5 Easy-to-Care-for Plants to Cheer Up Your Home This Winter

Bloomscape

Pretty and low-maintenance, these houseplants will lend some natural beauty to your home during the chilliest season of the year. You won’t find a single succulent on this list—these lesser-known plants don’t get nearly enough fanfare. So go ahead and perk up your space with one of these eye-catching picks. You’ll feel like you’re on vacation in a plant-filled paradise instead of sitting in your living room.

RELATED: 16 Low-Maintenance Indoor Houseplants Most Likely to Survive All Year Long

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

The leaves of the ZZ Plant range from bright green to a deep emerald and rely on their sort of funny looking roots, called rhizomes, to stay hydrated.

Care tips: The ZZ Plant grows well in a room with low light and really doesn’t need much water either, it’s so low-maintenance. Water every two to three weeks, or when the soil is dry. This plant is poisonous if ingested, so keep it away from children and pets.

Maranta (Marantaceae)

Otherwise known as a prayer plant, the Maranta’s leaves like to move around quite a bit, raising and lowering depending on the time of day. Its variegated leaves are stunning and can include different shades of green and even bright pink.

Care tips: It does best in medium to bright but indirect sunlight and needs water about every one to two weeks. You can usually tell when it needs water because its leaves will look consistently droopier. This is a pet-safe houseplant, even though it’s always smart to keep plants away from children and animals.

Nerve Plant (Fittonia)

A plant with real personality, this beauty has the most stunning leaves with white, red, or pink veining. It’s also quite communicative, wilting when it needs to be watered.

Care Tips: You definitely don’t want to let it dry out too much, but water it when you start to see a slight droop in the leaves. It grows best in medium indirect sunlight and still thrives even if it’s placed away from a window. Just make sure to protect it from cool air or drafts. It would do well in a bathroom, too, since it prefers a humid environment. An added bonus: this plant is also pet-safe.

Asparagus Fern (Asparagus setaceus)

You might not be familiar with this variety of fern. Stunning and delicate, it actually works better as a houseplant than an outdoor plant since it’s considered to be invasive in some areas.

Care tips: Keep an asparagus fern in a sunny spot and make sure to let it dry out between waterings. Keep it away from cats and dogs, as it’s toxic to them.

Rubber Plant (ficus elastica)

With its sculptural and vividly colored leaves, a rubber plant is a sophisticated addition to any home. It will grow to fit your space and won’t get larger than the pot it’s planted in.

Care tips: Make sure your rubber plant is potted in well-draining soil—it won’t do well if its roots are sitting in water. Then place it in bright but indirect sunlight. Watch for slightly droopy leaves to know when to water it, and wipe down leaves and mist them if the air inside gets too dry. If you have pets or kids that like to chew on leaves, this might not be the best plant for your home, since it is toxic to both.