Good desktop plants?

[Vostrocity]

I just got a new desk and new workspace, so I decided it's time to liven things up with some plants. Here are my criteria. :)
-Cheap, low-maintenence (I'm poor)
-Small (I have a small desk)
-Temperature-tolerant (I try to be conservative with my heating and cooling)
-Ideally, does lots of photosynthesis (natural air-purifier)
-Doesn't mind lots of indirect sunlight (my desk is right up against a very bright window, which is always covered by my light-filtering paper blinds) or LED lighting

EDIT: The only thing I've looked at so far are mini cacti. They're cheap ($4 for 3), small, hardy, shouldn't mind sunlight, but probably doesn't do too much photosynthesis.

[staf0048]

Bamboo

[tgalati4]

Plastic plants. Dust once a month and spray with Febreeze to keep fresh smelling.

[juancarlospaco]

Cactus

[Vostrocity]

Bamboo
That could be good. Considering. :D


Plastic plants. Dust once a month and spray with Febreeze to keep fresh smelling.
Doesn't do much photosynthesis. :D


Cactus
Already considering. :D

[Jim!]

Get one of those plants that eats flys! Then cultivate it carefully until it's large enough to eat people, teach it to obey you and then if anyone annoys you "Eat!". Or you could get a mini bonsai tree...

[Dobbie03]

Get a spider plant!!!!

[-grubby]

cactus

+9001

[x33a]

Get one of those plants that eats flys! Then cultivate it carefully until it's large enough to eat people, teach it to obey you and then if anyone annoys you "Eat!". Or you could get a mini bonsai tree...

what if it refuses to obey :P

[kpholmes]

get a money tree plant, i have one and like it alot. water it every 3 or 4 days, really green and cool looking. i got it at ikea for like 2 bucks.

gets some info


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=O4M&q=money+tree+plant&revid=1238753053&ei=7X2sSrHQJImmsgPHr9yYBQ&sa=X&oi=revisions_narrow&resnum=4&ct=revision

[hockeytux]

What you want is THIS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracaena_marginata).

Classic and low-maintenance. :)

[staf0048]

what if it refuses to obey :P

Starting to sound like "Little Shop of Horrors"

[x33a]

Starting to sound like "Little Shop of Horrors"

damn, i didn't know about that :D

[Vostrocity]

Or you could get a mini bonsai tree...
Ok I'll consider that too.


Get a spider plant!!!!
I've heard of those, but they seem a bit big with all the leaves sticking out.


get a money tree plant
Ok that seems good too.


What you want is THIS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracaena_marginata).
"eventually reaching heights of 2-5 m" Yikes a bit big for my desk.

[Vostrocity]

Ok so far I have these on my list.

Cactus
Bamboo
Bonsai
Money Tree Plant

I'm not a floral expert but cactus, bamboo, and bonsai don't seem to be big photosynthesizers, which is an ok sacrifice. And I just realized that low-maintence and photosynthesis do not go in one, since photosynthesis requires both sunlight AND water (watering = maintenance). :o

[Jim!]

Ok so far I have these on my list.

Cactus
Bamboo
Bonsai
Money Tree Plant

I'm not a floral expert but cactus, bamboo, and bonsai don't seem to be big photosynthesizers, which is an ok sacrifice. And I just realized that low-maintence and photosynthesis do not go in one, since photosynthesis requires both sunlight AND water (watering = maintenance). :o
Lol.

[juancarlospaco]

This one! :)

http://www.yupifotos.com/download.php?attachid=2134&id=2013&edit=&action=&useedit=0

http://esjardineria.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/plantcaar2.jpg

http://www.blog.whiteblaizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/planta_2.jpg

[cmay]

I have these two on my Desk and In every corner of my house.

basil
http://www.growingherbs.org.uk/herbs/how_to_grow_basil.htm

chilli plants
http://www.thechileman.org/

you can eat them which makes them perfect for household plants.

[HappinessNow]

I just got a new desk and new workspace, so I decided it's time to liven things up with some plants. Here are my criteria. :)
-Cheap, low-maintenence (I'm poor)
-Small (I have a small desk)
-Temperature-tolerant (I try to be conservative with my heating and cooling)
-Ideally, does lots of photosynthesis (natural air-purifier)
-Doesn't mind lots of indirect sunlight (my desk is right up against a very bright window, which is always covered by my light-filtering paper blinds) or LED lighting

EDIT: The only thing I've looked at so far are mini cacti. They're cheap ($4 for 3), small, hardy, shouldn't mind sunlight, but probably doesn't do too much photosynthesis.

Just go to the woods and dig some plants up.

Mint actually grows wild, you can start the roots in water then pot them once the roots develop.

Another beautiful and inexpensive plant is to put three toothpicks into an avocado seed put the seed half way into water and you will have a very beautiful plant growing from that.

I have never tried this but Poison Ivy is also very beautiful and hardy just not a plant you want to go touching everywhere. :P

[alienclone]

try this

http://siber.netpusula.com/us/

[Vostrocity]

Just go to the woods and dig some plants up.

Mint actually grows wild, you can start the roots in water then pot them once the roots develop.

Another beautiful and inexpensive plant is to put three toothpicks into an avocado seed put the seed half way into water and you will have a very beautiful plant growing from that.

I have never tried this but Poison Ivy is also very beautiful and hardy just not a plant you want to go touching everywhere. :P
I'll look at mint (love the smell) and avocado but I'll pass on the ivy. :D


I have these two on my Desk and In every corner of my house.

basil
http://www.growingherbs.org.uk/herbs/how_to_grow_basil.htm

chilli plants
http://www.thechileman.org/

you can eat them which makes them perfect for household plants.
I'll consider chili since I like eating them but I'll pass on basil since I don't like eating them.




So here now's my new list, if anyone has any more feel free to recommend them but I think I have a good idea of what to get now.
Cactus
Bamboo
Bonsai
Money Tree Plant
Mint
Avocado
Chili

[Jim!]

Cactus
Bamboo
Bonsai
Money Tree Plant
Mint
Avocado
Chili

I'll never understand why you chose an Avacodo plant over a trainable man eating plant. But it's your choice, I guess...

[RabbitWho]

I love Cyclamen, you can usually get them for about 2 euro.
They flower almost all year round, and have beautiful little white flowers, they survive both outdoor and indoor in most climates, they're better indoor, they do die back if you forget to water them or if you water them too much, but they're very hardy, mine has been reduced to a pot of dirt a few times and the leaves sprout up again within 2 days of watering.

https://www.4165flower.com/files/products/products/W33-3618.jpg

[Vostrocity]

I'll never understand why you chose an Avacodo plant over a trainable man eating plant. But it's your choice, I guess...

Sorry it's a bit big for my desk. That's the only reason why..
:D

[markbuntu]

Grow a marijuana plant. It will be so completely out of context nobody will recognize it.

[tazz4vr]

Get a spider plant!!!!

yeah, they last forever and don't flippin die no matter how long you forget to water them...! Believe me, I know!

[LowSky]

Wheatgrass, it grows quick and you can even harvest it for colon cleansing, LOL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatgrass

[HappinessNow]

I'll look at mint (love the smell) and avocado but I'll pass on the ivy. :D


I'll consider chili since I like eating them but I'll pass on basil since I don't like eating them.




So here now's my new list, if anyone has any more feel free to recommend them but I think I have a good idea of what to get now.
Cactus
Bamboo
Bonsai
Money Tree Plant
Mint
Avocado
Chili

+1 on the chili plant but they need lots of full sun and you need to stress them out for them to be hot! I have a lovely Habanero plant that is full of beautiful orange Habaneros.

Another suggestion a Potato Bonsai

As you can see Potato Bonsai can be quite lovely:


http://ubuntuforums.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=128595&d=1252962626http://www.warmmouse.info/uploaded_images/BonsaiTatoMouse1-722903.jpg


http://ubuntuforums.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=128596&d=1252962626http://blog.satyr.nl/img/Homer08.jpg

[Vostrocity]

Grow a marijuana plant. It will be so completely out of context nobody will recognize it.
No thanks I don't smoke.. unless you want me to grow them for you. :P


yeah, they last forever and don't flippin die no matter how long you forget to water them...! Believe me, I know!
I actually have one, and yea it's very hardy. But it comes up to my waist so I have it sitting in a corner of the house rather than on my desk. :P


Wheatgrass, it grows quick and you can even harvest it for colon cleansing, LOL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatgrass
That would actually look very nice on my desk. But they probably grow too fast (therefore high-maintenance) if they're meant to be harvested. :P


+1 on the chili plant but they need lots of full sun and you need to stress them out for them to be hot! I have a lovely Habanero plant that is full of beautiful orange Habaneros.

Another suggestion a Potato Bonsai

As you can see Potato Bonsai can be quite lovely:

http://www.warmmouse.info/uploaded_images/BonsaiTatoMouse1-722903.jpg

http://blog.satyr.nl/img/Homer08.jpg
Those potatoes look a bit nightmarish, if you know what I mean. :P

[zer010]

Ginger. Good indoor plant. Not hard to maintain. Blooms are pretty awesome, but also nice foilage. Other than that, I'd also recommend the Venus Fly Trap. It's just neat looking and you get to make "sacrifices". :P

[TuckLive]

I would go with Bamboo. It's nice and clean. The number of stalks also have different meanings.

2 stalks = love
3 or 6 stalks = happiness
5 or 7 stalks = health
8 stalks = wealth
9 stalks = general good fortune
21 stalks = blessings