Exotic house plants for your home

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The phrase "exotic house plants" certainly seems intimidating, especially for those that are new to the world of indoor plant growing. But the truth is that exotic houseplants are a classification that includes many of the easiest plants to grow.

These considerably hassle free plants include begonias, hoya, and miniature houseplants.

Of the three "exotic house plants", begonias are frequently the most bright and colorful of the bunch. They come in bright shades of red, white, scarlet, or yellow and make for a bright addition to any room in the home. Most varieties will bloom all year round, making them a great cherry investment.

The care of begonias is fairly simple, though it does require some consideration. They require a shady spot that still allows them access to plenty of sunlight.

Full sun, however, will be detrimental to the begonia. Additionally, begonias require a soil that is wet, but allows for adequate draining.

The second exotic house plant option, hoya, is nearly fool proof. This very fragrant flower with waxy leaves is also very bright and should be able to be kept alive, no matter how bad or inexperienced the plant grower is.When grown indoors hoya prefer low levels of indirect sunlight, though they will grow in almost any type of light.

The third option, miniature houseplants, is great because they offer the same degree of beauty as many other houseplants but take up much less room.

These categories of plants include miniature versions of African violets, roses, and petunias. These plants are easy to grow because since they are smaller than their larger counterparts, they do not require as much water and nutrition as the larger versions do.

Along with pots, these plants are able to adapt in terrariums, or other smaller containers such as dish gardens.

Overall, exotic houseplants sound very intimidating, but they can be very easily taken care of and are perfect for the beginner indoor gardener.

More favorite exotic house plants

The main problems that affect African violets are crown ad root rot, botrytis blight, cyclamen mites, mealybugs, water spots, petiole rot, and failure to flower.

The good news is that water spots and petiole rot are very easy to fix because they are caused by obvious flaws on the flower owner's behalf.

Water spots are yellow or white spots on the leaves and are caused through watering with cold water and allowing that cold water to get on the leaves. Petiole rot is caused through over-fertilization that allows the fertilizer salts to build up on the pot and surface of the soil.

This can be detected when the rust-colored spots begin appearing o the stem of the leaves. It can be avoided through not over-fertilizing and through using a water source that is salt free.

On the other hand, African violets experience a very serious problem of the fungal variety called crown ad root rot. This is symbolized the dropping of leaves, and mushy roots. This disease can be almost impossible to treat, and is best done so through prevention.

Make sure the potting soils and containers are clean, do not over-water, and make sure your pots have adequate systems for draining.

Another fungal problem is the Botrytis blight. It can be detected through small lesions on the underside of the plant's leaves. In time, the leaves can turn to dark colors and get a fuzzy coating.

To treat this disease, make sure all plant material is removed the minute it dies, and ensure your plant gets plenty of air circulation.

As with any other exotic house plants, African violets are susceptible to a variety of mites. The most serious of these are invisible to the naked eye, the Cyclamen Mites.

The easiest way to avoid this type of pest for your African violet is to make sure to place your plants so that they do not touch in order to prevent the spread of these pests. You'll also likely need to use some type of miticide to kill any existing infections.

Unlike Cyclamen Mites, mealybugs can be seen by the naked eye, as they are 1/4 inch long. If you begin to see distorted leaves, start looking for these small white menaces. Small outbreaks of mealy breaks can be eliminated by dousing the affected area with a small bit of alcohol.

The last major concern, the failure of the plant to flower also has simple causes and can be prevented easily. This is often caused by too low temperatures, bad soil drainage, excessively wet soil, very dry air, or any cooking gas in the area. Fix these conditions, and your plant should go back to flowering.

African violets are no more prone to pests than the other types of exotic house plants. Most of the pests that do cause growth problems can be fixed through proper care.

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