Indoor Plants With Names: 59 Plant Profiles to Get Ideas

How do you pick between all the indoor plants with various names? Check out this list for inspiration of what plant to get next! I’ve included a few categories so you can read the ones that you’re most interested in. 

Table of Contents  

Succulents are an ideal indoor plant and becoming more and more popular. They’re no longer just the classic plant, you can grow them in arid, dry gardens, hanging planters, floral arrangements, and more. ‘Succulent’ is a very broad umbrella term, it refers to plants which store usable water in fleshy mass like trunks or leaves, around 5-6- different plant families contain succulents. It’s estimated that there’s over 10,000 different types of succulent plants across the world, with about 10% of those being cacti. 

Here are some of the more popular succulents that you might come across:

Echeveria 

Scientific nameEcheveria is the term to describe one of the largest genus of flowering plants, there’s a ton of options in this genus perfect for all types of plant parents.
Common namesThese plants are commonly known as Hens & Chicks because of their tendency to produce lots of babies.
Plant FamilyCrassulaceae
Native environment Echeveria are native to Central and South America
Extra informationThey are characterized by their spirals of rosettes which can either be smooth or hairy and come in a range of colors and sizes. Some Echeveria will also bloom and can have orange, yellow or pink flowers. Echeveria are a good choice if you want your succulent to stay cute and compact because they don’t grow tall. 

close up of echeveria with blue and purple colors

Haworthia 

Scientific nameHaworthia 
Common namesThese plants are often called Zebra Cactus because they commonly have stripes on their leaves, created by the rows of spines. 
Plant FamilyAsphodeloideae
Native environment Haworthia are also native to South Africa
Extra informationHaworthia are very similar looking to Aloe Vera, these succulents have thick foliage but grow spines on the leaves rather than on the edges of the leaves, Haworthia also have pointer, longer leaves than Haworthia do. 

Aeonium 

Scientific nameAeonium 
Common namesTree houseleek 
Plant FamilyCrassulaceae
Native environment Central and South America
Extra informationThese succulents are very easily confused with Echeveria as they look super similar. They require slightly more care to look after them, they can grow up to four feet tall and their rosette heads can get really big. The main difference between this succulent type and others is that they like a slightly more moist soil meaning they need watering more often, hence why I have rated them as higher maintenance than other succulents.

aeonium with green and purple leaves

Aloe Vera 

Scientific nameAloe Barbdanesis Miller 
Common namesAloe Vera, Burn plant, medicinal aloe or Barbados aloe 
Plant FamilyAsphodeloideae
Native environment Arabian Peninsula 
Extra informationIt is popular for its uses in medicine and cosmetics. For more specific information about how to look after an Aloe Vera we have a great guide with loads of great tips.

Aloe Humilis 

Scientific nameAloe Humilis 
Common namesThis aloe is called the Spider aloe or the Hedgehog Aloe.
Plant FamilyAsphodeloideae
Native environment The species is native to South Africa
Extra informationAcross the leaves there are white spots, spines and bumps, the markings when coupled with the thick curved leaves make this aloe look a lot like a cactus.
It can be hard to tell the difference between Haworthia and the Spider Aloe but there is a trick. Feel the edges of the leaves, gently, and see if it feels rough or smooth. A smooth edge means the plant is most likely a Haworthia which grows bumps and has patterns but generally not along the margins of the plant. Small spikes indicate your plant is likely an aloe, whilst the spikes are not dangerous or sharp like a cactus might be, make sure to be gentle and take care.

aloe humilis in grey pot and pebbles

Euphorbia 

Scientific nameEuphorbia 
Common namesThis term refers to an entire genus of flowering plants, that are often called Spurge, African Milk Cactus or African Milk Tree
Plant FamilyEuphorbiaceae 
Native environment Central Africa 
Extra informationThese are great because they grow so quickly so you can get a small one for cheap and quickly have a huge houseplant. Beware that these plants have a poisonous sap that leaks out, it looks like milk, hence the name! 

Golden Barrel Cactus 

Scientific nameEchinocactus grusonii or Kroenlein grusonii,
Common namesGolden Barrel Cactus or mother-in-law’s cushion
Plant FamilyCactaceae
Native environment Mexico 
Extra informationThey’re pretty easy to care for, the main problem you might run into is that they are not cold hardy and will be damaged if they get colder than about 20ºF or -7ºC.

6 golden barrel cactuses in the sunshine

Lithops 

Scientific nameLithops 
Common namesLiving stones 
Plant FamilyAizoaceae 
Native environment They are native to hot dry regions in South Africa 
Extra informationA succulent that disguise themselves as stones in order to avoid being eaten by animals in the wild. To achieve this appearance they are completely stemless and grow almost completely flush against the soil. Some of them get all of their moisture just from the air.
Lithop species come in a range of striking colors but they are light brown or tan in direct sunlight to help them blend in even more. Lithops were ‘discovered’ and described in 1811 by Willian Burchell, since then over 40 varieties have been classified. 

Kalanchoe 

Scientific nameKalanchoe 
Common namesWidow’s thrill 
Plant FamilyCrassulaceae
Native environment Madagascar and tropical regions of Africa
Extra informationThese plants are beautiful, they’re famous for their colorful blooms and they are super easy to find. We have them in all our grocery shops as well as florists and plant shops. For specific information about this succulent look no further than our kalanchoe care guide.

kalanchoe in black pot with pink flowers

Ponytail Palm 

Scientific nameBeaucarnea recurvata 
Common namesPonytail palm 
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae
Native environment Eastern Mexico 
Extra informationThe ponytail palm, which is not really a palm, or a tree is related to agave plants which are succulents! It is known for its unique shape which comes from the fact it grows nearly as wide as it does tall. Its thick trunk stores water meaning the plant needs very little maintenance and can be left alone for the most part.

Crassula Ovata 

Scientific nameCrassula Ovata 
Common namesJade Plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree
Plant FamilyCrassulaceae 
Native environment South Africa and mozambique 
Extra informationThis is the commonly named Jade Plant, it belongs to the same family as the Echeveria and Aeonium, but looks quite different. These succulents are great because they are so easy to propagate . The leaves sometimes develop a red hue which is stunning against the rest of the bright green plant, and if you’re lucky you might see your Jade Plant flower. 

crassula ovata in white pebbles and white pot

What Are Some Unique Carnivorous Houseplants?

Carnivorous plants can absolutely be happily grown as indoor plants and actually are great options to keep as a houseplant because they’re fun, unusual but also relatively easy to look after.

Venus Fly Trap

Scientific nameDionaea muscipula
Common namesVenus fly trap
Plant FamilyVulnerable 
Native environment East Coast of the USA especially in north and south Carolina. 
Extra informationThe venus fly trap is a carnivorous plant, with a mouth/trap made from two hinged lobe pieces at the end of each side of the leaf. They have little hairs on the outer 

Pitcher Plant

Scientific nameNepenthes distillatoria 
Common namesPitcher plants, sun pitchers or marsh pitchers
Plant FamilySarraceniaceae 
Native environment Madagascar, Southeast Asia and Australia
Extra informationPitcher plants like to grow in very acidic soil but some of them are epiphytes (meaning that they grow on other plants, usually trees)

pitcher plant ariel view on some bark

Bladderwort

Scientific nameUtricularia 
Common namesBladderwort
Plant FamilyLentibulariaceae
Native environment Every continent except Antarctica 
Extra informationThey grow in freshwater and wet soil and there is around 233 different species of bladderwort

Sundews

Scientific nameDrosera
Common namesSundews
Plant FamilyDroseraceae 
Native environment The genus is thought to have originated in Africa or Australia 
Extra informationThe Drosera genus includes around 152 species of plants spread through tropical warm habitats, they love bogs with acidic soil 

sundews in the sunshine red and green

Butterworts

Scientific namePinguicula 
Common namesButterworts
Plant FamilyLentibulariaceae 
Native environment Likely central America
Extra informationThese plants are only carnivorous during the summer season, during the winter/ resting season the rosette is actually made of non-carnivorous leaves

What Are Some Big Plants Suitable for a Home? 

Bird of Paradise 

Scientific nameStrelitzia Nicolai 
Common namesBird of Paradise 
Plant FamilyStrelitziaceae
Native environment South Africa
Extra informationThis plant is, in the wild, pollinated by birds! 

orange purple and blue bird of paradise 

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Scientific nameFicus lyrata
Common namesFiddle leaf fig
Plant FamilyMoraceae (the mulberry and fig family)
Native environment West Africa
Extra informationFiddle leaf figs don’t have too many different cultivars available but you can get a dwarf fiddle, called a Ficus Lyrata bambino which will only grow to around 2-3 feet tall. You can also find a variegated fiddle leaf fig which is an incredibly beautiful plant, if you have the opportunity I urge you to get one before they get super expensive and trendy!  

Coconut Palm

Scientific nameCocos nucifera 
Common namesCoconut palm 
Plant FamilyArecaceae (the palm family)
Native environment Tropical islands found across the western Pacific 
Extra informationThese indoor plants love warmth and humidity 

coconut palm against a white brick wall

Rubber Plant

Scientific nameFicus elastica 
Common namesRubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant or indian rubber bush
Plant FamilyMoraceae 
Native environment Southeast Asia 
Extra informationIn the wild this plant can grow up to 60 meters tall 

Weeping Fig

Scientific nameFicus Benjamina 
Common namesWeeping Fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree
Plant FamilyMoraceae 
Native environment Asia and Australia 
Extra informationFun fact – this plant is Bangkok’s official tree

weeping fig against a white wall

Philodendron Prince of Orange 

Scientific namePhilodendron erubescens ‘Prince of Orange’ 
Common namesPhilodendron Orange or Prince of orange plant 
Plant FamilyAraceae
Native environment South america
Extra informationThe name comes from the coloring of the leaves, the start out yellow and fade to a orange then copper, before turning green when they are mature

What Are the Most Interesting Pet Friendly Houseplants?

Kentia Palm 

Scientific nameHowea forsteriana 
Common namesKentia palm, thatch palm, palm court palm
Plant FamilyArecaceae 
Native environment South Pacific 
Extra informationA great indoor plant because they are a bit more resistant to the lower light conditions and lower temperatures

kentia palm against a white wall

Pilea

Scientific namePilea peperomioides
Common namesChinese money plant, pancake plant, UFO plant, friendship plant 
Plant FamilyUrticaceae
Native environment Southern China
Extra informationThis plant is sometimes called the pass it on plant because it’s so easy to propagate, the plant does it for you and babies will pop up almost constantly when the plant is happy.

String of Hearts

Scientific nameCeropegia woodii
Common namesString of hearts 
Plant FamilyApocynaceae
Native environment Africa, southern Asia and Australia 
Extra informationString of hearts are the most beautiful plant when they’re variegated, and make such a nice gift especially since they are very easy to propagate  

ceropegia woodii string of hearts in star pot

Maidenhair Fern

Scientific nameAdiantum
Common namesMaidenhair fern 
Plant FamilyPteridaceae 
Native environment Forests of North America 
Extra informationThis plant is sold as a really fussy, difficult plant, in my experience as long as you know what it needs it’s not too demanding, there’s just a lot of misinformation! 

Fishbone Cactus 

Scientific nameDisocactus anguliger
Common namesFishbone cactus or zig zag cactus 
Plant FamilyCactaceae
Native environment Mexico 
Extra informationThese cacti bloom only at night, and the flowers will only last one day

disocactus anguliger in wicker basket in living room

Burro’s tail 

Scientific nameSedum morganianum 
Common namesDonkey’s tail or burro’s tail
Plant FamilyCrassulaceae 
Native environment Southern Mexico
Extra informationThis is a great indoor plant for people with pets as it is non toxic 

Fittonia 

Scientific nameFittonia 
Common namesNerve plant, mosaic plant or net plant  
Plant FamilyAcanthaceae 
Native environment South America, mainly Peru
Extra informationThese plants come in a gorgeous array of colors with contrasting viens 

3 fittonia's in different pots and green and purple colors

Boston Fern

Scientific nameNephrolepis exaltata  
Common namesSword fern or boston fern 
Plant FamilyLomariopsidaceae 
Native environment The Americas
Extra informationBoston ferns are the perfect bathroom plant as long as you have a window that gets a fair bit of natural light

Trailing Jade 

Scientific namePeperomia Rotundifolia 
Common namesVining jade, weeping jade 
Plant FamilyCrassulaceae 
Native environment Tanzania and Kenya 
Extra informationThe trailing jade only grows about 2 inches each year

green trailing jade ariel view

African Violets

Scientific nameStreptocarpus (formerly Saintpaulia) 
Common namesAfrican violets
Plant FamilyGesneriaceae 
Native environment Tropical east Africa 
Extra informationWhilst some may view African violets as an outdated house plant I disagree. They were popularized in the 1960s and 70s but recently have gained new popularity. There’s now a whole range of colors that were previously nonexistent thanks to innovative new growing techniques. 

Which Low Light Plants Are Suitable for My Home?

ZZ Plant

Scientific nameZamioculcas zamiifolia 
Common namesZZ plant, Zanzibar gem
Plant FamilyAraceae 
Native environment Eastern Africa
Extra informationZZ plants come in a fun cultivar called ZZ Raven where the leaves start off green and turn black as they reach maturity 

zz plant against white background

Parlor Palm 

Scientific nameChamaedorea elegans 
Common namesThe neanthe bella palm or parlour palm 
Plant FamilyArecaceae 
Native environment Southern Mexico and Guatemala 
Extra informationParlor palm or Chamaedorea elegans is one of the most common types of palms available as a houseplant. This particular type of palm likes less light than the others, doing best in a shadier spot with high humidity.

Yucca Palm 

Scientific nameYucca brevifolia 
Common namesJoshua tree, palm tree yucca or yucca palm 
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment South America
Extra informationWhilst yucca plants can be grown indoors in low light conditions, if you give them a little extra light and love they might flower!

yucca palm against a white background

Majesty Palm 

Scientific nameRavenea rivularis
Common namesThe majesty palm or majesty palm
Plant FamilyArecaceae
Native environment Madagascar 
Extra informationMajesty Palms are incredible plants which can grow up to 98 feet tall in the wild or around 12 feet tall indoors, these palms like more sunlight than the other types and will be happy with some bright light

Cast Iron Plant 

Scientific nameAspidistra elatior
Common namesThe cast-iron-plant or bar-room plant
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment China and Japan
Extra informationThis plant is one of the few houseplants which is completely non-toxic

cast iron plant in brown pot against a white background

Spider Plant

Scientific nameChlorophytum comosum
Common namesSpider plant or common spider plant
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment Tropical West Africa
Extra informationSpider plants grow little babies which you can just gently rest back into the soil and they’ll root and establish themselves.

Sansevieria Gracilis 

Scientific nameDracaena trifasciata
Common namesSnake plant, Saint George’s sword, mother-in-law’s tongue, viper’s bowstring hemp
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment Tropical Africa
Extra informationThis cultivar of snake plant is more unique looking and compact compared to the other options. This is a great option if you want something fun but that will fit well in a smaller space and won’t need repotting and major upkeep. It produces flowers later in the growing season and tends to bloom in clusters of white flowers.

sansevieria gracilis in white pot on beige background

Sansevieria Canaliculata 

Scientific nameSansevieria Canaliculata 
Common namesFernwood
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment Madagascar
Extra informationUnlike the others, this snake plant enjoys bright, filtered light and is not tolerant to cold weather periods. Whilst some snake plants might be okay in your garden over the winter, this one definitely needs to come indoors. 

Sansevieria Cylindrica 

Scientific nameSansevieria cylindrica
Common namesAfrican Spear, Dracaena angolensis, cylindrical snake plant
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment Angola
Extra informationThe leaves can grow up to six feet tall and they can be grown into many shapes by braiding or twisting the leaves as they grow.

many sansevieria cylindrica in plastic containers

Sansevieria Masoniana 

Scientific nameSansevieria masoniana 
Common namesWhale fin or shark fin snake plant. 
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment Africa
Extra informationThis cultivar has broad leaves and needs more bright light than the other types we’ve looked at. The way to identify this plant is from the purple hue at the base of the leaves. 

Calathea Orbifolia 

Scientific nameCalathea orbifolia
Common namesPrayer plant
Plant FamilyMarantaceae
Native environment Bolivia
Extra informationCalatheas are great examples of plants which can move, they have a joint where the stem ends which means they can move their leaves to capture the most light during the day

calathea orbifolia ariel view


Which Rare Plants Can I Find? 

Monstera Variegata – Thai Consetllation 

Scientific nameMonstera variegata
Common namesThai constellation, swiss cheese plant
Plant FamilyArums
Native environment South Mexico and Panama
Extra informationPossibly the most popular wishlist plant for all plant lovers right now – I dream that my monstera will pop out a white leaf and I’ll be blessed but it hasn’t happened yet. The pattern is caused by a genetic mutation that very rarely occurs, causing the plant to underproduce chlorophyll, resulting in white patches.

Variegated String of Pearls

Scientific nameSenecio rowleyanus f. variegatus
Common namesVariegated string of pearls
Plant FamilyAsparagaceae 
Native environment South Africa
Extra informationThis plant is so rare, and hard to come by there’s only one grower of the variegated string of pearls across the USA

variegated string of pearls in brown pot

Alocasia Silver Dragon Scale 

Scientific nameAlocasia baginda
Common namesAlocasia silver dragon, alocasia silver dragon scale, elephant ear silver dragon, jewel alocasias
Plant FamilyAraceae
Native environment Eastern Borneo
Extra informationThis plant is named because of its amazing foliage which resembles a dragon’s skin. It is so amazing that it’s considered a Jewel Alocasia 

What are the Top Picks for Easy to Care for Plants?

Devil’s Ivy – Scindapsus Aureus 

Scientific nameEpipremnum aureum
Common namesDevil’s ivy, pothos, golden pothos, hunter’s rove
Plant FamilyAraceae
Native environment South East Asia
Extra informationI am in love with this plant, it’s my absolute go to as a recommendation for new plant owners or anyone who wants to quickly make their house look like a jungle.

devil’s ivy scindapsus aureus surrounded by decorations

Pothos N’Joy” – Scindapsus Happy Leaf

Scientific nameEpipremnum pinnatum ‘N’joy’
Common namesGolden pothos, ceylon creeper, money plant, silver vine, Solomon Islands ivy, taro vine, marble queen
Plant FamilyAraceae
Native environment South East Asia
Extra informationThis particular pothos is a cultivar of the Marble Queen Pothos 

Peace Lily 

Scientific nameSpathiphyllum
Common namesPeace lily
Plant FamilyAraceae
Native environment Tropical regions of the Americas and southeast Asia
Extra informationThese plants are really sensitive to chemicals in tap water so try to use filtered water or rain water if you can

many peace lily white flowers

Money Tree

Scientific namePachira aquatica
Common namesMoney tree, money plant, water chestnut, malabar chestnut
Plant FamilyMalvaceae 
Native environment Central and South America
Extra informationThe branches of this plant are often intertwined, it is said that by doing this you trap the good luck and positivity into the plant

Tradescantia Zebrina 

Scientific nameTradescantia zebrina
Common namesWandering Jew plant, silver inch plant, wandering dude
Plant FamilySpiderworts
Native environment Mexico
Extra informationYou can find a really cool cultivar of this plant called the Tradescantia zebrina Burgundy with deeper hues and less green 

hand holding tradescantia zebrina with purple hues

String of Hearts

Scientific nameCeropegia woodii 
Common namesString of hearts, bushman’s pipevine, lantern flower, rosary vine
Plant FamilyDogbanes 
Native environment Africa, Australia, southern Asia
Extra informationString of hearts can grow over 10 feet long!

Hoya Kerrii

Scientific nameHoya kerrii
Common namesSweetheart plant, hoya hearts, lucky-heart
Plant FamilyDogbanes
Native environment Southeast Asia
Extra informationThese plants are often sold as just one single heart with no stem, unfortunately ones sold that way will never grow another more, this is called a zombie plant.

hoya kerrii in grey pot and white background

Monstera Adansonii – Monkey Mask 

Scientific nameMonstera adansonii
Common namesThe Adanson’s monstera, swiss cheese plant, five holes plant, monkey mask
Plant FamilyAraceae
Native environment South and Central America
Extra informationThis plant is often mixed up with the adansonii obliqua but that’s not right!

Umbrella Plant

Scientific nameSchefflera actinophylla 
Common namesDwarf Umbrella Tree, parasol plant
Plant FamilyAraliaceae 
Native environment Australia, New Guinea and Java
Extra informationThere’s three main varieties available, bonsai, regular and variegated

umbrella plant side view

English Ivy 

Scientific nameHedera Helix 
Common namesEnglish Ivy, Common Ivy  
Plant FamilyAraliaceae
Native environment Most of europe and western Asia 
Extra informationHedera Helix is great for gardens since it attracts bees and pollinators

Which Challenging Plants are Worth the Hard Work?

Orchids 

Scientific nameOrchidaceae, Phalanaenopsis is the name of the most common orchid
Common namesOrchid 
Plant FamilyOrchidaceae 
Native environment Orchids are found in every region except glacial environments 
Extra informationThere’s around 28 thousand types of orchids and this group of plants is so wife it encompasses epiphytes, terrestrial plants and orchids that can’t photosynthesise and have to get energy by relying on fungi

blue pink and yellow orchid on blue background

Staghorn Fern

Scientific namePlatycerium bifurcatum 
Common namesStaghorn fern or elkhorn fern 
Plant FamilyPolypodiaceae 
Native environment Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia 
Extra informationStaghorn ferns are epiphytes and grow entirely off other trees, absorbing nutrients through their fronds.

Elephant’s Ear

Scientific nameAlocasia amazonica Polly 
Common namesElephant ear 
Plant FamilyArums
Native environment Southeast Asia
Extra informationThis plant is actually a hybrid of Alocasia longiloba and A. sanderiana

elephant’s ear in the sunshine

Which Houseplants Would Look Great in YOUR Home?

It’s so exciting that now our options for easy-to-find houseplants are more than just the traditional snake plants or peace lilies and we can own plants in an amazing variety of colors, sizes, species! Whether you have just a few or an indoor jungle there’s always something new to try, so if you’re feeling up for it, why don’t you branch out and try growing something you would have never previously considered! I’m going to try growing orchids again since I’ve struggled with them in the past!

Enjoyed Learning About These Cool Houseplants?

Let us know your thoughts and feedback – here. We love to talk plants! Ready to care for your own at home?

Check out all of our houseplant care guides plus all the necessary tools you need to start and maintain a lovely indoor garden. 

Photo of author
Katie Riggs
Katie’s love of plants began at a young age, in fact it was the first time she went camping and discovered the medicinal wonders of a dock leaf that the fascination with all things botanical took hold. Spending time in nature and frequently visiting the Kew Gardens, she became obsessed with the diversity of plants you could grow at home. Her favorite things to grow are herbs and vegetables outdoors as well as her prized fiddle leaf fig and calathea orbifolia. Hundreds of mistakes later she has become well versed in how not to kill a houseplant. Her passions now involve sharing her love of nature and all things green to help other people keep their plants happy and healthy.

Make Your Leafy Dreams Come True :)

If you want to start your plant journey on the right foot, you need the best quality plants, whether you’re a beginner or a veteran. Check out the most popular and unique plants available from Léon & George, the most reputable folks in the plant world. Click below! 

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