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We recently took to Instagram to find out which trend our readers want to stick around forever. The winner, “Plants on Plants,” was an unsurprising sweep, as there’s nothing as beautiful as filling your home (or tiny apartment) with stylish greenery. Plants make people happy, which is the appropriate mantra of The Sill, our go-to shop for houseplants in NYC.
We had a chance to speak with The Sill’s own resident plant scientist to find out which plants the team expects to lead the trends this year. Chris Satch gave us the scoop on seven low-maintenance houseplants that are sure to be the next plant stars of Instagram.
Rattlesnake Calathea
This is part of the prayer plant family. They have really cool markings on their leaves, with purple on the back, so that as the leaves perk up, they kind of tease with that purpley-ness underneath. They’re also really cool because the leaves move in response to light cycles. At night, the entire plant will droop, but in the daytime it will spring back up. It’s a low-light plant, so keep it away from the sun. Bright, indirect light is best.
Marimo “Moss” Ball
This one is actually already trending in Asia. They’re native to cold, alkaline lakes in the northern regions of Japan, and they’re also distributed throughout Russia and Canada in cold, freshwater lakes. They’re called Marimo Moss Balls, but they’re actually not a moss at all. They’re a colony forming algae that the lake motion forms into a ball.
They have three forms: a mass (like typical algae), as free floating strands of algae, or as ball colonies. The latter is very advantageous for them because in a storm, everything gets kicked up at the bottom of the lake, but they won’t be buried. They’ll settle on top of the sediments, and the lake motion pushes them together. They’re not slimy like other algae, and they can survive outside of water. They’re pretty sponge-like.
Hedgehog Aloe
This is the June
at The Sill. They’re in the aloe family, and they’re related to aloe vera. When they flower, they have a nice big stalk with a gorgeous, elongated bell-shaped flower that’s a bright fire red which fades to yellow towards the base of the flower.
Rex Begonia
There is a lot of diversity within just one type of begonia. They’re going to trend because they have all these different shapes, leaf shapes, leaf sizes, patterns, and colors. Some of them actually are metallic. It’s like a light metallic, kinda of like aluminum foil, that reflects light. You notice it best when they’re in direct sunlight.
It’s best to give them as much sunlight as you can. They can tolerate maybe about half a day’s worth of sun, and then the rest of it bright, indirect light or shade. They come in different wacky shapes and sizes to complement your lifestyle or your decor needs. As a bonus, they do flower about once a year. The showier the leaves, the less exciting the flowers are. They’re usually very tiny, but they’re colorful—usually white, pink, a cream color, or red. They’re really exciting plants.
Ponytail Palm
Surprise! The ponytail palm isn’t actually a palm. It’s a native of Southeastern Mexico and is actually a member of the lily family. We’re loving how much easier it is to care for than the infamously difficult Fiddle Leaf Fig tree and how it’s less problematic with pests than actual palms.
This distinctive-looking plant will humbly climb the ranks of popularity due to its easy-care nature and will surely redefine indoor foliage due to the way it resembles a small willow tree. Simply water once weekly and keep in bright, indirect light to full sun.
Staghorn Fern
Get this: the staghorn fern gets its name from resembling deer of snag antlers when mature. This aesthetic, combined with the fact that they’re an epiphyte (an above-ground plant supported by another plant/object) makes them a prime candidate for mounting on a plaque on your wall.
DIY your own “vegan antlers,” or simply pot them in a traditional tabletop planter for a more classic look. To care for the fern, mist daily with warm, purified water and water once weekly, while providing it with bright, indirect light to full sun.
Lithops
Their exotic round shape, range of hues with intricate markings, and leaf windows (i.e. see-through leaves!) make lithops a unique, must-have plant for any collector. It’s impossible not to see why these curious, South-African-native houseplants are nicknamed “living stones.” Pot a variety together in a single container for a super unique look that’s bound intrigue visitors and add some bohemian style to your space. Water every three to four weeks in full sun, but less often when placed in indirect sun or in winter.