Retro revival for indoor plants

Indoor plants are the hottest trend in horticulture at the moment. It is a back-to-the-future experience for those who recall the indoor plant fever of the 70s and 80s.

Your house, your garden, rolled into one.

Indoor plants are the hottest trend in horticulture at the moment. It is a back-to-the-future experience for those who recall the indoor plant fever of the 70s and 80s.

Remember when pothos (epipremnum aureum) and green syngonium (syngonium podophyllum) grew in water-filled Mateus Rosé bottles. Every home had a potted rubber plant (ficus elastica) and the prayer plant (maranta leuconeura) and Swiss cheese (monstera deliciosa) were de rigueur. Hanging baskets overflowed with ribbon plant (chlorophytum comosum), bridal veil (gibasis pellucida) and zebrina (tradescantia zebrina).

Some will reel in horror (regarding them as weedy), but they are all back in a big way – in apartments and share houses, cafes, office blocks and planted in green walls.

New selections of these old favourites are cloned overseas by tissue culture and imported into Australia for growing on. Global demand for tissue-cultured plants is outstripping supply, leading to fierce competition for stock.

In addition to the traditional bi-coloured green and gold pothos, you will find snow queen (marbled white and green), marble queen (traditional variegation, but white replaces yellow) and Goldilocks (pale green/yellow). Tolerant of low light and neglect, all are perfect for time poor, indoor plant novices.

Indoor plants from the 70s and 80s are making a comeback.

The arrow-shaped leaves of syngonium have received a colour makeover too with new neon (dusky pink), white butterfly (green and white), mango (bronze and peach) and strawberry (vivid pink), complimenting modern pastel colour schemes.

Peace lilies (spathiphyllum) never go out of fashion. I suspect this is in part because they tell you when they need a drink. When their water-stressed leaves droop beyond any apparent point of recovery, plunge them into a bucket of water for a Lazarus-like resurrection. It is also one of the few plants that will flower indoors. The new pint-sized ‘petite’ is ideal for those who are short on place. There are new foliage colours too, including platinum mist (silver sheen) and emerald star (deep green foliage and pure white flowers).

Philodendron xanadu makes a return in some dainty forms such as little hope and decorative silver sword, gold cordatum and green cordatum (heart-shaped leaves).

For lovers of succulents there are dozens of pepperomia out there too. Look for jade (deep glossy green), peperomia scandens (variegated – great for hanging baskets), pink lady (delicate pink, green and white variegations), watermelon (striped like watermelon skin) and emerald ripple (deep green puckered).

But for really low light conditions ask nursery staff to point you in the direction of intriguing wickerwork or mistletoe cacti (rhipsalis). Just be warned – collecting all their different types is quite addictive.

And that rubber tree? You will hardly recognise the new spotted leaf version of ficus elastica.

With indoor plant care, remember the three Rs – routine, rotation and repotting. Get into a routine of watering and fertilising your plants – weekly watering and monthly for fertiliser. Rotate plants to expose them to different light intensities, particularly important if some rooms are dark. And finally, repot once a year with fresh mix and controlled-release fertiliser.