trees in your home?
House trees do more for your interior than you might think! The great thing about a tree is that it brings a lot of greenery into your home and instantly decorates a room. You can place a tree in a big pot on the ground, but you can also put it on a stool or table and change your sightlines in the room.
tHE BENEFITS OF INDOOR TREES IN your HOME
Indoor trees are not only beautiful to look at, they are also functional. Plants are natural air purifiers, dampening sound and improving the acoustics in your room. Moreover, the green leaves have a calming effect, making it easier to relax and feel more connected to nature.
WHICH INDOOR TREES ARE THERE?
The choice of indoor trees is huge. To give you a hand, below we give you 3 examples of popular XL indoor plants, namely Ficus Lyrata on stem, Strelitzia and Ficus Elastica. Which one is your favourite?
Ficus Lyrata, or fiddle leaf fig plant
Ficus Lyrata is also known as the fiddle leaf fig plant. It has large, shiny leaves and is a native of the fig family, although it doesn't produce fruit. This striking XL plant gives a modern, elegant vibe to your interior.
The fiddle leaf fig plant is quite easy to maintain. Water it when the top layer of soil has dried up, and give small amounts of water at a time. Indeed, too much water can lead to root rot. Ficus Lyrata likes a lot of indirect sunlight. It prefers a bright spot close to a window. Are no new leaves growing? Then your house tree has too much shade. Want to know more? Take a look at the plant guide.
Strelitzia, or bird of paradise plant
Strelitzia is also called thebird of paradise plant, because of its colourful flowers that resemble the feathers of a bird of paradise. This XL plant gives a green and exotic vibe to your interior with its striking, large leaves.
There are different varieties of Strelitzia, namely the Strelitzia Nicolai, with fresh green young leaves or with dark green, older leaves. This species does not produce bird of paradise flowers in your living room, only in nature. The flowers are black and white in colour. Strelitzia Reginae is the species with orange-purple bird of paradise flowers, which incidentally do not appear until the plant is 8 years old.
Bird of paradise plant needs a lot of light and therefore also a lot of water. So give it a very sunny spot (near a large window) and water at least once a week. Want to know more? Take a look at the plant guide!
Ficus Elastica, or the rubber plant
Ficus Elastica is also known as the rubber plant, because natural rubber was extracted from it in the past. This Ficus has shiny, leathery leaves and gives an elegant, tropical vibe to your interior.
Ficus Elastica is a strong plant that is easy to maintain. Don't give give too much water, but little and often instead. Make sure the soil is not too wet. Ficus Elastica grows well in both high and low light, so the location does not really matter. The less light, the less the plant branches and grows.
TIPS FOR CARING FOR INDOOR TREES
Have you bought a house tree? It's time to learn how to take care of it. Check out our additional tips on caring for trees below.
- In summer (a growth period), trees need more water than in winter (a dormancy period). Keep the soil slightly moist in summer. In winter, the top layer of soil can be allowed to run dry between waterings.
- As indoor trees grow fast during the warmer period of the year, it's important to feed them with the right kind of plant food to support their growth.
- Beware of direct sunlight. Although some indoor trees are true sun worshippers, you should be careful with direct sunlight (especially in summer, when the sun is stronger). This can cause the leaves to burn.
- As these XL houseplants usually have large leaves, they collect more dust than the average houseplant. Therefore, regularly and carefully wipe the leaves with a cloth. This makes the leaves shine again and helps prevent certain diseases.
MORE INSPIRATION
Curious about how else to give your interior a warm look and feel? Find the perfect plant for your home here. For your daily dose of inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
