Question
Hi,

I'm a city guy who can just barely tell a tree from a horse.

But I've recently redone my apartment and I'd like to have a four or five foot tree or plant to give the bedroom warmth and life.

The problem is that I need something that requires relatively little care. Watering is no problem, but if there's a lot of horticultural stuff involved, I'm dead.

What would you suggest?

Many thanks,

Steve

Answer
This horse you want to buy, my friend - it will be parked near a window?

Because as you know, light is needed.  What direction does your window(s) face? (N-S-E-W) Would you say it gets a LOT of sun?  Enough sun to wake you up on Sunday mornings?  Is it pouring through the window enough to get a tan?  Or is it creeping in like through a cloud, so that you need to turn on a light to be able to read a newspaper?

Just need to know if there is A LOT of light or A LITTLE light.

That said, this is really all you need to know.  Most greenery sold in a plain vanilla store will be easy-to-grow fare.

I hesitate to give you specific names, because specific plants might not be available.  But if you see a Chinese Evergreen at the store - Aglaonema commutatum - get a few of those.  This plant will grow with low light and it is nearly indestructible.

Any Ficus, Philodendron and/or Schefflera would not be hard to grow.  The Fiddle-Leaf Ficus is less common than Ficus Benjaminum; it has large, handsome leaves, while Benjamin has small, almost glittery, dainty leaves.  Both can be purchased as small trees that eventually will take up an entire corner - provided it is well lit.  Many people purchase can-lights to place by the pot to light the leaves from below.  Fertilizing is something you can do occasionally, maybe once a month, once a season, even just monthly in spring and summer.  But you don't really HAVE to fertilize at all.

Once thing to prepare for: When you do bring your new plant(s) home, be prepared to see some leaves drop.  This is VERY normal.  Going from the steamy, warm sauna of a greenhouse to the desert-dry heat of an apartment is bound to take its toll.  If you can humidify the room with a real humidifier, it will be good for both you and your plants.  Don't even bother with the old rumor that putting a few dishes of water over a radiator will somehow humidify the area of the plants.  The amount of water that is released into the air is negligible and it spreads out across the room.  No plant will ever notice the difference.

Odds are, you will see a lot of plants out there.  Make sure whatever you buy is labelled; keep the label and in case anything seems to be going wrong, you'll be able to ask one of us what to do about it.  Could be a very simple problem.  We'll know faster if you know what you have.

That about covers it.

RSVP re your lighting if you have a chance.  Thanks for writing.