Where Plants for Indoor Gardens Come From

Most of the plants we grow in our homes are native to the forests, jungles and deserts of the tropics and subtropics, but this is by no means the complete story. The plant kingdom is so adaptable that it is quite possible to see representatives of all but the artic climate zones growing happily together on the same window sill or your Indoor Garden.

Allow me to take you on a brief world tour to see where some of our best known houseplants come from.

The Mediterranean region ranges from warm temperate to subtropical, but overall it has yielded few good long-term houseplants. Among exceptions are the sweet bay, giant reed, European fan palm and olive. If we include the Canary Islands, then a number of good succulents are included.

Moving south into the drier parts of Africa, we add more indispensable succulents, notably Aloe. The humid African tropics yield Begonia; while from the drier sites come Cissus. South Africa in particular is the home of many beautiful bulbous plants, notably Gladiolus and Freesia.

Central and South America are the homes of many house plants. All the true cacti are found there, mostly in the desert regions, but a few in the forests and jungles. Philodendron, Dieffenbachia and Anthurium come from the Americas as well. Other specialties are Columnea Fuchsia and Aphelandra. Mexico has a rich tropical flora and has given our homes a surprising number of good plants; Poinsettia is perhaps the most familiar of all.

The warmer parts of Asia have also yielded many house plants. Various species of Hibiscus and Ficus come from India, while Burma, Assam and Thailand have provided many unique varieties. Many orchids are specialties of East Indies (Malaysia, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines)

China and Japan have provided a wealth of plants for temperate gardens, but fewer for the house. In that category are Camellia and Chrysanthemum.

Last, but not least, we come to Australasia with its many species of Eucalyptus, and Acacia. One of the most familiar of large indoor plants, the Queensland umbrella tree is also native to this area, as it the Australian fan palm.

By hybridizing and careful selection, man has added many plants to out homes and conservatories, which are totally unknown in the wild. A familiar example is the florists’ chrysanthemum in its vast array of flower forms and sizes. Many orchids are the result of the plant breeders’ skill.

More on Indoor Gardens in my next post