Not everyone is blessed with the luxury of a backyard. Due to the cost of housing, many of us have chosen to rent instead of own, which usually places us in an apartment complex without a backyard. The upside to this, of course, is never having to worry about landscape maintenance.
Despite this, many of us are still plant-lovers and want to exercise our green thumbs! Thankfully, there are many outdoor plants you can bring indoors that are just as happy existing inside your home as they are outside. So even if you have a backyard, but want to protect your plant babies from the cold seasons, know that these 10 outdoor plants do just as well indoors!
Important Things to Note Before Bringing Your Garden Inside
There’s a few things you should know before you bring your plants inside your home. Set up your plants for success by planning ahead with these following steps:
- Timing: Bring your plants inside before the temperature drops. If your outdoor plants are struggling to recover from a frost, it’ll be unlikely that they will survive indoors. This may be too much a shock for your plants. Plan ahead and bring them inside way before the temperature drops.
- Size: Don’t bring an entire shrub into your home. Not only would that take up an unnecessarily large amount of space, but it could also put your plant in danger of not receiving enough sunlight. Trim your plant down to a size that is easy to manage, rotate, and water.
- Bugs/Disease: Carefully inspect your plants before bring them inside. Check for any bugs or disease-ridden leaves. You do not want to risk bringing those bugs indoors, as they will move to other plants. Disease, too, can move from plant to plant, so be especially careful to inspect your outdoor plants thoroughly.
- Water: It’s always a good idea to water your plants before moving them from soil to pot, pot to soil, or pot to pot. This reduces the environmental stress of moving from habitat to habitat. Rinse off the leaves to ensure that you don’t bring any bugs or dust indoors.
10 Outdoor Plants That Can Survive Indoors
Plants that thrive in climates that are comparable to that of your home will do best. It’s important to use soil with similar properties and give your outdoor plant a similar amount of sunlight, if possible. Thankfully, some plants are easier than others to transition indoors.
1. Begonia
Begonias are a fan-favorite, because they are low-maintenance, requiring very little care and attention. They come from a genus of 2,000 different species, and will blossom with a wide variety of different colored flowers. Make sure you identify which species you have in order to give them care tailored to their needs. When you move your begonia inside, make sure it gets bright, indirect sunlight and humid conditions (you may need a humidifier for this one!)
2. Boxwood
Potted boxwoods are be easily moved indoors, but if you have remove your boxwood from the soil, there may be a chance it doesn’t survive. An important thing to note about boxwoods is their dormancy period during the winter months. They prefer a slight shade, typically under a tree, where light can still shine through. Mimic this environment for them and you’re good to go!
3. Caladium
Caladiums love indirect light, making your home a great place for them to grow. Placing them by North and East facing windows is ideal, as bright, direct sunlight will scorch their leaves. Like begonias, they love a humid environment, so placing them in your bathroom or near a humidifier is always a good idea.
4. Coleus
Coleus do very well when potted, making them a good indoor houseplant if the conditions are right. They can tolerate full sunlight, but really thrive with a mix of shade and sun. Since they are annuals, if not moved indoors, they will die at the first frost. However, your coleus has a better chance at surviving indoors if its at optimal health when planted outside.
5. Fuchsia
These vibrantly colored plants can be a great, colorful addition to your indoor plant collection. They aren’t very picky, and do not have many requirements regarding their living conditions. They don’t need much bright light, but they do prefer moist roots. A fully blossomed fuchsia might want to be watered once a day – however, take extra care not to water a wilting plant, for that will be a sure way to cause root rot.
6. Geranium
Geraniums are probably the easiest outdoor plant to grow indoors. A properly cared for geranium can actually live to 40 years old or longer. They do like bright sunlight though, so make sure you are providing an environment they can thrive in! With the right conditions, they will flower beautifully with vibrant petals.
7. Impatiens
Don’t be impatient with impatiens! They make a great a houseplant if their requirements are met. They enjoy a bright, warm environment that typically matches that of the inside of your home if you have big west and south facing windows. They also enjoy moist soil, so make sure you’re giving them plenty of water.
8. Basil
Basil is very versatile and grows well indoors and outdoors. They do need at least 6-10 hours of sunlight, so you may need to provide them with an artificial light source. Otherwise, they like plenty of water, but don’t require much more care than that.
9. Chives
Chives also like 6 hours or more of sunlight a day, requiring similar care to that of a basil plant! They perform best with moist soil with proper drainage. Plus they make an absolutely delicious supplement to many meals!
10. Rosemary
Rosemary is even easier to care for than basil and chives – it requirely fewer hours of sunlight. It does prefer a moist environment, without getting water-logged. Rosemary also makes a good addition to your spices, so growing this plant directly inside your home is great for those who love some home-grown spices!
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