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* Gardening & Plants
* Landscaping
* Interior Design
* Home Improvement





Indoor Plants That Grow in Water

A number of indoor plants grow well in a vase of water.

Plants that can survive with their roots immersed are called hydrophytes.
They can be grown indoors in a vase of water or used to purify the water
in freshwater aquariums. A number of common houseplants will grow
successfully in pure water without the need for any substrate. These
include the popular tropical golden pothos vine and lucky bamboo, as well
as more surprising species such as succulent jade plants.


1.

Golden Pothos


* Golden pothos (Scindapsis aureus) will grow roots if a cut stem
is placed in tap water. A drop of liquid houseplant fertilizer once
a month keeps the leaves dark green and encourages fresh growth.
Golden pothos stems rooted in water can be planted in potting
compost once they have developed a strong root system.





Lucky Bamboo


* Lucky bamboo thrives in fluoride-free water. bamboo image by
Bube from Fotolia.com

Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) is among the easiest indoor
plants to grow in water. Place canes of lucky bamboo in
fluoride-free tap water and keep them on a bright windowsill that
does not receive direct sunlight. The canes will grow indefinitely
without the need for soil or gravel. Add a single drop of liquid
houseplant fertilizer once a month and change the water a couple of
days later. This allows the roots to absorb nutrients without being
damaged by salts.





Umbrella Plant


* The swamp-loving umbrella plant grows well in water. Papyrus
and morning sky reflecion, HaHula, Israel image by Oren Sarid from
Fotolia.com

The umbrella plant (Cyperus alternifolius) is a swamp species from
Madagascar that grows well with its roots immersed completely in
water. It can reach 5 feet in height if grown in a large aquarium.
Umbrella plants grow best when they are grown in a pot of peaty soil
that is sunk into a larger pot full of water.





Jade Plant


* Surprisingly, succulent jade plants will grow in pure water.
succulent potted plant image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com

While they are succulents and prone to root rot if grown in wet
soil, jade plants (Crassula ovata) are able to grow in pure water
for long periods. A jade plant branch placed in a jar of water grows
roots and even new leaves and stems, provided the water does not dry
out. Jade plants can be propagated by taking these stems out of
water once they have developed roots and potting them up in normal
compost.





Other Options


* English ivy (Hedera helix), the dumb cane (Dieffenbachia Spp.)
and the Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum) will all grow in a
vase of water provided their leaves and shots are not underwater.
The wandering Jew (Tradescantia Spp.) and many philodendrons are
also hydrophytes.






References


* Photo Credit bouturage image by Claudio Calcagno from Fotolia.com;
bamboo image by Bube from Fotolia.com; Papyrus and morning sky
reflecion, HaHula, Israel image by Oren Sarid from Fotolia.com;
succulent potted plant image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com;

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