What Kind of Indoor Plants to Put on the Stairs Inside My House

Pint-Sized Plants

• Miniature roses create the illusion of fully blooming rose bushes on a very small scale. These sturdy little plants don't get much bigger than about 18 inches and bloom continuously. The delicate roses bloom in a wide range of colors. African violets create a beautiful display of blooms for a well-lit staircase. These plants thrive in artificially lit areas. They flower often and their clippings propagate in water. Other little house plants include various types of shamrock plants and wax begonias. Many houseplants thrive with careful removal of new foliage to keep them small and suited to a place on stairs.

Topiaries

• Topiaries create a sculptured atmosphere suitable for stairs and landings. Topiary gardening guides plants in their growth around wire framing or being clipped into shapes. With patient trimming and guidance, topiary plants thrive and achieve desired heights and shapes. Indoor topiaries often use English ivy, a favorite that responds well to topiary frames and thrives in various conditions. Easy to grow and maintain, ivy topiaries settle in well on a set of stairs. Other topiary plant choices include smaller varieties of coniferous shrubs, sweet peas, angel ivy and boxwood.

Colorful Foliage

• Plants such as coleus thrive with little attention and low light conditions. Coleus tolerates bright sun, but prefers indirect light. The coleus grows in such a wide variety of vivid colors, its folk names include painted leaf and flame nettle. The shades of foliage and combinations of colors of the coleus leaves are vast from green and salmon to bright violet and blue. Coleus grows well when planted in bunches, pushing the color possibilities even further. Pothos or devil's ivy thrives in any light condition; its glossy heart-shaped leaves growing in many variations of green tones and white. The cuttings root in water. Maranta or prayer plant has long oval leaves with distinct red veining. The colors include bright green and yellow to pale greens.

Trailing Plants

• Stairs make a perfect backdrop for trailing plants such as English ivy or purple velvet plants. These types of vines thrive where they can hang down and gain length. The purple velvet plant grows foliage thick with vivid purple hairs. The shade stays richer in moderate to low light. The tendrils give stairs an elegant look, especially when they have an open side to allow the vines to hang down from the steps. Various types of ivy, philodendron, wandering Jew and hoya work well in a variety of conditions and require little maintenance.