Garden Detective

In my line of work, I've heard confessions of murder from dozens of otherwise decent folks. They've come clean about killing cactuses and lamented about offing orchids. The culprits typically accept their guilt and self-flagellate for awhile before ultimately swearing off houseplants forever.

But the truth is no plant was created to live indoors. Houseplants are really tropical plants that we've decided to domesticate, oftentimes many horticultural zones away from their homes. It's no wonder, then, that so many are massacred by good-intentioned homeowners who, through no fault of their own, lack sufficient sunlight or areas away from drafty windows or radiators. Here, then, are eight low-maintenance houseplants that practically take care of themselves. No green thumb required.

Click the photo to check them out:

Before buying an indoor plant, it's important to determine whether it's right for your home. Here are three points to consider:

LIGHT. Think about where your windows are and which direction the main part of your house faces. A southern exposure offers the brightest light. Eastern and western exposures will provide medium light, while northern exposures likely will produce lots of shadows and, therefore, lowlight situations. If there are a lot of trees outside, the available light indoors will be reduced.

DRAFTS. If windows aren't well insulated or if there's an air-conditioning unit nearby, plant foliage will suffer. Leaves might blacken, and some flowering plants will drop buds.

HEAT. Don't ever place houseplants on or near radiators. The constant heat will dry out the soil and the plant.