These typically dont make good houseplants.
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Not every plant loves growing inside your home.
Others have little patience for conditions that arent identical to their native environments.
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Some plants also need much more light than we can offer on even the sunniest window sill.
A few plants get ginormous, eventually becoming gangly and unattractive once mature.
And many plants are prone topest issuesindoors.
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Finally, there are the plants that aresupposedto be easy to grow but that just struggle and look sad.
In that case, more power to your green thumb!
Its also fine to experiment with bringing in your favorite outdoor plants to see how they do.
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But lets be honest: Theres no shame in knowing when to call it quits.
If an indoor plant doesnt look good for any reason (too sparse!
), give yourself permission to toss it.
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But youll need to provide optimal growing conditions for these evergreens, or theyll quickly drop buds and foliage.
Gardeniasneed high light and humidity levels.
Theyre also prone to get spider mites,mealybugsandwhitefliesin your warm home.
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Chrysanthemum
These popular fall flowers, known as hardychrysanthemums, are cold-hardy perennials.
But because they bloom just once per year, you wont gain anything by bringing them indoors.
Even if youdeadhead your hardy mums, they wont produce new flowers this season.
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Plus, they are prone toaphidsand spider mites indoors.
But mostly, roses are more work than theyre worth indoors.
store your roses for your outdoor flower beds and containers.
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Lavender
Native to the Mediterranean,lavenderneeds 6 or more hours of direct sunlight to thrive.
Rosemary
Similar to lavender,rosemaryneeds tons of direct sunlight to thrive.
Indoor success requires a bright window sill and constant monitoring of the soil moisture levels.
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For this reason, rosemary often struggles as a houseplant.
The sharp spines of many types of cacti also arent ideal around curious kids and pets.
Plus, theyre slow-growing, so the size you buy is what youll have for years.
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Tree Philodendron
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Philodendronsare super-easy to grow.
Its pretty and sturdy and grows fast.
However, after about two years, it may become too wide and gangly for your home.
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Boston Fern
A full, lushBoston fernis gorgeous when hanging on a partially-shaded porch.
Its usually a nightmare.
Boston ferns need high light and high humidity levels, so theyre typically not very content inside your home.
They also dont like drafts and prefer to stay consistently moist so they need constant attention.
If unhappy, Boston ferns will quickly show you their displeasure by dropping fronds.
And then dropping some more.
And then some more.
Hydrangea
These stunning shrubs add color, texture, and structure to the landscape.
But while you may receive ahydrangeaas an indoor gift plant, theyre typically meant to be enjoyed short-term.
Thats because theyre difficult to keep alive indoors because they like cooler temperatures and high humidity.
They also need a period of dormancy, as theyd experience if they were growing outdoors.
Because its iffy getting these to bloom indoors in subsequent years, compost these plants when they fade.
