Silver-leafed houseplants have been popular recently.
According to horticultural Justin Hancock of Florida-based Costa Farms, one of the biggest houseplant growers in the country, one reason is that silver goes well with everything else.
According to Hancock, silver is a neutral hue that complements cool hues like blue, pink, and purple and helps to balance out hot hues like red, orange, and yellow. Because it reflects some light, it also provides a brightening effect indoors.
Here are ten excellent indoor potted collections to consider this winter if you’re considering adding more:
1) The plant known as aluminum (Pilea cadierei minimum). Silver and green bicolor leaves adorn this sturdy, low-maintenance, little trailer.Pubescens pileaPilea spruceana and Silver CloudSilver trees have even more silvery leaves and are more upright cousins. (Indirect light, medium.)
2.) Peperomia argyreia, or watermelon peperomia. Peperomia, which is also a little trailer, has leaves that resemble watermelon rinds and are striped in green and silver. A variant that is more silver than green is called Silver Frost. (Indirect, bright light.)
3.) Aglaonema, a Chinese evergreen. Two especially silvery varieties of this bushy, low-maintenance, and easily accessible two-footer are Silver Queen and Silver Bay. (Low illumination.)
4.) The silver sword, or Philodendron hastatum. Silver Sword, a silver-leafed member of the well-known philodendron family, is a rainforest vine in its native habitat. It can grow up to ten feet on a moss pole or trellis, or it can trail down ten feet or more from a basket. (Indirect, bright light.)
5. Pothos with a silver streak (Epipremnum amplissimum). This variety of pothos, another common vining houseplant, with silver-streaked, long, thin, lance-like leaves. (Bright to medium brightness.)
6.) Treubii Scindapsus moonlight.The less common Scindapsus is a third vine that is related to philodendron and pothos. A type of it called Moonlight has thick, dark-green leaves that have a silvery shine engraved on them. (Bright to medium brightness.)
7.) Moonshine (Dracaena trifasciata), a snake plant. Strappy pale silver foliage adorn this low-maintenance, low-water upright. It can reach a height of four feet. (Bright to low light.)
8.) Hoya Krohniana. A shrub with waxy, heart-shaped leaves, this type of hoya has foliage that is mottled in shades of green and silver, with some variations being nearly entirely silver. You may come across three types: Silver Splash, Eskimo, and Super Silver. (Indirect, bright light.)
9.) Tradescantia zebrina, or inch plant. Inch plants are trailers that provide you with a combination of all three colors if you enjoy a little purple in addition to your green and silver. It’s simple to locate and cultivate. (Bright to medium brightness.)
10.) The Silver Band Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura). This foot-tall clumper, which is recognizable by the broad, silvery, vertical stripe that runs down the center of each green leaf, is another simple grower. (Indirect, bright light.)
Caladiums and elephant ears (Alocasia) are two bulbous plant species that can be grown as houseplants, and several succulents, especially kalanchoe and echeveria, have silvery leaves.
Since many garden centers have sales in January, it’s an excellent time to purchase houseplants.
Gardening with George Weigel