Come and explore Belgian Nursery’s incredible selection of Tropical Houseplants! With so many colours, textures, and even fragrances, everyone can have their own personal “jungle” in their homes and offices. Wander through Belgian’s large Tropical Greenhouse,  located just beyond the Main Store, and discover stunning varieties of Houseplants from African Violets to ZZ Plants! Greenhouse #4 features smaller pots of Tropicals, up to 5” in diameter, which are perfect for window ledges, shelves, and creating your own dish gardens or terrariums. Looking for an Orchid or Bonsai as a gift? You’ll find those in our Orchid & Bonsai House (Greenhouse #2) along with adorable Air Plants and a small selection of Carnivorous plants. From bright and sunny rooms to low light corners, there is a Houseplant for every space!

Houseplants are naturally found in tropical environments where the weather stays warm and the air is fresh. By adding these living beauties into your home, they can provide your living area with clean air and lush green life all year long, which is especially helpful during our long winters. Many varieties can help improve air quality by naturally removing airborne toxins while adding oxygen through photosynthesis. Caring for living things, such as Tropical Houseplants, can also play a role in stress relief and many home gardeners use it as a form of meditation. Keep reading for a listing of the best plants for cleaning the air in your home! 

If you’re just discovering an interest in Tropical Houseplants, we’re more than happy to help you find an easy care plant that’s right for both your lighting conditions and lifestyle. Some good introductory varieties include Pothos, Philodendron, Dracaena, Snake Plant, Peace Lily, and Chinese Evergreen. These low-maintenance plants can adapt to a wide range of conditions, and are excellent for new and novice plant lovers to build up both their plant-care knowledge and confidence. For more experienced green-thumbs, we have a wide and ever-changing selection of exotic “statement” varieties to add to your collection, including Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Ficus, Mandevilla, Bonsai, Gardenia, and Jasmine.

Thanks to Belgian’s large and heated Tropical greenhouses, we can help you with your Houseplant needs all year long! New shipments arrive weekly, though not all varieties are available at all times and availability changes constantly. No matter the weather outside, our Tropical Greenhouse are always warm and filled with stunning Tropical beauties just waiting to go home with you!

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Success with Tropical Houseplants – Care & Tips

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Tropical Houseplants, like people, thrive in ideal locations but can also adapt to less than ideal situations, at least to a point. Sometimes they do well in environments that are “not recommended” – if your Houseplant is happy where it is, then leave it alone and let it thrive! However, if you see that particular varieties are not happy, or you have other concerns about their overall health, then you may have to make some changes. Growing requirements for your plants such as light, water, temperature, soil, nutrients and humidity must be kept in balance to keep your plants happy and thriving.

Stress is often the #1 issue for Houseplants, and it can be caused by a single issue or a combination of many things. A move to a new location; being repotted; watering too often (kept too wet); drying out too much between waterings; watering too little (kept too dry); sitting in water; too much light; not enough light; temperature fluctuations (heating vents, cold windows, close to high traffic door), lack of humidity, etc. When plants are under stress they can drop leaves and become susceptible to insects and diseases.

Remember that all plants have a lifespan; even with the proper care, light, water, and plant food, a plant can still die.

Tips:

• Avoid hot or cold drafts, such as an unheated sunroom in winter, near heat registers and exterior doors.
• When misting, mist in the morning to ensure leaves are dry overnight.
• Never use machine-softened water for any plants! This will leave a buildup of salts and will slowly kill your plants.
• When using insecticides or fungicides, try to use them on cloudy days to reduce sunburn and other damage to your plants.
• Turning plants, especially pots that are against a wall or in a corner, ensures even light distribution and will help your Houseplants grow upright and balanced.
• When transplanting, it is always best to choose a pot that has drainage. This will help keep the plant from sitting in water and reduce the risk of root rot.

Light: Different Tropical Houseplants require different amounts of light. High light varieties will require as much light as possible during the shorter days in winter. Plants that can grow in low light can often be excellent choices for Medium to Bright light, so long as they are introduced slowly into the brighter conditions; however, plants that require Bright or Direct light generally do not do well in Low light locations. When placing your plants, keep in mind that curtains or sheers will turn a high light location into a low light area.

• Low Light: Indirect light. Usually North, Northeast windows. Also a room interior or any window with closed sheers.
• Medium Light: A Bright location with Indirect light. East window with morning sun, West window with evening sun or slightly away from a South window.
• Direct Light: Bright, Sunny Direct light. Close to a window facing South or West. Three hours or more of sun daily. In summer these areas receive hot and intense sun.

In Low light conditions plants may drop their leaves to find balance with the available energy levels. Plants usually require less water when grown in lower light locations, as well as during winter months when light levels are reduced.

Watering: It is important to understand the watering needs of your Tropical Houseplants, as incorrect watering practices are the #1 reason for most plant problems. Always drain excess water away; plants left to sit in water can develop root rot. During the summer months you may need to water your pots more frequently; in winter months plants do not dry out as fast and need less frequent watering. Be sure to check all your pots daily.

The best way to water is from the top of the pot, letting the water soak all the way through the soil to the bottom until you see water coming out of the drainage holes. Always drain away any excess.

*Never use machine-softened water to water plants! This will leave a buildup of salt and will slowly kill your plants.

• Evenly Moist: Keep soil moist but not soggy. Never let dry out completely. Do not let sit in water.
• Water Well: Allow soil to dry slightly then water thoroughly.
• Dry Well: Allow soil to dry very well between waterings. Water only every 10 to 20 days or once a month, depending on pot size.

Misting: Some Tropicals prefer a slightly higher humidity than found in most homes, including Ferns, Orchids, Ficus, Citrus, and Hibiscus. Mist Houseplants with water once or twice a day to help increase the humidity. Avoid misting varieties with fuzzy leaves such as African Violets, as well as dry loving plants like Cacti and Succulents.

Fertilizer: For most Tropical Houseplants, it’s best to fertilize once a month throughout the year, excluding Cacti and Succulents which have their own feeding schedules. Use an all-purpose food for foliage varieties; for flowering Tropicals, use a flowering plant food while they are in bud and full bloom – many varieties do not flower during the fall and winter months due to lower light conditions.

Pruning: Some Tropical Houseplants such as Hibiscus, Ficus, and Ivy will require occasional pruning to maintain a full and lush look. Pruning is best done in spring and late fall, when the plants are adjusting to a new season’s arrival; your new branches will grow from wherever the stem is cut. Dracaena (all types), Dieffenbachia, and Chinese Evergreen can all be cut back if they are too tall, though they may take some time to send out their new branches. Regular cleaning and removal of old dying leaves on all Tropicals is very beneficial.

Repotting: Most Houseplants prefer to be root bound, so that their roots fit snugly inside their pots without too much extra space or soil. Use a good quality indoor potting soil when repotting your Tropicals; for Cacti and Succulents, use a Cactus and Succulent soil mix.

You’ll know that your plant needs to be repotted when you see more roots than soil as you ease your Houseplant out of its pot; you may also notice that it dries out faster and requires more frequent watering. When you transplant, move up only one pot size at a time: a 4” pot to a 5” pot, or a 10” pot to a 12” pot. Add a little soil to the bottom of the new pot if needed, then add more around the sides to keep soil levels even.

If you put your plant in too big of a pot it will not dry out evenly, which can lead to root rot. It is always best to choose a pot that has drainage and to repot one size at a time so that your Houseplant can thrive.

Taking Houseplants Outdoors for Summer

It is only safe for Tropical Houseplants to go outdoors when the overnight temperature stays above 10°C (50°F). This is normally around mid June until early September. Check the weather reports daily.

Your Houseplants will need to be introduced to the outdoors slowly to give them time to adjust to their new environment; this also reduces the risk of sunburn and stress. Place them in a shady spot for a few hours on the first morning, then bring them back inside. On the second day, put them in early morning sun for an hour or two, then all morning sun on the third day, and so on, until they have adjusted to the new conditions. This process can take 1 to 2 weeks.

Extra outdoor care is required. Plants will dry out faster and need water more frequently when placed outdoors. However, root rot can occur if we have a rainy season, so make sure your pots have drainage holes and do not allow your Houseplants to sit in water.

Tropicals will readjust when they are brought indoors, usually by dropping their leaves. Pruning will help with this adjustment and give your plants a nice full shape; misting the leaves during these stressful times will also help. Many choose to keep their Tropical Houseplants indoors year-round and enjoy their beauty every day.

Clean Air Plants

Houseplants are a great way to beautify a room. Not only do they provide a natural living component to your home and office spaces, but they also help clean the air. Having good indoor air quality is very important, especially in the colder winter months when many of us spend much of our time inside.

At Belgian we recommend the following easy care plants to help clean the air in your homes and offices. Have fun and breathe well with these wonderful varieties!