 In fashion, who would have guessed that bell-bottoms and hip-huggers would return? In the plant world, it’s the same. Plants that were out of favor in the 1990s have regained popularity, partly because they are low maintenance. And we – even those of us who love gardening – lead busy lives.An application of a timed-release fertilizer once a year, a bit of water and light is all most of these plants ever need. Many of the most popular indoor plants are also easy to propagate.
Snake Plant
(aka Mother-in-law’s Tongue)
Sansevieria trifasciata  Snake plants have been popular off and on since Victorian times. They were out of style in the 1990s, and now they are back in again. They come in many varieties, shapes and sizes. Julie Mintun, a sales representative for Mainland Nursery, suggests grouping different sizes and varieties in a low, shallow pot for a bold and dramatic architectural element.
Light
Bright to low light Water
Let a Snake plant dry out before watering.
Over-watering will kill this plant. Propagation
Sansevieria can easily be divided and re-potted.  Pothos
Epipremnum aureum
Pothos is not for hanging anymore, Mintun says. In the 1970s and 1980s, people would string a Pothos branch above a window or along a mantel. Not now. Today’s Pothos are grown in a bouquet style, lush and dense. Mintun advises pinching your Pothos back occasionally to maintain its density, as well as placing the plant in a cache pot, or even massing plants. Light
Pothos grows in either bright or low light. Water
Let a Pothos dry out, and then water well. Propagation
Pothos cuttings can be rooted in water. Once roots
are showing, pot the cutting in potting soil. Coleus
Coleus hybridus  “Awesome” is the word Janet Clay, nursery manager at the Garden Shop Nursery, Reno, uses to describe the Coleus. There are so many varieties and colors in Coleus now that it’s not that old 1970s plant any longer. Janet reminds us that Coleus can be grown outdoors in the summer to add color to shady spots, but it will grow indoors all winter also.
Light
Bright light indoors,
afternoon shade outdoors. Water
Coleus likes moist soil. Propagation
Root cuttings in water and
then pot in potting soil when
roots are well developed.
Croton
Codiaeum variegatum
 A long-time favorite that has roots back in Victorian times, the Croton comes in many different foliage colors and leaf shapes. It grows well in Truckee Meadows homes and has maintained its popularity as a colorful indoor plant.
Light
The leaf color, which runs the gamut from pale yellow to bright pink, will be more pronounced in bright light, but a Croton will grow in areas with lower light. Water
Crotons like regular
to ample water. Propagation
Crotons can be propagated through stem cuttings.
Goldfish Plant
Columnea linearis
 Another old favorite from your great-grandmother’s days, the Goldfish plant can last for years, even decades. Clay likes the deep, glossy leaves on this plant, which are almost succulent. She says it’s an easy-care plant and will bloom continually if fertilized with a fertilizer that is high in phosphorus (the middle number).
Light
Goldfish plants prefer
bright, filtered light. Water
Let these plants dry, and
then water well. Propagation
Root cuttings in water and
then pot in potting soil when
roots are well developed.
Linda Good is a professional garden designer and gardener known for her lush combinations of container and bed gardens.
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