Houseplants bring a natural and green feel to any space and are simple to maintain indoors. Naturalistic appeal is present in several of the most appealing, odd, and one-of-a-kind indoor plants. The beauty of many unusual and uncommon aesthetic houseplants is enhanced by glossy green foliage, colorful leaves, odd and wonderful forms, and amusing growing habits.
What are some beautiful houseplants that are strange, unusual, and unique? Here are 10 of the coolest indoor plants that are easy to care for:
- Nerve plants
- Hoya hearts
- Sensitive plant
- Moon cactus
- Donkey’s Tails
- Watermelon peperomia
- Banana shrub
- Staghorn fern
- Snake plant
- Living stones
There are a few basic principles to observe when it comes to caring for houseplants, whether they’re unique, uncommon, strange, or chilly. Water them only when the soil is mostly dry, and allow it to drain completely before watering them again. Indirect sunlight is best for keeping houseplants in bright areas. Also, avoid putting indoor plants near air vents or heating sources.
You may have your lovely, one-of-a-kind plants for many years if you take care of them. With your visitors, their strange growth patterns or unusual leaves may be a hit. You might possibly be able to grow certain uncommon plants as gifts for friends. You’ll learn about several sorts of unusual and attractive houseplants in this article.
Unique Houseplants: Beautiful and Aesthetic Indoor Plants (With Pictures)
Rose Grape (Medinilla magnifica)
One of the most interesting and stunning flowers you can cultivate indoors is the rose grape. This is a stunning plant, as its botanical name suggests. Glossy green leaves with wavy edges adorn the rose grape. Its gorgeous pink flower clusters with clustered little flowers are visible in the spring.
You may regulate the plant’s development by growing it in a pot, even though the leaves might reach up to 1 feet (30 cm) long. Provide your rose grape plant with enough humidity and keep it in a bright yet shaded area.
Pinstripe Calathea (Calathea ornata)
Calatheas have interesting patterns on their leaves, making them cool houseplants. One of the greatest tropical foliage plants available at home is the pinstripe calathea. The pinstripe patterns radiating from the central stem of large green elongated, ovate leaves are striking.
Several calatheas have a dark purple or burgundy coloration on their underside, which is unusual. Calathea plants of various kinds can be used to complement a contemporary interior;
- Rattlesnake plant (Calathea lancifolia)—Long, long, lance-shaped light green leaves with dark green markings. This is a cool houseplant because of its deep burgundy color on the underside.
- Zebra plant (Calathea zebrina)—Zebra-like green designs assist to identify this simple-to-care-for indoor plant, as the name suggests.
Calathea zebrina (left) and calathea lancifolia (right)
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
Sansevieria plants feature unusually long leaves that resemble swords protruding straight from the soil, not only requiring little care and water. These evergreen houseplants have stiff fibrous leaves that may grow up to 35 inches (90 cm) tall and are often referred to as snake plants. Snake plants are named after their long, pointed appearance, and they make for excellent decorative houseplants.
They can only survive with access to water on rare occasions in low-light settings. Sansevieria varieties come in a variety of stunning aesthetic appearances. Some have green and yellow variegated broad leaves, while others have dark green long tapered leaves.
Begonias
Begonias are one of the easiest houseplants to maintain because of their unusual foliage. There are over 1,800 different types of Begonia plants, each with its own leaf shape and color. Begonias may also create lovely flowers when treated properly.
Some begonia varieties have large, deeply veined leaves with dark green, purple, silver, and yellow designs. One begonia cultivar’s leaves have a mark that looks like a big vortex. In the plant world, variegated leaves with reddish-brown, yellow, and purple colors are unusual to see. Variegated leaves are seen in some begonia cultivars.
Red Aglaonema
The red aglaonema is a rare plant with stunning red leaves that belongs to the Chinese evergreens family. If you want to brighten up your room, these colorful decorative aesthetic plants are a great option. Bright green leaves with pink edges and tips characterize other Aglaonema cultivars.
These plants, in addition to cleaning the air, are one of the coolest features. Read this page to learn more about NASA’s additional air-cleaning plants.
Cool Houseplants: Crazy and Funny Indoor Plants
Because of their peculiar appearance and strange leaves, several indoor plants are classified as cool houseplants. Let’s take a look at some of the easiest to maintain plants available.
Hoya “Lucky Heart” (Hoya kerrii)
The “Lucky Heart” hoya has cool, heart-shaped leaves and requires special care. These unusually-looking plants are frequently found in a pot with just one leaf. And, around Valentine’s Day, they’re a common gift. This unusually-looking succulent plant has thick fleshy leaves that are normally 2.5″ (6 cm) broad.
Hoya ‘sweetheart’ plants are easy to look after because they’re a kind of succulent. Heart-shaped cuttings are uncommonly able to root and reproduce. Nonetheless, this peculiar plant may be maintained for many years with minimal care.
Nerve Plants (Fittonia)
Nerve plants are an excellent option if you’re looking for an unusual, cool plant with vividly colored leaves. The leaf patterns of these plants, which are colorful nerve-like designs, give them their common name. Vein plans, painted net plants, and mosaic plants are some of the names for them.
Lime-green patterns that resemble leafless trees are found in several of the most unusual types. Also, nerve plants with dark green leaves with white veins, and plants with yellow and green mosaic patterning are worth a look. Any of these little odd houseplants will add brightness to your home’s corner.
Staghorn Fern (Platycerium)
For two reasons, staghorn ferns are deemed to be unusual and cool plants. Elk or stag horns are similar to their leaves in the first place. Second, staghorn ferns may grow attached to board mounts in thin soil and some moss. These ferns are simple to maintain and thrive in captivity.
Another reason why staghorn ferns are easily identified from other ferns is their large, glossy leaves. In traditional ferns, pinnate fronds are made up of little leaflets.
Moon cactus (Gymnocalycium mihanovichii)
One of the stranger cactus varieties you’ll see is the moon cactus. The green rootstock of the frosty plant is topped with a vividly colored ribbed sphere. The grafted cactus comes in a variety of pink, orange, red, or yellow hues.
You may grow a single cactus as a funky display plant in a pot or you may combine many moon cacti to create a stunning colorful succulent display. Regardless of how you choose to show off this one-of-a-kind plant, it will undoubtedly pique everyone’s curiosity.
Unusual House Plants
What are the most unusual plants that require little care and maintenance? In the botanical world of exotic houseplants, there are some plants that stand out.
Sensitive Plant (Mimosa Pudica)
The delicate plant doesn’t seem to be that unique at first glance. However, something cold occurs when you touch the leaves. Your touch triggers leaflet responses on fern-like leaves. They seem to have fallen asleep as they collapse towards the root of the plant.
Other popular names for this kind of leaf behavior include bashful plants, shamefulplants, humble plants, and sleeping plants. It must be in a bright area but out of direct sunlight to maintain a delicate plant indoors. Only water when the soil is mostly dry. Plant it in well-draining soil.
Mother of Thousands (Bryophyllum daigremontianum)
The plant’s unusual leaves are a distinguishing characteristic of the ‘mother of thousands. The leaf margins seem to be serrated from afar, but you can see tiny buds on the sides when you get closer. You may use these spoon-shaped spurs to grow new plants by forming roots.
Devil’s backbone, alligator plant, and Mexican hat plant are some of the other names for this unusual succulent. The unique plantlets that grow on the leaves are referred to by all of these common names. A word of warning: the ‘mother of thousands’ is very dangerous, and you should keep it out ofreach of pets, doggs, and children.
Donkey’s Tails (Sedum morganianum)
Donkey’s Tail, commonly known as Burro’s Tail, is another very strange succulent. The plant’s long trailing succulent stems gave the plant its name. Little, fat blue-green leaves cover the stems, which hang down vertically. It is best to grow your Donkey’s Tail plant in a hanging basket because the stems may grow up to 24″ (60 cm) long.
Only water the plant occasionally and keep it in bright full sun for the best results. This unusual houseplant can quickly die from too much moisture.
Living Stones (Lithops)
Lithops definitely stands out as one of the coolest and most unusual plants. Any plant labeled “living stones” must be unique. These little succulents resemble small stones and are often referred to as pebble plants. Pairings of bodily leaves that appear to be joined make up the chilly plant.
New leaves push their way through the gap between the previous leaves in the spring. Lithops vanish beneath the ground during an severe drought to help preserve moisture, which is interesting.
At home, living stone plants are simple to look after. All you need to do is plant these rare plants in sandy, well-draining soil in a sunny spot. In the winter, they only need a little watering, and in the summer, they should be dry. These interesting plants will reward you with stunning flowers in the fall if you look after them properly.
Money Tree (Crassula ovata)
The fact that money tree thrives on neglect is what makes it so strange. This succulent has thick woody stems and meaty oval leaves, and is also known as the jade plant or lucky plant. The leaf margins of certain jade plant varieties are blushred delicately. Tricolor variegated types of unusual jade plants are worth considering.
There isn’t a lot of luck involved in caring for this money plant. In the summer, you just need to water it a few times; in the winter, you only need to do it a few times. Plant it in a bright spot and grow in well-draining soil. Cats, dogs, and other animals should not eat jade plants. When handling the plant, wear protective gloves if you have sensitive skin.
Bunny Ears Cactus (Opuntia microdasys)
The circular cactus leaves that rise on the summit of bigger leaves give bunny ears cacti a peculiar appearance. Polka-dot cactus and angel’s wings cactus are two other names for this unusual cactus.
Rare Houseplants
Rare houseplants may be cared for at home with surprising ease. For further information on some uncommon indoor plants, read on.
Silver Vase Plant (Aechmea fasciata)
The silver vase plant is a unique and stunning blooming plant that thrives in indoor environments. The bromeliad is sometimes referred to as the urn plant because of its large, arching, silvery-green leaves. A distinctive vase-shaped plant is formed by the overlapping of these leaves.
When this exotic plant blossoms, it stands out among other types of houseplants. The plant’s center becomes a stunning, attention-grabbing houseplant with an exquisite showy pink spiky bloom.
Echeveria
While many echeveria succulents are popular houseplants, there are unusual rare sorts of echeveria that are simple to cultivate. Echeveria plants with rose-shaped thick fleshy leaves are common. These plants are succulent in nature and only need to be watered occasionally and exposed to bright light. The following are examples of some of the rarest plants in the echeveria family:
- Lipstick echeveria—The classic echeveria form is present, with glossy red leaves that look like crimson lipstick.
- Echeveria chihuahuensis ‘Raspberry Dip’—With oddly shaped light green leaves and red apexes, this is another uncommon and unusual echeveria.
- Echeveria cante—A rosette with almost white leaves that are a pale blue-green color. Yellowish-orange blooms bloom in the summer with care.
- Echeveria gibbiflora ‘Metallica’—The ‘Metallica’ cultivar has metallic bronze leaves with pink borders, which is unusual in a succulent.
Alocasia
Alocasia Amazonica is a plant that is difficult to maintain as a houseplant, but it is simple to care for. The broad leaves of Alocasia plants, as well as the vivid colors, are well-known features. When grown indoors in pots, these uncommon tropical plants need bright light and frequent misting to maintain humidity.
The Alocasia amazonica ‘Polly’ plant, which features triangular-shaped green leaves with white veins, is one of the rarest alocasia houseplants out there. Or, ‘Red Secret’ Alocasia cuprea has crimson leaves with deep veins.
Banana Shrub (Magnolia figo)
The banana shrub is closely connected to magnolias, not banana plants, despite its uncommon, strange tropical plant origin. Indoors, some of the tropics are brought in by growing these shrubby houseplants. This uncommon plant is known for its lush green leaves and colorful or purple magnolia blooms.
Your room, however, is filled with the sweet fragrance of bananas when the plant blossoms. In local nurseries and garden centers, it’s tough to locate this subtropical plant for sale. You should search for it online if you want to grow this plant.
Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)
Peperomias are a popular houseplant that requires little maintenance. Watermelon cultivar is one of the most unusual and rare peperomia types. The oval leaves have green and black green stripes that look like watermelon rinds. This plant thrives in low-light settings and is ideal for a workplace desk or space that lacks sunlight.
With its bizarre leaves, it makes a good conversation piece. Because it thrives when roots are root-bound, the plant can withstand some neglect and grow well.
Jewel Orchid (Ludisia discolor)
Although it’s the only jewel orchid in this orchid genus, it’s a uncommon variety of plant. Some of the most unusual and individualistic leaves you’ll see on any houseplant are the elongated oval leaves. Dark green leaves with white pinstripe streaks running from the root to the tip. The fascinating foliage on this unusual kind of orchid is brightened by maroon patterns on the leaf underside.
Lifesaver plant (Huernia zebrina)
The lifesaver plant checks all the boxes when it comes to being one of the rarest, oddest, and most distinctive flowers. The jagged green fleshy stems of this perennial succulent are striking. The unusual feature of this rare plant, however, is not the fact that it has tiny leaves. Chocolate-colored star-shaped blooms with brown zebra stripes are produced by the lifesaver plant.