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Exotic houseplants worth trying: unusual plants that grow well indoors

By the Grove Plant Care team · Updated October 15, 2026

A pitcher plant dangling its traps, an air plant living without soil, a cactus that grows in trees: these plants look like they belong in a rainforest, and many grow well on a bright shelf at home. Here are ten of them, with what each one needs.

Pitcher plants hanging with red and green pitchers on a wall of moss and stone
Photo by P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What makes a houseplant feel exotic?

Every plant here has a page in the North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, which we used for light, size and maintenance ratings. Several are epiphytes, plants that perch on branches, which explains their love of airy mixes and humid rooms.

If you like dramatic foliage, our guide to big-leaf houseplants pairs well with this one. Availability notes in each entry are general guidance from what you tend to see in shops.

Which exotic plants are easiest to start with?

String of hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

String of hearts stems hanging down from a pot with small heart shaped leaves marbled silver and green on purple stems
Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 US, via Wikimedia Commons

NC State describes wiry stems that drape over a pot and hang down about 3 feet, with heart-shaped leaves etched in silver.

Lipstick plant (Aeschynanthus radicans)

Lipstick plant hanging in a conservatory with glossy green leaves and clusters of red tubular flowers poking out of dark calyces
Photo by Geoff McKay, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The red flowers push out of dark cups like lipstick from a tube. NC State says the plant "needs bright indirect light (but not full sun)."

Stromanthe 'Triostar' (Stromanthe thalia)

Stromanthe Triostar in a pot with long leaves splashed cream, dark green and pale pink
Photo by Hardyplants, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Each leaf is painted cream, green and pink with burgundy undersides, and NC State notes that the leaves fold up at night "to resemble praying hands."

Mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis)

Mistletoe cactus stems crowded with small round white and green berries
Photo by Peter A. Mansfeld, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This cactus has no spines and lives in trees. NC State calls Rhipsalis baccifera a low maintenance hanging houseplant that can grow up to 6 feet long indoors.

Which exotic plants need a little more care?

Tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes)

Pitcher plant with a hanging red pitcher speckled with yellow and a ribbed rim
Photo by Alexander Klink, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

NC State warns that "If the humidity is too low, the traps or pitchers will not develop properly or will die back."

Air plant (Tillandsia)

Air plant cluster of silvery green rosettes with thin spiky leaves mounted on a slab of cork bark
Photo by Daderot, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons

NC State notes that "Most species are easy to grow as houseplants but they demand high light levels if they are to flower." Our guide to mounted plants shows ways to display them.

Silver vase plant (Aechmea fasciata)

Silver vase plant with a spiky pink flower head in front of wide leaves banded silver and green
Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This bromeliad pairs silver-banded leaves with a pink bloom that NC State calls "showy and long-lasting." NC State says "It is best to have a small amount (about 1 inch) of water in the central cup continuously."

Scarlet star (Guzmania)

Scarlet star seen from above with a star of red bracts at the center of long green leaves
Photo by Dick Culbert, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The bright star is a flower head that NC State says "can last 2 to 4 months." NC State explains that "After flowering, the main plant will decline and die," and offsets that form between the base leaves carry on.

Wax plant (Hoya carnosa)

Wax plant with a round cluster of pale pink star shaped flowers with red centers among thick oval green leaves
Photo by James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hoya carnosa has thick oval leaves and round clusters of waxy, star-shaped flowers. NC State says the plant "loves high humidity" and adds that "Too wet or too dry soil can cause the leaves to drop."

Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor)

Jewel orchid with an upright spike of small white flowers with yellow lips above dark reddish leaves with pale stripes
Photo by Averater, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jewel orchid is an orchid you grow for its leaves. NC State describes dark green to purplish-brown leaves "with gold to red veins and red undersides," and white flower spikes are a bonus. NC State says the plant "requires the warm, humid conditions of its native environment."

How do they compare at a glance?

In the table, NC State means North Carolina State Extension, and "Not covered" means neither NC State nor the ASPCA pages we checked list the plant.

How do they compare at a glance?
PlantIndoor sizeLightWater check cueDifficultyPets (source)
String of heartsTrails about 3 feetBright, filteredMix fully dryLowNot covered
Lipstick plant12 inches to 3 feetBright indirectCheck often, good drainageLowNon-toxic (ASPCA)
Stromanthe 'Triostar'2 to 3 feetFiltered, no direct sunWater before the mix driesLowNot covered
Mistletoe cactusUp to 6 feet longBright indirect or part shadeSoil feels dryLowNon-toxic (NC State)
Pitcher plantVaries by plantPart sun, part shadeMoist mix, pure waterMediumNon-toxic (NC State)
Air plantVaries by speciesBright, filteredDunk or rinse in the showerMediumNot covered
Silver vase plant1 to 3 feetPart sun, part shadeWater in the cupMediumNon-toxic (NC State)
Scarlet star1 to 2 feetBright, filteredWater in the cupMediumNon-toxic (NC State)
Wax plantTrailing vinePart sun, part shadeMix dry between wateringsMediumNon-toxic (ASPCA)
Jewel orchid3 inches to 1.5 feetPart sun, part shadeMix lightly moistMediumNon-toxic (NC State)

How do I know when an exotic plant needs water?

These plants fall into three groups. Succulent types such as string of hearts and wax plant want the mix to dry before the next drink. Bromeliads keep water in their central cup, and NC State warns that stagnant cup water "can breed insect pests," so tip out and refresh old water. Moisture lovers such as the pitcher plant, jewel orchid and Stromanthe stay lightly moist.

Our watering check guide walks through the finger test and pot weight. Leaves that yellow while the mix stays wet can point to overwatering, and our root rot guide explains what to look for. Our brown leaves guide covers crispy tips, and our winter care guide helps when the heating comes on.

Are these plants safe around cats and dogs?

NC State tags the pitcher plant, silver vase plant, scarlet star, mistletoe cactus and jewel orchid as non-toxic for cats and dogs. The ASPCA lists wax plant as non-toxic, and its lipstick plant page covers Aeschynanthus humilis, a close relative of the species sold most often. Call your vet if a pet seems unwell after a nibble. For more pet-friendly choices, browse our beginner plants that still look good.

How does Grove help with an unusual plant?

Grove builds a care plan from the species, how you grow the plant, and whether it lives indoors or outdoors. The method you choose shapes watering technique, feeding, pruning, repotting and the task rhythm, and the watering task is a check that asks whether the plant needs water today. You can change how a plant is grown later and rebuild the plan, which helps when an air plant moves from a shelf to a mount on the wall.

Exotic houseplant FAQ

Which exotic houseplant is easiest for a beginner?

String of hearts and mistletoe cactus are both rated low maintenance by NC State, and both like the mix to dry between drinks.

Do pitcher plants need to be fed insects indoors?

NC State says "If insects are not available these plants can be fed by using an organic fertilizer during the growing season."

Do air plants need soil?

No. NC State says they are "commonly grown as epiphytes attached to driftwood, shells, rocks or planks of wood, bark or cork."

Sources

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