How to houseplant: a beginner's guide to making and keeping plant friends

pt. 1. Plant care basics

The path to enlightenment : Understanding light

Water world : The when, where, how, and why of watering

Oh, the humidity : Why it (sometimes) matters

Soiled again : Understanding potting mixes

Let's go shopping!

Hey, good looking : How to groom your plants

Moving on : Repotting your plants

Now what's wrong? Common plant problems

Propagation : Or, how to make more plant friends

pt. 2. Plant profiles

African violet (saintpaulia)

Air plants (tillandsia)

Aloe vera

Amaryllis (hippeastrum)

Arrowhead plant (syngonium podophyllum)

Bird's nest fern (asplenium nidus)

Boston fern (nephrolepis exaltata 'bostoniensis')

Braided money tree (pachira aquatica)

Cast iron plant (aspidistra elatior)

Chinese evergreen (aglaonema)

Chinese money plant (pilea peperomioides)

Christmas cactus (schlumbergera buckleyi)

Dieffenchachia (dieffenbachia seguine)

Donkey's tail (sedum morganianum)

Dwarf umbrella tree (schefflera arboricola)

Echeveria

English ivy (hedera helix)

Fiddle-leaf fig (ficus lyrata)

Flaming katy (kalanchoe blossfeldiana)

Golden barrel cactus (echinocactus grusonii)

Heartleaphilodendron (philodendrom hederaceum, syn. philodendron scandens)

Inch plant (tradescantia zebrina)

Jade plant (crassula ovata)

Lady slipper orchid (paphiopedilum)

Lemon-lime dracaena (dracaena deremensis 'lemon lime')

Lucky bamboo (dracaena sanderiana)

Meyer lemon tree (citrus meyeri)

Monstera (monstera deliciosa)

Moth orchid (phalaenopsis)

Nerve plant (fittonia)

Norfold island pine (araucaria heterophylla)

Oxalis triangularis

Panda plant (kalanchoe tomentosa)

Parlor palm (chamaedorea elegans, syn. neanthe bella)

Peace lily (spathiphyllum)

Polka dot plant (hypoestes phyllostachya)

Ponytail palm (beaucarnea recurvata)

Pothos (epipremnum aureum)

Prayer plant (maranta leuconeura)

Rex begonia (begonia rex)

Rubber plant (ficus elastica)

Snake plant (sansevieria trifasciata)

Spider plant (cholorphytum comosum)

Staghorn fern (platycerium bifurcatum)

Tree philodendron (philodendron bipinnatifidum, syn. philodendron selloum)

Urn plant (aechmea fasciata)

Watermelon peperomia (peperomia argyrea)

Wax plant (hoya carnosa)

Zebra plant (haworthia fasciata)

ZZ plant (zamioculcas zamiifolia).