Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Indoor plants

The 5 coolest potted plants you probably haven’t heard of

The best potted plants you don't know about, but should

Cayla Leonard
By
Person with houseplant
Sanni Sahil / Unsplash

Houseplants are a great way to bring greenery and life into your home, and there are tons of options to choose from. There are beautiful flowers, stunning foliage, and even fruits and vegetables. Whether you’re looking for strange shapes, bright colors, or unique patterns, there are houseplants to fit every aesthetic and lifestyle. From beginners to experienced gardeners, these five interesting and uncommon potted plants are sure to wow your guests and liven up any home.

A collection of various houseplants
Vadim Kaipov / Unsplash

Crassula umbella

Crassula umbella, also known as the wine cups plant, is a delightful and unique succulent that make excellent potted plants for an indoor garden. The leaves are round and shaped like bowls or cups. With long stems and curved leaves, it’s easy to see where the nickname wine cups comes from! A thin flower spike grows from the center of the cups, blooming in shades of pink. Like most succulents, it’s important to keep Crassula umbella warm and dry. Use well-draining soil and water infrequently. Make sure to water below their leaves, to avoid water pooling in the cups.

A pair of Alocasia leaves
ignartonosbg / Pixabay

Alocasia

Alocasia is the perfect plant for gardeners who love green, leafy plants! These tropical plants have large, distinctive leaves that range from bright, lime green to shades of green so dark they’re almost black. Most varieties have prominent veins, crimped edges, and an arrowhead or shield-like shape that makes them stand out among your other plants. Keep your Alocasia in bright, indirect light with regular watering and an occasional mist for the best results.

Small palm tree with fan shaped leaves in a gray pot on a window sill.
Africa Studio / Shutterstock

Footstool palm

Saribus rotundifolius, or the footstool palm, is an interesting and elegant palm tree. It has round, fringed leaves that resemble a fan or a sunburst. Despite their tropical and glamorous reputation, palm trees can be grown as potted plants and typically make great indoor houseplants. The footstool palm is no exception. Water it regularly and avoid placing it in direct light and your footstool palm will thrive! Be careful when handling it, though, as the stems grow sharp thorns.

A lifesaver plant flower
leechentou / Pixabay

Lifesaver plant

Lifesaver plants are interesting cacti, even before they bloom. With branches that resemble cactus-like vines, this potted plant is small and stunning. When it blooms, the reason for its common name becomes apparent. The flowers of the lifesaver plant are bright yellow and star-shaped, with a thick, red, waxy ring in the center that closely resembles a life preserver or lifesaver candy. Lifesaver plants are easy to care for as potted plants. Place it in bright, indirect light, and water it whenever the soil is dry. Although beautiful, it’s best to avoid getting your nose too close to the flowers, as they can smell like carrion!

Purple balloon flowers
Nennieinszweidrei / Pixabay

Balloon flowers

Balloon flowers, or Platycodon grandiflorus, are stunning perennials with large star-shaped flowers. They are most commonly blue, but can also be found in shades of pink, white, and purple. In warmer climates, balloon flowers can be grown entirely outdoors, but they can thrive indoors as well. What makes balloon flowers stand out as houseplants, and gives them their name, is the way their flower buds swell like balloons before blooming. These hot-air-balloon-shaped buds are a delight to see.

Recommended Videos

When potting your balloon flowers, make sure to use a deep, wide pot. Use regular or well-draining potting soil, and make sure the pot you choose has drainage holes. Balloon flowers like to be watered regularly, but they can still develop problems if left in standing water for too long. Place your balloon flowers in a bright, sunny window away from drafts. They are sensitive to the cold and frost, so while you can take them outdoors during the spring and summer, it’s best to keep them inside during fall and winter.

Related

There are a seemingly endless number of houseplants to discover and care for, and now you know five more. These unique and interesting plants will make great additions to your home, and your guests will certainly be fascinated by them!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Cayla Leonard
Cayla Leonard
Contributor
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
The dos and don’ts of caring for your bonsai tree
Basic bonsai tree care tips and tricks
Bonsai tree in purple rectangular pot blooming purple flowers

Bonsai trees are, by design, relaxing and beautiful to look at. Thanks to the internet and international shipping, bonsai trees are becoming more and more popular in America, and many gardeners are interested in bringing one of these stunning works of living art home. Bonsai trees need light, water, and fertilizer like any other plant, but their shape and size also need to be maintained. If you plan on growing your own bonsai tree, there are a few things you’ll need to know first. Here is your guide to the basics of bonsai.

What is bonsai?
Bonsai is the traditional Japanese art of growing miniature trees. A bonsai tree is any small tree grown in a shallow pot or dish that is trained to grow in a way that resembles a fully grown tree. You can think of bonsai almost like a living sculpture, and like any other art form, there are certain conventions and traditions that bonsai artists follow.

Read more
Here’s how to care for your aloe vera plant to reap its soothing benefits
Tips on watering, pruning, and propagating your aloe vera plant
Aloe vera pups

Of the hundreds of plants in the aloe genus, aloe vera probably has the most established reputation as a powerhouse personal care ingredient. The plant is best known for its versatile leaf gel, which you can use to soothe scrapes, burns, and other minor irritations. As a succulent, it’s relatively easy to grow and maintain, but there are things you should know about it to give it the best care possible. Ahead, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about this healing desert marvel — with these tips, you'll be ready to harvest it in no time.

What you need to know about the aloe vera plant
Aloe often grows in a rosette form — many varieties are spineless, but some have spines and teeth along their fleshy, upright leaves. They can push out tubular red, orange, or yellow flowers outside during the growing season. The most common variety is aloe barbadensis, or aloe vera. Aloe vera is often found in food, drinks, medicine, and personal care items — that's right, it's in beverages as well. It features dagger-like, fleshy green leaves with serrated edges, and you can grow aloe vera directly in the ground or containers. The leaves can grow up to two feet long and the plant, when grown outside, can sometimes push out a yellow flower stalk up to three feet tall.

Read more
The 5 best tall indoor plants you can get to create a lively space
Tall plants to fill your home with
A collection of various houseplants

Many gardeners look for small houseplants and flowers to conserve space, but what if you have the opposite problem? Many homeowners can relate to the feeling of looking at a room and thinking it’s missing something. Sometimes, what it's missing is a tall houseplant to fill space, to add visual interest, and even to add some relaxing vibes to the room.

If you need a tall houseplant to add a burst of greenery to your home, this guide is here to help. There are plenty of tall indoor plants to choose from, and here are our five favorites!

Read more