All great suggestions, although I have managed to kill every plant mentioned if I have owned it. *lol* You do have to water at least every once in awhile... I will add the basic, old-fashioned Aglaonema (Chinese evergreen); I can't believe mine is still alive. It ain't thriving, mind you, but it is still alive. And it needs another tier to its trellis; it thinks it's a dracaena (dragon tree, so-called "lucky bamboo") or a diffenbachia (dumb cane) and is trying to become a tree... Great plant for lower light levels, too; mine just barely gets some early sun and then brightish light all day where it sits six feet away from an east window. Over the years I've had good luck with schefflera, the plain green variety in either the small 4-6" wide leaves or the dinner-plate-sized you can sometimes find. (I have abysmal luck with the variegated type. In general, the closer to the "wild" version, the hardier the houseplant whatever the species.) To narrow down the succulent category (yes, I have actually killed jade, but also manage to keep enough pieces going that I still have some): Haworthia. Mine even bud off babies! Always a positive sign when a plant does this and it's not a "must reproduce before I die" reaction... Small, so it does well on the sill or small shelf in a well-lit window (mine's facing S/SW)--above the kitchen sink if possible so you have absolutely no excuse not to water it at least occasionally. ;o) You can get around the whole not enough/too much water problem by growing plants in water. Topic for another post, but for starters: Pothos gets another "easy plant" vote, and it can last a loooong time in just water. All you need is a fresh cutting (no roots necessary so long as it has a couple of nodes [root-growing part]) and a clean jar. A bit of activated charcoal [aquarium supply] in the water will help reduce potential ickiness; a narrow-necked jar doesn't evaporate as quickly as a wide-mouth jar. I've had cuttings last this way for years; why bother potting them up when they seem happy? I may even remember to drop in a bit of fertilizer once a year or so. Spider plants and arrowhead (syngonium) can actually last quite awhile in water as well if you start with a plantlet just getting roots/cutting with nodes. Same with peace lily; I plucked out three young plantlets when we repotted our main plants here at work, rinsed them off, plopped them in water, and now there are new roots on at least one. I suppose it shouldn't be sursprising that most of the mentioned "easy" plants are tolerant of occasional inconsistent watering (can go to the dry side but won't turn up their toes over a good soaking once in awhile) and also of varying light conditions (some full sun to long hours of relatively bright to somewhat lower light levels). Sorry I've rambled but I hope it helps! ~ Wren

I have found that Korean Lilac is very easy to root when branches are taken in the spring. Be sure to use a "woody" type hormone. I placed it in a pot of vermiculite and placed it in a sealed ziplock and gave it bright light. It took and grew suprisingly fast! A fun one to try, but it sure takes a while, is to cut up a begonia leaf and lay it on moist sand. Needs warmth and humidity, but each little peice makes new plants in time. Jade trees and most other suculents are easy and fud, just plunk in the dirt and go! Any others? Julie

Yes, cannas can be grown as houseplants provided they get a lot of sunlight. However, many cannas get very tall. So you may want to grow them inside during the winter and outside during the summer. You can even set them outside in their pots. They make great patio plants. But because they grow and multiply so quickly, be sure to divide them yearly. And be sure you put them pots big enough to allow room for them to multiply. Dwarf cannas make better container plants, so for long-term houseplants, find some dwarf varieties.

JimShy compiled the following information and accompanying list dealing with houseplants that are fragrant. Posted by: JimShy z7 Brooklyn, NY (My Page) on Thu, Jun 10, 04 at 12:26 Fragrant Houseplants: First, the FAQ inside the FAQ! 1. Fragrance is not a science what smells fantastic to one person smells awful to another, or has no smell at all. This is partly genetic, partly personal, and wholly olfactory (sorry, couldnt resist the Batman-style rhyme!), so there is simply no substitute for smelling the plant yourself. Dont take our word for it, or anyone elses, go with your own nose! 2. A lot of other factors go into the scent of a plant: whether its getting enough sun/fertilizer/water, the time of day, the age of the plant, etc. The exact same species can smell different from one individual plant to another. Some folks also think that moon phases, astrological alignments, sunspots, El Nino, Superthrive, eggshells, their grandmothers tea, and the interest rate on 30 year Treasury bonds also play a role. The point is, if something seems to work for you, keep at it! 3. This list is not exhaustive, and will be added to from time to time. 4. There are plenty of scented plants that are not normally considered houseplants, which obsessed, er, dedicated growers are nevertheless trying to grow indoors. This list is mainly those plants that are known to be fairly good growers in the home. I also left out most, if not all, flowering bulbs that are usually purchased in bloom and thrown out when done. Fragrant bulb FAQ, anyone? 5. Plants smell their best when they are grown their best; take the time to learn the right care for your plant, and how it grows best in your home. Ok, enough already, on to the list! Plants are listed by scientific name, followed by common name in parentheses. Key: es = evening scented (after dark) ns = night scented (only late at night) Acacia baileyana, dealbata, farnesina, longifolia Aglaia odorata (Chinese perfume plant) Allamanda cathartica, schotii (neriifolia) are mostly es Alpinia: many of these have ginger-scented leaves and rhizomes Araujia sericofera (Cruel plant) Aristolochia (Dutchmans Pipe): gigantea some other aristolochias are scented, but not in a good way! Begonias: some hybrids are lightly fragrant Honeysuckle, Jim Wyrtzen, Lenore Olivier, Tea Rose, at least two species, solananthera and venosa, are more strongly scented Bouvardia longflora (Fragrant bouvardia) Brugmansias (Angels trumpets): most are fragrant (es), except for sanguinea and some of its hybrids Brunfelsias: americana, jamaicensis and isola are es, others are day-scented Buddleja: most are scented, b. asiatica blooms in winter indoors Bursera: fagaroides, macrophylla, simaruba all have scented leaves and wood Callistemon citrinus (Bottlebrush): scented leaves Carissa macrocarpa Cassia didimobotrya: leaves smell like buttered popcorn! Cedronella canariensis (false Balm of Gilead) Cestrum: aurantiacum, nocturnum (night blooming jasmine), parqui (all es), and diurnum, which is day-scented Camellia: some sasanqua cultivars, sinensis, some hybrids very difficult indoors Citrus: all have scented flowers, often the leaves smell nice too try some in a Thai curry! Clerodendrum: bungeii, phillipinum, trichotomum (all get very big) Coffea arabica (coffee) Coleonema pulchra (Breath of Heaven): scented leaves Coronilla valentina Cryptocereus anthonyanus (rick-rack cactus) Datura (Angels trumpets): most species are fragrant (es) Dombeya: wallichii, hybrids Dracena fragrans (Corn Plant) Duranta erecta: some cultivars are fragrant Echinopsis: oxypetallum, other species and some hybrids (ns) Epiphyllum (Orchid cactus): anguliger (es), crenatum, oxypetallum (ns), a few hybrids Eucharis amazonica (Amazon lily) Gardenias: see the gardenia mini-FAQ Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine) Genista canariensis (Scented Broom) Hedychium coronarium, gardnerii, some hybrids Heliotropum arborescens (heliotrope): cherry pie fragrance Herbs: many herbs are scented, of course, and many can be grown indoors see the Herb Forum for suggestions Hermannia verticillata (Honey Bells) Hibiscus arnottianus Hoyas: acuta, archiboldiana, australis, bella, carnosa, fungii, lacunosa, nummularioides (pubera), obovata, obscura, odorata, paziae, pubicalyx, serpens, shepherdii, tsangii, verticillata, and many more Illicium floridanum (Florida Anise Tree): scented leaves Ipomea alba (moonflower) Ixora barbata, fragrans Jasmines: almost all species are fragrant, except for mesnyi, nudiflorum, and rex. Lantana camara: scented leaves Magnolia coco: es Malpighia glabra and punicifolia (Barbados Cherry) Mandevilla laxa (Chilean jasmine) Michelia figo fuscata, skinneri (Banana shrub), yunnanensis Mitrostigmara auxillare (African gardenia) Murraya: exotica, paniculata both called (orange jasmine), koenigii (curry) Neomarcia gracilis (Walking iris) Nerium oleander Nyctanthes arbor-tristes: (es) Ochna serrulata Orchids: many, many orchids are fragrant; here are just a few that are particularly good houseplants: brassavola nodosa, some mini-cattleyas, cymbidium "Golden Elf, " dendrobium kingianum, Neostylis "Lou Sneery," oncidium "Sharry Baby" (smells like chocolate!) See the Orchid Forum for more suggestions Osmanthus fragrans (Sweet olive) Pachypodium lamerei, saundersii Pandanus odoratissimus (Screw Pine) Pandorea pandoreana Passiflora: many are fragrant, including alata, caerulea, helleri, phoenicia, trifasciata, and many hybrids. Pelargoniums (scented geraniums): all scented-leaf geraniums have guess what? scented leaves Pereskia aculeata (lemon vine): climbing, leaved cactus with lemon-scented flowers Pittosporum: eugenioides, tobirum (mock orange) Plectranthus: many species have scented leaves; some are very strongly scented (think kitchen cleaners) Plumeria: most varieties are scented Pogostemon hyeanus (patchouli): scented leaves Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose) Primula (Primrose): some modern hybrids are lightly scented Prostanthera Psidium (guava): most varieties have scented flowers and lightly scented leaves. Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper) Reseda odorata (mignonette): scented flowers Rhododendron: vireya species and hybrids; many are scented and can be grown indoors. Some smaller Maddeni-type cultivars might also fit indoors. Rondeletia leucophyllum (es), splendens (ns) Sanseveria: though not often seen, most snake plants have small, scented flowers Senecio: confusus (mexican flame vine), pendularis, Sinningia tubiflora Stapellia: flavopurpurea is the only species in this genus with a pleasant scent! Stephanotis floribunda (Madagascar jasmine) Strophanthus gratus Tabernaemontana: divericata, holstii (Butterfly gardenia) Tecoma stans Telosma cordata Tillandsia: yes, some air plants have scented flowers: crocata, duratii, straminea and some others see the Bromeliad Forum Trachelospermum: asiaticum, jasminoides (Confederate jasmine) Verbena: some cultivars are scented Vigna caracalla (Snail Vine) Viola odorata (Scented violet) Wrightia religiosa Zingiber: culinary ginger (zingiber officianale) and some other species have scented leaves and rhizomes