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Houseplants - Houseplants 3
Find out if a plant likes the heat before placing it close to a radiator.

Houseplants - Houseplants 3

Indoor plants can look fine until pests move in. Learn how to spot early signs, protect new plants, and keep houseplants healthier with simple weekly checks.

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Fascinating Fact:

Houseplants can suffer from pests like spider mites, mealybugs, and scale. Checking leaf undersides and stems helps you catch problems early.

Houseplant problems often start quietly, especially indoors where conditions stay warm and stable. Pests may arrive on a new plant, in the compost, or even through an open window in summer. The best defence is routine: look closely at new growth, check for sticky patches, speckling, curling leaves, and weakened stems. If you spot an issue, isolate the plant straight away so the problem does not spread. Many pests can be reduced by washing leaves, removing badly affected parts, and improving plant health with correct watering and light. Overly dry air can stress plants, while soggy compost can weaken roots, making a plant easier to attack. If you use treatments, follow the label carefully and repeat as needed, because eggs and young pests may survive the first attempt. With steady checks and quick action, most houseplants recover well.

Key Terms

  • Infestation: When a large number of pests build up on a plant and start causing noticeable damage.
  • Quarantine: Keeping a new or affected plant separate from others for a period to prevent problems spreading.
  • Contact treatment: A pest control method that works when it touches the pest, so thorough coverage of leaves and stems matters.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are the most common houseplant pests in the UK?

Common houseplant pests include aphids, fungus gnats, thrips, and whitefly, as well as sap-sucking insects that hide on leaves and stems. Regular checks help you spot them before damage becomes serious.

How do I treat spider mites on houseplants?

Start by isolating the plant, then rinse leaves and stems to remove as many pests as possible. Increasing humidity slightly and using a suitable houseplant-safe treatment can reduce repeated outbreaks.

How can I stop pests spreading between houseplants?

Keep new plants separate for at least a week or two, and isolate any plant that looks unwell. Avoid sharing pots, tools, or drip trays without cleaning, and check nearby plants at the same time.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.
1 .
The plant called wandering jew is known scientifically as what?
Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/adaduitokla/
Cissus
Hedera
Lamium
Tradescantia
  • Sometimes also known as inch plant.
  • This is the ideal plant to give to someone who does not have 'green fingers'.
  • It is almost impossible to kill!
  • Tiny pink flowers are produced when it is happy.
  • In very dark conditions the leaf colour will become less striking.
  • If the plant becomes leggy it is one of the easiest plants to propagate. Cut off a short length of stem, insert it into compost and it will quickly take root.
The plant illustrated is tradescantia zebrina
2 .
The houseplants that gardeners know as azaleas are known as what by botanists?
Photograph courtesy of Lumiago
Azaleacea
Camellia
Rhododendrons
Skimmia
  • There are few houseplants that can rival azaleas for profusion of flowers.
  • The cooler you can keep the plants the longer they will last in the home but ensure they don't get frozen.
  • It is imperative that the compost is never allowed to dry out. If this happens the developing buds will go brown and die without opening.
  • The most usual method of watering is to 'dunk' the entire pot in water until the compost is saturated.
  • Avoid getting water on the flowers because they are easily spoiled.
Azaleacea does not exist! Along with rhododendrons both camellia and skimmia are lime-hating plants
3 .
This houseplant is sometimes known as the China rose or shoe flower but what is its scientific name?
Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/gertrudk/
Hedera
Hibiscus
Hypericum
Hippeastrum
  • The plant is the national flower of Malaysia.
  • Flowers are edible and they are used in proprietary hair-care products.
  • Flowers can be many different shades of orange, pink, red, white and yellow.
  • Although each flower is short-lived the plant constantly produces new ones.
  • When kept at about 15 degrees C and given regular weak feeds the plant can be kept flowering for most of the year.
4 .
How many different species of orchid are documented?
Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/scott361/
Less than 100
Between 100 and 1,000
Between 1,000 and 5,000
Over 20,000
  • Orchids are found in virtually every country on earth.
  • Did you know that vanilla flavouring is produced from the dried seed pods of an orchid variety?
  • The genus illustrated is cattleya - it is often used as a houseplant.
  • Cattleya is a large flowering orchid with individual flowers up to 15 cm across.
  • The plants are not as delicate as they look and they will withstand temperatures down to near freezing.
  • Keep in a cool place to ensure that the flowers last as long as possible.
Orchids are believed to be the largest family of flowering plants
5 .
The poinsettia is named after what?
Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/jfholloway/
An animal
A climate
A person
A region
  • Latin Name: Euphorbia pulcherrima
  • The attraction of the plant is not the flowers but the vividly coloured bracts (leaves) at the top of the plant. The flowers are insignificant - in this photograph they are small and yellow in the centre of the red bracts.
  • Plants with red bracts are the most popular at Christmas but yellow, white and pink are also available.
  • To keep the plant looking good for as long as possible make sure that it is not overwatered or left in a drafty place.
Named after the first USA minister to Mexico - Mr. Joel Roberts Poinsett (the plant grows wild in Mexico and Central America)
6 .
What is the name of this winter-flowering houseplant?
Photograph courtesy of Josemazcona
Capsicum
Cotoneaster
Pyracantha
Solanum
  • Sometimes known as the Jerusalem cherry, Madeira winter cherry, or simply winter cherry.
  • The fruits are NOT edible - they are poisonous and belong to the nightshade family.
  • The taste of the fruit is said to be not unpleasant so make sure that pets are kept well away from the plants!
  • The red berries will last for many weeks in the house.
  • If you attempt to keep a plant from one year to the next it should be planted outside during the summer and brought in again before the first frosts.
Its full name is solanum capsicastrum
7 .
'Paperwhites' are bulbs that are often grown as a winter-flowering houseplant. To which plant genus do they belong?
Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/ceasol/
Crocus
Hyacinthus
Tulipa
Narcissus
  • Unlike most bulbs that are 'forced' into flower early, paperwhites do not require a cold period.
  • They are extremely easy to grow in containers - they don't even require compost!
  • Plant the bulbs in nothing more than stones and fill the container with water up to the base of the bulb.
  • A large drinking glass makes an ideal planter because you can easily see the level of the water.
  • Plant at two week intervals to ensure a continuation throughout the winter.
8 .
Anthuriums are often grown as a houseplant. What is the name by which they are commonly known?
Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/gerardstolk/
Cormorant lily
Flamingo lily
Ibis lily
Pelican lily
  • Flowers are usually orange, pink or red.
  • Where a minimum temperature of 15 degrees C can be provided it will keep flowering for several weeks.
  • Tolerates dark conditions better than most flowering plants.
  • When the plants are actively growing make sure they are given a regular weak dose of fertilizer.
  • Keep the leaves clean by dusting or wiping with warm water.
  • Keep outside in a shady place during the summer months.
The plant is not a lily at all!
9 .
Kalanchoes are popular houseplants. How often are they likely to require watering?
Photograph courtesy of Lumiago
Every day
Most days
Two or three times a week
Infrequently
  • Compact plants with tiny flowers in shades of orange, pink, red and yellow.
  • Frequently seen in mixed planted containers used as gifts at Christmas and Easter.
  • The plants do best where a temperature of 15 degrees C can be maintained.
  • Keep in a sunny position if possible.
  • Kalanchoes are known as 'short day plants'. This means that commercial growers can make them flower at any time of year by blacking out their glasshouses so that the plants get a reduced period of daylight each day.
Kalanchoes are succulent plants and as such they can go long periods without water
10 .
These succulent plants are often kept together in groups in the house. What is the plural of cactus?
Photograph courtesy of Stickpen
Cacti
Cactis
Cactuses
Cactuseses
  • These plants come in a bewildering range of forms and sizes.
  • In the wild the smallest ones grow to only a few centimetres high whilst the largest can grow to nearly 20 metres.
  • Some varieties have magnificent flowers but they are usually very short lived - sometimes less than a day!
  • It is very difficult to kill a cactus in the home through lack of water but countless thousands are killed every year because of too much water.
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