Your beginner’s guide to the 3 best indoor plants

The Gold Coast is home to a huge selection of beautiful apartments and townhouses.

These smaller spaces are perfect for busy bodies without the time to maintain a whole property – but for people who want to spruce up their space a little, there are always options. Including an indoor plant in your apartment decor not only adds style and colour, but can also provide a host of benefits when treated properly.

Let's have a look at three of the best indoor plants for your Gold Coast apartment.

Ficus lyrata (Fiddle-leaf fig)

You don't need loads of space to feature a tree in your decor. The Ficus lyrata grows proudly upwards and branches with leathery violin-shaped leaves. Due to its thin, elegant stem and minimal wood in its branches, a Ficus lyrata is the perfect plant to live in the corner near a window. It won't take up too much horizontal space, but will still appear impressive.

When caring for a Ficus lyrata, ensure it's positioned with plenty of sun – by the sliding door of your balcony is a great spot. Be careful to never over-water your tree – give it a small drink only when the topsoil has become dry. There's no strong need to use fertiliser, however a diluted solution once a month during spring and summer cannot hurt. Last of all, remember to dust those wide leaves to keep up its healthy photosynthesis.

Peace lily

A peace lily is a great option if you're not too confident in your ability to care for a plant, or if you're wanting something for a room with limited natural light. These plants are most easily recognised by their long stems and slender white flowers. Unlike most flowering plants, peace lilies will bloom with little to no sunlight – earning them the nickname "Closet Plant". They also don't need too much watering – but will start to droop to let you know when they're thirsty.

Peace lilies are fantastic for purifying the air in your apartment, so you'll love keeping one anywhere you tend to use heavy-duty cleaning products. However, lilies are highly toxic to many domestic pets – so this isn't your best bet if you keep a furry pal at home.

Succulents

How could we not mention succulents? This range of plants is known to be fairly self-sufficient – a bit of sunlight and a generous watering every other month is usually enough to see your succulents thriving. These are the best "set and forget" plants so if you don't have the time for maintenance, this is your best option. Place your succulents in a terrarium or a small planter and feature them in the middle of your coffee table for an attractive, natural centre piece.

Whether you're confident with growing or not, keeping indoor plants in an apartment of any size is easy. Talk to the team here at Ray White Surfer's Paradise about finding your next apartment today and you'll be planting in no time.