• African violets make for very attractive houseplant gifts.african violets image by nTripp from Fotolia.com
  
  Houseplants, or indoor plants, are a gift that grows and thrives with time. The best houseplants for gifts are the low maintenance plants that are easy to grow. Taking care of houseplants can be a casual hobby or a serious pastime. Houseplants help to bring green into the indoor living environment and improve the quality of air with the oxygen they produce. A number of tropical plants can be given as houseplant gifts.
  
  

Golden Pothos

• Golden pothos (Scindapsus aureus) is among the most easy to maintain and hardy houseplants. Golden pothos is also referred to as the devil’s ivy, and it is a native of the Solomon Islands. The plant grows as a vine and can reach a length of up to 10 feet with a height of about 1½ feet. Golden pothos does not flower and does well in normal indoor temperatures. The plant is resistant to pests and diseases and prefers low to medium light. The four different varieties of pothos, pothos gold, pothos marble queen, chartreuse green neon pothos and jade pothos, are all equally easy to take care of and therefore make good gifts.
  
  

Bamboo Palm

• Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) is also referred to as reed palm. The plant is a native of Mexico and makes a good indoor plant gift for home or office. Bamboo palm has a columnar growth, growing to about 2 feet in diameter and up to 8 feet in height. The plant is easy to grow in areas of medium light with average indoor temperatures. Bamboo palm has an average water requirement and prefers to be fertilized twice a year during spring and summer. Overwatering of a bamboo palm is indicated by yellowing fronds. The plant is not sensitive to humidity.
  
  

African Violet

• The African violet (Saintpaulia spp.) is a flowering indoor plant that is a popular gift. The plant is a native of eastern Africa. It is small and compact, growing to a mature height of 6 inches with an 8-inch spread. The plant is easy to take care of and produces flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink or yellow abundantly throughout the year. An African violet plant needs to be placed in areas of bright filtered light. The plant does not bloom in low light and is intolerant of direct sunlight. It grows best in moist soil. Though the African violet is not as hardy as some foliage houseplants, it makes for a very colorful indoor plant gift.