant with more dazzling foliage," he says. "Outdoors in the tropics, these plants grow as large landscape shrubs; indoors crotons stay a much more manageable size. But if you want to grow one big indoors, you can with a large pot."

"Lucky bamboo is one of those fun, easy houseplants that are great for beginners," says Justin Hancock of Costa Farms. "It doesn’t need a lot of light and watering isn’t hard to figure out—just keep its pot moist."

Lucky bamboo crosses the line between houseplant and art. "When young, the plant’s architectural, bamboo-like stems are the highlight, especially when they’re woven or formed in fun shapes," Hancock says. "But let it grow and the large leaves lend it a much more luxurious feel. If you want to feed your lucky bamboo to give it a little more color and help it grow faster, use a fertilizer for aquarium plants."

Orchids look and seem delicate, but Hancock says they make the best houseplants. "They have beautiful, butterfly-shaped petals that last for months," he says. "And there’s a wonderful range of colors available from hot, magenta-pink (Radiant Orchid is Pantone’s Color of the Year) to white, yellow and bicolors, too. Orchids tolerate drying out a little better than many other houseplants so if you forget to water them, you can revive them without worry."

According to Costa Farms' Justin Hancock, pothos is a decorator's dream. "You can grow it as a trailer, spilling out of the pot on a mantel or tabletop; as a vine; or let it dangle as a hanging basket," he says. "No matter what way you choose to grow it, pothos performs beautifully in tough conditions, including low light and low humidity. It even tolerates periods of drought, so if you forget to water it now and again, your pothos will continue to survive."

"Relatively new to the houseplant world, red aglaonema is an exciting newer variety that features the best of two worlds," Justin Hancock of Costa Farms says. "It’s wonderfully easy to care for and is more colorful than your average houseplant. The leaves are decorated with streaks of red or pink that really stand out, especially if you grow it in a matching pot (or have red or pink accents in your home décor)."

"There are stories of snake plants that have been passed down from generation to generation—they’re that easy to care for!" Hancock says. "The stiff, upright leaves have a decidedly architectural feel that works especially well in modern décor. Some varieties have variegated leaves, incorporating silver and gold tones in the foliage. You can also find dwarf varieties for tabletops or full-size specimens that can get several feet tall. Snake plant tolerates low light, low humidity and low water."

Peace lily, or spathiphyllum, is one of the most common houseplants around," Justin Hancock, of Costa Farms says. "The plant offers rich, tropical-looking leaves topped by white flowers that look like calla lilies. Peace lily blooms best in bright light, but makes a good foliage plant in dimmer spots. It’s also a good pick if you tend to overwater plants, as it likes moist soil. Peace lily is also a champ at filtering harmful pollutants from the air in your home or office."

"Super-trendy succulents are lovely," Hancock says. "They offer a rich varieties of colors and textures, so there’s one for every look. Combine several different succulents together for a really fun home accent!"

"Most succulents prefer a bright spot and dry soil—you may only need to water them once every two or three weeks to keep them happy," Hancock says. "They’re a particularly fun way to cure cabin fever with a little bit of living color."

First-timer in the houseplant market? Hancock says a ZZ plant is the way to go. "It’s so tough, it’s practically plastic," he says. "The shiny, dark green leaves have a great texture and look good in just about every style of home décor. The plant grows best in medium to bright light, but tolerates low light exceedingly well. It’s adapted to survive periods of drought, too—in fact, it can get so dry that it loses its leaves, but if you water again, it re-sprouts."