Plant Care Guides
GiftTree NZ Care Guides
How often do I need to water my Ficus 'tineke'?
How do I care for begonia?
What soil do lithops need to be happy?
Do my hoya need any humidity?
What light is too bright for my philodendrons?
Here you will find all the necessary information that allows your green friends to thrive.
Aglaonema are a genus of popular decorative houseplants that have become more and
more popular in New Zealand over the years thanks to their diverse colorings and easy-to-care-for temperament.
When it comes to houseplants, most of the alocasias on the market are smaller
species that have been specifically cultivated for their unusual decorative leaves with beautiful veining.
Bright, flashy begonias have come back into fashion. With about 2,000 flowering
species in their wildly diverse genus, there’s definitely space for all kinds of plant lovers to find a begonia to love.
Thousands of species of cacti exist in the wild, but as houseplants, most are either
desert cacti or forest cacti. Both groups thrive indoors with relatively little maintenance. All
cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti.
Calathea, with their stunning leaf patterns and colors, make for popular
houseplants. Calathea in New Zealand has actually been reclassified as Goeppertia, which is home to 243 flowering species of
Prayer Plants.
Adding a trailing succulent plant to your collection, like a senecio or ceropegia, is
a great way to free up floor space. Trailing succulents are a low-maintenance option that brighten up a space. And they flower too!
You can’t get a more classic houseplant than the beautiful ficus. With over 850 species
in the ficus genus, they make for the iconic tree-shaped houseplants we know and love.
Fittonia albivenis, which has numerous cultivars and colors, are popular
here in New Zealand. Tiny and compact, they are a great plant for terrariums but also for those who want to invest in plants that stay
petite.
With over 500 known species, hoya inspire collecting, not only for their diverse, juicy
foliage but also because they bloom with the most incredible perfumed flowers shaped like stars, unique to each species and cultivar.
Within the succulent world, there are about 100 weird, chunky plants known as
mesembs, which all mimic the appearance of rocks stones, blending in with their harsh surroundings. Many have been cultivated in bright
colors
Monstera is one of the most well-known and beloved genera of flowering plants. Many
species of monstera make for beautiful houseplants, and they are widely cultivated, even the rarer forms.
Philodendrons are one of the most popular types of plants to collect today
too. A large genus of aroids, philodendrons comprise many of the houseplants we know and love, with around 500 accepted species.
Known for their stunning foliage, most of the Peperomia we grow as indoor plants
are known for their juicy, textured leaves and stunning colors. There are many species and cultivars, making them fun to collect.
Epipremnum aureum, aka the golden pothos, is THE classic houseplant. Possibly
the most resilient vining aroid out there, this plant can handle some serious neglect making it a popular choice for new plant parents.
Snake plants sit firmly in the pantheon of hard-to-kill houseplants, a robust and
enduring plant that often thrives on neglect. Until 2017, snake plants were known as Sansevieria but were reclassified
to Dracaena.
Succulents are just a descriptor for certain plants that are thick and juicy, and water retentive. Beautiful
and hardy, they've adapted to survive the arid conditions in Africa, where many of them are native to.
Nicknamed the arrowhead vine due to their leaf shape, syngonium have many colorful
cultivars, and they’re almost impossible to kill. Big and bold, most here in New Zealand are Syngonium podophyllum.
The king of low-key houseplants, the ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, is
tough as nails. The only species within its genus, the ZZ grow slowly, clumping and growing upwards, making them ideal for smaller spaces.